beside me he was liquor-speaking
glissando ramblings about this and that
wife and children wife again
repeating she's a wonderful woman a saint
that's right one of a kind
reverent and remorseful his fingers prised open
his double-breasted to show me the photo
as if I didn't see the dark halo of hair he pointed
he held the icon with grubby loving fingers
and stared at me
in turn I pulled out my wallet
and showed him the paper napkin
the one with the red imprint of your lips
the one you used when we had coffee
the one discarded
remember you laughed and thought it was silly
unfolded, it lay on my leg and he stared at me
I smiled and folded your lips again
About the Creator
Christopher Francis
I began writing as a child, continued as an adult and worked briefly as a professional. Literature and music were and are my passions. Then life got in the way. Now, at 66 they have returned and I am giving them my full attention. Ta da.
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Letter to our Queer & Trans Youth
Hey, you. I thought I’d start this letter by telling you a little about myself, just so you know who you’re dealing with. I’m an emotional dad, father to three amazing kids who we met through the foster care system, and whose presence in our lives has really transformed my sense of responsibility to the communities that surround us. The connections we’ve made with one another, with our extended families, and with the communities where we live and look for belonging have catapulted us into this whirlwind of emotional tumult which, while not easy by any stretch of the measure, has also been remarkably healing. I realize ours is really only a one-sided chosen family, since our kids didn’t get to choose to live here, but I’d like to think that they did choose to let us love them, which allowed them to grow to love us. And I think that’s where I want to go with this letter- to a place where you can find belonging and healing- even if the pathway there may be peppered with some emotional tumult.
By F Cade Swanson6 days ago in Pride
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