Kate

“In itself it is nothing. Nothing but a book: parchment, colouring, ink. Yet the most perishable material is at the same time the most durable substance in the world…”
― Lion Feuchtwanger, The Jew of Rome

“On the night of our secret wedding
when he held me in his mouth like a promise
until his tongue grew tired and fell asleep,
I lay awake to keep the memory alive.

In the morning I begged him back to bed.
Running late, he kissed my ankles and left.
I stayed like a secret in his bed for days
until his mother found me.

I showed her my gold ring,
I stood in front of her naked,
waved my hands in her face.
She sank to the floor and cried.

At his funeral, no one knew my name.
I sat behind his aunts,
they sucked on dates soaked in oil.
The last thing he tasted was me.”
― Warsan Shire

“I decided right then and there that if home is where the heart is, my heart has been homeless for a very long time.”
― Nicole Baart, The Moment Between

“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but watch out for those damn words.”
― Chuck Palahniuk, Lullaby