Small round circle. Cut in to her flesh. Darker on the right side, deeper than she remembered. Edge of hair and skin, in the middle of her very being. She had a chance to examine it closely, more than ever. Memorizing every bump, every hair follicle, every pore. A slice of empty. That she didn’t… Continue reading Deformed Inward
You told me the trick. It was too good to be true. I told you, forget it. I couldn’t suspend disbelief. Because it didn’t make sense to my senses, my sight and my touch and my guilt and my shame. He said, Hocus Pocus. And then, it was so. I thought it illusion. Too good… Continue reading Delinquent Magic
Lined eyes, now brighter, looks happier. That's what she thought they should see. What stared back in the mirror. Smoothed flesh, blurring the lines and freckles of age and circumstance. All one shade now, bronzed over with a splash of sunshine from a bottle. Beautiful, they must think. Stained lips, rosy and fresh. Glossy with… Continue reading Recognized and Bound
There are times when a touch on my skin has made it crawl. I remember this feeling most clearly when I was pregnant and the crazy hormones pulsed throughout my body. Every sense was heightened during that strange and wonderful nine months. During that time, most everything that touched me sent prickles down my spine… Continue reading Don’t Touch Me
Turning sideways, no one could see the little hole in the hem of her favorite dress. Sometimes the other kids would make fun of her when they noticed her clothes up close. Not always clean, not always in the best shape, she was painfully aware of which posture to take in each of her three… Continue reading Un Thankful
There are no other words quite as precious as forgiveness. They are discovered deep in the dank depressions. Dirty, smelly, crusty covered in the slime of sin. Buried under years of ignorance, months of misunderstandings, hours of self-righteousness, they are trampled upon as each day passes. We will probably step right over them, looking to… Continue reading For Those Who Dig for the Gospel
She gripped the pink and yellow remains with both tiny hands. A little corner stuck out just above her thumb where she nervously bit to calm down. Ripping tearing thrashing by her own hand, the anxiety was too much to keep inside. That faded fabric barley covered her trembling body. But the routine of it… Continue reading Panic Blanket
A good story meets you in the midst of life. It tells you something true, something you can relate to. It abducts you. It takes your heart unexpectedly. It gives you the breath of another life as a character in the fairy tale. It becomes a reality you dream is yours. It paints a world… Continue reading Predictable Stories are the Worst
Knowledge will set you free. So we believe. Our jobs, our relationships, our future, our faith, if we just know enough about it all, where is is going and what it all means, then everything will turn out all right. If we don’t find ourselves taking that wrong turn down the path that we thought… Continue reading Knowledge: Bondage or Freedom?
That you would love me ever. Even if I went astray. Wander through the darkest caves. Not far enough from your reach. Black to white there’s nowhere lost. And you won’t lose me. What if I have steadfast trust That you would call me always. Stalking never tiring of reaching for my hand. Even when… Continue reading What If I Believe Too Much
Cindy Koch 