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  • Goodbye, Fear

    Dear Fear,

    You creep in shadows, whispering low, a voice warning me not to show the love I hold, the truth I bear, instead to seek healing in God’s prayer.

    You paint the world in black and white, warning me to hide and not to fight. You say the way I love’s not right. That I’m standing in darkness instead of light.

    But Fear, I see your twisted game; you thrive on silence and grow from shame. You feed on doubt and plant despair, yet I refuse to live there.

    For love is love, and I will be free. No hate can steal my soul from me. I won’t shrink back or hide in disguise. Rather, I’ll meet the world with open eyes.

    So go ahead, lurk and loom, for I’ll fill the dark with light and I’ll bloom. I will face your storm with strength and a love so fiercely bold and true that not even you can break through.

    Goodbye, Fear, you’ve lost today. I choose to love. I choose to stay.

    Sincerely,

    Me.
    Style Score: 100

    Lorinda Boyer

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  • With or Without Her

    Dear Fear,

    I did not realize you lived inside me until now.

    I knew something was stuck, but I didn’t know until now that it was fear.

    Fear of getting over my ex-wife.

    Let me paint a picture for you.

    We met twenty-two years ago. I was eighteen. She was fifteen.

    She was too young for me, so I must have filed her away in my mind until…

    We started dating eighteen years ago.

    I fell in love with her not long after.

    I followed her across the country two years later, confident we would get married.

    We tied the knot three years later.

    Our love for each other burned with the fire of a thousand suns. She gave me the world.

    Yet we treated each other in poor regard.

    We both had deep-seated insecurities that drove a permanent wedge between us.

    Eight years after we got married, we separated. I left her and never turned back.

    Until now.

    We have been apart for five years.

    Divorced for three years.

    I woke up from a vivid dream about her just now.

    In that dream, she proposed marriage to me, as she did in 2011.

    Before I said yes, I told her we would get divorced later.

    Did she want to enter the marriage, I asked.

    I was from the future, hoping to re-weave the fabric of time.

    She was also confident we could change our ways.

    Get along for a change.

    Give each other space when we need it.

    Fight for our marriage.

    In that dream, she fought the monsters while I was asleep in our bed.

    She didn’t want to wake Dream-Me.

    The monsters were manifestations of you.

    I felt so disappointed when I woke up at 2:09 AM in 2025, my current reality.

    I thought I wanted to move on, but five years after I walked away, I want her with more intensity.

    I want to be close to her.

    I want the life we wanted to build together that the monsters fought to keep from our reality.

    I want to fight those monsters as my ex-wife did in my dream.

    I want to have kids with her, me at the ripe age of forty.

    I don’t want to move on.

    At least not yet.

    I fear that getting over her may be inevitable.

    In fact, I may be close to turning that corner.

    But now I want to move backward in time.

    I want to repair whatever tore us apart.

    Or do I have to step forward instead…

    …and reside among the living again?

    Either way, you won’t win.

    I will get my life back.

    You will lie dormant forever.

    I will thrive, with or without her.

    (86% Style Score)

    Blue Sky

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  • Cycle

    Round and Round I go on a carousel
    For years its been
    Now the cycle stops
    Where there is room for mountains to grow
    New opportunities to arise
    For new ways for everything
    Making new friends
    Meeting new people
    Starting from the same roots
    But different colors and petals
    Most importantly setting boundaries
    with the people that mean the most
    Positivity for the mind and soul
    For the strength the waves give you
    Pushing you until there is no more
    Not letting disappointment be at the top of the ladder

    Rachel Milligan

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    • Rachel, life does feel like a constantly moving cycle that we cannot get out of sometimes. It feels like our lives control us instead of us controlling our lives. I am glad that you have found a way to stop the cycle and make your life what you want it to be this year! I hope that you are able to grow and create joy. Thank you for sharing your experience!

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  • 2025 NEW YEAR GOALS ON MY BUCKET LIST

    Dear Unsealed,

    I was going to make a long list,
    Of at least
    Ten goals to conquer
    On my bucket list
    Of proper
    Stuff to do,
    Write,
    Create music as you
    Write poetry,
    Stories of life
    The other goal
    That worries my soul
    To be so bold
    As I hear at 75, I might lose
    My social security and healthcare.
    Beware
    I was told today
    So bold
    By a friend
    I would have to get a real job,
    My art, my songs, my writing does not pay,
    Here what I say
    She said,
    I looked at her and walked into my room,
    Walk away today,
    My goal is to tell anyone
    To their face
    That said to me give up your writing and all that,
    Get a real job!
    I texted her I do not need to be told
    So bold,
    What to do,
    She made me blue,
    Rolled off my shoulder,
    As I am bolder
    At 75,
    Glad to be alive.
    My one fun goal is to get a tattoo
    Of a red rose
    Painted on me by my cousin LA,
    Prose and praise,
    I will be so bold,
    As I am old
    To take a course in AI,
    Maybe get certified,
    Then money will flow,
    But all the while
    My dear child,
    I cry out to naysayers,
    Think how your words pierce my heart
    As I am now making a new creative start.
    My goals for 2025 are:
    a. Let things naysayers slide off my shoulders.
    b. Continue to create art, music, and writing.
    c. Research taking course in AI to be certified to work professionally
    d. BREATHE!
    These are my immediate thoughts about my goals for 2025. There is a possibility that the new government in DC will cut our social security, health care and all entitlements as the billionaires talk destruction of our lives as we know it to create fear in everyone.
    BREATHE!

