We go through life
Trained to question,
To seek knowledge,
To understand.

But this isn't
An easy task
We have here on hand.

The truth hurts,
And facts aren't always pretty.
A simple "yes" or "no" response
Can bring you down
Quite quickly.

"Is it cancer?"
"Is he cheating?"
"Am I really wasting my life away, sulking in cheap pity?"

Questions like these
Cut beyond flesh and bone.

Their answers go deeper;
They penetrate the soul.

So here's a tip
As you journey and grow:
Don't seek answers
you don't want to know.

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?

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.

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

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 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.

We were not written in the stars
Or woven onto golden threads.
We were not some intricate line
of pulsing powerful predestined
circle of energy.
In fact as far as I can see,
we simply are.
So, why not be happy?
Take a little bit of me
Mix it with some you
And see what we can do.




My darling whispers
where the wild things stay.
I can hear the broken fairy winged
creatures pray while they play
saying that today
will be a wonderful day.


September is a lie I tell myself
Hardly on the way I say winter is not here yet
The cold will wait
The winds will wait
The frosty fear that marks this time of year
Can hold its tongue
Now is fall
An eternity
Between me and winter

The nouns of my life are fading.
I'm left standing at an
uncomfortable cliff.
And the winds of
change keep
whispering,
"Do you
fade or
fly?"