Aveline Winter

I was at the Kandace Springs concert last night and something from one of her songs put a thought in my head - that someone could be giving their heart, but reserving one last piece of it for when they know they are with the right person. I resolved to write a love poem, maybe even a song, when I got home and it would be called Last Piece of My Heart. The last two lines had even been worked out: The last piece of my heart Just might be yours But when I started to write, the words came out differently and this is what I ended up with: Manifesto of a broken heart It begins with a glance Or sometimes a smile A hint of romance That's all gilt and guile Always it starts But never it lasts Can't give my heart When it all ends too fast So I hold something back To lessen the hurt To tighten the slack When it all doesn't work This piece of my heart Is all I've got left So when things fall apart I won't be bereft The tone is completely off and I...

The Handmaid's Tale is amazing. I can't remember the last time a brand new series with something so important to say captured my interest in the same way. I mean, I have binged other series before, but this one is relevant and timely. As well, the acting is superb and the tone is right on. It is so heartbreaking to see how quickly women's rights eroded from the time a barista called Offred a slut, to all women losing access to their bank accounts and then their livelihoods, and then to the totalitarian regime where women are enslaved into singular roles: Handmaids, Wives, Aunts, Marthas, or Jezebels. Just like how the ancient Greeks (and then Romans) had different goddesses represent female traits because no one woman can possibly be more than one thing. When I read the novel, the nation of Gilead seemed like a farfetched idea, but the current political climate in the US could indicate the early stages of a breakdown. How much more would it take for the current co...