I remember when I first learned of misogyny, racism and pure hate
I had thought long ago it all reached its expiration date
Clearly, I was wrong
As many are still dancing to an old song
As a young girl, they told me playing sports is a microcosm of adult life
But in the real world, the refs try to prevent me from winning at any
role except mother and wife
They do so by attempting to lower my ceiling
While reducing my existence to what I do when I am lying or kneeling
When it comes to civil rights, I may have never seen a noose
But the concept of racial equality is definitely still a ruse
I know I am not black and I can’t understand racism through what I
hear on the news or read in a book
But I am human and I know a young innocent boy should not be shot
because of the way he looks
In love, we still can’t all marry the person who makes our hearts feel
cared for or protected
Instead we must worry and live in fear that our connection won’t be
accepted
In careers, many of us don’t receive opportunity based on ability
Instead, we are held back because of our complexion, sexuality or
femininity
The solution is in our own evolution
We are fighting old battles in a modern form
A new movement where we all stand for each other needs to be born
Men must stand up against rape and be leaders in its elimination
Women need to speak up when different races or sexual orientations
receive any kind of discrimination
Our voices would have so much more power if we sang as a choir
Going against the establishment as separate acts just lead us to tire
Whether you’re black, white, female or LGBT
People need to stand for people if we are all going to be set free
Our past should not still be our reality
It’s time for injustice to be the latest fatality
Our children deserve a world where hate doesn’t consistently rise
above
Instead, I want them to experience the best of life, by living in a place
where they can feel hope and universal love
I’m speechless. This poem is exactly what I’ve been thinking but put into words that can be universally understood. You pain a beautiful picture with your words and perspective. Never stop writing your truth. Thank you for sharing.
I can’t remember the exact day or even the precise year that this memory took place. At the time, I was working for MSG Varsity, a high school sports network in the New York metropolitan area. I was probably about two years out of college and maybe 23 or 24 years old. That job was a breakthrough. It was my first steady on-air job. Before getting an offer to work for MSG, I must have been rejected by 100 stations. I was pursuing what many thought to be an impossible career as a TV sports reporter. So many naysayers told me I was wasting my time and my education. But not you, Dad. You told me never to give up on a dream. You told me you believed in me and tried to provide any resources possible to help me succeed.
That’s why this moment, which I am about to share, meant so much to me.
See on this day, I walked into work and everybody was buzzing about Emmy nominations. I was a young reporter in the number one market in the country, so my expectations were low. Then, just as I was about to start writing a script, one of my coworkers told me to check the Emmy nominations. They said they were almost sure they saw my name listed. I don’t remember if I read a hard copy or if I looked at the nominations on my computer or someone else’s computer, but I got a hold of the list, and sure enough, my name was printed twice. In my first year as a reporter, I received two Emmy nominations in the number one market in the country. Before saying anything to anyone, I went into the stairwell and started to cry as I called you to tell you the news.
That’s the moment that is etched in my memory forever. That’s the moment I will never forget. I remember how I felt overwhelmed with emotion and how I could barely even get the words out to tell you. I remember how happy you were to hear the news and how you told me to stop crying.
It wasn’t so much the recognition from the industry or that I got to go to the ceremony and wear a pretty dress that made that moment so special. Don’t get me wrong. All that was great too. But at that moment, I felt I had proved that your unwavering support and belief in me were worthwhile. That you didn’t waste your time or money investing in my dreams.
A decade and change later, I have yet to win an Emmy, even though I was nominated five more times after that. But that moment in the stairwell means more to me than any trophy. That five-minute phone call celebrating with you and hearing the pride in your voice were and are the only prizes that ever mattered to me.
I love you, Daddy. Thank you for always believing in me.
I love that the first thing you did was call your dad. You knew he would be so proud of you. You’re one lucky lady to have a supportive father. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Dear Unsealers,
I usually write a poem to welcome in each month. To make it feel welcome. In this case, I welcome in the month of April. As the second quarter of the year has only just begun.
The poems goes something like this…
A welcome to the month of April
As a quarter of the year has gone by
The second quarter begins
30 new days ahead
Spring starts to open up
A month of devotion
In honor of the earth, deities and poetry
New life rises from the ground
And sprouting leaves in the trees
With the day’s longer, warming light
Alternating between the April showers
The fourth month of the year is here
With all the promises of renewal
aww I love this. Spring is my favorite time of year. It feels like I get an extra boost of energy and joy! Thank you for sharing such a beautiful poem. Keep ’em coming! <3Lauren
Simply beautiful. I love the positive take on welcoming in each month. It’s like manifesting nothing but good for the month. It really puts into perspective on how you should look at each month. It’s a new chapter in the year. Thank you.
