The Last Word

Suffering hallucinations is quite real.
My reputation has suffered acutely
For those screams and moans. They only occur
When I am tired beyond comprehension.

I have cinematic dreams, and blinding green
lights pulsate and revive, illuminating walls.
Sometimes writing from my teaching years
Appears in the air, a cloud of equations.

My father is watching in his Rice sweatshirt.
I am waiting for him to talk, but ghosts
Must have their etiquette and methods.
I don’t know what I would say if he appeared,

I should probably write it down, just in case.
He’s my phantom. I have so many questions
I would have difficulty insisting on answers
And perhaps equations cannot be solved

Without mentioning heaven. It’s our final
Inside joke. He told me I would always
Have the last word. Sometimes it’s painful
To be correct. I’m waiting for his voice

To issue forward. I finally found
The last word: silence. Silence and damages.

–Erin Victoria Vreeland
April 23, 2024

I’m hot but I like it mild
Sometimes needy, labeled the wild child.
Lucid Dreamer like the Pisces I am.
Born on the only day that’s not always there….got me questioning LIFE from the day it began! Thank you.
If you do the math I equal 55.
But I failed that subject.
Words over numbers that’s where I thrive. Trouble maker Too cool for school
but finished that shit cuz I wasn’t no fool. Babies having babies so quick to be grown. Took on that roll
I still proudly chill on that thrown.
Thank you.
My reasons to grind, a whole new light.
My Pride n joys and Proof
That I can do something right! Thank you. Welcomes more lost identity.
Still Shandi but constantly morphed,
searching for real serenity.
Somedays up somedays down,
sociable emotional, ready to get devotional. Thank you.
Spread love n laughter
maybe a people pleaser.
Make plans to break plans,
but follow thru with promises.
I write to write about all these feelings just to read them at my own leisure.
If you took a test about YOU
would you pass or fail?
Do you know what make ur own boat sail?
I won’t answer my own questions…
What if everything you have been told was wrong with you is actually everything that is right? Ok here comes the rabbit hole it’s time to say good night. Thank you!

I had thought that I had been through fire, but last year showed me different. On February 2nd of 2023, I received a phone call as I was on my way to the doctor to prepare for back surgery. My son’s boss called to inform me that he had been in an accident and was unresponsive. I canceled my appointment and rushes a little over an hour to where they took him. Little did I know that I was driving up on the accident as it was being cleaned up. I drove by his truck being towed off with nothing left of his truck. The semi that hit him had damage but not as much, and they survived. Falling apart driving to the hospital, and when I arrived the doctor sat us down in the family room to tell us how bad it was. He had six head fractures to his face and skull. He had broken rib that punctured his lung, broken arm that the bone came through the skin and unresponsive until the day he died. I spent 10 days by his side praying and crying, spending it mostly alone because my family had to work and watch my other kids. I refused to leave him. On the 9th, we were informed that he was brain dead and they couldn’t do anything else. They were sorry but we had to talk about letting him go. On the 10th, I came home long enough before anyone else told my kids, that I had to let their brother go the next day. I had to chase them down the highway and my oldest daughter had just found out she was pregnant. When I got back to the house, I fell to the ground and balled my eyes out. My kids had to pick me up and take me inside. When I calmed down and they calmed down, I returned to the hospital to spend one more night before taking him off the machine. On the 11th, at 10:15am they unplugged him, there was no heartbeat, no breath taken, nothing but silence and crying. No pain will ever beat the pain that I felt in those ten days. I struggle everyday fighting depression missing him. It is so hard to bare. Everyday, I have questions that no one can answer about the accident. I just pray that one day maybe the guy who received his heart, will one day let me hear it. I pray for anyone who has to deal with this pain. He was able to help 6 people with his organs that weren’t damaged. I am so proud of him and he is my hero. I miss him so much.

Hello Everyone!
I’m new to The Unsealed. The site caught my eye because of the backstory and I believe the contests seem interesting. I’m a writer with a handful of poems published.
This is my first letter so I thought I’d introduce myself briefly. I am a recovering addict with some mental health issues. I also have two daughters and a grandson. I live in the house my grandparents raised me in before they passed away.
When I’m not reading or writing, I enjoy photography, swimming, hiking, listening to music, traveling to places I’ve never been and painting ceramics.
I’m also a Scorpio.

I am not a parent but I want to be one day today that ability to birth my own changed

In the quiet of the night, within my soul
I felt like a shattered bottle, burdened by misfortune
now fragmented on the ground
With dreams of motherhood pushed aside.

Tumors, occupants of my body
Whispering fear like a consuming fire.
My body, a battleground, weary,
Carrying the weight of lost dreams.

No gentle movements within my womb to experience
No little hands clasping mine to seal the bond.
The path to motherhood, radiant and clear
Now hidden from view.

Amidst this brokenness a flicker of light shines through
For not everything is lost despite appearances.
Though my physical form is fractured my spirit endures,
In the rubble resilience sustains.

I am more than the sum of my pieces
More than the emptiness in my heart.
In shards of glass reflections of a beginning emerge
Finding strength, in being reborn.

