Ruthless aggression empowers the soul. Overwhelming sensibility, rationale and control. Illusions of happiness, crushed hopes and lost dreams. Make way for destruction, dementia and screams. The hand that once held all the cards has now risen; commanding his followers to heed warning and give in. Time has come for those who balk in the face of destiny; to henceforth in wonder for all the world is to see. Lessons learned have quickly become harsh realities. Things once deemed safe now seethe of impurities. Things better left unsaid are rearing their ugly heads. Mysterious wonders of the dark and unknown; they are settling in now, making this home Welcome – his children – come sit by the fire; while our master consumes us with tales of satire.

You are an angel sent from above to rescue an abject soul with your unconditional love. You can figure out the perfect way to make it all right when it's all gone awry. You have stood strong willed with your heart hanging low ready to accept every blow When things get tough, you don’t run away. In fact, it makes you even more determined to stay. You have a knack for knowing where the world around you is going. By no means are you perfect; because nobody can be. But genuinely wonderful is an apt analogy. Perception, patience, understanding, strength and honesty. These things are what you're made of. These things are what I need.

I have seen the land of the lost. Men and women like you and I; scared and struggling to get by; Making do with what they have; while stretching themselves beyond their means. Babies screaming, children crying, parents oblivious to the scene. I have met some of the Forgotten. Boys and girls withdrawn and thin. Wandering aimlessly, with no clue where to begin. Taking ill advice from 'seasoned' folk. Pennies earned go up in smoke. Swapping secrets that no one should keep. Enduring the blow of each gluttonous creep. I have felt the air of desperation Buzzing around the rooms. The need to save the sick and suffering from impending doom. I have joined forces with the Warriors. Standing strong and eager to tell. How hope, faith and forgiveness helped us escape the grips of hell.

I’ve finally taken the giant leap so that I can keep my sanity. I’ve put my faith in uncertainty and surrendered my will to the unknown. As frightened as I am, I’m excited by the glimpse I’ve been shown. Never have I felt so connected; my body feels so alive. My soul is  finally at rest, and my mind can fully thrive. The jump, it comes with consequences. And, of course, inevitable change. I know that it won’t be easy and that there will be pain But I have to believe that the end will be better than I hear it is; I need to see that I am worthy, of passing the ultimate quiz.

I’m lost in transition between my two selves. Stuck in the middle of a self-induced hell.  I keep trying to run left, but my feet take me right. My only reprieve is the unconscious night. Out of sight and out of mind. This seems to me the perfect find. When it’s up it’s down and down it’s up; the mind can only take so much. Before it begins to swell near explosion; and the world around it assumes total erosion. I’m lost in a place that I can't seem to escape; The nightmare continues even though I’m awake. I’m fumbling around trying my best to get free. Life made me a quick study, but I still need help to see. That there really is a light shining at the end. And that the me that I lost, will be my best friend.

I come in different shapes and sizes. You can be sure that with me, there aren’t too many surprises. It doesn’t matter which way I appear. The same routine unfolds each year. When autumn comes around my fingers and toes change colors. I am the envy of quite a few others. When the wind turns sharp and cold, Jack Frost whispers through the air, My limbs develop a skeletal flair. I’m left to collect winter's snow. Perhaps I’ll wear lights and glow . Spring is in the air when my buds begin to bloom; The ground starts to soften revealing nature's sloom. This when we can be sure that warm nights are coming soon. The sun shines brighter, warming my outstretched arms As spring quietly approaches promising all of its charms.

I am you and you are me with 48 years in between. We have the same eyes and a killer grin. Oh! Our bouncy blonde curls? Where do I even begin? We are silly and sweet; We don’t miss many beats. We are more observant than you know; we just keep it on the down low. We are attentive and kind. We will always speak our mind when something needs to be said. We’re day dreamers, fact believers and we have faith in humanity. We are love you for lifers, even when we can’t decipher; if you’re good for us or bad. We know how to make you smile even if it’s just for a little while. We live our lives truthfully and are known for our sharp tongue. If you cross our path you might feel the wrath of our brutal honesty. But when we sing, it’s to the world resounding effortlessly.

I am who I am and that’s all that I am. Bust my butt every day to pay Uncle Sam. I laugh when I’m happy and cry when I’m sad. A mix of good, sprinkled with bad. I’m fairly certain that the person I see sometimes in the mirror is the unbridled me. The one that’s mistaken pleasure for pain; The one that’s misguided; The one to blame. For the reckless abandon that had become my way, of solving the problems that I faced every day. Minute things blown way out of proportion. What once was so clear became total distortion. Lo and behold - when I woke up today, the glass in the mirror showed no disarray. A quick shake of the head and a few blinks of the eyes started to make me realize. That what was once broken, I can make whole. I have the power to regain control. Of the unbridled version that longs to be free. Making way for the benevolent one that you see.

Santa‘s grave should be adorned with lights and baubles and bells. Instead, it’s humbly looked upon with the sad eyes of his elves. His sleigh this year – it will not fly. There will be no reindeer in the sky. The toys will remain half assembled and unwrapped. The village has shut down, the music has stopped and the candles capped. Pray Dasher, pray Dancer, pray Prancer, and Vixen. Pray Comet, pray Cupid, pray Donner, and Blitzen! Rudolph, the misfit, with your bright nose; light up the way so we know where to go. Guide us through this season, and all the ones ahead. As we forge solemnly reminiscing the joy that he spread

There is darkness in my heart and bitterness in my soul. My head swims in propaganda and desolation freely flows. There was a point in time, when I might have actually cared. But somewhere along the way, I’ve become inherently impaired. I’ve learned how to apply a mask for when I must face the world. I found the make up in my mama’s drawer when I was a little girl. Brighten your eyes with mascara, A touch of blush simulates a glow. Finish up with eye shadow and lipstick- no one will ever know. How you truly look and what you really feel. They will only see the you that you want them to- The you that you’ve made real.