    Vicki Lawana Trusselli

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    • Vicki, great work! Sometimes when life gets overwhelming, we really do just need to take a step back from the chaos and breathe. Settle down for a bit and resort to the things you love while you allow yourself to process. It can be difficult, but I know you will get through it. This year is about growth, so keep trying to improve and enjoy your…read more

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    • Aww keep creating your art. Our world needs your voice. Sending hugs. <3 Lauren

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  • Lauren Brill shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 5 months, 3 weeks ago

    Forgotten

    Forgotten in the hidden emotions I feel,
    Behind the weed and underneath the alcohol,

    SEEN too much,
    HEARD too much,
    KNOW TOO MUCH
    Forgot to SPEAK UP
    Because I didn’t know any better
    And because you said I didn’t need any help,

    So I’m just another “mad black woman” who can do bad all by myself because you said

    black people don’t need therapy

    I listened

    I believed you but I forgot to believe me
    I was lost because I forgot I was innocent

    Nasheshia

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  • Benjamin Fuller shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 6 months ago

    Three Brothers

    Narrator: Let me tell you a fable of three brothers, sitting and having a feast around a table:

    Brother 1: Who is this God compared us three? Are we, His image, not better than He? Is not our greatness exposed for all of the world to see?

    Brother 2: Yes my brother, I am inclined to agree. For I am an axe who is capable of felling any tree. Be it cedar, maple, or oak. No matter how tall or how small. All I need is a mighty hand to swing me, and I shall lower them all

    Brother 3: Ah my foolish brother, you are nothing more than a brute, where as I myself am a beautiful flute. I’m the one people desire as they feast and they dine. The one they enjoy as they sip on their wine. All I need is someone to breathe through me, and I shall make a sound most divine.

    Brother 1: Silly brother, who are you to try and pretend? For you know that to the heights of my glory you shall never ascend. For great as you are, of us three you are least. You shall not rise, as bread lacking yeast. Where as I am a well of knowledge, for I am a book. People have travelled far and wide just so upon me they may look. The information I contain has built kingdoms from dust, and left empires shook. I record all of that which I see, just so long I have an author to write within me.

    Brother 2: Brothers now is not the time to argue about who is greatest and who is least, but let us sit together and enjoy our feast.

    Brother 3: My brother you are right. This is not the time to argue, let us not fight, but rather let us lift up our glasses as I propose a toast. For we three brothers are the pinnacle for most.

    Narrator: Fools! Who are you to arrogantly boast?
    For You are but mere tools, who are useless unless you are used by your Master
    And the works of your hands are doomed to collapse, as a wall built without mortar or plaster.
    For you trust in knowledge, strength, and fame, looking to them for your power
    But their power is fleeting, and they shall depart from you in your final hour
    The works of your hands shall crumble to dust at times passing
    But as for God, His work shall be everlasting
    How can man hope to compare to the almighty God?
    For He is the One who spoke forth the heavens and created the earth
    He was the One who formed man from the dust, and was there when woman first gave birth.
    He is the judge who shall pass forth our sentence
    And the only One with the power to bring forth works of repentance.
    You think that your glory shines so valiant, so bright
    But in the wake of His glory, it shall appear as day, even in the darkest of night.
    So raise up your glasses, and make ye your toast,
    But as for me, it is in the Lord God I shall boast

    Donald M. Clyde

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    • This is a beautiful poem. Have you ever performed spoken word before? I can see this piece being performed reading this gave me so much imagery with conversation between the three brothers. I really enjoyed reading the tone of this poem as well. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful poem!

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      • Thank you for your kind words!! I haven’t really done spoken word before. I mean I recorded a poem once like a year ago and put it online. But that’s about it.

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  • A Ring And A Rose

    Well.. I mean… 2024 isn’t really over yet…
    But I’m almost willing to bet…
    That my greatest moment hasn’t happened yet…
    Words can’t begin to describe how long I’ve waited…
    Or how many years it’s felt like my hearts been deflated…
    Wrestling often with the thoughts I’ve debated…
    The amount of time I’ve spent suffering alone…
    A chill that that sinks into the depths of the bone…
    Yet to finally find a woman… I can call my own…
    Words can’t begin to describe how much joy she brings
    A treasure truly greater than anything
    Which is why I chose to buy her a ring
    That I may claim her as mine
    A gentle beauty so fine
    As if crafted by a hand divine
    Kind, loving, hardworking and diligent
    She is truly magnificent
    Almost as if she’s been heaven sent
    She came to me at a time when I was at one of my lowest
    So I hope to give her all of my best
    To be able to provide her with a life of comfort and rest
    And tho our journey together has not officially begun
    I still find myself utterly stunned
    For I can see her being the mother to my daughters and sons
    If there’s one message to her I hope to send
    Its that my love for her knows no end
    All that’s left, is for my to knee to bend…
    So I suppose…
    It’s time for me to propose
    With a ring and a rose

