The night had run it's course
Yet I had not run the night
Waning by the hour
I had starved for more
Reaching far beyond
That which reached out to me
I grasped and fell short
Of what I strove to be
I hold this failure true
Never to diminish me

Jesus holds us each in his palm
For we are each unique and hand crafted
Beautifully, wonderfully, fearfully made from the start
He is making a masterpiece a priceless work of art
We are a tile in the mosaic of life
An important part of a bigger picture
We are beautiful because we are different
We are different because we are special
We are special because we are important
We are important because we are loved
When we look right now it is unfinished
It is scarred and cracked and rough
But when we look upon the finished piece
We see love and light and peace
Through the years I was beginning to take shape
A gradual transformation was going on in me
A lifelong journey toward who I'm supposed to be

feminism fails
when it disregards
those of color

for we know that every dollar
a woman makes
a man makes more

we seem to disregard the bit
where a women of color
make even less
than their white counterparts

feminism needs to stop
excluding
disregarding
those impacted most
it's a hazard to progress

pull up a chair
scoot down the bench
it's time we serve up
intersectional feminism
for the table can hold more
there's plenty of progress to go around

Where does creativity come from?

Wherever I am allowed to flourish.

Seems as dependent on everything beyond my
own body -

With all my work, fears, and beliefs.

So whatever I am, allowing myself to flourish.

Mixing with everything else that is.

Boredom kills your mind
Scratching from the surface
Taking every chance it gets
To push you down the road
Raging you in the flame
Tagging memories contained
Wishes and dreams passed on
To another, until it works

Sometimes you have to be
Sometimes you shouldn't
But when it starts to itch
Just take the highway road
And overcome your fear
Let your strength be the one
To beat your own conscious

Some days sobriety is easy
I can feel the strength I carry in me
Bare my scarred arms for all to see
Happy with who I am turning out to be
Resilient in the face of adversity
Thanks to peace of mind and clarity
I'm staying busy; like a bumblebee
Filling my time with things that bring me glee
Like my boyfriend, close friends, and family
Along with plenty of activities
Like exercise and my favorite hobby
Turning my thoughts into poetry
I find confidence in a cup of tea
Every day I gain more energy
I even get up and do chores frequently
My hair and makeup I attend to daily
I've unlocked the door to joy; love is the key
At last my spirit feels weightless and free

HOOK:
I love how the sky looks when it's blue
But it is just as pretty grey and cloudy too
Abstinence is a crooked path, hard to navigate
The road to recovery is beautiful but seldom straight

Other days are really hard
Wake up to a sky black and dark
No light can be seen, not one star
My resolve starts breaking, shard by shard
When I can barely lift my head
Much less drag myself out of bed
And the rain outside seems to have no end
That's when I feel the urge to use again
Disappointed, let down by ones who are close
Alone when I need comfort the most
Thoughts spin in circles, craving a dose,
World crashing down, I almost
Give into the shadows and do something gross
Thinking "How much dope do I need to overdose?"
Even break down and pick up my phone
Start to dial a number that to me is well known
I deleted it but it's still in my mind
Guess I couldn't leave all my past behind
But before I complete the call
I picture my mom's face and I fall
Onto my knees, weakly I crawl
Until I am against the wall
I sob and choke on tears as I bawl
Curled up into a pathetic ball
Then I decide today will not be the day
I text my old dealer "I'm on the way."
I won't give in or go astray
If I can push through this i will be okay
I'm strong enough to stay clean at least I am today
Determined to keep walking the right pathway
And manifest the positive words I say
Impulses I'm no longer compelled to obey
See my strength and hang their heads in dismay
I evict my urges, now they have no place to stay

HOOK

Some days my steps are filled with laughter and gain
Other days the path teems with temptation and pain
The walk will get bumpy but in sunshine and in rain
I'll keep making progress no matter how rough the terrain.