Uncork the bottle,
And pour it quick!
It’s been a long, long day
And I need sip.

Wine, oh Wine
I’m glad you’re mine.
Without you, I fear
I’d lose my mind.

Your dark, luscious beauty
And your white gentle hues
Coax and ease
My stress to defuse.

On days like today,
And nights,
Like tonight,
It’s you I turn to
For some bottled delight.

I want love-
Not the little love
That makes the
heart skip, and
The face blush.
I want to indulge in the Love
That ignites the Spirit

The love that fills all voids,
Heals all grievances,
And
has no boundaries,
No limits,
And
no preconceived notions.

I want the love
That is contagious by presence.
The love that
eradicates insecurities
And replaces them with ecstasy,
I want the kind of love
That sets people free.

I don't want the love
That beats around the bush.
I want the love that
bangs
down my door,
Sets my heart
a blaze,
And keeps
fueling
the fire.

Dear Anxious People Pleaser,
I forgive you
for not being authentically you-
for worrying
about what others think,
hiding yourself
for the sake of others,
and for following
in the footsteps of others,
rather than walking your own path.

I forgive you.

To the Heart-On-My-Sleeve,
I forgive you for,
in the process of
deeply caring for others,
you neglected to care for yourself,
allowing yourself to be walked upon,
and drained to depletion.

I forgive you.

To the Optimistic, Ever Hopeful Mask,
I forgive you for putting on
that smile rather than displaying
what you truly felt,
covering everything with an
"It's all good!"

I forgive you.

To the insecure and frustrated boy,
I forgive you for
keeping everything buried,
locked up-
hidden,
and
by doing so,
you allowed yourself to grow
resentful, angry, and at times, cruel.

I forgive you.

To the Sacred Crying Child Inside,
I forgive you
for acting upon your anger,
and self-loathing,
that you hardened your heart
and treated others with harshness-
becoming those who wounded you.

I forgive you.

To the broken Soul,
and Healing Spirit,
I forgive you for being
"strong" for so long
that you failed
to revel in your own brokenness.

I forgive you.


I forgive you.
I forgive you.
I forgive you.
Ashé.

I choose compassion,
rather than the past;
acceptance,
rather than ignorance,
trust,
rather than anxiety,
and most importantly,
I choose love, instead of fear.

Welcome to the South,
where we teach
Christ's compassion,
rather than put it into action.
Where we honor the
Red, White, and Blue,
but only want to share it with a few.

Welcome to the South,
Where our values are just as backwards as our deep fried diet,
and our minds are
just as closed as our hearts.

So pull up a chair,
or a double-wide,
Grab a peach
or a pecan pie,
'cause ain't nothin'
gonna change,
till DixieLand dies.

They say, "keep going
Till you smile again.
Keep going till you laugh
And dance, till sunlight
Washes away the rain
And joy unleashes your soul."

But, what if you've never
smiled, laughed, or danced?
What if darkness
was all you've ever  known?
What if it's been your only friend?
What then?

Good morning,
Good morning,
The day's just begun.
May yours be filled
With much laughter and fun!