    Donald M. Clyde

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    • Awwww, omg! This is soooo sweet and touching. This kind of love is such a dream for so many and you both are so lucky to have found it. This is such a beautiful love story and poem, and I hope your proposal date was as magical as you hoped and I hope you shared this heartfelt poem with her. Thank you for sharing and thank you for being part of The…read more

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  • 2024 Music Year of Memories

    Dear Unsealed,
    2024 was and is forever changing directions around the world.
    As I step up the ladder to look out at the world,
    I slip,
    I grip,
    The sides of the ladder as it staggers slowly to the ground,
    All around
    The neighborhoods of America
    We shout I care!
    I kept my goals of diet, focusing, eating healthy and all the other goals I had proposed processing the exchange from 2023 to 2024. I wrote for The Unsealed and Vocal.
    My newest accomplishment was writing and producing 18 songs after signing a contract with #distrokid online. That was not planned. I had music training beginning early in life. I utilize Suno AI, Invideo Ai, LTX studios AI, Sora AI to produce videos with my music to publish on you tube. I create music, words, and beats and all that from my heart and soul to make people happy or to talk about political issues through music. I discovered this is my new adventure.
    I am still waiting on commissions from Vocal for this year. I am waiting for my royalties from my music. A goal for another story will be written soon.
    2024 was a progressive year of changes, elections, and then the non-progressive election of a backwards society person to suppress women, the elderly, the vulnerable of our society. My answer to all of that malarky’ is I will remain who I am as a creative woman of elder age of 75.
    The world watches all.
    The world will see as the ball
    Drops in Times Square 2024.
    As before
    We salute 2024,
    We crash our drinks to 2025,
    We are alive
    To strive for rainbows,
    Not illusions of unicorns,
    But truth, freedom, and to be born
    To spread love across the world
    Of the good, the bad, the ugly.
    As I type on my pc to be a ladybug
    Of character of values to flow
    Across from 2024 to 2025,
    More songs, stories, poems, art
    Not farts.
    So, I summarize my eccentric rant of 2024
    As each year goes forward
    My music and contract with #distrokid were my unexpected 2024 goal that came true as I walked the path of the year transformation from dark to light.
    So bright,
    So very light,
    Breathe!

    Vicki Lawana Trusselli

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  • Blue Sky shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 6 months, 1 weeks ago

    Procrastination, My Kryptonite

    All of my deep fears
    The monsters in my closet
    Stem from this small thing

    Procrastination
    I say I’ll do this later
    But the time is now

    I don’t want to yet
    This is all so very hard
    To take in right now

    I’d really rather
    Scroll on social media
    Than deal with this

    Pesky task at hand
    Veritable kryptonite
    Anything but this

    I’ll do this later
    Let me crawl into a hole
    And never come out

    Then I tried this app
    To beat procrastination
    I was skeptical

    Ten minutes a day
    That I will try out this app
    For my life to change

    I figured, why not?
    Only a small chunk of time
    That’s all it would take

    So I used the app
    It seemed insignificant
    Just a few modules

    Immediately
    It was life changing for me
    I started on tasks

    Not putting them off
    I actually finished them
    I felt accomplished

    Overcoming fears
    I did not know I harbored
    Now I’m the victor

    Instead of victim
    I could actually do things
    I felt empowered

    No longer I’d wait
    The absolute last minute
    To get all things done

    Blue Sky

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    • “Now I’m the victor instead of victim” is such an empowering statement. Procrastination is my best friend but can also be a huge enemy of mine. I’ll say the same thing “oh I’ll do it tomorrow” and then that task ends up not being done until 2 weeks later. I’ll beat myself up for down the road and complete the task in frustration but once it is…read more

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  • Finally Living for Myself in 2025

    Dear Unsealers,

    Whenever I am in the psych hospital, the nurses and psychiatrist want me to find a reason to live so I do not keep ending up there.

    For many years, my tortoiseshell cat Hershey’s Kisses was my reason to live.

    She adored me and would have been devastated if I had died before she did.

    Finally, in October 2024, my reason for living died.

    I had to put Hershey to sleep because her health declined exponentially, and living was no longer an option for her.

    Now I was the one who was devastated. I had no reason for living. What do I do now?

    Then, it came to me. I had spent my entire life living for others, helping others, pleasing others.

    I had neglected my own happiness, my own well-being, for my entire life.

    Sure, I went to therapy and took medication. Yet I still felt hollow.

    I was an empty pot. I needed to fill myself with dirt, water, and a thriving plant.

    The dirt would be my foundation for living. I needed plenty of nutrients.

    I am learning how to treat my body like a temple, feeding myself nutrient-dense foods, and making intentional movements.

    Meditating and self-reflecting.

    Rest and relaxation.

    The water would be the love I shower myself with. How do I show myself love?

    I shall develop hobbies I perform only for myself. Take plenty of time for myself.

