Motherthing

by Ainslie Hogarth

Runoff nourishment, really, intended first and foremost for the men; I’d happily lap scraps from the floor around their feet, lick globs from their plates, pick crumbs from their beards.

Would it have killed me to have just played along till she felt better?”

Maybe touching someone is the kindest thing you can do; making a person feel like it’s okay to touch them, that they’re touchable and not disgusting, is the easiest and best way to make a person feel good in the world.