Who knew the past would follow us so far, years collapsing like an ancient accordion, scraps of memory tucked like torn photographs into the sockets … - Lisa Suhair Majaj

My writing process is generally a bit haphazard. I carry notebooks around to capture ideas, observations, phrases, images, chunks of freewriting. I shift to the computer to do more substantive writing and work on craft issues. I always generate multiple drafts of pieces (keeping all drafts in a separate folder), and often experiment with form in different versions to see what fits the text best.

Did my parents know
that what they planted,
roots against the drought,
would survive?

Today his words surround me
with the quiet intensity of growing things,
roots planted a long time ago
lacing the distances of my heart.