“The Seduction” was inspired by Elizabeth Smart’s quote, “Sleep tries to ****** me by promising a more reasonable tomorrow”, from her book “By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept; And, The Assumption of the Rogues & Rascals”.

“These New Wings” was inspired by a Tumblr meme that featured a female model, complete with wings shedding feathers, and the statement “I need new wings”.

The poem “The Shoeblack” was prompted by a cartoon of a shoe-shine working on an official-looking person’s boot.

The poem “The Spiral Spins” is about the modern day Icarus brought low by life.

The poem “The Stand-In” is about the struggle to subsist in a conservative world.

The poem “The Sufferer and the Stunned” was inspired by a reader who admitted they did not understand a past poem, one of my darker fare.  Perhaps it’s for the best that people can’t understand the expressed pain.

The poem “The Sum Being” was inspired by concept that forgiveness is required in order to be right with the world in regards to orientation and gender identity.  The non-normative is not broken or sinful.  They are just a different normative.

The poem “The Sum Being” was inspired by concept that forgiveness is required in order to be right with the world in regards to orientation and gender identity.  The non-normative is not broken or sinful.  They are just a different normative.

The poem “The Sun May Shine” is a glancing look at identity.

The poem “The Sun Rose” is a very metaphorical piece about the changes of time.

The poem “The Sweetest Fruit” was written at the prompt of a drawing.  A vivacious Snow White held court over a group of corrupted dwarfs.  She had retained her young beauty, though it appeared to be tainted by a cold evil cast.    The poem has a word count of 134 and used the Prompt One picture.

The poem “The Towers” was inspired by thoughts about people leaving organizations.  To outsiders, the discrepancies and dogmatic contradictions are enough to push anybody out.   The reasons to stay seem to out weigh these nudges.   Still, some seek the exits when the fabric of belief fails.

A 2013 article by The Atlantic stated that “One in three-to-four girls, and one in five-to-seven boys are sexually abused before they turn 18, an overwhelming incidence of which happens within the family. These statistics are well known among industry professionals, who are often quick to add, "and this is a notoriously under-reported crime."”  My poem “The Truth Waits” is about this crippling, evil injustice.

A poetic friend wrote a poem that started with the lines “Reigns of / hypocrisy puts / teeth on edge” and ended with the lines “Under their / umbrella of / protection”.   I commented “I see the dynamics of resistance and acceptance.  Both are present in the offerings of the group”.   The poem “The Umbrellas” was inspired by this interchange.

The poem “The Unbound” is about desires to step away and the dissolving ties that bind.

The poem “The Unearned” is about leaving a place of privilege when an identity, not congruent with the past experience, is embraced.

The poem “The Uniform” is about the appearances kept for the world.

The poem “The Uniform” is about the appearances kept for the world.

The bane of depression is threefold.  It mutes life’s joys, accentuates the negative aspects of life, and belittles accomplishments.  “The Walls” is a poem about this phenomenon.

The poem “The Week” was prompted by the request to write a poem about a rendezvous, meeting, tryst, encounter, or hideout.   The secret midnight assignation is made public by the poet’s hand.  I turned to the world of social dancing to document such an encounter.

The poem “The Whole Ones” is about dangers of seeking to be masters of righteousness and purity.  These exist only in a vacuum.  In time, exposure to the world corrupts all.

The poem “The Wicked and Divine” was inspired by the lyrical line, “You trick your lovers / That you're wicked and divine” from the song “Undisclosed Desires” by Muse.

The poem “The Wicked and Divine” was inspired by the lyrical line, “You trick your lovers / That you're wicked and divine” from the song “Undisclosed Desires” by Muse.

The poem “Turn the Words” is about the forwardness of the writer.

The poem “They Called Me ****” was inspired by a comment of a friend.  It is one of two poems I intend to write on the subject.  This one examines the focus of attacks.

The poem "They Don't Believe" was inspired by a person's statement that one of the LGBQTIA identities was not real because it couldn't be tested.  This hit me hard.  Intellectually I understand that they may have been coming from a "scientific" perspective. There was no malice implied in their inability to relate to the specific letter of the acronym.  This, however, rang hollow as the other letters don't require the same level of rigorous proofing. Legitimately being bisexual does not require signed affidavits, peer-reviewed studies, doctor's findings, and video evidence.  With that said, some aspects of the alphabet soup are easier for the larger public to understand than others.

The poem “They Had Passed” is a sad affair about the forced removal of people from life.

The poem “They Linger” was written for the prompt, “give me scary and creepyminimum.”  The end result is about the zombie apocalypse.

The poem “The Youngest” was prompted by a 1970 picture of Michael Caine.   I would have been five at the time.  He was in this prime as a maturing actor.  This melded with my reinventing myself at a point that is far from my prime.  Still, the present day is the best time to begin, as it is the only day you can truly begin.

