Make Believe Quotes

“Eventually the mean voice in your head will come knocking again. The one that shouts sermons about your inadequacy.

When it does, let it in.

Hang its coat on the hook and give it a cup of tea. Pay attention when it speaks and notice the lilt of its vowels. Something is curious about the way it pronounces its T's . . .

Listen closely and maybe you'll realize -- it isn't your voice.”
― Victoria Hutchins, Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again

“My temple is a sprawling promise with walls of flesh and bone and choice. The bump on its nose, an altar to my grandmother. Its scars, a shrine to myself. Etched in the foundation are the words: I was here, I was here, I was here, the scrawl of every hand from my bloodline. My body is a temple, and I will use my temple to worship. I will make love. I will make time. I will make promises and try to keep them. I will make breakfast when I do not believe I deserve it. I will fling open every window and shout about hope, even when I don’t feel it. Especially when I don’t feel it. My temple was not bought with blood. It is not for sale. I will be here till it crumbles. I will spend every second I am offered in this sacred home made for my holy spirit.”
― Victoria Hutchins, Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again

“Sure, I would love for my wanting to be less obvious. But I came into the world hungry, and I intend to leave licking the plate. I came into the world thirsty, and I’ll slurp until the glass is taken away.”
― Victoria Hutchins, Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again

“And yet, summer is passing one godforsaken day at a time, and you are growing through what you went through. It isn’t pretty. But you force your life through the sidewalk cracks anyway. You reach down to your roots looking for the gumption to put yourself out of your misery, and instead you find a frustratingly unkillable will to live, no matter the stink of the street. You’re growing through what you went through. Not like a flower. Like a weed.”
― Victoria Hutchins, Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again

“Slowly, your soul will blink its eyes open after a hibernation you would have sworn was a death. And there it will be, just when you thought you were dead inside: one thing you can feel.”
― Victoria Hutchins, Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again

“On the last day of my life, I hope I’m tired.
Not tired like after a bad night of sleep,
tired like after a really good trip.
Tired from museum mornings and sightseeing afternoons,
tired from not wasting a moment.

On the last day of my life, I hope my body is worn out.
Not worn out like something that wasn’t taken care of,
worn out like something that was well used.
Worn out with laugh lines and ink under my skin,
worn out from decades of sunny summers and wedding cakes.
Worn out with love.

On the last day of my life, I hope I’m ready.
Not ready like ready to leave somewhere,
ready like ready to go somewhere.
Ready to get back,
ready to see my mom and my dog.
Ready to fade into the static that made me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good trip.
I hope I have a really good time.
But the best part of a trip is
coming home.”
― Victoria Hutchins, Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again

“My temple was not bought with blood. It is not for sale.
I will be here till it crumbles.
I will spend every second I am offered
in this sacred home
made for my holy spirit.”
― Victoria Hutchins, Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again

“Let me assume sweetness of this world and its opinions of me. When life puts an apple in my mouth, let me take it for a snack.”
― Victoria Hutchins, Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again