Being Chronic is no Joke

Being Chronic is no Joke

by | Apr 19, 2026 | Chronic Illness, Opinions, Poetry

The ringing in my ears
swings between the normal hum
and somewhere beyond octaves I can’t sing
My eyes weep involuntarily
in time with the pulsing in my cheeks
My face is not literally on fire
but the nerves are not making
life fun these days

~

My wrists have been singing to me all week
and my ankles answer back
While lying down I realize I don’t know
how long I have been pointing and flexing
my toes as if I was preparing to dance
I went off Methotrexate
to make sure my shingles vaccine worked
Karen asked if I noticed a difference
It’s hard to say

~

I applied Deep Blue Stick liberally
and more than usual yesterday
I just broke out the Sumatriptan
I can take one more in an hour and a half
if this migraine doesn’t break
I hope the pills are successful
I am out of the cannabis product that works for me
Piano music is playing
The diffuser is going with Breathe and On Guard
The blackout curtains are doing their job
I just cancelled plans with Mom

~

Being Chronic is no joke

~

I must have passed out
I imagine this is the feeling of a
weighted blanket
The medicine triumphed
But moving is very difficult
It takes much thought and devotion
When my face spasms
I see an image of a brain being squeezed
while I press on my face
I forgot about the burning smell
I will go back to sleep now
that I have documented this for
future moments of inspection

~

Today is just beginning but it is already over
Being Chronic is no joke

~

You Don’t Listen 

You Don’t Listen 

by | Apr 17, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics, Queer Community

There is more than one frequency
that I pick up on
Not just what the world demands
and my sick body requires
but what my Spirit sings to me
Words most of us don’t want to hear

~

I am very aware of what I need
I have walked on this earth
I am well read
You did not show up for me
when I needed you
God has always taught me well
He wants me to forgive you

~

My capacity to love is vast
My ability to forgive is impressive
The art of teaching you is another story
Because you know what you know
You don’t want to know more
You think you know everything
so you don’t listen

~

To be so sure of everything is decadent
I don’t know anyone that rich
Even my own body betrays me
I should be so much more without
If I accepted the lies it tells me
But instead I embrace all the joy I can find
I will get to the todo list in time

~

I am the Beloved
but I am only that to Him
In this world
I am many other things
They are heavy and hard to carry
I can’t accept more burdens from you
I wont carry what you have for me

~

My pack is full
of things you are afraid to talk about
Racism, Queerphobia and Chronic Illness are all part of my life
I can’t afford to hate them
when we share the same mirror
Otherwise what is the point of hope?
What I think is important too

~

If I choose to forgive you
even if you don’t apologize
how many rooms will I have shut off from you
inside myself
because you refuse to see me?
I know you have your own burdens
you have told me about them all my life
I don’t need you to tell me how to carry mine

~

Image Credit: Art from Kosmos Journal for Transformation

All Hail The King

All Hail The King

by | Apr 16, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Prayers & Thanksgiving

On this 16th day of March 2026
I know this day is giving 
The prophets I have listened to
agreed that this day was
one reason we are all twitterpated

~

You are holy
All knowing
You created this day and me
I don’t know anything about aura
But I thought I was seeing something golden 
Instead it was a prism
of jewel tones
Like a crown if You were to wear one
Like You have called me

~

Every sound is profound
I feel them
Even as the nerve pain has
made it quite painful to speak
So painful it has a taste
So I write
You are holy
You are here
I am in You

~

So I wait for what is to come
because waiting is a practice
Listening is a skill
Hearing is a process
Living is a gift

~

All Hail the King
not the one on the throne
the one that demands glory
respects no one and gives little
But the one in my heart
Who showed me what love is
so I could love Him
and my neighbor
and calls me His Beloved

~

Because They Love You

Because They Love You

by | Apr 12, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics, Prayers & Thanksgiving

I was breathed into life
by The Creator
The All Powerful
They were here before even the stars
so were you

~

I am not less than you
I am no one’s superior
We are equal
regardless of any Declaration of Independence
or executive order issued

