Our words had to be circumspect. We could not write anything too negative about our circumstances. This was tricky, since the very form of a married woman's letter needed to include the usual complaints -- that we were pathetic, powerless, worked to the bone, homesick, and sad. We were supposed to speak directly about our feelings without appearing ungrateful, no-account, or unfilial.

Poetry is on earth to make you serene, not corrupt your mind, thoughts,or emotions

A brave heart? It feels like a swollen and aching thing in my chest.

I write a thousand words a day.

Let those who believe, believe. Let those who doubt, doubt.

What stays with me most is a general sense of loss, unease, and longing for the past that cannot be relieved.

Seeing something once is better than hearing about it a hundred times. Doing something once is better than seeing it a hundred times.