My Father Mocked Me for Coming to Court Without a Lawyer, But the Judge Opened My File and the Whole Room Went Silent

on the west corner fence when I got out to the property one Saturday morning. Fresh wood. Good workmanship. No note.

I stood there looking at it and knew exactly whose hands had done it.

It did not make me cry.

But it did make me sit down on the porch steps for a minute and hold the compass in my palm until the needle stopped moving.

Winter came slowly.continue reading …