Why Did You Kill My Sister?

“To rise, first you must burn.” ― Hiba Fatima Ahmad Dear Mike, When you were alive, I never quite knew the day of your birthday. Kay had to inform me the day you were born–“Oh, did you know it’s Mike’s birthday today? I’m having cake and ice-cream later on. Pleeeeease Read more

Free Bird

He had already locked the front door so she couldn’t escape, couldn’t open her cage.
Perhaps he uttered a prayer to whomever murderers utter prayers too. Perhaps he gave last rights to himself, took communion, had a last meal, said goodbye to his mother, brother, sister, children, the cats.

What the Therapist Said

i unloaded the dishwasher that morning and then i went to therapy and unloaded on this new doctor and she said, perhaps, maybe, possibly my post-partum depression was because i just missed having attention because all the babies i had lost apparently hadn’t given me enough unwanted side-show-status-attention i wondered Read more

After the Murder

“Your coffin reached the monstrous hole. And a part of me went down into the muddy earth with you and lay down next to you and died with you.” ― Rosamund Lupton, Sister After the murder, my prayers went something like this: “Help me. God, help me. Please, fucking help Read more

You Rise

(For my dear sister, Kay, I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you.) Your face is fading. I see shadows of chin, cheekbone, childhood inside my mind. Orange Kool-Aid, baloney sandwiches, Aunt Carol’s peonies like colossal, pink faces thrill us. He loves me, he loves me not. You tell me you Read more

Being Jennifer Levin’s Mother

I grew up in the same building that Jennifer Levin’s mother lived in. Do you remember Jennifer Levin? She was the 18-year-old girl who was murdered by Robert Chambers in the late ‘80’s – in New York City. I think it was April of 1988. I remember I had won a Read more