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  • db-cooper shared a letter in the Group logo of Magical MomentsMagical Moments group 5 months, 4 weeks ago

    Little boy

    Woke up in a daze not feeling like I wanted to go to work. I attempted to call out. Talked to my boss it was a definite NO, I need you come in… Uhg so I did. feeling bad about leaving my boss hangin I strolled in to work every thing was fine just as it should be. I set up and took my first client.second, third and so on and so forth, I noticed a boy and his mother walk in and sit down. The mother was called by the stylist the sat up front probably about 11 or 12 I would say… All of the sudden out of the corner of my eye I see him grabbing his throat and trying to cough. Without even a thought or a memory of how I got from.here to there it was like an outer body experience watching from above myself in motion attending and defending this little boys will to live. It was crazy, each thrust I felt his body get tighter it seemed like forever I was giving the heimlich maneuver. I’ll tell ya… it wasn’t “I hope” this thing. Comes out it was “going to” come out…. And it did the boy with a blue hue had a natural color to him again.
    thank you to who ever what ever that was that came over me the boy started to cough just as the EMTs arrived I stepped a way. They were all clapping, my boss was crying and shaking as was I. My boss pulled me out back to talk she was like how, why if you took the day off…. I just glad you were here today.
    The mother of the boy however was beyond her self gave me a hug asked how could she ever repay me for saving the boy I said to her… Him being
    alive and breathing is payment enough.
    This is my memorable moment….

    Danielle Bettro

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    • Omg! You saved that little boy’s life. That is amazing. You are a HERO! It is so hard to act in the moment. Truly incredible! <3 Lauren

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      • Lauren it was unimaginable the timing the fact that my boss wouldn’t let me call out It was truly a unbelievable experience I don’t think of myself as a hero though….I just did what my body led me to do It was surreal there was one other time when there was a boy drowning in Western Mass and I happened to look down and saw him doing the dead…read more

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      • Hi Lauren I had a question for you and wasn’t sure how to message you directly but been thinking about writing a memoir for years now not quite sure how to do it or if I could get sponsored by someone to actually publish it wondering how that works thanks

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        • Hey! We’ve done a few shows on it. Once you write the transcript, you have to format it (you can hire someone on Upwork for whatever price range you want). You also need an isbn which you can buy on https://www.myidentifiers.com/. After that you need a cover. Amazon can create one with AI for free, or you can make one on canva with the dimensions…read more

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  • db-cooper shared a letter in the Group logo of Chasing Your DreamsChasing Your Dreams group 5 months, 4 weeks ago

    If you try sometimes you get what you need

    Chasing, pacing, racing
    Only in my dreams
    I want so bad to see them come true
    But I haven’t come to terms with seeing it thru my desires and wants take second stage
    To the battle that is everyday
    Someday I hope I can make them happen
    Glory day, I hope and pray for my time to come
    Though It lasts just a second
    And then it ends…
    it’s already written

    Danielle Bettro

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  • db-cooper shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 5 months, 4 weeks ago

    Dampen your eyes

    Steady as I go
    Inspiration pouring out my soul
    Mind and body collide
    Heart and soul coincide
    Fact and fiction divide
    Making you feel alive
    Sometimes I get real
    I kneel and pray to a god not yet saved
    Steal and pay for the next day
    You’ll find a way
    Just stay, don’t run
    It could way a ton
    My thoughts exactly
    Don’t beg just ask me
    I’ll stay till the light burns out
    Be quiet and listen to your first decision
    Be quiet and run for the day is done
    Another quest tomorrow will avenge sorrow

    Danielle Bettro

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  • gorilladna shared a letter in the Group logo of Mental HealthMental Health group 6 months ago

    ESCAPING DEEP WATER

    Dear Unsealers,

    I often fall into bouts of deep melancholy and sadness when I think about my life prior to coming out. I’ve learned that expressing my feelings immediately through poetry prevents me from sliding into a longer state of depression. I write, I cry, and I liberate the feelings from my mind. This has helped me so much over the last two years, it has literally saved my life.

    Yesterday it happened again, and here is the result of my catharsis as I thought about my partner and all he has brought into my life. Thank you.

    DEEP WATERS

    You pulled me out of sadness

    Like a fish caught on a hook

    Loving me is all it took

    Though the struggle was madness

    Without will, without purpose

    Your strength was a taut lifeline

    As I drowned in my tears’ brine

    And was pulled to the surface

    Now I sit on our live’s pier

    Letting sunlight dry my skin

    And with your love, then begin

    To breathe again warm summer air

    Ricardo Albertorio

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  • gorilladna shared a letter in the Group logo of To the people we loveTo the people we love group 6 months ago

    How DO HEARTS SPEAK?

