I Wish You Joy

I Wish You Joy

by | Dec 24, 2025 | Poetry

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Whether you believe Jesus is the reason
or you light candles on a Menorah
If you celebrate Enlightenment or Yule
You are preparing for Kwanzaa or you are an Zoroastrian
If you are a Muslim
or you just like the lights and presents
I wish you joy

~

Whatever your reason is to sing
or celebrate life
be thankful for your loved ones
Whatever reason you stop and
breathe in
the scent of your favorite food and drink
be merry
Know you are loved
You are valued

~

Wherever you call home
be there
No matter what gift
you give or get
make sure someone smiles or laughs
because you are there
Share your light
because yours is different from anyone else’s
You are special because
the breath in your lungs
is from your Creator

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You are a gift

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Read More:

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I Can’t Do This Without You

I Can’t Do This Without You

by | Oct 21, 2025 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics

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I am made in my Creator’s image
I am white
I am female
I am a United States Citizen
I am just like you

~

Jesus turned over tables
where they sold offerings
for money
But He gave Himself on the cross
for free

~

You are just like me
I am black
I am queer
I am houseless & I can read
But the freedom of my Spirit
does not match my Constitution

~

Some say the government
should only provide the laws & foundation
That citizens must create
the opportunities they desire
But when taxes are so high we can’t dream
How do we free those that can’t breathe

~

We are the same
I am disabled
I am a veteran
I am a tree-hugging peace-lover
I can’t do this without You

~

Photo Credit: Aesthetic Aristocracy on Tumblr

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Choose Light

Choose Light

by | Sep 30, 2025 | Poetry, Politics

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What if there was no left or right?
What if there was no black or white?
What if we saw the beauty
and truth that is everywhere
That you are light
that inside the truth is that
together we are all right?

~

What if instead of shaking each other down
or calling each other names
we saw how far we have come?
What if we celebrated
our victories
instead of recounting our shame?
What if we chose to be together
instead of divided by hate?

~

We don’t have to listen to the propaganda
We don’t have to bring guns to the fight
We could reach out for our neighbors
and hold hands instead of rancor
Love could be our connection
instead of a missed target
Choose light

~

Inappropriately

Inappropriately

by | Sep 24, 2025 | Poetry, Politics

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I am a woman
Many of my friends have been raped
All of my female friends have been
touched inappropriately
or made to feel uncomfortable
in the presence of a man or men

~

I was related to the man that touched me
My friends knew their rapists
But society can be uncomfortable
the rules are unfair
the expectations are hypocritical
No one is safe

~

Women and children are not safe
So many gone
So many go missing daily
Some return forever broken
Some never return
Yet we protect the guilty
Because we know too many
people in authority
are not innocent

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White Knuckles

White Knuckles

by | Sep 24, 2025 | Poetry, Politics, Queer Community

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I hate the hatred God
How can they hate
someone they have never met
How can someone say they love You
but hate Your creation
The confusion makes me so tired
I hold onto You with white knuckles

~

It scares me so much
to look at my neighbors
and wonder if they hate me
because I have a wife
because I call her
my gingerbread cookie
or both
What if we adopt a child and
they’re born in the wrong body
I’ll have two parts of my heart
to be afraid for

~

I want to love my enemies
I pray for them like You told me
I fell like prey
I feel like it is a matter of time
before the ships surround me
My only strength is in You
so I will keep listening for You
even though my arms are so tired

~

PS: My 3 year old great-nephew took this picture with my phone. He is amazing!

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It Wasn’t Just a Rock

It Wasn’t Just a Rock

by | Sep 13, 2025 | Poetry

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I am the kind of civilian that
has already been forgotten
Yet you already want me to forgive
the sins you have poured upon my head
What kind of murder
have you planned for me
That children will be found guilty of

~

Holy holy holy is
my Lord God Almighty
the one you forgot about
While you built your idols
taller and shinier than
the humble and honest
love required

~

What is more pure
innocent or more holy
These are our ministers
But they don’t pay enough
and empathy is for cowards
So when you say this word
You have no foundation to stand on

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Every Person is Important

Every Person is Important

by | Aug 21, 2025 | Poetry

Every Person is Important
I am not just saying this because
I am white
and I think you should hear me
Every Person is Important
I am saying this because I am right
whether my privilege affirms it
or your bias says otherwise

~

Every Person is Important
because the essence of them
the light inside them
is inspired by our Creator
His breath is in their lungs
And each life inspires another
To smile, to cry, to create, to grow
To dance, to love, to hate

~

When there was nothing
there was what was
that spoke the light and the dark
the sea and the land, the vegetation,
the birds, fish, animals, and we
to live together because
Every Person is Important
because without us there is
nothing

