rising in spite of where i’m from

a southern belle and gay woman

these roots not defining my self

vowing to live this life honestly

despite the south’s hold on me

believing in love in truest form

no matter how others may see

hoping for change in my home...

it all began when i was young

the songstress of my slumber

she sang to me in my dreams

first a song of beauty and love

then a song of terror and fear

what once was oh so beautiful

now frightens me in the dark

left to her devices and mercy...

the trajectory after rock bottom

easy upward ride to the surface

breathing in the fresh clean air

circumstances will be changing

fortune will finally smile at you

quality of life can still transform

our universe will take care of us

feeding us from her own garden...

neither created nor destroyed

what happens to our energy

when we pass from this life

is it absorbed into the ground

maybe seeped into the universe

to be magically distributed

or perhaps it follows our souls

as a guide to the other side...

i thought i needed a man in my life

to guide me through every decision

wondering why i wasn’t ever happy

not realizing it was because of them

who they were, what they represent

how things have changed until now

living my life happily with my wife

not fretting over storms in teacups...

my friends had been begging me

for a seldom had girls’ night out

i thought of tons of valid excuses

knowing i wouldn’t hear the end

an ultimate motivation to say yes

we picked a bar that was close by

within a walking distance for me

half way when men grabbed me

heels falling down to the ground

shoving me quickly in the trunk

cruising around for many hours

not knowing what would occur

on the...

a recipe like no other before it

ingredients of the highest caliber

dash in a bit of salt and pepper

allow to marinate to perfection

stir in the fingers one at a time

add in a few toes to your taste

the muscles soon will be tender

neighbors tastes best served hot...

walking into the police station

requesting to speak with a chief

needing to report my husband

living with long years of abuse

describing what happened to me

deciding to tell the whole truth

admitting to what i did to him

killing him for what he did to me...

my door shut oh so tightly

in case the monster comes

hearing nightly screaming

wails throughout the dark

slamming against the wall

where is my mom and dad

i see my mom the next day

the monster is moving out...

i moved into my grandma’s house

she only lived a block away

it was the summer of my senior year

and i needed a place to stay

she made up her spare room for me

a dresser and an old twin bed

it was humble but it would suffice

as a place to lay my head

that first night i turned in early

kicked my shoes off with a sigh

but i couldn’t get any sleep at all

because i could hear a baby cry

the n...