a mighty kindness. a working fireplace. perfect candor. charlie. mary oliver. joni mitchell. myself at two, my mother at sixteen, and my sisters at eighty-three. my uncle. my ancestors. my guardian angel. insecurity. fear. doubt. and kindly punch them in the face. rumi. davinci. emerson. cassandra; and listen to what she has to say. the ghosts of the theatre and offer them a voice. the underdog. the winged-lights. the forest through the trees. a garden patch i can call my own. someone who will take a chance on me. other artless bumpkins.