Proceed With Caution!

Happy Halloween!

The White Rabbit

Photo by Ann Breitbach

Advice From a Caterpillar No. 3

John Tenniel, 1865

Advice From a Caterpillar No. 2

Here's my second installment of life lessons as taught to Alice by the Caterpillar.

Illustration by John Tenniel 1865

Advice From a Caterpillar No. 1

The Gay Pride Civil Rights Movement promotes positive affirmation, education and advocacy for the LGBTQ and Ally community against discrimination, violence and ignorance.  We show that Pride in our rallies and our marches, and even in our parties, but we carry Pride with us each and every day of our lives! Happy Pride everyone!

National Poetry Month: Dear Daddy

In honor of National Poetry Month, this is the last of the public readings from the 2008 release of I WEAR THE COLOUR GREEN.

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy—

Why the hell have you forsaken me,

Your only worthwhile son?

Because I wear the Colour Green?

Because I wear your hidden shades?

You are the man that

Grinds me to the

Blood and bone.

But, dear Daddy,

You can’t forget me.

My eyes are yours

Three-fold.

I have seen and heard

The things you may deny.

I’m so sorry I’m not holy

In your kingdom hall of hate.

No, I’m not!

There is no change,

So you can have your throne

Made of my bones.

Sing your sorry lullabies,

I won’t await your trust.

I need you less

Than when I was a child.

Don’t rock-a-bye me

With your sad,

Sweet tunes of unsung guilt.

I am a stronger man

That Noah built.

Yes, I am a real Man,

Daddy,

Despite what you may think.

I turned out better than fine.

I never had a daddy

And I never needed one.

Can you say the same

For all your other bastard sons?

Sinner, sinner,

Sinner hell,

Why don’t you

Take a chance and tell—

How many boys

By how many different

Wives, harem daddy?

Take back

Your books of wisdom.

Read them well.

I didn’t need them,

Or the verses

Thrown as weapons

From your pulpit, Daddy.

Tell me, Daddy,

Since we’re sharing,

Are you cringing?

Are you swearing?

Suicide had nothing at all

To do with the loss of you.

With Mommy telling lies,

And Daddy feeling hate,

All that’s left for me to do

Is stand and wait.

Who are you,

Dear, dear Daddy?

Is there a book

That I can read

That tells of all the

Sordid deeds,

That you laid at

Our God’s feet

And then forgot?

Did you list your

Next of kin,

Did you

Write of all your sins

That you passed down

To the only worthwhile

Son that you begot?

One day,

I’ll see my daddy

For the man that

He’s become—

So frosted over with his

Guilt and loss.

How dare you judge me,

Daddy,

When you didn’t see me walk,

You didn’t hear me talk,

When you didn’t see me grow

Into a man?

To re-invent myself

Required awful, damned good skill.

You didn’t know me then,

So refuse to love me now

For, no one knows

The places I have been.

You don’t know me,

You don’t love me.

You can’t change me,

So what of me?

I’ll tell you what—

Sit back

And turn the page.

Cedric L. Jones

(I Wear the Colour Green -2008)