Turning a borrowed book into a love letterThere's a particular kind of intimacy in handing someone a book you've loved. The spine is softened, a few corners are turned down, and somewhere on the inside…The button that flew off when I laughed too hardI have a denim jacket that has followed me through three moves and twice around the back streets of Melbourne's laneway cafes. It was my mother's before it was…Stains, Silence, and the Loneliness of a Diner TableclothI was sitting in a corner booth of a small diner off Brunswick Street in Melbourne when I first noticed the stain. It was a faded ring the colour of weak tea…Counting Down on a Borrowed Watch Until I Could Finally LeaveMy grandmother left me a watch, but not the kind you would expect to find in a jeweller's window. It was a battered analogue piece with a leather strap that…Writing a touch that ended too quicklyA hand on a wrist that lasted barely a heartbeat. Fingers brushing the small of a back before pulling away. The palm that grazed a cheek and disappeared before…Why I still keep a gum wrapper from my first kissThere is a square of silver foil sitting in the bottom of my jewellery box, tucked under a broken earring back and a theatre ticket from a production I barely…The Skirt I Hemmed Myself While CryingThere are garments that belong to a particular version of us. A red dress can hold the memory of a first date, while a wool coat carries the smell of rain,…How to Turn a Misplaced Key Into a RevelationA misplaced key rarely feels philosophical at first. It feels irritating, inconvenient and faintly accusatory, especially when you are already late, carrying…The jacket I wore when I had to leave quicklyI did not choose the jacket because it was beautiful. I chose it because the house had become too small, the room too loud, and the night outside had started…What A Single Shoe On The Side Of The Road SuggestsA single shoe on the side of the road is an ordinary object made briefly mysterious. It may be a black school shoe near a bus stop, a battered work boot beside…