    I have plenty of activities I plan to occupy myself with.

    Making sticker collages.

    Coloring in coloring books.

    Writing letters and poetry to develop my preferred craft.
    Reading enjoyable literature. My plan this year is to read at least one book a month. After all, the best writers also read voraciously.

    There are fun activities I plan on learning how to do in 2025.

    Writing shorthand so I can write as fast as I think. My mind races fast and it is impossible to catch up in longhand and speech.

    Putting on makeup, not to look good for others, but to fill up with beauty the blank canvas that is my face, to visually please myself.

    Colored pencil drawing, because I want my fifth-grade art teacher who criticized my self-portrait to eat her heart out.

    Playing guitar and writing songs because I need to release the soul in my heart from time to time.

    2025 will be the flourishing plant that springs from the pot I have lovingly curated for myself.

    2025 will be the year I finally live for myself.

    Blue Sky

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    • Aww Blue Sky, it really seems like you are putting so much determination and energy into giving your soul the peace it deserves, and that takes so much strength and courage. You should be so proud of yourself, and I look forward to seeing where 2025 takes you. Sending lots of hugs. Thanks for sharing your heart with us. <3 Lauren

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  • The Glimmer Is Blue

    Dear Unsealers,

    My 2024 was a whirlwind of life events.

    Losing friends, though keeping a few close.

    Turning 40 years old while at the psych hospital.

    Losing my favorite cat – my reason for living.

    Getting denied for long-term disability pay a second time.

    Continuously struggling to survive.

    Finding a new reason to live.

    It is so easy to lose sight of the good things in my life.

    There is, however, one process I began this year that overshadowed this seemingly never-ending shitstorm –

    Changing my identity.

    I realized that I am nonbinary in 2022.

    I discovered a new name for myself – Blue Sky – in 2023.

    I started stepping into that identity in 2024.

    I got a new haircut.

    Adopted a new aesthetic.

    Became more true to myself.

    In August, I petitioned the Superior Court of California to have my name and gender identifier changed.

    In November, I legally became Blue N Sky and nonbinary.

    I get to change my birth certificate.

    And now I realize that I have always been Blue Sky.

    My parents gave me my previous name.

    Society gave me my previous identity.

    I broke out of societal expectations of me.

    I feel more authentic.

    Living closer to my values.

    Blue Sky is a beautiful extension of my creativity.

    Blue Sky is a reminder that no matter how stormy my life gets –

    Blue skies are always on the horizon.

    And now I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

    Still far away.

    But the glimmer is blue.

    The glimmer is me.

    Blue Sky

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    • Aww Blue, I am so happy that you have been able to step into the identity of your true self, and live your life in a way that is authentic and makes you happy. I am sorry for the hard times and the challenges, but it sounds like 2024 was a transitional year for you in a very wonderful way. Thank you for sharing and thank you for being part of The…read more

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  • Gratitude Is Not Always Helpful

    Dear Blue,

    I feel grateful that I am not in an attitude of gratitude all the time. Feeling gratitude for all of the horrific trauma that I have experienced does not make me stronger. Trauma actually makes me weaker.

    By feeling my feelings exactly as they are, not how I wish I felt, I am making room for the discomfort and facilitating my healing from those traumatic memories.

    Every day I choose to feel the challenging emotions, I get one day closer to gratitude that does not feel as if I am betraying my true feelings. One day at a time.

    As I inch closer to a feeling of authentic gratitude, I release the deep breath that I did not realize consumed every molecule of my being.

    I feel grateful for finally being able to breathe easily, even if for a moment, because I am one moment away from feeling gratitude for the ways I have coped over the years.

    The dissociation kept me safe while I was experiencing the trauma. I feel grateful for this now-maladaptive coping skill because I am not plagued with so many gut-wrenching memories as I could have endured.

    I miss the life I could have had if the trauma had not overtaken me against my will. I know I could have made a greater impact on the world.

    I feel grateful that it is not too late for me to leave a footprint on the hearts of everyone I meet. I may feel weaker because of my trauma. That does not mean I have to be down for the count for the rest of my life.

    While I may not feel grateful for a while, this break will allow me to process my emotions.

    There are multiple paths to recovery, and none of them are straight. I choose the path that gives me many places to sit and rest.

    There is no recovery without rest. I feel grateful that I can sit and rest without having to feel grateful all the time.

    Blue Sky

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    • Blue, you make a very good point about gratitude. Sometimes, it is okay for us to feel regret, anger, or resentment about what we’ve experienced. Though it might make us “stronger” in the long run, it hurts us when it occurs. I think that taking time to rest and absorb the depth of pain will surely lead to a better recovery. Thank you for sharing…read more

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      • You also make a very good post. Stopping to take in the pain and process it surely makes the process smoother, after some period of rockiness while the process occurs.

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  • "DO WE KNOW OF TOMORROW?"

