“You go to work the next day pretending nothing happened. Your co-workers ask if everything's okay and you tell them you're just tired. And you're trying to smile. And they're trying to smile.” IfsTryingNextAsksHappenedOkayTiredWorkersPretendingNext DayCo Worker Author:Richard Siken
“If you love me, Henry, you don’t love me in a way I understand.” IfsWayIf You Love MeYou Don't Love Me Author:Richard Siken
“He could build a city. Has a certain capacity. There’s a niche in his chest where a heart would fit perfectly and he thinks if he could just maneuver one into place – well then, game over.” IfsThinkingWellsHeartCertainGamesCitiesFitCapacityChestsNicheGame Over Author:Richard Siken
“Imagine that the world is made out of love. Now imagine that it isn’t. Imagine a story where everything goes wrong, where everyone has their back against the wall, where everyone is in pain and acting selfishly because if they don’t, they’ll die. Imagine a story, not of good against evil, but of need against need against need, where everyone is at cross-purposes and everyone is to blame.” IfsWorldNeedsMadeStoriesPainPurposeDiesEvilActingImagineWallCrossesBlameImagine ThatGood Against EvilBack Against The Wall Author:Richard Siken
“Fairy tales have rules. You are a princess or you aren’t. You are pure at heart or you aren’t. If you are pure at heart, or lucky, you might catch a break.” IfsHeartMightBreakPureLuckyTalesFairyPrincessFairy TaleLucky You Author:Richard Siken
“Let me tell you what I do know: I am more than one thing, and not all of those things are good. The truth is complicated. It’s two-toned, multi-vocal, bittersweet. I used to think that if I dug deep enough to discover something sad and ugly, I’d know it was something true. Now I’m trying to dig deeper. I didn’t want to write these pages until there were no hard feelings, no sharp ones. I do not have that luxury. I am sad and angry and I want everyone to be alive again. I want more landmarks, less landmines. I want to be grateful but I’m having a hard time with it.” IfsThinkingKnowsWantWritingTryingTwoHardEnoughFeelingsUsedAliveOne ThingTruth IsPagesLet MeAngryGratefulUglyDeeperComplicatedLuxuryHard TimesBe GratefulVocalBittersweetLandmarksHaving A Hard TimeLandmines Author:Richard Siken