    A kiss is the way that hearts can connect

    Through lips that are tender, soft, and knowing

    The feeling of love is warm, gentle, and glowing

    When loving lips meet, the hearts feel the effect

    ❤️

    Hold the embrace and never let go

    Time stops for the kiss so hearts can then speak

    They whisper sweet words that are caring and meek

    Their language is subtle and spoken just so

    ❤️❤️

    What they say is a secret transmitted in code

    They plan for the future and forgetting the past

    Hearts speak of a mystery that will linger and last

    The lips move that message in a soft, silent mode

    ❤️❤️❤️

    When the spoken “I love you” is not quite sufficient

    It’s time for the hearts to speak once again

    And send their sweet poems through pathways that bend

    Back through our lips in a way so efficient

    ❤️❤️❤️❤️

    Ricardo Albertorio

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    • I love this! I read something today on a cup of coffee that said “Life is too short to kiss on the cheek.” This reminded me of that quote 🙂 <3 Lauren

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      • Thank you, Lauren…it’s one of my favorites I’ve written. I was trying to figure out why kissing your loved one is so important as compared to simply saying the repetitive and tired “I love you”. You can’t lie with a kiss 😉

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  • UNANNOUNCED

    Should Sadness visit unannounced

    And you wonder “why?”

    Greet them at your door

    Have them come inside

    Offer them a drink

    Ask them why they’re here

    Pull open the shades

    So Sunlight will appear

    Politely and gently

    Listen to concerns

    Kindly end the chat

    Ask them never to return

    But if Sadness reappears

    And their shadow mars your Zen

    Rely upon your Feng Shui

    And close your door on them again

    Ricardo Albertorio

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  • Grateful

    What am I most thankful for
    I’m thankful for my children. They’re grown now and they are both healthy, smart and inquisitive. They brighten my day.
    I’m thankful I’m alive to witness everything in life My goal is to learn from my mistakes and I’m thankful I have coping skills.
    I don’t have much but I’m thankful I have a roof over my head.
    I’m thankful I have helped others. I’m thankful I can take constructive criticism and I’m able to endure it.
    I’m thankful to have a sister, that’s about all the family I have.
    I’m thankful for my job and the ability to be able to work with injuries and mental illness, I persevere. I have been in situations where I shouldn’t be alive but I’m thankful that I am.
    I’m thankful that I can see the leaves on the trees change.
    I’m thankful I can breathe, though I don’t have a range
    My life has been hard It’s been marred by sadness and violence but I’ve remained silenced.

    Danielle Bettro

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    • Danielle, It sounds like despite hardships there is so much good in your life and there are many reasons to be thankful. You are strong and resilient. You should be so proud and thankful for your spirit in addition to everything that you named. Thank you for sharing this piece and thank you for being part of The Unsealed. <3 Lauren

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  • gorilladna shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 6 months, 2 weeks ago

    ALL OF THE ABOVE

    Is this some twisted test

    Of how much I can bear?

    Do I look away or stare

    At the pieces of our mess?

    My mind races without voice

    Where do I write my answer?

    What’s the cure for ourlove’s cancer?

    I suspect multiple choice…

    A. Time away for reflection

    B. The first one to forgive

    C. Your faults so you can give

    D. Side with compassion

    All of the above?

    Answer with your heart

    So that healing can start

    And we’ll pass the test of love

    Ricardo Albertorio

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    • Hello Ricardo,
      Your poem is very touching and creative. thank you for sharing your deepest thoughts.
      Shelley

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    • Ricardo, your poem was creative by including multiple-choice answers. It gave the reader a chance to make a choice, which I appreciate. Thank you for sharing your work.

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      • I appreciate it so much, Traci. I had fun writing it, but it was also quite challenging. This is exactly why I love poetry.

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        • Yes. I completely understand. I thrive nonverbally through performing poetry, but it is very challenging for me to write it. I tell people…God gives me the words. I share the message.

