“Two things that make me feel relieved that is my mother's lap and their handmade food. Nothing in this world can take their place in my life.”

“When I was your age I knew nothing about the world or my place in it. I figured I'd be someone's wife, then someone's mother. It never occurred to me to be someone myself.”

“The Rev. Jesse Jackson once said, “There is nothing more painful for me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery—then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.”

“…the death of my mother was the thing that made me believe the most deeply in my safety: nothing bad could happen to me, I thought. The worst thing already had.”

“You can take my money from me; you can take my watch away; you can stripe me off my clothes; you may even can kill me. And yet, there is only a thing you will not be able to take away from me, no matter how hard you try: the fear I am feeling.”

“The Whole World:
My favorite thing
is being your lap
while we sit there
together & love
the whole world.”

“These wrinkles are nothing
These gray hairs are nothing,
This stomach which sags
with old food, these bruised
and swollen ankles,
my darkening brain,
they are nothing.
I am the same boy
my mother used to kiss.”

“The happiness of the world is nothing for me
for my heart is left with no feeling besides blood.”

“My confidence makes me strong. Dedicat­ing a lot of my life to my profession and feeling fulfilled makes me strong. Having a family and a husband who chal­lenge me makes me strong.”

“I squint down at my feet and see that my metal plate is surrounded by blue waves that lap up over my boots. Slowly I raise my eyes and take in the water spreading out in every direction.
I can only form one clear thought.
This is no place for a girl on fire.”