Never forget that once upon a time, in an unguarded moment,
you recognized yourself as a friend.

This is one of my favorite quotes from Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. My sister gave me the book last time she visited, so when it came time for her birthday, I thought it would be fitting to get [...]

By Diane Lockward
From Eve’s Red Dress, copyright 2003
Today I dress for you
in scarlet. I am
a tomato, plump
and luscious. I pulsate
with seeds.
Today I clothe myself
in yellow. I am
a peach, succulent
and ripe.
For you, I swathe myself
in gold. I am
all melons, oranges,
tangerines, nectarines.
I am a garden of earthly delights.
I am the red apple
you would fall for
a thousand times.
I [...]

A woman watches her body uneasily, as though it were an unreliable ally in the battle for love.
- Leonard Cohen