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          • I have extreme difficulty expressing my emotions verbally, but poetry frees me in a way nothing else can. I haven’t done a live read yet, but it’s something I am looking forward to (when I muster up the courage 🙂

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  • GRATITUDE

    What doesn’t kill me

    Makes me stronger

    So I can live

    A little longer

    To hold you through

    Hot summer nights

    And then enjoy

    Those winter lights

    ‘Cause days go by

    So very fast

    But slowing down

    Can make time last

    Your smile, your breath

    Your touch, your kiss

    To be with you

    Is all I wish

    And when we’re old

    And weak and frail

    I want the world

    To speak our tale

    Of love and hope

    And fortitude

    Of living life

    In gratitude

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    • Oh my goodness. I absolutely love this. This made me smile. What a beautiful, loving, thoughtful, and happy poem. Thank you so much for sharing your heart with us and thank you for being part of our Unsealed family. <3 Lauren

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  • gorilladna shared a letter in the Group logo of ParentingParenting group 6 months, 3 weeks ago

    ABSOLUTELY YOU

    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

    Ricardo Albertorio

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    • Your heartfelt poem resonates deeply, reaching out with the raw emotions of a parent’s love and concern. Your words paint a vivid portrait of the fear and profound love that accompany the journey of parenting, especially during the toughest of times.

      I hear the echoes of your anguish, the silent cries of a soul teetering on the edge of despair.…read more

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  • gorilladna shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 6 months, 3 weeks ago

    FLOWER ME

    I have roses on my tongue

    Velvet kisses, words with thorns

    I have magnolias in my eyes

    Silver petals that mesmerize

    Orange blossoms on my chest

    Cover my heart with their zest

    I have orchids for my navel

    Like a sprite from woodland fable

    Through my waist and far below

    Hidden garden with its glow

    My body, vase of stems and leaves

    Ivy wrapped around my knees

    Small bouquet of scent and wonder

    Arranged for all to gaze and ponder

    Tend my garden, see me grow

    Water daily, let it flow

    Then pick my flowers with delight

    For they’ll come back throughout the night

    Ricardo Albertorio

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  • gorilladna shared a letter in the Group logo of Magical MomentsMagical Moments group 6 months, 3 weeks ago

    AIRBORNE

    Dear Unsealers,

    I wrote this on the tarmac of my local airport as I witnessed my 16 year old son take his first solo flight. He didn’t even have a drivers license, yet he strapped into the cockpit of a single engine plane and piloting towards the runway. I felt helpless, proud, scared to death, and wanting to run behind his plane all at once. After what felt like a heart stopping forever, he skillfully landed the plane and taxied in. This moment will always be surreal and magical for me.

    AIRBORNE

    You sail across the mid-day sky

    The wind upon my sullen face

    You climb to heights unseen

    I feel weightless

    Like a feather tossed along by the playful wind

    My mind is blank, like sterile moonlight

    Your heart is warm, like the velvety morning sun

    I feel helpless and hopeful

    You are falling, drifting, gliding across the open horizon

    I can move and love, freely

    You can feel all of Earth beneath your unmarred feet

    I hold the Universe across my fragile shoulders

    And the silence roars into my ears

    Along with the bristling of my every hair

    The windy tears dry upon my sunburnt cheeks

    You are weightless, drifting, soaring

    And after seconds that seem like fragments of eternity

    Gently, you land, into my embrace

    Ricardo Albertorio

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    • Please for give the grammatical errors in my little prologue…I was so excited to post from my phone, that I didn’t even proofread! Is there a way to edit posts? Oh well…I’ll slow down next time 🙂

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  • BEAUTIFUL SOUL

    Outward beauty is fleeting

    Taken away by the years

    Like waves brushing sand back into the sea

    But a beautiful souls never fades

    It shines brighter, like a perennial diamond, as the years progress

    When our outward mask fades away

    The beautiful soul can be seen, fully, in all its splendor

    Why do we confuse physical beauty with permanence,

    When we know full well its ephemeral nature?

    Why not, instead, seek to make ourselves beautiful on the inside,

    And have that live forever?

    Ricardo Albertorio

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    • Ricardo, your letter is amazing! It’s a reminder to look beyond appearances and value the qualities that truly define a person. Let us strive to develop inner beauty, for that is what truly lasts and leaves a lasting effect. Your words inspire us to focus on personal growth and the beauty that shines from within.

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  • gorilladna shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 6 months, 3 weeks ago

    JUSTICE SUPREME

    Bias is the crime scene

    Authenticity is the crime

    Ignorance is enforcement

    Non-conformance is the charge

    Guilty is the plea

    Happiness is the defense

    Bigotry is the jury

    Hypocrisy is the judge

    Hate is the sentence

    Fear is the prison guard

    Rejection is the warden

    Courage is the appeal

    Tolerance is probation

    Empathy is the bill

    Compassion is the vote

    Acceptance is the law

    Love is supreme justice

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  • gorilladna shared a letter in the Group logo of ParentingParenting group 6 months, 3 weeks ago

    PATER

    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

    Ricardo Albertorio

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    • Hello Ricardo,
      I can really relate to your words as a mother of 2 grown children. Those days when they were little and they were with me 24/7 were wonderful!