Awwww, that’s nice, it really is. Very nice of you to invite us into your monthly ritual, it gives Hope. If only we would write a poem or statement each month to ourselves, bringing in a new month with new goals and opportunities. We can all use a boost each month, hour, day and/or year. Thanks for inspiring me.
There is time you spent looking
somewhere in the course
of the day
or days
or weeks and months
maybe even years
for that certainty of presence.
This is where you are no longer any sort
of impostor
of fearful
of lacking
of emotional
or dramatic
when the only thing there is, is that you, yourself, are.
those noises in your head are you
however not you
the illumination from introspection is many thousands of years old
from the masters it is possible to experience
the presence of who you are being
there is a grayness before the shining bright white
the smell of this work is the odor of freshly cut grass
and the sense of it, is that what you are looking for, is no longer missing.
That what was missing was always there, even so.
Poem copyrighted 01/2023, Ray Whitaker
Photo Copyrighted, 01/2023, Ray Whitaker. “Snowstorm over The Garden Of The Gods”
Someone asked me about my goals for 2023.
It’s an easy answer, I just want to be a better me.
Continue improving me.
Master the art of self-love, as I cut away the baggage that’s been holding me down. In 2023, I want to forgive myself. Now is not the time to focus on nonsense or on things that cause regrets.
Yes, some decisions were for the worst. My own actions made me hurt. I accept that those decisions had to be made for things to turn out this way, and that’s okay. Because 2022 left no stones unturned. I truly learned. And I’m ready for what’s next. In 2023, I’m stepping into my best.
In 2023, the plan is to live positively.
Provide an environment that is healthy, physically, and emotionally.
For not just me but also for my seed.
2023 is about my daughter. Developing that bond that can be broken by none. She needs to know that she is the one my world revolves around. Surrounding her with love only a mother can provide.
2023 is to make her thrive.
Last but not least, my goal for 2023 is to not let anyone walk all over me.
Self-betrayal is no longer an option. So, a word of caution…negativity will not be tolerated in 2023 or any year thereafter, so don’t bring it to me.
2023 is not just for me its for all of us,
To make it better than it was.
My goal for 2023 is for us to spread love rampantly.
I love your goals, Charmaine. They are so set and so reachable. I can’t wait to see what else you have in store even with how powerful your bond will be with your daughter. I believe that you will be the best most amazing mom ever. Your goal to spread love is just so sweet and amazing in a world filled with hate we need to show more love towards…read more
💜 WOW! Such beautiful, and so very real words. You are taking control and you are spreading love through your words. Motherhood is hard, yet rewarding for so many of us. You keep on, keeping on! You are such a beautiful soul and I am so happy to have crossed paths with you on your writing journey.
Charmaine, this is so sweet. Your daughter is so lucky to have you as a mom. Don’t worry about the mistakes you made in the past. Mistakes are how we learn and grow and also they will make you more wise when giving advice to your daughter one day. You sound so strong and like an amazing momma. Keep shining and keep showing your daughter what it l…read more
The last few years have felt like a blurr, but now it feels like things are glowing 🙂
It’s winter but
The future is
emitting light.
It’s dark outside
but that’s mostly because
we live mostly at night.
Vibe; phosphorescent
not real yet
but I feel its essence.
My future, future self
is reminiscent.
She thinks about the year
that she hoped things would change,
she let go of fear,
she let the universe rearrange.
The year that she received exactly
what she wanted;
it all gradually came to me
it was never chased, never hunted.
I finished my script
then it was time to sell,
if I sold it by my 30th birthday
well, wouldn’t that be swell.
But, “I’m not worried”
life is better when enjoyed
not rushed nor hurried.
I’ll keep teaching English
because of I am lover of literature
a lover of words, of nomenclature.
Also, happen to be a lover of nature.
Spring will come and winter will fade,
dead leaves for flowers
will make quite the trade.
We bought a patch of land
we never knew what we wanted
but now it’s all planned.
Can’t wait to build our home
brought to us by
little prayers and little ohms.
Tiny home living out in the woods,
shipping container turned into a locally made good.
Wearing carhartts,
connecting pieces and parts,
my partner and I,
we will do this together.
Me? Build a house?
I would have thought never!
Then, later we will gear up for the fall
Gear up for when we answer the call
Filming the story I dreamt up in my head
I can hear actors saying lines
that I wrote in my bed.
Deeply inspired by my drive through the swamp,
deep down in Florida where the alligators stomp,
deep down where the story takes place,
deep down where my main character
learns the story of grace.
Wrap up filming
probably not in 2023
but probably 2024
and by then I hope to be
living in my house
writing a dozen stories more.
