Wild, Beautiful, and Free

by Sophfronia Scott

If the children I birthed from my own body aren’t mine, what claim I got to three hundred dollars?”

Now you can go round here feeling bad like I seen you doing, or you can walk like you loved. Nobody can touch that—

“You must promise me never again to take such a risk.” “Then you ask me not to live.” I sat up to face him more directly. “What is this life for if not to willingly give it up for those we love? Mr. Colchester, I have attended the deaths of two people I loved most in this world, and it was hard knowing I couldn’t do a thing to save them. To help Dorinda was a cherished privilege. There was something I could do, and I did it. I would never give up such a chance.”

“I wouldn’t want to think like white people do. If being lighter means I might see myself as better than someone else, I don’t want no part of that.”

I’d seen, the world didn’t make sense. Seemed like humans were killing humans so that humans could have the right to be humans.

decided to think of it as another one of those gifts that God surprises you with—another small bauble to help you feel good. It’s like God just goes around and slips these gifts in your pocket. I’m grateful I notice them when they show up.

We live, no matter what is happening, in a shining, perfect now. It is