“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
“I’ve been rereading your story. I think it’s about me in a way that might not be flattering, but that’s okay. We dream and dream of being seen as we really are and then finally someone looks at us and sees us truly and we fail to measure up. Anyway: story received, story included. You looked at me long enough to see something mysterioso under all the gruff and bluster. Thanks. Sometimes you get so close to someone you end up on the other side of them.” ThinkingWayLooksLongEndsSometimesEnoughStoriesDreamMightSidesFailingOkayThanksFlatteringRereadingBluster Author:Richard Siken
“Okay, so I’m the dragon. Big deal. You still get to be the hero.” StillsBigsDealsHeroOkayDragonsBig Deal Author:Richard Siken
“For a while I thought I was the dragon. I guess I can tell you that now. And, for a while, I thought I was the princess, cotton candy pink, sitting there in my room, in the tower of the castle, young and beautiful and in love and waiting for you with confidence but the princess looks into her mirror and only sees the princess, while I’m out here, slogging through the mud, breathing fire, and getting stabbed to death. Okay, so I’m the dragon. Big deal. You still get to be the hero. You get magic gloves! A fish that talks! You get eyes like flashlights!” LooksStillsI CanBigsEyeBeautifulYoungWaitingRoomsDealsFireMagicHeroSittingOkayMirrorsFishesBreathingDragonsPrincessTowersMudCandyCastlesBig DealGlovesCottonWaiting For YouFlashlightsYoung And BeautifulCotton CandyBreathing Fire Author:Richard Siken
