willow j. ross
Bio
If your writing doesn't challenge the mind of your reader, you have failed as a writer. I hope to use my voice to challenge the minds of all those who read my work, that it would open their eyes to another perspective, and make them think.
Achievements (1)
Stories (30/0)
I can't listen to breakup songs anymore.
It's March in Chicago, and still, I have my windows open. The icy air bursts through the cracks and freezes the streaks of tears on my face. No one is on the roads and I maneuver the car with muscle memory, it's all I have left. Quietly, a song I don't know plays under the sound of the wind. I don't focus on the words to know what they say, I don't care. The melody and the wind intertwine to make a new melody of drunken pain.
By willow j. ross2 years ago in Confessions
Our Bench
The sun had only shone its face for a quarter hour, and the shadows loomed low and long. Still, she walked with me. We walked slower because my right leg was dragging just a bit more than normal but remained intent on reaching our bench. The walking stick carried most of my weight as I stepped beside her to our bench. It was the bench we had walked to and sat at every morning for the better part of thirty years, so it was ours. Today was different, the walk was longer and harder than it had been before, but I was determined. Our bench never moved but the more we walked there, the farther away it seemed to be. Finally, we reached our spot and sat down looking out over the water and the reflection of the sun that shone before us.
By willow j. ross2 years ago in Fiction
How to Fight Writer's Block with Other People's Creativity
Writing is an escape. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing single words become sentences that sing a melody and those melodies become symphonies. Writers have a gift. The gift of stringing words together that, on their own, mean absolutely nothing.
By willow j. ross2 years ago in Journal
- Runner-Up in We Have a Dream Challenge
4 Reasons Why Opening Your Home Will Connect Communities.Runner-Up in We Have a Dream Challenge
We don't give out our house keys anymore. Growing up, we never locked our house. In fact, my house was Grand Central Station with beds. Every day another person would be joining us for dinner or spending the night just because.
By willow j. ross2 years ago in Families
Dad had planted the trees
Dad had planted trees. He loves trees. That is why every different kind of tree that would grow strong in the unpredictable Chicago weather now stood on our front lawn. They looked like miniature toy soldiers standing in lines ready for a parade. In reality, those trees were probably as tall as I am. At least the ones that had survived the attacks from the small band of deer that roamed through our neighborhood.
By willow j. ross2 years ago in Families