    Dear Unsealed,
    Do we know of tomorrow?
    What is our fate
    Before it is too late?
    We step into the sorrow
    Of tomorrow
    From today
    From yesterday
    You look at me.
    You look at the sea,
    The ocean,
    The mountains so high,
    I ask why,
    Why are we being forced to hate?
    Stop the hate,
    Before it’s too late!
    Redundancy of words
    As we slip into the absurd
    Emotions run wild
    Into streams of confusion of a style
    Of rhetoric that bleeds
    Society, all the while
    The rich smile
    Laughing at us as we walk a mile
    To nowhere.
    I swear,
    We all will see the truth.
    We will be uncouth.
    We all need to look inside our heart
    To make a fresh start
    We will crowd into hiding places
    Without traces
    To drink our coffee,
    Our weed,
    Our liquor,
    Our drinks of illusion
    Within illusions
    Of whom we are as coffers
    And seeds
    Of destruction of time and space
    As we know it to be.
    We see the sea.
    We see the ocean.
    We see the notion
    Of the weaker
    Rich souls of dark liquor
    Of weaker not thicker
    Illusions created by the rich
    To throw the poor in a ditch
    Is not what you believe
    Cause you all were deceived.
    Until the rocket launches,
    Until the seeds we sowed,
    In the soil of Earth
    As human beings of birth
    Life and death.
    Wealth is an illusion too,
    As I do intend to make them blue
    As we all learn lessons of life
    As our souls will strive
    To feel the light,
    To feel alive,
    As we travel through time and space
    Of life of advice,
    To live again,
    To love again.
    We will win the game,
    Of chess
    In the mess
    Of change of the rich
    Ditch
    The poor
    As prices soar.
    I personally will have faith to pray
    To the universe of omnipotent love and sunshine days
    To come
    Under the sun.
    I write as my thoughts flow
    With my brain spewing thoughts into word
    To flow
    To sow seeds
    Of high not low
    Concepts of truth,
    We will sigh,
    How did we fall for the lie?
    The sun shines beyond the rainbow
    Of clouds and space.
    The time rhymes
    With love, joy, and peace,
    After the dark clouds go away
    As we release
    The dark to greet the light
    Of the day
    Along the way
    Of life’s highway
    Lights shine through darkness.
    What is,
    What was,
    Is now what is,
    Cause
    Life goes on.
    Peace to carry on!
    Carry a torch to spread our light,
    So bright,
    Into the night
    Breathe!

    Vicki Lawana Trusselli

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    • I am in awe by reading this letter. It is courageous, bold, and very true. I really love the in depth analogy that you use. My favorite one was “We see the sea.” In my mind when we cry due to the craziness that is going on in the world our mind swirls in circles like a hurricane at times and we cry with the river. I admire the connection with…read more

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  • One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

    Dear LG,

    Some things were easy for you, while many other children have struggled. You learned how to read when you were two years old, and you do not remember a time when you did not know how to read. 

    You do not remember struggling. On the first day of school, you were the only kid in your kindergarten class who could already read.

    That is impressive and I am so proud of you! What is even more amazing is learning a skill you struggled with and have since overcome.

    Jump roping.

    Kids usually learn it when they are in kindergarten. You tried and failed at that time. The other kids and adults called you clumsy.

    You felt discouraged. 

    You stopped trying to jump rope that year. And the next year.

    Then, one adult believed in you: your second-grade teacher.

    She threw you in with the kindergartners as they learned how to jump rope and encouraged you as you tried to learn.

    You towered over the other kids in your second-grade class, let alone the kindergartners. You felt awkward.

    The kindergarteners and their teacher cheered you on as you jumped and tripped over the rope hundreds of times.

    Eventually, it all clicked. You learned how to coordinate your jumping in perfect timing with the swinging of the rope.

    You were so proud of yourself, you just kept jumping and laughing happily.

    Not only did you learn jump roping, you became an expert in the third and fourth grades. You joined the jump rope club with the girls and you jumped double dutch with ease. You also loved swinging the two ropes while the girls jumped in.

    You were in your happy place.

    Sometimes you will forget what you have overcome in your life and then remember that seemingly simple story of learning to to jump rope.

    It was something the other kids took for granted, and you struggled to overcome.

    And you did it!

    You don’t know this, but this little life lesson – failing hundreds or even thousands of times before succeeding – will take you far in your life.

    You will write the first 50,000 words of novels and then scrap them because they were ideas that failed.

    You will write other prose that meanders.

    You will craft rhyming poetry that does not quite flow.

    You will not stop trying to write something that suits your style.

    You will find your big break, one way or another. When you do, it will be a spectacular victory.

    I believe in you, LG. My younger self who will never, ever quit doing what they love. You will always live inside me.

    Blue Sky

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    • I love this!! A lot of people lose parts of their childhood as they age. I’m glad you have been able to hold onto this throughout your life, it is a great quality to have. Keep up the great work ♥

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      • Thank you, Harper, for your kind words and support. I hope you have been able to hold on to the important parts of your childhood, too.

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    • I love this piece. What a wonderful title. I, too, believe in you! Keep going, keep learning. I can’t wait to see what you get up to!

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    • Hi Blue me and you we took the road, and we are still standing. Stand Blue you continue to stand strong.

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      • How amazing that age 15 was a year of darkness and transformation for the both of us. I hope I can be as joyful as you are when I’m 65!