~

My sex does not matter
My nation is irrelevant
Who I love doesn’t scare Him
I am in Christ and Christ is in me
because in Christ we are one

~

Or maybe you call Him another name
and They answer
because They choose to love you
the one They created
and see Themselves in
Because They love you

~

I Want to be Real

I Want to be Real

by | Apr 11, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Prayers & Thanksgiving

I was raised in a
conservative church and
a conservative family
I did what I was told
but I read my bible
because I enjoyed it
My understanding was in part
but I was diligent

~

I served
If I did what was expected
I got the stuff I needed
But I was not heard
My heart often held my un-cried tears

~

Now Jesus had found me
at a young age
and He had been my guide
when I was often alone
He was the teacher
who knew the most
who heard me when I cried
His warmth was my clarification

~

When I left the church
and then the family
He was the one that remembered me
He was the one that taught me to love
Jesus knows how to listen
He knows the power
of asking questions
of honoring each person He created

~

Jesus understands persecution
He knows what it feels like
to not be heard in your hometown
He knows what it feels like to not be able to go home
He knows I want to be real

~

People who stand on top of bibles
and use them as weapons
and not as a love letter make me sad
Not only are they hurting
the people they target
The people they decided
God doesn’t want
They are hurting themselves too

~

If you don’t let your Beloved chase you
however will you know
that you know
how far He will go
if the crucifixion wasn’t enough

~

Because people who stand on bibles
who make laws
more important than people
are telling you that
Christ’s death on the cross
was not enough
His choice to die for all of us
is circumstantial

~

But the direct evidence indicates
that when Israel
continued to choose lust, pride and greed
when they broke God’s heart repeatedly and still do
Jesus died for all of us

~

When Jesus was here
He ate with sinners
the people the church people
would not be seen with
the people they could be punished
for partying with
because Jesus knew
with them them He could be real

~

I haven’t learned to trust
most people yet
But with Jesus
I can be real
With everyone else boundaries are my friend

~

A note about the art. I was at a loss about what to use and I decided to google “I Want to be Real” and was overwhelmed with these images. So I went with it.

~

To Be Honest

To Be Honest

by | Apr 11, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics, Queer Community

I was a hypocrite once
I was so well trained that I didn’t know who I was
I didn’t have words or experience or reason to think in
any other way until I did
And so I said things like
I can understand gay people 
but bisexual doesn’t make sense
You have to choose 
What is wrong with transgender people?
God doesn’t make mistakes

~

For years I was confused 
I went to a Christian therapist and tried to pray it away
Blame it on Karen 
Both my therapist and I prayed for Karen
I couldn’t be queer
I had loved Monte
But when I asked God for a partner there was Karen
My therapist’s ministry could not be connected to me
after I married Karen but I understand why
I knew the lingo

~

When I began to search I found that
sex is more than genitalia 
It’s more than DNA
It’s how you think
How you speak
How you move
How you express who you are
I was right that God doesn’t make mistakes
But sometimes humans 
can’t see something hidden more than skin deep

~

No one would choose to be queer or transgender
But we should not have to fight to exist
Laws should not be made
so that we can’t use the bathroom
or marry who we love
Laws should not have to be made
to make sure we can get
housing or a job
We don’t deserve to be hated
just because we aren’t lying about who we are

~

So many people lie about who they are
They cheat on their partners and themselves
They say they love God
but they are not generous or kind
They tell people how they should live
while they hide who they really are
While they hate themselves and think small 
While they hurt people and
say one thing in public
and a very different thing in private

~

I think we should all
be free to love ourselves
To be honest 
To find beauty in all kinds of people
Because God made us all
and God understands that it is really hard
for some of us to live on this earth
And the choices I make are
for He and I to talk about
And He will talk to you about yours

~

And since God is not a man
outside of Jesus
but God is Jesus and Spirit
God is a They
so They understand more
than we give Them credit for