Darkness does have a place in creation. There is a tremendous power stored in the shadow. In the early 2000s I was told that I should be writing. At that time I struggled mightily with dark thoughts. I told myself, "I cannot write of what I know. Who wants to hear about madness?". Now I do write. My own shadow is still there. Now the darkness informs my writing, adding wisdom and insight. There are artists who's works are simultaneously very dark, even as they peers into the depths of the human experience. Sometimes it is difficult to look, read or listen to these creations. This is OK. The artist is creating for themselves and for those who are capable of sharing the vision. Deep down, the darkest of works are created with the mantra of "somebody will see this, somebody will recognize this". The shadow is crucial part of creation. Without the darkness, there cannot be light.

"In the beginning God created heaven and earth." So says Genesis 1:1. I say that God is still creating the heaven and the earth. We stare into the same void. We maintain our sanity and soul by seeing the void as a place of potential. What are we to do on this earth? What is our purpose? Merely create the best you can. On the sixth day, you too will say, "behold, it was very good".

The title of the poem “Things Left Unsaid” was inspired by the Pink Floyd album “Things Left Unsaid”.

Darkness does have a place in creation. There is a tremendous power stored in the shadow. In the early 2000s I was told that I should be writing. At that time I struggled mightily with dark thoughts. I told myself, "I cannot write of what I know. Who wants to hear about madness?". Now I do write. My own shadow is still there. Now the darkness informs my writing, adding wisdom and insight. There are artists who's works are simultaneously very dark, even as they peers into the depths of the human experience. Sometimes it is difficult to look, read or listen to these creations. This is OK. The artist is creating for themselves and for those who are capable of sharing the vision. Deep down, the darkest of works are created with the mantra of "somebody will see this, somebody will recognize this". The shadow is crucial part of creation. Without the darkness, there cannot be light.

"In the beginning God created heaven and earth." So says Genesis 1:1. I say that God is still creating the heaven and the earth. We stare into the same void. We maintain our sanity and soul by seeing the void as a place of potential. What are we to do on this earth? What is our purpose? Merely create the best you can. On the sixth day, you too will say, "behold, it was very good".

The poem “Things Left Unsaid” was inspired by the title of the Pink Floyd album “Things Left Unsaid”.

The poem “This Surety” is about the pain of ideation.

The poem “Those of Failed Worth” is about the measures of worth based on efforts outside the mainstream.

The poem “Those Roles” was inspired by a Tumblr posting that included the lines, “She was asked why she wouldn’t let him in…  the people closest to you, they expect you to star in that role for the rest of your life. ”

The poem “Those Three Words” was inspired by a series of memes featuring Peter and Lara Jean.  The topic of the memes was, “saying ‘I love you’ without actually saying it”.  I believe these sentiments exist beyond the realm of romantic love.

“Those Who Struggle” is about the ******* experience.   Gender identity, separate from ****** preference or romantic preference, is pursued for the integrity of an individual.   The struggle is real, often invisible, and very urgent for wholeness attained.

The poem “Thousand Lies” was inspired by the untruths I tell myself on a daily basis.

The poem "Threads"  was inspired by thoughts about the connections between people.

The poem “Three By There” is about a section of concrete.

“Three Slugs” is a very dark poem contrasting the struggle of waking life with that of calming sleep.

“Three Words” is about a roadblock to communication that occurs when a person wants to talk about a topic.   The topic is avoided because in the past the other party has stated not understanding about the condition that the communication would be about.  Why?  The communication is about a topic that isn’t open to debate or the originator “changing their mind”.  It is more about sharing, and perhaps, a request for support.   This is stopped when already a person has heard the words, “I don’t understand”.   The most cruel aspect of this is that the inability to communicate can lead to other events, these guaranteeing the very sad statement, “I don’t understand”.

The poem “Tilted Scales” was inspired by a series of Tumblr postings, culminating in a work about outcomes of power.

I watched a YouTube video that featured Jordan Peterson and two other commentators.   The discussion was ostensibly about free speech.  Jordan couldn’t resist talking about morality and its outcomes.  His comments about morality inspired me to write “Tilt Up or Down”.

The poem “Time For Punishment” is a wry look at who is ultimately punished for the ongoing “culture wars”.

The poem “Times Change” is a short poetic attempt to describe that life may separate people, for reasons that cannot be condemned, and there will still be an element of loss.

People act as examples to each others.  These examples can give assurances that others are not unique.  Perceived shortcomings are in fact part of a larger plan.

The poem “Title Given” is a consideration of what a life would be titled and how useful this would be to know beforehand.

The poem “To Be Observed” was inspired a meme that featured a night sky, filled with stars, and the caption “admidst silence”.

Visibility is a struggle for all people in the LGBQTIA+ community.  There are days dedicated to all those who identify with one or more of the letters.  Lesbian Visibility Day is celebrated April 26.    The day showcases women-loving-women, providing a platform for lesbian role models to speak out on the issues facing female ****** minorities.   The origins of the day remain mysterious, but is has been running since 2008. Having initially started in the US, Lesbian Visibility Day – thanks to the wonders of the worldwide web – is now celebrated internationally.

A Tumblr blog asked readers to post lists of three.  This inspired me to write the poem “To Dwell Again”.