Hiding in the Closet of his Room
… his bedroom on the third floor of
the house she longed to run through
smell the spaces touch everything especially
the staircase winding into the ceiling sky
so high when she looked down she felt
the rush of dizzy panic coupled with the
prospect of jumping and making a horror
scene in his perfect haunted house
Waiting, she sharpened her crime like a knife
as his sister strolled in casually asking him
about food or beer or whatever then she was
gone and his face was crooked with curiosity
her knees warm wax but usable and she
stumbled out of the closet darkness the
reek of his Drakkar Noir grasping her skin
like desperation and his lips were Mona Lisa’s
smile how could she not push on them
with her own?
His spit tasted bitter as she felt the sinful
hammer of his tongue nail in her mouth
and it was over too quickly and she felt
ashamed and excited and she knew it
didn’t mean anything on the outside
but her insides were hollowing with
the secrecy of cheating…
*FREE* Upcoming Workshop
I am leading two free virtual workshops with Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario (ALSO) on the theme of “Embracing Your Voice”. The workshops are geared toward persons with disabilities, able-bodied allies are more than welcome! Please note: Participation in BOTH workshops is highly recommended. Participants who register for Part I will automatically be registered for Part II. Registrations info below!
Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario Cyber Café Presents
Embracing YOUR Voice Virtual Workshops
ALSO welcomes Vanessa Shields, local poet/writer and owner of Gertrude’s Writing Room for a creative series!
WORKSHOP ONE: You Are Your Words – Embracing Your Voice Part I
DATE: Friday, September 17, 2021 TIME: 5pm – 6:30pm
In this workshop, we will explore the importance, the power, and the joy of our voice. Through discussion, we will consider real life examples of how we use, value, and empower ourselves through language. With the intention of building disability pride, we will discover the impact of owning our identity as people with disabilities. We will ask ourselves: If we ‘are’ our words, what words can we use to voice our needs, as well as our personal stories?
WORKSHOP TWO: You Are Your Story – Embracing Your Voice Part II
DATE: Tuesday, September 21, 2021TIME: 5pm – 6:30pm
In this workshop, we will learn what a personal story is. We will discover how the stories we tell ourselves about who we are affect our daily choices. Considering the power of ‘we are our stories,’ we will tell a story about an object or experience of importance in our lives. We will ask ourselves: What is the relationship between our stories & our identity?
*Participants are asked to choose an object of importance to describe, or share a story about a powerful life experience. For example: a stone, a photo, a blanket, etc., or a first-time event or a trip experience, etc.
Participation in BOTH workshops is highly recommended. Participants who register for Part I will automatically be registered for Part II. If you wish to opt out of Part II, please contact Evelina Baczewska at 226-759-8014 or EvelinaBaczewska@alsogroup.org
REGISTER AT:
www.surveymonkey.com/r/ALSOEVWorkshop or contact Evelina 226-759-8014 or EvelinaBaczewska@alsogroup.org
Registration closes on Thursday, September 16 at 4:30 pm
VANESSA SHIELDS, writer 