Month: May 2020

Posted on

Tuesday Poetry: Higher Education

I was always told I had
To go to college to get
A good job – 
I struggled and chose
A path more difficult
Than others – 
I first went to a junior college
And earned an Associate’s
I traveled out of state
To a university and
After two semesters
I couldn’t afford
Out-of-state tuition
I took a break to gain
In-state residency – four years – 
I went back and graduated
The first in my family
To earn a Bachelors – 
I struggled finding work in my field
Or work with benefits
Everyone asked for ten years experience
Or a Master’s degree – 
I got more student loans
I increased my debt
And earned a Master’s
Now the only jobs that will interview me
Are coffee shops offering minimum wage
Or I can scrub toilets – 
What happened to all the good jobs
That were supposed to be waiting
For me when I graduated – 
An education is the most important
Thing a person can get
Paying for that education
Is not the most important thing

From the poetry collection Cats, Coffee, Catharsis.

Posted on

Poetry Monday: Consider Other’s Feelings

When you listen to others
Talk about attractive people
You think about the last time
Someone thought you were attractive
You realize it’s been so long
You don’t remember when it was

It’s never fun listening
And feeling alienated
By all your friends and crushes
Making you feel invisible
How would it brighten your day
If someone told you, you looked nice

From the poetry collection Cats, Coffee, Catharsis.

Posted on

Coffee & Contemplation: Mental Health

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I have dealt with my own mental health issues for many years. I have a long way to go in my recovery, but writing has always been helpful and therapeutic. Not only do I write for my personal blog, fiction, and poetry, I also write on occasion for another blog. I don’t get paid. I write because it helps me, and I hope it helps others who read what I share. It’s called The Bipolar Writer Mental Health Blog. I don’t have bipolar disorder, but I am allowed to write about my experiences.

I have also written for The Mighty. A site that covers many different kinds of mental and chronic health issues. I deal with childhood trauma and many other traumatic events. This has caused anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. I spent years trying to make sense of these things. Early on, I wasn’t aware of all my symptoms. I wasn’t aware of how I allowed these painful memories to impact my daily life. As I overcame one obstacle, another would take its place. A never-ending battle. I continue on doing as much as I can and trying to stay positive. 

After two years of writing for these sites and on my own, I decided to compile many of these blog posts into one collection. I share my thoughts in my collection Mushaburui: A Mental Health Journey. It’s on sale in paperback and Amazon Kindle. My hope with that book was to help others realize they were not alone. I hope others read my experiences and they get the desire to keep fighting. Calling myself a mental health warrior helps build confidence in myself. I want to help build confidence in others. I want others to know they still have a fighting chance.