      Shelley

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  • gorilladna shared a letter in the Group logo of ParentingParenting group 6 months, 3 weeks ago

    MY ARTIST

    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

    Ricardo Albertorio

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  • gorilladna shared a letter in the Group logo of ParentingParenting group 6 months, 3 weeks ago

    RELATIVE TREES

    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

    Ricardo Albertorio

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    • awww this is so incredibly sweet. I hope having your son’s back, and seeing all of his wonder, reminds you of your own power and greatness. Don’t let the hardships in life ever weigh down your “branches.” This poem is truly beautiful. your son is lucky to have you. Also, want to share this with @rickwrites — feel like he’d appreciate this piece!

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      • Thank you, again, Lauren. My son is such a beautiful, gentle soul. He also, unfortunately, inherited a propensity for depression and anxiety. Thankfully, he is doing well and flourishing today. I also wrote a similar poem for my daughter, which I will post shortly. The last two years I wrote hundreds of poems as a way to manage my coming out as…read more

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    • Hello Ricardo,
      Your son must be an amazing person. You poem really honors him. Very sweet.

      Shelley

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    • Hi Ricardo,
      Your son sounds wonderful as well.

      Shelley

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  • gorilladna shared a letter in the Group logo of Mental HealthMental Health group 6 months, 3 weeks ago

    LONELINESS

    Loneliness, a friend of mine

    They keep me company, they take my time

    They visit often and stay too long

    They whisper dark things, sing sad songs

    They drink along and share my glass

    Thus wishing that our time won’t pass

    Loneliness, the jealous type

    They shun the social scene and hype

    Prefers to keep me in my room

    To make my mind a heavy tomb

    Of grey-scale thoughts, of shadowed dreams

    And feed me lethargy in reams

    If I reach out or you reach in

    My friend’s departure will begin

    And pull me to the Sun and light

    They’re only gone when when you’re in sight

    Ricardo Albertorio

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    • First off, I love the picture of the dog. Secondly, this poem is really powerful and deep. I think the magic of writing is that when you feel alone, your writing, your mind, can keep you company. Thank you for sharing <3 Lauren

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      • Thank you, Lauren. Your response made me cry, because I wrote this at a very difficult time in my life. The picture is of my little buddie, Tango Bleu. He, and writing poetry therapeutically, saved me from my darkest moments. I really appreciate your acknowledgement and response.

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    • Hello Ricardo,
      I truly hope you are not lonely now. I hope we can stay connected thru The Unsealed. You have a community of friends here.

      Shelley

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    • I’m really enjoying this; thank you for letting me see it.

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  • CURE

    I’ve prayed for a cure to this horrid disease

    Of loving someone without loving me

    Is this a choice or a mental disorder?

    My pain is a chasm, I’ve stood on its border

    If I can’t love freely, then why love at all?

    Is there a cure or an ultimate fall?

    Society speaks, but where is my voice?

    Why would I suffer if given a choice?

    It’s how I was born, it’s not my fault

    A wound that is raw and covered in salt

    I’m imperfectly perfect with nothing to fix

    Why not accept me and love me as is?

    Some say it’s wrong and abhorred by nature

    But can love be wrong, and is that my wager?

    What are the stakes of swimming upstream?

    Not choosing convention and living my dream?

    Giving up peace, a love, happiness?

    Living a life of turmoil and mess?

    So examine yourself, don’t diagnose me

    Do you think you are normal, perfect and free?

    I pick to be “sick, distorted, and ill”

    For that is my choice which comes from free will

    The sickness is yours and not mine at all

    I’m perfectly splendid, I’ll fly and not fall

    Ricardo Albertorio

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    • Ricardo!!!! This line is everything!! “The sickness is yours and not mine at all

      I’m perfectly splendid, I’ll fly and not fall”

      Keep flying. Be who you are. Do what makes you happy. I have something I call a Circle of Peace. You disrupt my peace, you leave the circle. Anyone who has a problem with who you love or how you love should be rem…read more

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      • Thank you so much, Lauren. This was one of the first poems I had ever written as I struggled with coming out. Self-acceptance is something we all battle, but I realized it’s not me (us/anyone) that needs changing…it’s the outside world’s views that need adjustment. All anyone wants is simple acceptance. ❤️

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  • db-cooper shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 7 months ago

    These are not my legs

    These are not my legs,
    I’m watching myself from above
    I wonder…
    Are those mine
    I can’t feel them, holy christ!
    I can see them
    My brains scrambled,
    Astral projection, dmt and me
    I can see,
    Try to be me.

    Danielle Bettro

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