Writing: Intro to Poetry; Day Four: Journey

Untitled Poem

by Gertie

As with any fork in the road you have a choice;

A choice on what path you want to take.

You can take the path less traveled or choose the path that appears to be more worn down which may appear to be the safer of the two paths.

The more traveled path may not always be the safest way to go on your journey.

A journey that you must walk and decide on your own.

A journey that won’t always be easy so make the decision that is best for you even if it is the path less traveled.

The Communities I Call Family

Good Morning, World!!! As I sit here at work, I cannot help but think of how certain people become like family to you. I’ll use work as an example. When you work with people everyday, you become like family. For instance, the Saturday night shelter crew has each other’s backs when needed. We build one another up. I guess I say my colleagues are like family because we check up on each other even when we are off work.

My work colleagues aren’t the only family I have. Another family I have happens to be the community I have created while volunteering at PAWS. Specifically, PAWS Cat City and folks on my volunteer shift. That includes both employees and other volunteers. I guess my love for cats and other animals have helped me find more people to call family.

Besides my work and volunteer family, I will have to say my neighbors are family. As dysfunctional as we are in my apartment building we are a type of family. We may not always get along but when something happens we are there for each other; like families should be.

Then last but not least, my cat is family. Lil Gertie, the cat that crossed the rainbow bridge on Thanksgiving Day of last year (2019) was and still is considered my family. She was there when people let me down. Hell, she is still with me. She is my guardian angel. I truly believe that Lil Gertie played a major role in the adoption of my current cat, Billie Dean. I say this because Lil Gertie had two crinkly ears and Billie has one crinkly ear. I also believe that both Lil Gertie and Billie chose me to be their family. Being chosen by an animal to be their furrever family is an honor. I am beyond grateful that I was Lil Gertie’s family for the last year and a half of her life. She will always have special place in my heart. I am also beyond grateful that Billie is my family. I am grateful to call my cat family.

As I end this particular blog post, I hope you all ponder about who or what you call family in this life. For me family is a melting pot of people (and animals) that come into my life in various ways like I mentioned in this post. I want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you chose to read my blog even if this is the only post you ever read of my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has an awesome Sunday ahead of them. Peace Out, World!!!

A Pre-Work Post

Good Evening, World!!! I am now awake and about to get ready for work. Part of me doesn’t want to go to work. The part of me that doesn’t want to go to work is the part where my depression symptoms are acting up. I know ultimately me going to work will help with my depression symptoms. As much as I do not like night shifts, I am grateful to have a job for several reasons. One such reason is that working does help with my mental health symptoms.

The part I don’t like about working is the fact, I am away from my cat, Billie Dean. Billie is my emotional support animal (ESA) and helps me a great deal. On a plus note, coming home from work or any other place, having Billie greet me at the door is always an awesome feeling.

As I type this blog I realize that I need to put my art supplies in my backpack so I can take them to work. Specifically, my coloring supplies. I take my coloring supplies so I can color at work to help keep myself busy. I have a lot of down time at work. I love to color. It is a type of meditation for me.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I want to thank you all for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of thing that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great rest of your weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

The Art of Depression

Good Morning, World!!! As stated in my last post, I have been fighting off some symptoms of depression. Dealing with depression sucks shit but it is a part of my life even if it is not fun to deal with.

Dealing with depression has helped me find out what I love. I love my cat and art. Something I have been doing the last few hours since my last post is art work. Specifically, I have been combining genre’s of painting and collage. I am creating an art piece of my cat, Billie Dean, and my beloved adopted city of Seattle. It is not coming out I like but I know it will eventually come out okay. Okay enough to hopefully, put on my living room wall. I feel like putting up artwork on my wall makes my home a home. I do have artwork hanging on my wall from friends, neighbors and family. For me art helps me with my depression. I hope that when I am finished with this particular artwork that I will share it with you fine folks.

Now that I have bored you to death with my talking about artwork and depression, I will end this particular blog post. It is time for me to go to bed. Yes, I know it is seven in the morning here in Seattle but I work a twelve plus hour night shift tonight. Before I go, I want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope you all have a great weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

Fighting My Way Through Depression Symptoms

Good Morning, World!!! Right now I am dealing with increased depression symptoms. Symptoms that have prevented me from working on my Intro to Poetry course I am taking through WordPress. I will start back up the course on Sunday morning. Poetry is quite helpful for me and the symptoms of the handful of mental health diagnosis I am diagnosed with.