I am thankful for this new year to evolve,
it’s not like the things from before
will completely dissolve;
We can alchemize the past
We can live in the present
We will wait for the future
I can feel
that it’s phosphorescent.
Madi, this is so well written. Congratulations on building a home. That is so exciting! It’s sounds like you not only laid the bricks for a beautiful home but also a beautiful year and life. Thank you for sharing this creative, insightful and inspiring poem. And thank you for being a part of our Unsealed family. <3 Lauren
Your Poem is so amazing Madi. I love the line where you said The year that she received exactly
what she wanted;
it all gradually came to me
it was never chased, never hunted.You just knew that your dream wasn’t just a dream and that it would come gradually. You didn’t stress about what you didn’t have any control over but you only did what you…read more
As I stroll into 2023
I have high hopes and a positive view
I think of that phrase: “New year, new me”
And if I stay focused, that can be true
It’s not that I want to change who I am
I am actually starting to love myself
It’s that I finally see my potential, and damn…
I deserve a life full of good health and wealth
I get to decide what I consume
Both physically and mentally
And if I eliminate the doom and gloom
The love and light are what I’ll see
This year I will put effort into being present
I will practice the art of letting go
This year, there is no room for resentment
I do what pleases me, and I don’t feel guilty saying “no”
As the years go on, I always remain grateful
The hard times and life lessons help me grow
As I get older, I become more graceful
I stand in my confidence as I go with the flow
I am happily floating into 2023
I have faith that all is unfolding as it should
This year I deserve to focus on me
And do everything that happy, healthy me would.
Jena! Everything about you is pure love and goodness! And I think you are starting to realize that! Let go of all that negativity of the past and bathe in all that makes you so wonderful. Keep loving you and leaning into the happiest and healthiest version of you. Sending so much love your way. Thank you for sharing this poem and thank you for…read more
It’s been a long journey, but I am finally feeling so much more free. Of course I still have bad days and emotions like the rest of the humans in the world, but I don’t dwell on them and I give myself much more grace. I appreciate you reading the poem and your encouraging words! And I am so grateful for this community!
I am grateful for you. You are such a beautiful human. I have told you this before, but your energy is pure love and kindness. It’s just who you are. You deserve all the joy and happiness in the world. Have a great weekend. <3 Lauren
Jena your year is filled with sunshine and I know you’ve got this handled. You have so much potential and such a solid mind that you will be able to reach your goals for this year. Once your let go of all the worries from the past or let go and focus like you said what you consume mentally and physically you’ll be able to knock those goals down.
Aww thank you so much, Kayjah! I appreciate you taking the time to read my poem. I am excited to enjoy the year and work on my relationship with myself. I read kind words like yours and it reminds me that I need to say kind things to myself more often. I find myself in self-doubt often, but I am learning more about myself and slowly breaking…read more
Jena this piece rocks!!! I think this year will be fabulous for you!! You give Me great Xena Warrior Princess vibes and I totally hope you enjoy to the fullest.
Also… No. Is a complete sentence and I plan to use it often this year as well lol.
Wishing you well.
Deep sorrow and emptiness inside
When the voices judge and criticize
Not the ones outside, the ones in my mind
Those ones are the worst kind
They know all of my flaws
They remember every single fault
They’re the reason I stay in bed
And ignore everyone’s calls
I started talking back to them
Told them to shut up and go away
That only created more chaos
For me to live in every day
I talk to myself more than anybody else
Call me insane, but what goes on inside my brain
Is what I have to deal with more than anybody else
And I don’t want to be in this pain
Deep confusion, yet hope inside
When the voices open up and realize
Not the ones outside, the ones in my mind
Those are the most important kind
They see all of my flaws
They forgive every single fault
They recognize the self-defeating patterns
And they take time to pause
I started talking back to them
Told them they weren’t that bad
Decided to stop judging myself
And forgave myself for being mad
I talk to myself more than anybody else
Call me insane, but what goes on inside my brain
Is what I have to deal with more than anybody else
And I have nothing to lose, and everything to gain
Deep alignment and happiness inside
When the voices listen and empathize
Not the ones outside, the ones in my mind
Those are the most important kind
They love all of my flaws
Compassion is the new default
They’ve become my new best friends
And it feels much better than it was
I started talking back to them
Told them they’re here to stay
We are creating a beautiful life
That I can enjoy every day
I talk to myself more than anybody else
Call me insane, but what goes on inside my brain
Is what I focus on more than anybody else
And nothing would grow without the rain
Damn, Jena! This is so good! I think we have all fought with that inner voice that’s filled with self-doubt, fear and criticism. But to dig deep and find the strength, confidence and self love to silence that voice is what it really means to tap into your true power and inner strength. This is so well said, and I think so many people, myself…read more
Thank you so much, Lauren! I appreciate your kind words and feedback and am so happy to have a place to share my poetry and feel welcomed! When I first started writing it, I honestly was writing this as a song, but I don’t play any instruments so I’m not quite sure how to get it to that point yet LOL. maybe one day! in the meantime I’m so happy…read more
Very nice poem here. I appreciated the four line stanzas, and the deeply honest self-inquiry. The “too many voices” part coincided with the poems nicely! Looking forward to reading more of yiur work.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my poem, and I appreciate your kind words. I used to write poetry a lot when I was younger, and I am happy to be getting back into it!
