The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words. William H. Gass

His ears were often the first thing to catch my tears. Elizabeth Barrett Browning

For the rest of my life, I will live with my hands outstretched for things that are no longer there. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I see somebody who was never properly mothered herself, who wasn’t able to give all of herself, now being forced to drain every last ounce. She was fighting for control of her life, for direction and meaning, as if she were locked in a brutal tug-of-war. The difficulty was, my sister and I were on the other end of the rope. Ronit Plank

… I saw a mom take her raincoat off and give it to her young daughter when a storm took over the afternoon. My god I thought, my whole life I’ve been under her raincoat thinking it was somehow a marvel
that I never got wet. Ada Limon, The Raincoat