I ain’t playing no games
Everytime I wait for a message
I get a little sad because I’m wasting my time
You’re dangerous running through my mind
I should let you go but I can’t
I try and try and I try
You’re wishing for me to be near you
You plan to reach out to me
Picking the phone up and then putting it down
Afraid of what I would say to you
Here’s what I would say:
You played an important role in our young life
You didn’t really realize that I was sad and in pain
I was more concerned making sure you were happy
You being happy always lifted my spirits
Talking to you about anything kept my pain away
Being near you made me forget why I was sad in the first place
Even when I was told I wasn’t pretty enough to be with you
I was always coming around
Here what I also wanted to tell you when I reached out:
I’m not even supposed to be here
but it’s getting hard to explain it
You saved and protected me that night
I was supposed to die in the dark woods
Beaten and tortured
Bleeding through the night
My body in enormous pain and giving up
Even though you weren’t there physically
You were just there spiritually
I know I can’t get that back because you hate me
Believe me I hated me too
I went through hell and back
And I refuse to go back
We are different now
Trust me I’m okay now, kind of
Just tell me one thing
Tell me it’s not over

out of the echoing cave
By: Jim Kellogg
(The Queer Poet)
2-2025

the shards of glass
from the broken mirror
pierce the heavy and dark clouds
causing a turbulent storm
overwhelming and
tossing me around without direction
the invisible wounds have festered for years
leaking like droplets from a frozen river on a sunny day
i feel like i am trapped in an echoing cave

then…

i see her
my brave and cherished mother
a woman who shed her own tears
sometimes silent
sometimes wailing
she harkens me to the edge of the echoing cave
there…
she shows me an open window
an unexpected means of letting go

I see you.
Not just the you they pretend to notice,
but the you that lingers in shadows,
weighed down by whispers that won’t hush.
The you that wonders if silence
is the only way to be heard.

I won’t lie to you—
this pain ain’t easy to carry.
It seeps into your bones,
fills your lungs with the weight of nights
that stretch too long, too heavy,
too empty.

I know the darkside.
The way it calls your name like a lullaby,
promising rest where the world
only offers war.
I know how it feels
when the walls close in,
when every breath feels borrowed,
when hope is a language
you forgot how to speak.

But listen to me.

There are others who walked this road,
stumbled, fell, but still found their way.
Not because the weight vanished,
but because they learned—
somehow, some way—
to shift it,
to share it,
to bear it just one more day.

So if tonight feels like the last chapter,
I beg you—
turn the page.

Because the story ain’t done.
And neither are you.

Soft whispers drift where silence grows,
Petals like dreams in a quiet flow.
Each one, a story, a delicate trace,
Carried by currents in a peaceful embrace.

Colors of love, shades of grace,
Gliding with time, no need to race.
Their journey slow, but hearts are light,
Dancing on ripples in the soft moonlight.

They don’t ask for more, just to be,
Floating freely, wild and free.
A moment of calm in a world of haste,
A reminder that beauty’s never a waste.

As they move, they leave no mark,
But their presence brightens the dark.
Like fleeting thoughts, like dreams we chase,
Rose petals drift, in love’s embrace.

Even when the weight drags heavy,
like chains forged from every doubt,
I lift my pen—
not because the storm has passed,
but because I refuse to drown in silence.

The page don’t judge my shadows,
don’t flinch at my broken breath,
it just waits—patient, open,
like a night sky still believing in stars.

I write because I am still here.
Because my ink is proof
that no matter how deep the ache,
there is still a voice inside me,
and it deserves to be heard.

“It’s no big deal.”
“It’s just another day.”
That’s what girls think,
or at least, that’s what they say.

February 14th,
can come and go.
No need to make a fuss,
or put on a big show.

But it doesn’t take much,
to put a smile on her face.
A stuffed animal, a box of chocolates,
and some roses in a vace.

A little bit of effort,
goes a really long way.
To show her a piece of the love,
that you feel every day.

Life moves so fast,
it can all start to blur.
So take a little time to show,
that you still choose her. ❤️

Dear Unsealers:

It’s the 14th of February.

A Happy Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate the day!