I didn't think I was smart enough to go to Columbia
To The Unsealed Community,
When I graduated high school, I honestly didn’t know what to expect from myself.
After getting waitlisted, I got accepted to Columbia in mid-June of my senior year of high school. At the time, Columbia ranked top five in the nation. And while I was thrilled to be accepted, there was a part of me that was unsure if I was worthy of the admission.
I told my family I wasn’t sure if I wasn’t smart enough to go, and I was considering going elsewhere.
My brother, who had just graduated from Columbia, responded, “If you don’t take this opportunity, you will regret it for the rest of your life. I promise you will be able to do the work.”
I trusted my brother and decided to attend, even though I was scared and uncertain if I would measure up to my peers.
My first year at Columbia was by far the hardest. My grades depended on papers, and I wasn’t the best writer. Not to mention, we had to take many required classes – some of which I found pretty boring. But I muscled through it, and I was determined to thrive.
Thankfully, Columbia had a writing center where tutors looked through your paper sentence by sentence and provided feedback. I spent hours each week at the writing center, and after a year or so, my writing significantly improved. So much so that in the last two years of college, I received an A on every single paper I submitted.
It’s hard to believe that I almost passed down an incredible opportunity because I didn’t believe in myself.
Now, whatever challenge I face in life, I still don’t know what to expect from myself. But my experience at Columbia taught me that if I push myself and work hard, I should always expect to surprise myself.
OMG, that sounds like me a little, You were much younger than I was with these thoughts, I was older with these same thoughts, not thinking at my age I could get into a college and complete it. It was my fault, I kept pushing college back for years, and once I got in my 60’s, I decided to go and all I thought about was, there’s no way I’m going to…read more
Welcome to a site called The Unsealed
A place where you can feel at peace and heal
It can be hard to find a place where you can relax
For a lot of sites, the nasty behavior is to the max
Fierce arguments and cruel behavior rule the day
Not in The Unsealed, where kindness is here to stay
It may take a while to believe these truths
Trust issues have been a part of you ever since your youth
But you’ll eventually see that you can trust The Unsealed
The people here will applaud for you and cheer
It’s rare to get this kind of support
But on sites like here, you will never feel short
It’s okay to share your voice
If you’re not ready, that’s okay, it’s your choice
The Unsealed will encourage you to take that step
And slowly but surely, you will finally unseal yourself
Gerald I love that you love this safe space so much you wrote a letter to it. I’m glad we can have a place where you can let out any type of emotion and have people around to hear it and voice their opinions on the matter through love and understanding because we’ve either all been there or experienced other people going through it. Letters lik…read more
Thank you Kayjah. I’m glad The Unsealed exists. It’s excellent to unleash whatever grievances we have through love and understanding as you mention. I love the way you put it. It’s sad that so many people never get to be heard. I hope The Unsealed continues to find a way to the voiceless so they can use their voice.
Words can inspire, encourage, and empower. They can also comfort and heal. The Unsealed is a safe haven where people can share their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or ridicule and I’m glad you also feel that way.
Most definitely. There’s power in words. I agree with you on The Unsealed. It’s a safe place where people can express themselves through their writing and get encouragement and support from other Unsealers.
Juliette, this is a beautiful poem but I want you to know it’s never too late for either of you. I know what it’s like to have pain and anger held inside … let it out. Kick, scream, talk to someone you trust or hug a friend. But know it’s never ever too late to heal your soul. Sending you a great big hug. We support you. You got this. You are so strong.
Juliette, I have been through the same seething rage but instead of holding it in, I’ve let it loose. Letting this type of rage loose didn’t do me any justice, I’ve been expelled because of it and also lost a job because of it. I’ve learned from being on the unsealed how to control it and use other tactics such as writing and talking up boxing…read more
Dear Juliette,
Your poem is very thoughtful and serious. I hope you find a balance in your life that makes you happy. I hope you find peace and happiness.