~

Before religion and politics
Every Person is Important
Before race and nationality
Every Person is Important
Before sex, gender or who you or I love
Every Person is Important
Before, or after war
Every Person is Important

~

Every Person is Important

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Inside Out

Inside Out

by | Aug 7, 2025 | Poetry

Sometimes I try to climb back into the embrace of
Our arms entwined and our heart to heart
Of the early days of marriage
While we healed each other from things we only felt but couldn’t talk about
The things we were created to comfort in each other
That no one else could

~

Before words like
Arthritis
Fibromyalgia
Held their own sharp blades
Their own power over my senses
When we could dance all night long
When I didn’t twitch from the day’s stress
When I could cuddle without pain
Before a part of me died to chronic-ness

~

We love out loud
Because the pain is a wall sometimes
I lie as close to you as my body allows
The outside of my thigh can feel your strength
My right arm holds you tight
I can feel your every breath
We have adjusted
And in imperfection as true love does
We listen and heal each other
As we were created to

~

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I Don’t Know Where You Are Sometimes

I Don’t Know Where You Are Sometimes

by | May 18, 2025 | Poetry

I missed you today
I have missed you lots of days
because you are going through
a quiet phase
You have much that overwhelms you
I understand
because I do too

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The smell of depression
meets your guests before
they cross our threshold
But I don’t want to talk about it
and you refuse to
So we applaud any success
we can find

~

Melancholy is not my friend
but a regular companion
I don’t enjoy it
but I live in spite of it
I have learned to be careful
when talking about mine
But I wish we could talk about yours

~

I don’t know how to help you
I don’t know if there are
resources that will overcome the no’s
you have been told so many times
No matter what
I love you
I see you trying

~

You know where to find me

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Holy Fire

Holy Fire

by | Feb 18, 2025 | Poetry, Politics, Prayers & Thanksgiving

It is hard to think with my human mind
Sometimes my spirit is on fire
And I can’t imagine how to move
The direct path is hard to see

~

Those who live in the spirit
Cannot be judged
They cannot be understood
By those who live in the flesh

~

It is only God that knows
Where I am going
Where we are going
My arms are tired from holding them up

~

The champions that are fighting
Must see that someone is for them
So here I stand with my arms stretched out
I am a beacon of light

~

So many have left love behind
They seek human made things
For validation
For power
For life
But none of this will stand up to fire and brimstone

~

Only LOVE will survive the holy fire
So I stand here
Because the warriors are winning
Even if it doesn’t look like it

~

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The Crash

The Crash

by | Jan 31, 2025 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics

Wednesday January 29, 2025
probably seemed like any other night
Until Headline News screamed
across the television screen
in bright red letters
An American Airlines jet and
a military Black Hawk
doing an annual night proficiency training flight
had collided

~

60 passengers and 4 crew members on the jet
3 soldiers on the helicopter
67 lives lost because of a human mistake
As of Thursday over 100 first responders
are still fishing out bodies from the Potomac
Teen figure skaters returning from
a national meet with
their mothers and coaches
Union steamfitters
from Washington, D.C.
and soldiers we can’t replace are all gone
We will never get them back

~

#47 wants to blame
Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs
because he is emotionally immature
#47 wants to blame
#44 and #46 because generally
people like him think the buck stops with the president
And he can’t bear that
But those who have grown beyond their fears
are much more creative
We want to see the families and loved ones cared for
We want to learn how this tremendous error happened
so we don’t do it again

~

This atrocity is not even about #47

~

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The First Insurrection

The First Insurrection

by | Jan 23, 2025 | Opinions, Poetry, Politics

Things we have never seen before
have happened at his hand
He has encouraged us to give way to violence
and given control to white supremacist
after they had been taught to be quiet

~

On January 6, 2021 our United States Capitol Building
was attacked by a mob of over 1500
They included Oath Keepers
Proud Boys
and Three Percenters
fueled by his rhetoric that his election had been stolen

~

5 people died
many people were injured
including 174 police officers
Four officers committed suicide after it was over
$2.7 million in damages were caused by rioters
Pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails were found nearby

~

Most people were convicted of federal crimes
But he pardoned them all
as soon as he could get his cult members
to elect him again
Probably because it reminded him
of his 2nd impeachment

~

What does this say to us?
That people are only useful
if he needs them
That the police officers that help us
have no authority
and their lives are unimportant

~

I am beginning to wonder
when the second insurrection
will come

~

Photo By Tyler Merbler from USA – DSC09254-2, CC BY 2.0

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Being Brave For Myself

Being Brave For Myself

by | Jan 16, 2025 | Poetry

I have always had to be brave
I wasn’t allowed to be
my authentic
messy
dysregulated
human self
You assumed you knew me
that I was just like you

~

If it had been safe to be myself
I would ask you about your day
your dreams
why you prefer to be alone
or
at least without me
But you don’t know me
just as much as I don’t know you