This is my message for this year. A time where love, kindness and compassion are needed more than ever before. Don’t give into the cynicism and darkness.

I hope that you feel love and loved today, no matter where in the world you are.

This is my message of love:

On the 14th day of February
We celebrate the spirit of love

For friends, family, and loved ones
For anyone that you hold, near and dear to your heart

The feeling of love and kindness is needed
Now, more than ever before

It is easy to feel cynical amid all the advertising.
Candy hearts and greeting cards are everywhere.

Cupid’s arrow shot across the bow
To everyone in this world

May love spread to all corners
On this day and every single day of the year

From me to you, with all the love I can give
Happy Valentine’s Day!

I wish I had vision so I could watch you
I wish I had candy so I could give to you
I wish I had hands so I could touch yours
I wish I had a voice so I could inspire you
I wish I had courage so I could court you
I wish I had the time so I could tell you
I wish I had a store so I could sell to you
I wish I had a pet so you could too
I wish I had a bruise so I could show you
I wish I had water so I could offer you
I wish I had directions so I could guide you
I wish I had style so I could compliment you
I wish I had grace so I could remind you
I wish I had a poem so I could share with you
If not today then maybe tomorrow
I can’t promise today
But I promise I’ll think of this tomorrow

Love arrives without a sound,
like the wind that wraps around—
not something chased, nor something planned,
but fate that holds us, hand in hand.

It doesn’t knock, it doesn’t wait,
it finds you when your soul’s awake.
When wounds are raw, yet hearts still yearn,
love appears so we can learn.

I dreamed of you before I knew,
a shadow soft, a faded view.
Your presence lingered in my mind,
a love I’d seek, yet could not find.

I see things others do not see,
a love that’s rooted, wild, and free.
Maybe we were both unsure,
but distance made us need you more.

The years apart weren’t lost in vain,
they taught us how to love through pain.
And now we stand where fate aligns,
your heart beats strong—forever mine.

I am the Shabbat lamb that was stuck in a pit
Who watched as many shepherds passed by as I cried out for help
But no one cared as they carried on their way
For I was but a hindrance unto them and their pleasure
For I was a spotted lamb,
I was nobody’s treasure
As I stared at the sky, I couldn’t help but to think that this was the end
Starving for life, as I withered to dust
Seeing the day turn to dusk
And dusk into night
Until the darkness blinded my sight
I had given up hope, and accepted my death
But just when all seemed to be lost
There came One, who’s face shone like that of the sun
He reached down and pulled me up from the pit
And threw me over His shoulder as He said, “come with me little lamb”
In awe, I asked Him his name and all He said was “I AM”
He took me away to a place so near, yet so far
And began to mend every wound, every scar
He fed me until I was healthy and fat
And turned me loose, to roam through His pasture
And whenever I start to wander astray
He comes running to lead the way back home
Who am I to deserve so lovely a shepherd?
Who am I that He would smile upon me with such pleasure?
A spotted lamb, but yet I am His treasure

Terror and rage fueled panic
Possesses all unfortunate enough
To be afflicted by a sudden loss.
With nothing to lose,
They take to the streets,
Demanding the scales of justice
Be tipped in their favor.
–
As the iron fist descends
Upon the masses,
A domineering voice proclaims
This to be a
Mere tantrum.
We’re directed back to our
Footballs and fictions.
–
Places once frequented
Without thought of danger or restriction
Suddenly have five or six things (more)
You need done beforehand
If need exists to utilize them.
Among patrons’ silent terror is read the memo,
“This is temporary. We’ll help you soon!”
–
You wake up from sleep
And go into autopilot,
Checking your phone for
Any notifications you missed
While you were sleeping.
Next to texts from mom and the alarm,
News outlets report suspension of law.
–
Nothing is the same anymore.
No longer is the everyday routine
You’ve taken comfort in promised.
You know you must be more vigilant,
But you put your phone down all the same.
“I’ll worry about it later”, you tell yourself
As you slumber five more minutes.