The thing that has been helping me through this bought of depression is binge watching television shows since I haven’t been writing poetry. The two television shows I have been binge watching are. The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross and M*A*S*H. The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross has quite a calming affect on me. There is something about watching Bob Ross painting that is soothing or at least he is soothing to me. As far as M*A*S*H; the humor of the comedy of the show has me laughing. Laughing so much that I almost pee my pants. The soothing of Bob Ross and comedy of M*A*S*H is helping lift my depression symptoms and for me that is a great thing.

Since I have updated you on what is going on, I am going to end this blog post as I do not have much more to write about. I want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great weekend ahead of them. Peace Out, World!!!

Writing: Intro to Poetry; Day Three: Friends

Four Legged Furr Friend w/a Twitchy Tail

by Gertie

Billie, oh how

I love the fact that you are a

Love bug and a

Lap cat.

I love how you look at me with those big green

Eyes.

Don’t ever loose your

Enthusiasm for greeting me

At the door, as I know you love to

Nuzzle me because you missed me and know that I missed you. Please, know that I will love you to the very end.

Writing: Intro to Poetry; Day Two: Face

Untitled Poem

by Gertie

Look in the eyes of a person of color;

Let the person know they matter;

Let the person you know you care;

Let the person know you see their pain.

Now look into the mirror;

Look at your face, your white face,

and ask yourself,

“What can I do to help fight racism?”

Look into the eyes of another white person;

Now have a serious conversation about racism,

A conversation on how you and that person will help end racism.

Writing: Into to Poetry; Day One: Water

Untitled Poem

by Gertie

Water is peaceful.

As peaceful as a sleeping,

baby in their crib.

Using My Privilege to Help Change

Good Afternoon, World!!! I am one fucking angry white person. I am angry because it appears me that the only time white people want to discuss anything about race is when something happens like in the case of George Floyd.  I think white people need to talk about the racism in our country everyday and need to figure out how to stop this hatred. It is up to white people to stop the systemic problems that people of color face on the daily basis. We need to have serious discussions on how we as white people can stop racism. It is up to white people to be ally’s to people of color and help them have their voice heard. It is up to us because the assholes in charge aren’t fucking listening.

As I end this post, I hope that white people will discuss how to stop racism. It is up to white people to end racism and NOT people of color to do so. In the coming weeks I have decided to have conversations with my white friends. I realize I could loose friends over such conversations and am willing to do so. I may not want to loose friends but am willing to do so, so I can at least be part of the solution and not the problem.

A Post About the Fear I Have for the People I Serve

Good Morning, World!!! At this very moment I am at work. I have been at work for ten and a half hours. I have another two and a half hours left of my shift. I am tired as hell. I will be eager to get home for many reasons but I need to get some shit off of my chest.

I work with homeless individuals for young adults. Many of whom aged out of the foster care system and have a major distrust of the police. Anyway, I work in a shelter that is in Downtown Seattle. Right in the middle of where the riots are. The thing that pisses me off is that many of the police officers have accused some of the young adults of looting. Sadly, many of the folks being accused are people of color and the police officers that are doing the accusing are white. I know for a fact that the young adults I work with were involved with the peaceful protest and had absolutely nothing to do with the riots as they didn’t want to be apart in harming their community. Many of the young adults were harassed by white police officers as they were trying to get to shelter. Many of the folks I work with just want justice for George Floyd and many other like Mr. Floyd that were senselessly murdered by white cops.

I just hope that people realize that the murder of George Floyd needs to be dealt with. I say this because people of color live in fear everyday of their life that some white person or even worse a white cop will kill them. I worry most about the homeless folks who are of color as they get harassed even more than other people. Please lets all just take care of each other.

As I end this post here at work, there is still a major police presence and the National Guard is present as well. Sadly, people are still committing arson as well as looting. I want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you have taken the time to read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great Sunday. Please protest peacefully. Stay safe while you are out protesting. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Peace Out, World!!!