She hides in plain sightA hint of melancholy on her faceOnce happy and free She is now lost in the prison she's made in her mindWalls she has built with steel and stoneShe makes jokes and laughsInside she is dyingHer pain betrayed by a painted on smileShame, pride, and humiliation in disguise"She dresses like a whore," she wanted it more"She went there alone," she deserved what was done"Why did she stay quiet?" You must k...

In 1986 when I was 23, my parents divorced and my mother, brother, sister and I moved to the city of Fontana which was about 30 miles from where I grew up. We were really struggling just to keep the lights on in those days, so I began to work full time at a Jack in the Box, about five miles from our home.  I couldn't afford a car, so I had to walk to and from work, along two roads that were all but deserted.  The one I to...

It's quiet, is somebody there?Is anyone beneath my stairs? Snow is fallingWinter is hereIs that St. NicholasThat I hear? A Little elf invadesMy homeMay perhaps  He's just a gnome? He creeps aroundWhile I'm asleepIf he givesWhat does he keep? Nothing is evergiven freeI wonder whatThe trade must be? He gives me giftsAnd I give backA covertunderground attack Who is this in thevelvet suit?That has the bagWhich has the loot He...

Twenty-four hours previouslyooOoo“Good day, sunshine,” Pete sang the Beatles song to Tara in a slight whisper, gently waking her up in the late hours of the morning. The marine layer kept the beach city overcast, and the breeze of the cool September air felt good on her tired body.“Hey beautiful,” he said softly, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Eggs, bacon, toast or yogurt?” he asked as he put the tray down on the...

It was his birthday, but not even the sunshine of a beautiful day could cheer Pete up. Thirty-three years old and still single, he was re-evaluating his life choices and mourning opportunities that he had sadly let slip by. Of all his failures, he knew that nothing was worse than losing his high school sweetheart. She was tall and slim, a delicate beauty with blue eyes, brown hair and a smile that would melt even the cold...

I miss you in the dead of nightthe soulmate that I'll never knowI miss you in the morning lightthe love that I can never show I've waited and I've stopped to looka secret, an unfinished booka whisper in somebody's earthe thought, the overwhelming fear what could have happened, why did you go?someday I would have loved you so If I could, I'd make you warm,and simply hold your handbut sadly you were never born inconvenient...

If I let myself, I can remember everything about that morning. It's a very painful thing to look back on, but every year on the anniversary of this day, we will always be reminded of the brutal attack that killed so many unsuspecting Americans. It was a Tuesday morning, and it was supposed to be my day off, but that soon changed. My mom and I had planned to go to my sister Margaret’s house, have lunch and maybe go to IKEA...

Journal Entry Number One _______________________________________________ I didn't even realize that I was feeling so lonely. Anita and I have 3 kids whom absolutely I adore. Kelly, our oldest is entering the sixth grade this year for her first year of middle school. Our middle child, Jack, he's eight. He's pretty much the stereotypical middle child; not to say he is hard to get along with, it's just that he's sort of a cl...