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        • Blue, you will remember the joy you have the world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away.
          Stand strong Blue.🥰🫠🫠

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  • State Of Our Union

    Lately it’s like everything in government is abortion, extortion, and distracting the masses, while the leaders take a portion of the proceeds they send overseas. Doing whatever they please, while ignoring those on our own shores who have needs. There’s nothing I abhor more than to watch our nation bleed, as our leaders continue to bite the hand that feeds… No taxation without representation. A term which should be so ingrained in us, it shouldn’t need explanation. Our forefathers found the only solution, was to rise up in revolution. They made their declaration known, and fought to create this once great nation. Yet here we are today dealing with inflation, moral deprivation, an over run border, and everything we were founded upon in disorder…
    The heart is wicked and full of deceit. For a moment of comfort during distress, we’ll lay our rights at another man’s feet. Selfish, self-centered, self-righteous beings who are lovers of themselves… it’s funny how quickly others we’ll forsake. To take all that they have to take. Until the will of that person finally breaks… Even an honest and pure man given power, can have these thoughts start to bloom until they flower. One will seek to further his control over his brother’s soul. Even if they’re from the same mother, and their corpses both lie in the same hole. For pride is their father. And to truly care for another, to them, is really quite a bother. They only seek to further their own gain. Meanwhile doing whatever they need to do to keep hold of the reigns. No matter the sorrows nor the pains. They care not as long as they still carry their title tomorrow…
    The whole situation leaves me grieved. To see that our streets aren’t the only places flooded with thieves. As a kid I never would’ve believed that we’d be in the state that we’re at. It’s as if we’re divided more than ever, over everything, especially between republican or democrat. Has this thought ever occurred to anyone else? That maybe, just maybe, the left wing and right wing belong to the same bird? That maybe we’re just pawns in their game? I’m not the type to be given to conspiracy, but it’s like slowly we’re slipping back into a state of tyranny. Where are the ones who care about the common man’s well-being and security? Instead our leaders create bills with their agendas written in obscurity. Where are the ones who walk upright, and in purity?
    I’ve witnessed first hand with my own eyes
    just how our government and media lies.
    Feeding us bits and pieces of truth and misinformation, leaving us to have to follow the clues…
    I still remember a Russian man telling me “if you want to know what’s going on in your own country, watch foreign news.”
    Or going to a far less wealthy country, and found it quite bizarre to see their currency was worth more than ours…
    I’m not saying that I’ve seen the writing on the wall…
    But I fear if things don’t change soon, our once great nation will fall

    Donald M. Clyde

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  • Vicki Lawana Trusselli shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 7 months, 4 weeks ago

    "BOUNDARIES OF LIFE & A LOST FRIEND"

    Dear Unsealed,
    I heard your words.
    That hurt me so deeply.
    To see
    You as who you are
    Is so absurd.
    I thought you were my friend.
    As you say to me
    With glee
    You are shutting me down
    All around the town
    I see you there
    Without a care
    You think you are the one
    Under the sun.
    You asked me how I feel.
    I tell you I am good.
    How are you?
    It should
    Have been good,
    But the next event was blue.
    You made me sad.
    You are bad.
    Not mad.
    You put conditions on our friendship,
    But I tell you know that you have no idea about my nightmare whips
    Of time & space & heartache
    All for your sake
    I will leave you standing there
    Without a care
    You are not my friend.
    This is the end.
    No more bullies like you
    Or like them.
    This is the end.
    My friend of fake pretentions
    Of adventures of your own making
    Of taking,
    Intentions
    Of your brain of betrayal of pretentious
    Vocabulary of boundaries
    Of sounds
    Of tunes of truth,
    Lies,
    Bully,
    Friendship of
    Boundaries of vocabularies
    You are not my friend.
    This is the end.

    Vicki Lawana Trusselli

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    • Aww it is so tough when friendships change or fall out. But lean into the people that make you feel good. You are a beautiful soul. Sending hugs. <3 Lauren

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  • Rachel Milligan shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 8 months ago

    Smile

    Remember to keep smiling
    Keep smiling even when you don’t want to
    When the world won’t stop spinning till you can’t breathe
    When everything is fighting againist you
    When the tide is pulling you down
    When you can’t see the life cycle your in
    Remember to keep going everyday
    Chasing the simplest things
    The sunsets keeping you moving
    The way a stranger will compliment you today
    The new friends you will make
    The new memories you will create
    The way someone will laugh around you
    The moon shining bright
    The way someone will treat you right
    The deer that you saw on the way home
    The way your dog licked you this morning
    Snuggling up against you
    The way they look at you
    Loving every part of you
    Keep smiling like there is no tomorrow
    Keep smiling to make someone else’s day
    The way you inspire the people around you
    The way you lift someone’s spirt
    Be someone’s whole world
    Be the light in someone’s darkness
    Remember to continue being you no matter what

    Rachel Milligan

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    • Beautifully said and received Rachel. I genuinely FELT this. Choosing to Be The Light is challenging because there are moments where I want to step away from that in which I create my own anguish and exhaustion from, but I also know of the consequences in making such a decision; I become a being fueled by affliction rather than Love. And that’s…read more

