You loved me as a baby nurtured me to grow. At 15 didn’t see eye-to-eye it was more toe- to-toe Both stubborn in our ways but you held your ground I was drowning in the new knowledge I thought I had found. You kept loving me through it all, in every single stage. You as mom me as rebel teen both on a different page. I got on drugs you chose to step in for the boys. You were angry and I couldn’t hear through the noise. You banned me from them which to me was cruel. Like you were high and mighty sitting on a pedestal. At that moment all I felt from you felt like hate. But that’s just the way my brain worked in that state. All I could do is pray and ask God why, why? He showed me but the reality made me cry. Reality was she had shown love all along. But all I could see was her doing me wrong. She was showing me love and how it’s steady. I finally could accept, once sober I was ready. Love doesn’t always look like we think it should. Sometimes it’s painful but in the end was good. CDK 02-12-26

Write about a moment when everything in your life felt uncertain, but something small kept you standing. A sound. A stranger. An animal. A memory. A sentence you told yourself in the dark. Make it raw. Make it honest. Make it yours.

The view is picture perfect Busy birds will sing their songs The Deer will come right up to you I feel like I belong Time continues ticking So it always moves along For years I've felt so very weak But now I'm feeling strong The morning air is crisp The sky a pretty blue Im living in the moment now And learning what to do The the strength I gain from such a sight I feel it in my heart There is no better time than now So nows the time to start I'd like to make a difference now But man im getting older I fear I'm running out of time Heavy weight is on my shoulders At St.Joes i get to find myself I'm blessed with such a gift With all the friendly faces And my spirit starts to lift The fox's chase their tails With snow that caps the mountains Remembering my youth again This place must be the fountain The wind will whisper beautifully The mountain is alive Im on my knees and thanking God For helping me survive Different color variations In the middle of the fall I wish I never had to leave But I can't have it all The lake is so serene In the morning when its still Am I coming back to visit? Yes i think I will No longer scared to face myself I know that I am worth it While accepting this reality Man... The view is picture perfect By Stephen George

If sidewalks could talk and memories could walk they would take me to a place down on 57th Street The train ran upon a wall below children played softball spent hot summer days chasing butterflies and warm summer nights catching fireflies we played street games like red light rode up and down the street on our bikes never afraid for our life's or someone doing a driveby we jumped rope and played hopscotch and sometimes we played hit the top In the Wintertime we had more fun still building snowmen in the big ballfield Life was a child's dream and every child should sleep and find themselves living on 57th Street.

Write a poem about the favorite place you’ve ever been. Not like a travel brochure. Like a memory. Was it a mountain? A riverbank? A hospital room? Someone’s arms? A beach at sunset? A childhood kitchen? A trail in the middle of nowhere? Focus on: • the light • the sounds • the smell of the air • who you were with • how that place made you feel Maybe it isn’t one place. Maybe it’s many. Write the poem. Post it here. Let us stand where you once stood.