~

Since we can never talk about my wounds
They weren’t self-inflicted
while you told me about yours over and over
I’m not fixated on my scars
They just still hurt
and you have a way of reminding me
of the ones I tucked away

~

I have always made excuses for you
but I see that hasn’t helped either of us
You said you loved me
But you called me names
You ignored me
You took joy in humiliating me
Telling my stories to anyone that would listen

~

I will never get it back from you
the way I give it
because you don’t love the way I do
I know trust is lost between us
and so is relationship
That is why I am always afraid
when you walk through the door
I never know which one of you is coming

~

I gave you one more chance
to acknowledge your abuse
but you refused
sealing it with the stink of gaslighting
You are always so afraid
The reason I had to be brave

~

I understand your shortcomings
but I am done making excuses
I deserve to feel accepted
and you can’t communicate
that to me
I have learned to love myself
to create and keep boundaries

~

Now I am at peace with being brave for myself

~

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An Invisible Sergeant

An Invisible Sergeant

by | Sep 20, 2024 | Poetry

I had my team even though I didn’t want them
I wasn’t properly trained
But my uniform was always properly attired
Three yellow chevron on blue was always attractive
and polished

~

An invisible sergeant
I was never given a horse
even though my specialty was cavalry
It is impossible to lead or train
When no one can see you

~

Supervision, guidance, support I gave
for which I was never paid
Or rather I paid very dearly
They knew my value
but I didn’t

~

I saw myself
This old self yesterday
and I understood another part of me
I thanked myself for my service
and let myself retire with honors

~

Triggered

Triggered

by | Aug 14, 2024 | Poetry

He is natural in chaos
I used to be but now I make different choices
with all these emotions
He commands the world
regardless of the blood on his face
and I wish the screaming
in my head hadn’t begun
when I saw the gunfire

~

The boy who shot him
had hardly lived
and now he is is dead
Is he paying for crimes
besides his own
Is he collateral damage
much like the bystanders
that felt the impact of his bullets
The father that died
The others that will live
but will never be the same

~

He is the epitome of every bully
I’ve ever known
It was clear when his lips
were red with his blood
I know him
I was terrified of him
How can they not see who he is
But I see him
And I am no longer afraid
He is just another man

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But God

But God

by | May 9, 2024 | Poetry, Prayers & Thanksgiving, Queer Community

It was supposed to be warm and sunny today
but in my dream it was snowing
The silence was not available because
you were there to judge as always
You hate me because I am gay
I wanted to call you a slut
because the man you are married to
is not your first
but he is a preacher so his degree frees your tongue
You forget we have all fallen short
and require the grace of God

~

I left you because my tears were starting to freeze on my face
because I loved you best

~

Guarding the door
you stood with your rocks and knives
they all had collected for you
You threw a couple but
I slipped in another door
I know you hate yourself and me
but I don’t know why

~

You were tending you wounds
while your mother told lies and smoked cigarettes
and put them out in her daughter’s arm
If you could get away
If you could get away

~

I was supposed to go to school
but I didn’t know which box in the garage was mine
I had missed so many days I was overwhelmed
by what it might take to catch up
I have always  been left behind
but God

~

God woke me from the nightmare
He chose me and loved me
He showed me that He was always with me
and with you
and I didn’t have to live in your house
to love you
He made boundaries because I am human
I am not God
I have limits
But I can pray and I don’t have to judge
in response to yours
I can love from my place in Him

~

You’ll Always Be My Good Boy Kitty

You’ll Always Be My Good Boy Kitty

by | May 3, 2024 | Poetry

It has been a little over a week since
you went home to Jesus
I still have the bruises on my arthritic knees
from when I got on the floor to look under the bed
to make sure you were still alive
I still have your claw marks on my thigh
from when I was washing you
because you had stopped doing that

~

Who would have thought a cat would take up so much of my heart

~

You came to me when I had begun to accept
that I would never give birth to my own child
You were my baby and I took the job seriously
You were my best friend
because you understood when I couldn’t talk about what I was feeling
My idiosyncrasies became your idiosyncrasies
and yours became mine

~

Who would have thought a cat would teach me so much about my heart

~

I miss you at night
I miss saying goodnight to you after you have nagged me into bed
I miss getting up and meeting you in the bathroom
for midnight snuggles
But I love that you seem to visit me in the morning hours in my dreams
I loved that you cussed me out this morning
and I got the best sleep in a week with you lying on my chest yesterday
it makes me not want to wake up

~

Who would have thought a cat could bring out the best in me

~

You helped me in ways no one else could
not because they didn’t want to
but because they had other things to do
You lived to take care of me and help me
learn to take care of myself
to love myself
I am stronger because I had to take care of us
and you needed me to be brave