~

You Stupid People

You Stupid People

by | Apr 10, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics

I see your arguments
your hateful comments
about people with brown skin
that you have never met
I see your praise of a leader that doesn’t lead
but drags people around in shoes that don’t fit
because they are afraid of him

~

At least 27 women
and 2 little girls have said
he hurt them
He has been found guilty of
34 felonies
Yet you never ask any questions

~

As of April 10, 2026
$28 billion dollars has been
flushed down the toilet
on a war in Iran
Where not one of Trump’s goals have been met
but you still praise him

~

$170 billion dollars has been given by Congress
to fund buying and renovating buildings
and arresting and detaining immigrants
but only 300 immigrants have been deported this year
Why are we holding them?
Why don’t you care
that our tax dollars are hurting people?

~

You are so concerned about
taxes, taxes, taxes
You are so concerned about
rights, but not responsibility
You are so concerned about
the unborn
but don’t concern yourself with the alive

~

My best friend and I
have looked death in the eye
more than once
We know the value of life
and you stupid people
know nothing about
what is important

~

You talk about people like they are garbage
But most of you will never meet
the Trump Administration
yet you trust them
while they line their pockets
with government contracts for their family and friends
and you swallow their lies like it is honey

~

Don’t tell me that Muslims are evil
You know nothing about Jesus
if you did
you would know that
every person is important

~

12 days before One Big Beautiful Bill was brought before Congress
so was H.B. 3289
Congress knew The Treasury was about to to claim
The United States insolvent and we can’t pay our bills
Yet under this corrupt regime we keep spending money
A bill that would force Congress to create a balanced budget was swept under the rug
But let’s keep blowing things up
Because Trump said so

~

You Stupid People

~

We Love Each Other the Same

We Love Each Other the Same

by | Mar 26, 2026 | About Summer, Poetry

I was thinking we love differently
but that isn’t true
because we both love completely
You tell me you love me
constantly
and randomly
You say I am beautiful
and sexy even
when I feel icky
You work hard for us
You try hard
You give us everything you have

~

And I love you the same

~

I learned to mend your socks
because you love them
I learned to organize the receipts
because you need to keep them
I learned to like chicken
and hard boiled eggs
more than ever before
I ever knew you
My heart stopped when I saw
your blood pressure meds had been recalled
until the pharmacy let me know
you would be alright
I noticed that your shirt was on backwards
because I was checking you out
and I told you
so no one else would tease you

~

We love each other the same
We just communicate different

~

We Are Hope

We Are Hope

by | Mar 9, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry

Every day you wake up
to things you didn’t think
would ever happen
It’s hard to hope
When some people believe
they count more than you do
and that some people don’t count at all

~

There are people who celebrate
covetousness
and prejudice
and foolishness
pretending to be might

~

But we are called to be change
if we are known
and we know our true greatness
If we know our Creator’s voice
we have purpose
To find peace in honesty
To be messengers to those who have forgotten dignity
because we are hope

~

Note: based on speech given by President Obama at Reverend Jesse Jackson’s Memorial 3/6/2026

~

 

This is Kelso-Longview

This is Kelso-Longview

by | Mar 9, 2026 | About Summer, Opinions, Poetry

It’s 4:41 am and I hear the rain
and I hope the embers
at The Red Lion Inn will finally extinguish
because I don’t want Kelso 
to be on fire
The ache in my bones
is enough to remind me
That Jamie keeps talking about barometric pressure

~

I am awake at this hour often
and listen to the sounds
of Longview traffic
dock workers
and a mill town
Trains and a variety
of people with rough hands
People that love their dogs
more than their neighbors
and don’t realize what part of history
we should let go of
for the sake of our kids

~

If you step outside
and you know where to look
there are people who
live in their cars
and doorways
and every kind of structure
Look online and you can read
what some people think about that
Per capita we more generous
than more wealthy parts of our state
But we also have more secrets
and health issues
and we don’t like change

