Prickles

It doesn't matter where I am. There is always something poking at me. I'll try to find somewhere else that feels more comfortable, but it follows. Sharp. Painful. Prickles. Nowhere feels immune. Work. Home. Sleep. Life. Underneath the prickles and discomfort there is a hole. I feel as though I am disintegrating. Any connections that …

It’s messy

It's messy inside. Loud. Busy. I don't want my mind to go there. Wherever there is. I once heard someone say, you belong to yourself before you belong to anyone else. It never felt that way. I felt owned. No power. No voice. They got to choose, not me. Decisions need to be made. The words echo in my head, Quit, …

Choices

When you were little choices were made for you. In some cases, they weren't based on what was best for you, but rather, they were solely based on the needs of others. A child does not choose to be sexually abused or abandoned by those who should take care of them.  It is not their …

Done

I feel invisible and ignored. Broken and battered. Tired. Make it through November and December will be easier, I whisper to no one in particular. Four more days and November will be over. The month has been too long. Too hard. It feels as though a part of me has been erased away and I …

Her

In the animal kingdom, an elephant mother is very nurturing and protective of her offspring, especially in the earliest stages of their life. When young elephants do encounter the dangers of their habitats, their mothers are quick to intervene. There is nothing more important than love. Maybe some human mothers could learn a few things …

Why didn’t you say anything?

The beautiful thing about art is that a picture or sculpture or painting can invoke completely different feelings for everyone. This particular painting is called Why didn't you say anything?  The artist is Jenin Yaseen. She was born in Chicago but her family is from Palestine. I know when she painted it she was addressing the …