~

I love you Xavier
You’ll always be my good boy kitty

~

In My Prayers You Will Stay

In My Prayers You Will Stay

by | Apr 29, 2024 | About Summer, Poetry

I am not afraid of the Spirit within me
I am not afraid of my emotions or memories
that cause physical sensations deep in my muscles
that remind me where I have been
and how far I have come
But I am afraid you will never see or hear who I really am

~

You offered me a gift with
no strings attached
I didn’t say anything about the strings that have always been there
So you must be confessing that
You don’t give anything freely

~

I read somewhere that
when you love someone you want the best for them
when you are attached to them you want what you can get out of them
I don’t have anything else to give you
But when I think of you
I ask God to give you your heart’s desire

~

I don’t want to find you guilty anymore
but you are the one that abused me
You taught your children to treat me like your slave
You are the one that shunned relationship first
There are many reasons I can’t trust you

~

But I still love you
So in my prayers you will stay

~

Note: These flowers don’t have anything to do with this poem but they are pretty and should be remembered. My wife, Karen G Clemenson’s coworkers gave them to her while she was recovering from her hysterectomy.

~

 

To Be Your Auntie

To Be Your Auntie

by | Apr 19, 2024 | Poetry

Each step I got to be there for
was magic to me
I wasn’t your mother
I was your Auntie

~

Sometimes I fought for you
because I saw something
your parents couldn’t
They thought it was a weakness
I believed my perspective was a blessing
I didn’t have their burdens
I had no expectations
I just loved you
I just wanted you to be you

~

I didn’t leave you
I went to find and care for me
Without you I would never have known
I was who I am
I found a piece of me in each of you
I am so thankful
to be your Auntie
Your bright eyes may have been
the only ones I let see me

~

You thrive in my dreams and prayers
Everything I do has nothing
to do with anyone but me and God
I hope you can say the same
I would enjoy a relationship
outside the rule of familial traditions
But my real hope for you is
Self-Love, Peace, Creativity and Joy
However you can find it

~

No matter what
I will always be your Auntie
Even if I only see your beautiful smile
while I sleep

~

Dedicated to JJ, AM, JD, CJW, KG and BR

~

She was An Anchor

She was An Anchor

by | Mar 5, 2024 | Poetry

This sadness knocks the wind out her
It is heavy like a coat soaked with rain
Carrying it around makes it impossible to breathe
yet she must

Thank You that I knew her
because with out her
I wouldn’t be exactly who I am

She is more than some of the reflection in my mirror
and someone in my dreams
She was an anchor

I am not the only one who loved her
I wish I could dry my mother’s tears
Please carry her
because I never could
Even though I tried

Thank You that are the true anchor
The one that carried us all
The one that still carries us now

~

The Monster Inside of Me

The Monster Inside of Me

by | Jan 4, 2024 | About Summer, Poetry

The monster inside of me doesn’t care about what I think
or feel or want to be
I was born with this and I don’t think it cares how old I am
It is part of my genealogy
I see it in ancestors and a few who have come after me

~

I have tried to get rid of this thing that rages
Unlike a few fractures that stayed a long time, I won’t name it
It is a thorn in my side and I have only learned to control me
not the monster that finds joy in causing pain

~

I used to break things to satisfy its temper
Hurting people hurt me too much
The feeling of satisfaction made me want to throw up
I learned to limit myself
to remain sober
to make rules so I am always in control

~

I NEVER feed the monster
I don’t watch fighting, or horror movies or the news
I don’t spent time with people that rely on savagery
I forgive often
I listen to music that makes me happy<

~

The meds I take help me use my tools
I make better choices
My mind works slower and more efficiently
but I never forget the monster
I have more boundaries for myself than for others

~

I see people who have their own monster and I pray for them
God leads me away from my danger zones
I know He can help them too
He doesn’t take the monster because it keeps me humble
It helps me remember that I am imperfect
It makes me work hard to love myself

~

The monster makes it easy to love those that seem unloveable
because I am just like them
Behind my abstinent face with the pleasant smile
I know what I choosing not to do
When the monster is awake
Besides praying it will go back to sleep

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I Hope For You

I Hope For You

by | Dec 30, 2023 | Poetry

To know you are so close
but so far away hurts
but I know you have things to do
and I have got used to the ache
I’ve loved you with all my heart
and taught you to think for yourself

~

I’d hoped when you were a grown up
we could be friends
That no matter what they said
you would remember who I really am
How I let you define yourself
and how I delighted in you

~

I am proud of you
I know you are succeeding
Exploring and growing
Even if you are failing and starting over
that’s the best to learn

~

I will always be available
to hear how you conquered your world
have new dreams and visions
To pray for your courage and strength
The thought of you filling my doorway
makes me catch my breath

~

I’ll love you always
I hope for you
Because that is what this auntie does

~