How to Make Friends with the Dark

by Kathleen Glasgow

because wherever you go? There will always be this emptiness inside you and beside you, where your mom is supposed to be, and only you will know the emptiness. Other people won’t be able to see it. They’ll see you, moving around the world, just like before. You’ll look alive on the outside but be dead on the inside, flicking your wings and watching everyone through the jar.

“All superheroes were sad kids. The sadness made them strong and then they rose up and helped people.”

here’s how to make friends with the dark.”

You can’t just pretend color doesn’t matter because you think it shouldn’t, because you were born with white skin and privilege. And you can’t pretend to not notice racism because you listen to the one famous Black guy every single year. That’s not enough. There are terrible, terrible people in the world. Kai’s life will always be vastly different from yours.”

“You don’t honor your mother by wearing a dress, honey. You honor your mother by remembering her, and holding her dear, right here.” She taps her heart.

Sometimes you’re so hungry, so thirsty for something to fill you up, you’ve craved it for so long, but when you finally have it, it hurts going down. It’s not a medicine for what ails you. It might just be the thing that is keeping you sick.

Because what other choice is there, really? You have to make friends with the dark.