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  • Birds Aligning

    Dear Monday the 14th, 2024
    The moment you figured out you were happy
    The moment you have peace in your life
    The moment you have been dreaming and waiting for
    The days leading up to that, finally paying off
    The medicine finally working
    Means looking forward to the future
    Knowing everything will be okay
    Seeing the stars align for me
    Getting excited about life again
    Feeling the joy in the world
    Wanting to be alive again
    Trying to extend the moment as long as I can
    Trying to not to blink
    Only going up from here
    Finding the strength within myself
    Fighting everyday for happiness
    No one or nothing taking away your smile
    Becoming nothing but yourself

    Rachel Milligan

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    • Rachel, I love the positivity and hopefulness in this poem! It is so wonderful when everything aligns for us after a period of chaos or unhappiness. We all have to find an inner strength to guide us to this ultimate goal and then we have to fight to stay there. Thank you for sharing this positive outlook. I really needed it today!

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    • I am so glad you are feeling better, and happy and hopeful. You deserve all the joy in the world. Thank you for sharing, and thank you for bringing all your kindness to The Unsealed. <3 Lauren

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  • "LAZY EYE"

    Dear Unsealed,
    As a young child I was diagnosed with what they called a “lazy eye.” I was only three or 4 or 5. Those toddler Esotropia runs in families and usually requires surgery to correct. Acquired esotropia occurs in children usually between the ages of 2 and 5. Eyeglasses can usually correct it. seem to conjugate into one perimeter of I was too young to begin wearing glasses.
    My mom had surgery on her eye, not mine. I found out later in life when my mom was alive. She explained to me that she could not deal with it, so she had surgery instead of me. I was deeply hurt as I was young and dealing with bullying not her as a grown woman. I loved my mom and always will but that hurt deeply. I learned to forgive her and move on without anger and buy more frames to accompany my wardrobe.
    I told my mom I could not see well and was embarrassed about my left eye because the kids were making fun of my disability. My mom was incredibly sad as she had the same eye ailment. We can see but need glasses.
    At three, four, and five I was a gregarious spontaneous combustion running around the house, playing with my Kachina dolls, my baby dolls, my mudpies and least of all of these was pretending that the toads were my friends. I was an adventurous child of sorts, and my glasses were in the way, but what was really in the way was I could not see well without my glasses. So, my glasses became a part of my wardrobe, and I had to learn to fit my glasses into my daily routine of trees, toads, and Kachina dolls.
    The truth is that the significance of learning to respect and wear my glasses taught me survival and how cruel young toddlers can be. My favorite little boy on the block in our 1950s neighborhood was accepting of my disability. Back in those days people who wore glasses were called four eyes. That is a debilitating bigotry condition of certain types of personalities of certain human beings. I learned to go with the flow. My grandpa Boss was with me teaching me to read and write and music.
    Those days are gone now.
    I remember a little girl who was so sweet.
    I remember a little girl who was so neat.
    I remember a little girl who was me,
    To be
    Grown one day,
    Along the way
    As I was now a 21-year-old young lady growing up in the crazy seventies entering college after nursing school at age 19. I had a pair of frames to match every outfit in my closet.
    Later I began to wear contacts mixing it up with different frames and lots of sunshades.
    Now at 75, I am wearing contacts again mixing them up with different frames and reading glasses and computer glasses.
    Old habits are a positive virtue in the case of a young toddler beginning to wear glasses to see carrying on to an elder age.
    I now look back.
    React,
    To my younger self of creative play.
    Today
    I still suffer from lazy left eye syndrome, strabismus, astigmatism, and far-sightedness but hey folks I am human, and we are all with disabilities of some kind. We are human.
    As an artist, writer, lyricist and elder I thank the Universe for supplying me with perseverance, longevity, patience, and intellectual capabilities that have helped me continue walk my life path.
    To someone else reading this who might say it is no big deal, it is a big deal to a toddler and to humanity that has given humans the ability and ambition to overcome obstacles as they walk their path in their life.
    My glasses and contacts are woven together into a web of sight and creativity overcoming the obstacles of a toddler in the 1950s era of bigotry and judgmental style cultures of America at that time.
    The learning concave ability of learning to live with strabismus or “crossed eyes”. I had one crossed eye, and I grew up overcoming my disability by wearing many different frames. However, the stigma of bullying that was present in those days has left a scar inside my intellect that I still have to work through with my therapist.
    However, I am over the four eyes syndrome bullying. I love my glasses and can shop online and offline looking at cool frames to offset my wardrobe.

    Vicki Lawana Trusselli

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    • Vicki, I love your glasses! They have so much style and creative energy. I am glad you are resilient and made it all work for you. I am sure your mother would be so proud. Thank you for sharing and thank you for being part of The Usnealed. <3 Lauren

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  • Lauren Brill shared a letter in the Group logo of Magical MomentsMagical Moments group 8 months, 2 weeks ago

    This is why I believe in magic

    Dear Unsealers,

    When I was a little girl, my grandfather bounced me on his knee and sang “Three Little Fishes” as I giggled through the song. All he ever wanted was for me to feel joy in life. He died when I was 13. It was my first experience with overwhelming grief, and I was devastated. I coped by leaning into the idea that my grandfather was watching over me and cheering me on in all my pursuits.

