heirloom Kailey Cota
such a simple thought – the jewel you adorn yourself with lives its life along with yours. sleepy, you push it onto your ring finger, and the opal opens its eyes and climbs out of its bed at the back of the drawer. as you grip the steering wheel, turning out of the driveway its golden tint glints in the sun winking hello to its friendliest acquaintance. as you prepare dinner for your mother, wrestle with your older brother, hold your boyfriend’s hand, the ring remembers. and its memory never fails. when you change out your beloved opal stone for a diamond, pack the old ring at the back of a drawer, it keeps your shared memories close to its heart, preserving them for your children. one day, your daughter, too, will adorn herself. she will grab the ring while running out the door, late for school. she will smile as sunlight radiates from its rainbow surface. she will gaze at the opal stone and echo her mother’s childhood.
“Rings True,” photo by Raegan Craddock
VOICES 2018
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