Do you have anything to write about when you stay in one place too long? All you ever see are these four walls and that backyard, and how much can you really write about those? Emily Dickinson would say plenty, but maybe she was a braver soul who roamed wider on the page.

All the words have grown petty and cheap like a bundle of costume jewelry that’s lost its luster. This happens from time to time when the world grows a bit gray and dull. It’s almost as if you must remind yourself what being alive and young is like. There’s an ossification that occurs when dreams and hopes implode. You would think life and experience would help you minimize this issue, but it seems to be the opposite. Our hearts, like our bodies, can develop arthritis. When we fall or are dropped, once we are older, we just don’t bounce back the same.

© 2023 Katie Baker