It was the other day, June 3, 2015 to be precise, when Paul Morris, a fellow MFA Goucher graduate, reminded me of Bobby Gentry’s “Ode to Billy Joe.” Forty-eight years ago, on June 3, 1967, Gentry penned her masterpiece. How could I allow decades to pass before revisiting the rhythmic, haunting lyrics depicting the dayContinue reading “Ode to Billy Joe and the faceless manikins”
Tag Archives: sexual abuse
Come dance with me.
It’s always there to some degree, mocking my every move. A jig, a waltz, maybe Chubby Checker’s famous twist, or a seductive embrace as we move across the floor — my dancing partner, my pain. Maybe it’s sharp, a get your attention pain; a boxer’s jab; possibly an unrelenting tooth acne; or a sustained, never-ending pain.Continue reading “Come dance with me.”
A worthy cause, my favorite, I might add.
I’ve been a board member of the Women’s Center for several years. I was recently asked to write a fund raising letter for the organization. Hopefully this will move you to consider the Women’s Center to be worthy of your support. *** Dear Women’s Center supporter: Imagine what it’s like to be a birdContinue reading “A worthy cause, my favorite, I might add.”
You can’t know what you don’t know. Part II
“You can’t know what you don’t know.” That’s what my therapist said as she sat in her chair, waiting for my response. I scanned my mind looking for clues to explain my past behavior. When I was a boy growing up in the baptist church I was taught that we have free will — weContinue reading “You can’t know what you don’t know. Part II”
When I first heard the words in the dark black night.
I was three, maybe fourth months into therapy. Horrific memories of childhood sexual abuse came in different ways — sometimes a complete memory, other times in bits and pieces while meditating. I was very proficient in meditation, and would sit for thirty to forty-five minutes, and even an hour. The really bad memories erupted duringContinue reading “When I first heard the words in the dark black night.”