~

But every kind of person lives here
Seen or not
Heard or not
The friend
The socialite
Politician or religious zealot
The quiet people who listen
more than they talk
The teachers
The healers and artists
The people who don’t know what to do with themselves
and the ones who think they know best

~

This is Kelso-Longview
where everyone and no one knows your name
Some people love it
and others hate it
And sometimes you can see a downpour behind you
and a rainbow in front of you
My grandpa told me
the only other time he ever saw that
was when he was stationed in Japan
So I think of this place as not only my home
but a gift

~

Divided

Divided

by | Mar 8, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics

Thirty eight thousand times he is mentioned in the Epstein Files
In over five thousand three hundred documents
his name is found
Does that make him guilty
That remains to be seen
But Jesus is named in
The King James Bible
Nine hundred and eighty three times
and He is the main Man

~

I am happy you pray for him
I do too
I don’t lay hands on him
and my prayers are probably different
because I can only bring myself
to ask God to find glory for Himself
The rest of my prayers are for peace for
The United States of America
which seems very divided

~

Oh how my soul aches
for children who are no longer children
and for many who are
no longer living
For the truth that no one
will save us
Because you think you can pray
for a narcissist
and he will become anything
other than what he is

~

God is the maker of free will
and He honors the contracts of our mouth

~

Those Who Are Vulnerable

Those Who Are Vulnerable

by | Mar 8, 2026 | Poetry

It’s almost as if my body wasn’t mine
Opinions rain down around me
Regardless of the season
By the time I learned
not to listen
I had become a cynic

~

One time I stood in the midst of them
and shouted
“I am single by choice”
This is how I saved myself
because even if you want to be of service 
They think you are for sale

~

He was behind me in line
and thought it was ok
to massage my ears
He did not ask
I told him never to do that again
But I still feel sick
when I think about it
I guess prison taught him nothing

~

I taught the children the names
of their body parts
Told them if someone stole them
to fight and scream forever
and I got reprimanded
But I was empowering 
the ones I loved most
and I would do it again

~

Because this world is not kind
to those who are vulnerable

~

The Power of These

The Power of These

by | Mar 2, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry

The bad guys look like good guys
In fact they look like
grandpas and brothers
uncles and daddies and friends
Their skin is usually white
They have more than enough
Yet they must take from the children and the women 
The most vulnerable and the most responsible

~

We pay them well
In fact they own most of the wealth 
Yet we like to make sure they keep it
even though we are the ones who need
It is by their hands we bleed

~

Rock a bye baby 
Far up in the tree top
We want you to be safe
So we don’t see you
when you cry for help
And we certainly don’t hear you
when you cry
Rape!

~

Holy holy holy
Whoever’s name we like to throw around
When it suits us
But we don’t really know You
And we certainly don’t love anything but the power of these

~

I Was Seen

I Was Seen

by | Mar 2, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry

When I am with you
I am at capacity
I am acceptable by myself
Yet I am optimized
by your presence
How did I ever live without you?

~

I knew love
by its full name
before I knew you
At least part way
But you showed me
new depths
and another side

~

When it was safe
we became we
Because it was safe
we became our own selves
It’s bigger than love because
I was known by and
I know you
Because I had been heard
I was seen

~

Men Talk

Men Talk

by | Mar 1, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics

Donald Trump has warned
The United States
will hit Iran
“with a force that has never been seen before”
if the Middle East nation retaliates
From one murderer to another
Putin said
“Please accept my deep condolences in connection with the murder
of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran”

~

Zack Polanski said the attack on Iran is illegal
He’s a British politician
but his family started in Latvia
and then went to Ukraine
and then Poland
and finally the UK
to avoid antisemitism
“That’s the law of the jungle
That’s an end to international law“

~

Hezbollah leader Naim Qasem
calls Ali Khamenei
a martyr
who leaves behind tens of millions of devotees
“We will fulfil our duty in confronting aggression
confident in Allah’s victory
guidance
and support”

~

Israeli military spokesperson
Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani
ensured reporters that many targets remained
including military‑industrial production sites
“We have the capabilities
and the targets
to keep going on for as long as necessary”