Pink Love
Pink is the color of Roses & the color of my babies Noses

Pink Posies bloom in Spring & my Lover gave me his Diamond Ring

Pink is Cotton Candy
Sticky on my Fingers
The Sun Set is Pink & My Gaze Lingers
Just us two here, a couple of Dreamers!

As the Children run Swiftly away in the Sand
A Pink Pooka Shell spins Softly in the palm of your Hand

All things Pink I surely do Love
The cheeks on my Sweetheart Oh Lovey Dove!

The Lips of my Love so soft and so Pink
My Lover teases Me with a Nod and a Wink

Pink is Pastel
Pink comes with Spring
Pink is a Mood
Hey Ho!
Bling Bling!

What does it mean to have your dreams come true? I’m from a small town and my entire life I have heard “you can’t.” “You’re from a small town, it’s impossible.” Well, I am here to tell you, it is possible. If you were to ask any 10 people on the street, they would say “I wish I had chased my dreams when I was younger.” Everything has its own way of happening on its own time. And I am living proof. My first novel will be published on May 18th of this year, I have began to sing in public again after several years, I have someone who loves me for me and doesn’t look at me like an object and my family has seen my smile returned to me. Thank you The Unsealed for helping me achieve my writing dreams and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Many a first kiss
I have had during dating
None compare to one

Kissing my ex-wife
For the date that will go down
In my history

We were looking at
Two water turtles sunning
On the rocks of the

Confluence of two
Rivers – the Sacramento
And American

I imagined those
Two turtles were her and me
On that summer day

Getting romantic
Watching boats on the river
Seeing the drawbridge

Take their stature in
Yachts too tall to clear the bridge
Now they safely pass

My ex-wife and I
Sat on a wooden bench on
The wooden boardwalk

Old Sacramento
For both tourists and locals
And those on a date

Those such as ourselves
We felt comfortable in
Each other’s presence

Our arms got closer
Shyly meeting to see if
There’s a connection

Our hands met and touched
Interlaced fingers, pure joy
Nothing else like it

I want this moment
To last for my entire
Lifetime with her hand

Oh, it gets better
Our waiting lips meet for our
Satiating kiss

It was more than that
I felt ecstatic and high
There were fireworks

Behind my blue eyes
Really blue, not just my name
So many colors

Those pyrotechnics
In my imagination
So very vibrant

Filled with so much joy
Is this the best moment of
My entire life?

My present, past, and
The rest of my existence?
I can’t know for sure

Eighteen years later
It still came close to the best
But graduating

Summa cum laude
Was probably the moment
Of my best triumph

But damn, that kiss came
Pretty darn close to the best
Snippet of my life

Five years ago, we
Separated, then divorced
But our first kiss is

Indelibly etched
Seared into the recesses
Of my existence

Will any first kiss
Ever be better than the
One I had with her?

I have had many
In the past five years
None of them come close

To the pure joy shared
Between my ex-wife and me
She has since moved on

And now I sit here
Crafting this haiku series
Wondering if it

Will soon be my turn
To have a comparable
Kiss with someone else

Create something built
To last more than thirteen years
Give me joy again

Fleeting, but oh so fine
Is that illusive spirit joy.
Like finding gold in a mine
When expecting only alloy.
Difficult to cultivate.
Impossible to fabricate.
Though to many it’s innate,
It’s a puzzle trying to locate.

I’ve seen it in a child’s eye
While discovering new life –
A beetle, bear, or dragonfly,
The wonder is so rife.
I found it in a hummingbird,
When I was virtuous and young.
We spoke not a single word,
But to our souls we sung.

It grabs me by the heart
When music takes the reigns.
Of this world I am a part
As I dance in rhythmic refrains.
Classical, rock, or blues –
They all push me past the pain.
Each note that’s spun subdues
The ruckus in my brain.

Sometimes it slips inside me,
With that funny feeling – love,
Consuming me with giddy glee
Like the laughing stars above.
It warms me to my core
To hold my beloved close and tight.
Always hungry, wanting more
Before the moment’s taken flight.

But if you want to find it,
Don’t strain or look too hard.
Regardless of your charm or wit,
You may have to drop your guard,
For joy is free to those who open
Their head and heart and soul.
Then you must throw a little hope in
To capture it in whole.