Mj Pettengill

From the bosom of the devastated earth, a voice goes up with our own. It says, "Disarm, Disarm!" Julia Ward Howe, 1870

Be mindful of what may emerge. Trust yourself, and trust your characters.

Daddy always said that when somethin’ is born, somethin’ dies, and when somethin’ dies, somethin’ is born—livestock, deadstock.

I was just eight years old when I had the idea to play in the cemetery and stop and read the stones.

Time works differently when waiting for the unknown.

Together, we navigated the enduring darkness born from life—a tree no longer bleeding at the roots.

Unlike the traditional auction, familiar to us in modern times, the pauper was sold to the lowest bidder.

Once again, regarding history, I emphasize acknowledgment over judgment.

Your face is neither infinite nor ephemeral. You can never see your own face, only a reflection, not the face itself. So you sigh in...

“In God’s eyes, we are the same, no matter which side of the fence we are on.”

My question today is, would my Puritan ancestors send me to the gallows?

Except for Mary and August, no one knew about the attic...

I stand at the edge of the woods, observing the contrast between the remnants of winter—death—and signs of new life. Brown and green,...

These ghosts still wander, reminding me of who we were in what seemed to be another lifetime.

...trying to catch a massive waterfall in a shot glass.

We was one of them tarnished families that only stepped foot inside a church for funerals and weddin’s. Mamma roped us into goin’ to...

Usually done in by the end of the week, the girls were excited that P.T. Barnum’s circus was in town, and at the risk of penalty, took...

At this time, I wish to share that I will have an online presence that does not require an act of God to accomplish.

If you are suffering and believe there is nowhere to turn, please reconsider. Any shame, unworthiness, fear, or loss of hope can be faced...

In the end, what haunted her in her youth had become what she lived for.