Uncategorized – REVEALING PANES

Notions in Selma

I had preconceived notions about Selma. But, I didn’t know it until I drove into town. I imagined her small but thriving, bustling with people of all colors and creeds. I figured a few restaurants and tourist spots and tall American pride must sustain her easily. So much bloodshed and anger would have produced neededContinue reading “Notions in Selma”

Returning Home: Part A

Imagine being forced to leave your country, causing separation from family and friends, with no activity in the real world for three years or 10 or 20. And then one day you’re thrown back into civilization where no one knows you. You have less than $100, no place to sleep, and a disconnection with everydayContinue reading “Returning Home: Part A”

Community Offers Social Capital

My friend was recently released from prison after serving a seven-year sentence for a crime she committed. Not only does Kristin feel remorse, but she also understands the turmoil she created. But returning to regular life is not simple. The reentry process presents the largest obstacle for a formerly incarcerated person whose goal is toContinue reading “Community Offers Social Capital”

Returning Home

Home is the place where her loved ones live—a place where she feels comfortable and welcome. Home means security and satisfaction. Home is where she’s been and where she belongs, a condition of her circumstance. It is her history and often her story where memories are kept. Here, she is cared for and respected andContinue reading “Returning Home”

Same trauma, different woman

Incarcerated outside of her home state and seeking God: she’s been locked up for seven years and has only a couple of weeks to go. The stress of the unknown and going home is high. It’s been amped up by COVID and the threat of being in solitary confinement as a way to quarantine beforeContinue reading “Same trauma, different woman”

My Father’s Chapel

My dad was an evangelist of sorts. Not a man clothed in robes or a collar. Not a man who spoke in front of a congregation. Not a man who folded his hands with a bowed head. He ran his own kind of church. Not the kind of church where ladies cooled themselves with paperContinue reading “My Father’s Chapel”

Reptile

She awaits judgement and the first stone is forced. Her mouth is propped open and the swallowing is slow. It’s painful and embarrassing—to be open-mouthed and vulnerable in front of family and friends and worse, enemies. The rock rests in her gut, right where she can feel it. Day and night, she senses it, sittingContinue reading “Reptile”

Desperate for Color

She’s an artist. You can tell by her edgy haircut, her imaginative smile, and the brightly-colored tattoo on her neck. The piercing in her cheek says she’s unafraid to express and won’t regret it when she does. Forgive her. No woman true to the craft would parade in a threadbare uniform with untied suntan-colored workContinue reading “Desperate for Color”