Imposter of Myself

(written in 2017, it rings so true today)

I struggled
To know who I was
To understand expectations
To feel worthy

I worked
Paid bills
Cared for my family
Trying to satisfy others

I searched
Within parameters
Of society's norms
For a feeling of wholeness

I found
My true self
Only through community
With people unlike home

I belong
To myself
In a varied world
Of love and acceptance

Blessed Are The Patriots

Blessed are our veterans that support and defend the freedom to protest.

Blessed are the warriors, wounded of body or soul, who embody loving kindness to humanity.

Blessed are their caregivers, with the generosity of spirit to maintain unending faith.

Blessed are the badge-wearers who promote peace and protect others from violence.

Blessed are the artists who remind us there is beauty in life, more than tragedy.

Blessed are the progeny that sustain hope for the future through good works and purity of heart.

Blessed are the experienced, exercising discernment through wisdom of bygone eras.

Blessed are the ancestors, who learned from mistakes for our advancement.

Blessed are the protesters and progressives, moving us ever forward preventing regression into savage pastimes.

Blessed are the lawmakers championing the voices of the oppressed.

Blessed are the damaged who speak against oppressors that have used power to victimize others.

Blessed are the hunters rejecting organizations that value profit over human life.

Blessed are the diplomats safeguarding borders with compassion and grace.

Blessed are the counselors ministering to broken hearts and minds, lifting them from powerlessness.

Blessed are the people who care for one another more than for their own glory.