For family transcends blood; it is forged through connection
Love can be found in forms.
Though the route may have altered the journey continues
I will navigate through fields adorned with clover.

So I’ll gather all my fragments, one, by one,
Beneath the nurturing rays of the healing sun.
Even though I may never possess everything on my own
I’ll construct a life where love is eternally sown.

Within each shattered piece there lies a captivating tale to share
Of resilience, hope and how I stumbled into despair.
Yet I emerged more with a courages flame
Navigating lifes intricate labyrinth without any shame.

I am not merely a discarded shattered bottle left aside
Instead I’m a warrior with a stride.
In this journey, through lifes trials and tribulations
I find solace knowing that strength is born from foundations.

A glimpse into your world, so free.
With a heart that’s kind and full of care,
You spread compassion everywhere.

A seeker of knowledge, curious and bright,
You strive to learn with all your might.
From tech interviews to healthcare debates,
You explore diverse topics, no question waits.

You stand by your brother, guiding his way,
Helping him shine, day by day.
And in the face of challenges, you persist,
Finding strength in the midst of any twist.

Dyslexic students, you champion their might,
Recognizing the strengths they bring to light.
You wonder about accommodations and support,
Empowering them to excel, their dreams to court.

In the realm of health, you seek understanding,
From medical concerns to ovarian branding.
You navigate the complexities with grace,
Seeking answers, embracing each new space.

Rebecca, you’re a friend so true,
With a spirit that shines in all you do.
Keep exploring, learning, and being kind,
For in this world, you’re a treasure to find.

Dear Unsealers,

I wrote this poem for my son during a very difficult time last year when he was suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts. Luckily my ex-wife and I (over-re)acted quickly and sought him counseling and medical treatment. Thankfully, today he is stable and thriving in his first year of college…but I will always be vigilant of the signs should they manifest again. I guess the moral of my take is to be vigilant of your child’s mental health and to not be afraid to go overboard with seeking professional help for them. False alarms are better than emergency sirens.

ABSOLUTELY YOU.

My infinite sadness

Is the thought of losing you

Never has a feeling

Been so absolute

Forever is a long time

To grieve, to mourn, to cry

But never do I ever

Want to say goodbye

Though life’s a little hard right now

And my happiness minute

Know absolutely nothing ever

Keeps me from loving you

I am a grateful father

More importantly, parent

Through a gift that was God sent

Delivered by a mother

Time slips by without notice

Photos to remind my soul

Of a sacrifice untold

They grow from bud to lotus

And now my grey reminds me

Of broken bones and scraped knees

Diapers, prom, college degrees

Protect them to set them free

Now I sit to reminisce

Wishing I had done better

As my heart writes this letter

Of those early years I miss

My daughter is watercolor song

A blend of oil paint, chalk, and pencil

A free-form work without a stencil

A collage of talent, pure and strong

Her beauty draws you from the start

Deep chestnut hair to aqua eyes

Her humor takes you by surprise

I know, in life, she’ll leave her mark

Her passion flows from deep inside

Her portrait, brushstrokes from her heart

And all she does, a work of art

A masterpiece that gives me pride

Relative Trees

My son is strong, a young oak tree

His leaves move gently in the breeze

His shadow calms, puts me at ease

He is the tree I wish to be

My tree is rugged, rough, and torn

Life’s left it’s mark, my bark is worn

Leaves have fallen; my shade, forlorn

I’m not the tree that I was born

My son’s long branches reach the sky

Grows and flowers as birds come by

Watch in wonder and start to cry

As he bears fruit for passersby

My roots will keep his soil intact

And block the wind upon his back

And when the Man comes with His axe

I’ll be the one that He will hack

My son’s tree will live long and free

And he will bloom majestically

My stump will keep him company

Under his shade is where I’ll be

Hello all!
My name is Danielle and I’ve been writing since I was 10 yrs old “not professionally” But for me, for my sanity for me to understand me! for me to understand other people and for me to make sense of the world. It’s something that always came natural when there was trauma in my life. somewhere I could hide from everything and hear myself out loud.
I think it’s the people who have a hard time getting their emotions out verbally in the presence of others, that make the best writers!
I’ve been inside out and upside down in my own head, It can be really scary sometimes and it can be very endearing at others.
I will end it with one of my favorite quotes from One of my favorite authors,
“I was not proud of what I had learned, but I never doubted that it was worth knowing.”
Hunter s. Thompson

When, oh when
did I stop smelling your head?
3 months in
and my life is already flashing
in your eyes
Oh, my little kin-
it will never be the same
as it is right now,
as it is right now

Why ask why
when I know you are the answer?
You give me reason,
so much joy
and light
Oh, sweet child-
you move me with every smile,
with every smile

Your daddy’s son-
you are the reason
I fell in love
Oh, you gentle soul-
do you even know
how you’ve rocked my world?
With the sweetest sound
I’ve ever heard,
I’ve ever heard

My little me,
may you always know
the joy you bring
Oh, how I dreamed of you,
I dreamed of you

Goodnight
to you,
my little light
Tomorrow you will light the world
You will light the world.