~

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian
issued a statement this morning
“The assassination of the highest political official
of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the prominent leader
and authority of the Shiite world by
the sinister American-Zionist axis
is considered a declaration of open war
on Muslims
especially Shiites
in all corners of the world”

~

As the men talk
hardly anyone mentioned that
on February 28, 2026
Minab School was hit
AN ALL-GIRLS PRIMARY SCHOOL
located near an Iranian military site
148 people are dead
95 people are injured
Those little girls will never be mothers
Ramadan Kareem

~

Photo Credit: By Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0

~

He Is The Search Light

He Is The Search Light

by | Feb 27, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Prayers & Thanksgiving

The search light searches
for life and truth
And sometimes there is just mystery
Because God cannot be completely understood
by my human mind
I know Him
In the quiet I have spoken my honest heart
and sought new ways to see and hear and speak

~

He is the search light
and the truth
But both take time to absorb
and adapt as He and I remove
what doesn’t serve to make room for what does
As my humanity sometimes fails me
or becomes more humble
A book is still only a book in men’s hands
and relationship has breath

~

Mankind has built an alter of evil
Babylon was never really demolished
only demonized
The tower was flattened and men’s language confused
but God still knew what men would do
were doing
are doing
God knows where all the children are
He made women with the best part of Himself

~

If you don’t seek Him
You won’t find Him
If you don’t know Him
He won’t know you
What a loneliness that distinction is
And you wonder why you have no joy
We have come to a fork in the road
Decisions must be made

~

Veils have been torn down
Lust
pride
and greed
has grown too great
Someone is shinning the search lights
in places so well hidden
right in front of our faces

~

Thriller may be more of warning
than a song to dance to
with friends
Where will you stand
when there is no place to rest
if you never learned to endure
Because love has always been an action word
not something to collect

~

Hell is not a place to go to
It is right here
when you choose not to love
God is love
God is light
Without love there is no light
So in the dark
we all burn and the hounds of hades
are hungry for those who enjoy the masquerade

~

But me and my house
we enjoy the light
We don’t wear masks
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
The One able to search me
and know me
Alpha and Omega
You are the breath in me

~

There’s A Better Way To Do This

There’s A Better Way To Do This

by | Feb 20, 2026 | ICE, Opinions, Poetry, Politics

Dr. Linda Davis died
Tuesday February 17th
in a car crash around 7:45 am
during the potentially illegal pursuit
of Oscar Vasquez Lopez by ICE

~

Lopez is from Guatemala
No one knows when he got here
but a federal judge
signed off on his removal
from the United States in 2024

~

Chatham County Sherriff’s Office
has no record of criminal history
before Lopez was charged with
first degree homicide by vehicle
reckless driving
driving without valid license
and failure to obey a traffic control device

~

Dr. Linda Davis
was a K-8 teacher at Savannah Chatham Public Schools
she was taken to the hospital
where she was pronounced dead
She was loved and will be missed
There will be counselors available
to support students and staff
“She always made you feel like you mattered”

~

Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis
said they would have assisted ICE
“We have a no chase policy
to help protect our citizens
more than it is anything else
So there may have been a different way
to corner the individual
So that he could not run
or that he could not cause
the accident that took the life of Dr. Davis”

~

“I’m saying to the President
on down
to all our national leaders
There is a better way to do this“

~

He Was A Man

He Was A Man

by | Feb 19, 2026 | ICE, Opinions, Poetry, Politics

Geraldo Lunas Compos
died on January 3rd
He was a man
being held down by guards
until he stopped breathing
The autopsy report
ruled this man’s death
a homicide

~

Compos was 55 years old
was the father of 4
He had been legally admitted 
to the United States of America
in 1996 from Cuba
He had lived in New York
for more than 20 years
He had served two terms in jail
for crimes he did commit
He had been free since 2017

~

Compos wad detained
by ICE in September
and sent to Camp East Montana
on Montana Avenue
in El Paso
He had been placed in
solitary confinement
before he died

