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This poem is from the chapbook A Fistful of Garnets: A Glossary of Gems I Never Wanted by Melissa Weaver (Finishing Line Press), and can be found at https://finishinglinepress.com/product/a-fistful-of-garnets-a-glossary-of-gems-i-never-wanted-by-melissa-weaver/
Melissa Weaver’s work has appeared in The Christian Century, Ekstasis Magazine, Bravery Magazine, Mothers Always Write, Anabaptist Witness, The Harrisonburg Citizen (editorials) and The Soil and the Seed Project (illustration). Her first chapbook, Welcome, Stranger: Poems of Making and Keeping Our Children (Finishing Line Press, 2021) explored the radical hospitality that is parenting. She lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her family, where she coordinates intergenerational faith formation for a small church and volunteers to cultivate networks of care at schools and with her neighbors. She is passionate about approaching mental health challenges with curiosity and compassion. You can follow her work on Instagram @melissaweaverpoet.
The Paddock Review 