this riven bloom

The truth is, I kind of hate this sign right now [see below]. Even though you were never really ours, we don’t feel complete without you. We will always be yours. Trusting that it’s good you’ve rejoined your mom and dad is hard. That said, please know this: I won’t let what I know of … More dear ria

Just after the first frost snapped, my leaves were cut off. What good can come of that? And where strength and passion flowed from my roots, I have been cut through. What my bark protected Is now exposed, and bare. Surely there has been a mistake— this can’t be the way to life. I am … More a scion’s november psalm

(Thoughts on the weekends when our foster daughter is away with her parents.) I tell myself, it’s a relief. It’s 50 hours that the weight of The System’s Brokenness and The Tediousness of Parenting a 1 Year Old are suspended. Enjoy the return to old norms, like Fette Sau without a high chair and diaper … More the air between our notes

It’s been raining a lot here. This week saw many sharp tones and quick critiques in our house, with me as a chief contributor rather than an aid. A few nights, getting to bedtime felt like what I imagine army crawling through quicksand–while being swarmed by biting flies–is like. We thought about cancelled our Friday … More puddles at night

All five of us are around the table. Bowls of fixings cover the space between our plates. Everyone is busy building their own creations. I sigh. On Taco Tuesdays, I experience something soulishly satisfying–like a thirst being quenched or a partial thing being made whole–and I think the root of it is that my children … More taco tuesday