    He used to tell me that the rain was good luck. So, whenever it rained during big moments of my life, I believed it was my grandfather signaling to me, “Don’t worry, I am here.” It rained at my high school graduation. It rained when I scored big goals in soccer. It rained when I interviewed for my dream job as a sports anchor. It poured the day I was offered that job, which happened to be my late grandfather’s birthday. It seemed like it was always raining on the most important days of my life, which only cemented my belief that my grandfather was watching out for me.

    However, on November 30, 2022, it was a clear night in Miami — not a cloud in the sky. I decided to attend a networking event for people in Miami who work in technology. There, I made eye contact with this tall, handsome man. He started talking to me, and after telling him about my company, The Unsealed, he told me that he had founded an online company when he was younger. He said his site received 20,000 organic hits daily (that’s a lot). And so, I started asking many questions — it was rapid-fire, one after the other. At some point, he stopped me and said, “Do you want to continue this conversation over tacos?” And so, we left and ate Mexican street corn and tacos on a picnic table outside a restaurant that doubles as a speakeasy.

    It didn’t take me long to realize that this man was kind, intelligent, classy, funny, and thoughtful. From that day forward, we started spending a lot of time together: dinners, events, and even weekend trips. As I opened up to him about my past and my pain, he listened closely. He asked questions, and he never judged me. One time, we were watching a movie, and I had a flashback from my sexual assault. I put the pillow over my head and asked him to change the channel quickly. He turned off the TV, and as my eyes started to well up with tears, he said, “Come here, let me hold you.” When I shared my fears and insecurities about building a company, he said, “Lauren, think of the ten smartest people you’ve ever encountered, and I promise you at least nine of them couldn’t do what you’ve done.” To this day, he always follows through when he makes a promise to me, whether it be a trip to a foreign place or to my favorite restaurant. From the beginning, he has known when I am happy, anxious, frustrated, or hungry — just by the look on my face — and has responded accordingly. He is so in tune with who I am and how I feel that it seems as though my peace is his priority.

    Even so, early in our relationship, I was afraid to trust the authenticity of his love. I had been disappointed so many times in love and relationships, and I was on edge, just waiting for the shoe to drop — just waiting for something to go wrong. I couldn’t live in the moment as I was too afraid it would soon end. One night, he was on his computer while I was resting on his couch, and I randomly asked him what his name meant in his culture. He was in the middle of working and responded, “I don’t know — something with water.” So I googled it. His name translates as “the God of rain.”

    In disbelief, that was the moment I began to let myself love and be loved. That was the moment I started to trust my partner and the universe. It was the reassurance I needed to know I was safe. About a year later, he proposed to me on the boardwalk at Disney World. We are getting married in a few months, and I am so excited. Falling in love has enriched my life and made the present moment so special, so much so that it has made me believe that magic exists in all of our lives.
    For years, the rain was a way for me to stay connected to the joy my grandfather brought me, but now, it’s what allowed me to embrace the joy right before me.

    With immense hope and gratitude,

    Lauren

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    • A beautiful story! Many rainy days ahead are wished for you {{{{Lauren}}}}.

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    • Oh my heart! This might be the most beautiful love story I’ve ever heard. I’m so happy you found someone who is such a safe place for you. This is the new standard I want to teach my daughter!! One of my favorite songs is “Your Hideaway” by Josh Groban. If you haven’t heard it give it a listen ❤️

      P.S. I love making playlists for people (music is…read more

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      • Thank you for sharing your truth Lauren. I find it so inspiring to acknowledge the magic in our lives. Hearing how others are touched only reinforces magic itself. e hā`ule ka ua i kou pu`uwai me ka ha`alele `ole
        Is Hawaiian May the rain fall upon your heart without abandon

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      • @alyssa I just went and listened to the song. I love it. Thank you so much for the kind words and for cheering on my joy. I love that you are teaching your daughter to set the bar high. Sendings hugs. <3 Lauren

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    • Oh my gosh! This made me cry it’s so sweet. I truly believe you will always have your grandfather watching over you and he found your fiance before you did! You are amazing and I’m so happy you are able to embrace that joy and trust. You deserve the world. Congratulations on the engagement. 💜💜

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      • Aww thank you so much. I believe that too and YOU ARE AMAZING. You are so filled with love and kindness and it makes me feel so happy! Thank you for being a light in this world and thanks for the congrats! <3 Lauren

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    • Lauren, I loved your story!!! It is a beautiful love story. I am so glad you get to experience that:) My daughter and I both was brought to tears of how sweet and wonderful that story was. I wish you blessings on blessings on your continuous life of love!!!

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    • This story gave me the sweetest happy tears and like the good warm goosebumps! I’m such a believer in signs from our loved ones on the other side ❤️ so beautiful! Congratulations and wishing you both a lifetime of happiness!

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