~

Petechiae in the eyes prove
asphyxia is the cause
Campos’ injuries were consistent
with a hand or foot on the neck
Labs revealed
antidepressants and antihistamines
Campos had a history of bipolar and anxiety
There was no mention of suicide
in the report
until authorities saw the medical examiner’s report

~

Geraldo Lunas Campos was pronounced dead
after paramedics arrived

~

Under The Apple Trees

Under The Apple Trees

by | Feb 18, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics, Prayers & Thanksgiving

I must stand in the light
and be the reflection
Of the love I know full well
Many think they know His love
But if you are following the lead of men
they will fail
because they must
so you will know you need a Savior

~

It isn’t His name that will save you
but His love
It is different than what can be
bought with money or influence
It is given freely
under the apple trees
or in places where
money doesn’t matter 

~

Holy, Holy, Holy
is the Lord God Almighty
He has always been here
and always will be
And They don’t care what you call Them
But that you do
They are ravished
by one glance of your eye

~

The men in power can not save you
but your Teacher can help you
Through whatever war is created
whatever mistake you make
and They will love you all the way
Because you were breathed into existence
by the same Creator of the mountains
and the trees

~

Naked under the apple trees
we are all the same
Bodies come in many colors
but our souls either reached out to Them
or they did not

~

I Wont Be Quiet

I Wont Be Quiet

by | Feb 14, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics

Forgiveness does not mean
we don’t need change
Just because I accept
the peace that
letting go of you
Doesn’t mean that
I will let you destroy
anyone else

~

The stepfather
the boyfriend
the uncle
the stranger that stole
that took something that
can’t be returned
You will not be allowed
to feast on me
or my siblings
again

~

If the protesters
the writers of letters
the callers and communicators
to our representatives
offend you
You are letting the abuser continue
You are an abuser
You are helping them win

~

The system they built to keep us tired
so we can’t complain
so we keep making babies
for them to devour
needs to be ended
We out-number them
If you support the status quo
You are for them

~

I Wont Be Quiet

~

The First Confirmed Death of 2026

The First Confirmed Death of 2026

by | Feb 12, 2026 | ICE, Opinions, Poetry, Politics

There is no picture of
Luis Gustavo Núñez-Cáceres
that I can find
This 42-year-old
Honduran citizen is
the first confirmed death of 2026
from an ICE Detention Center

~

Arrested on November 17 in Houston
Núñez-Cáceres began at
The Montogomery ICE Processing Center
but within a week
he was moved to
The Joe Corley ICE Processing Center
on Hilbig Street in Conroe, Texas
He died at a nearby hospital
on January 6th at 4:31 am
from complication related to
congenital heart failure

~

Both facilities listed are operated
by ICE-preferred contractor
The GEO Group, Inc
4 of the 7 people who died in December 2025
and at least 45 immigrants
have died while in the hospital
or promptly upon release from GEO Institutions

~

The DHS Appropriations Act of 2018
mandates that ICE
publicize reports of in-custody deaths
within 90 days
ICE claims they are dedicated
to the well-being of the humans in their care
But a guard just pleaded guilty
to sexual abusing a detained immigrant
and no supervisor was charged
It seems there is no justice

~

If screenings and assessments
healthcare and emergency services
are offered
If the well-being of detainees
is important
Why is there no one to hold accountable
Why is there no picture of Núñez-Cáceres

~

Every Person is Important

~

God’s Breath In My Lungs

God’s Breath In My Lungs

by | Feb 11, 2026 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics

My soul hurts today
I have never been raped
but men have touched me
without my permission
and I felt violated
Most of my friends can say the same
or more

~

God did not give permission
for anyone
to hunt, kill, or eat each other
Change can come if we decide
we want it bad enough
We don’t have to work from hate

~

We can work for love of each other
Because I love you and
value you
I want your safety and life
to be honored

~

No longer can we protect sickness
and depravity
You don’t get to steal
God’s breath in my lungs
We must protect life
All of it

~