Written by Dennis Harvell The Look That Stayed With Me “…Sometimes, when I’d turn the music down and ask her to keep it quiet, she’d look at me with a distant, tired sadness — the same look she gave me years earlier on Washington Avenue when she knelt in front of the refrigerator and glanced… Continue reading The Look That Stayed With Me
Tag: healing
The Child Who Watched Everything
Written by Dennis Harvell The Child Who Watched Everything “…because I was kept inside and denied friends, I became an expert in the atmosphere of those four walls. I learned to read danger the way other children learned to read books. I could sense my stepfather’s mood long before he entered a room. I knew… Continue reading The Child Who Watched Everything
The Oasis and the Shadow
Written by Dennis Harvell The Brooklyn Light: The Park, the song, and the Safety “…there were moments of softness too, moments that belonged only to my mother and me. She would take me to the park on warm afternoons, settling me beside her with a box of Cracker Jacks while the neighborhood radios played the… Continue reading The Oasis and the Shadow
The Rhythm of Survival
Written by Dennis Harvell The Rhythm of Survival Survival isn’t a choice — it’s a heartbeat. People often ask how I kept going after losing so many of the souls who anchored my world. For a long time, I didn’t have an answer. I just moved. When life refuses to stop, you move with it.… Continue reading The Rhythm of Survival
Who Will Miss You The Most
Written and original artwork by Dennis Harvell Who Will Miss You The Most We save our best words for the people who can no longer hear them. We assume someone is fine because they’re strong, independent, or quiet. We watch their lives from a distance and tell ourselves we’ll reach out tomorrow. But survival is… Continue reading Who Will Miss You The Most
Forgiveness
Written by Dennis Harvell Forgiveness Forgiveness has nothing to do with the other person. You’re not forgiving them so they can heal. You’re forgiving them so you can stop carrying the weight of a conversation they were never capable of hearing. Forgiveness is reclaiming the sovereignty of your own mind. It’s refusing to let resentment… Continue reading Forgiveness
A Glimpse Into Her Nature
Written by Dennis Harvell Open Door Policy — A Glimpse Into Her Nature “She had a warmth that made people feel safe, a softness that made them feel understood. She helped anyone who needed something — a meal, a place to sit, a few dollars she couldn’t spare, or simply someone to listen. Her generosity… Continue reading A Glimpse Into Her Nature
The Weight I Didn’t Know I Carried
Written by Dennis Harvell The Weight I Didn’t Know I Carried “…I didn’t see it as responsibility back then. I saw it as survival. I saw it as watching over her the way she watched over me when she could. But now, with distance and clarity, I understand the truth: I stepped into a role… Continue reading The Weight I Didn’t Know I Carried
Timothy, The Waiting Horizon
Written by Dennis Harvell, Photograph Timothy Harvell Grief bends us toward memory,but horizons remind us of what endures. The Loss These past years still feel strange, never returning to the normal I once knew growing up. My brother is gone. Grief takes up all the space you give it—the loss of a sibling is a… Continue reading Timothy, The Waiting Horizon