Years Of Tears - Part 2

A continuation

How does one

Prepare themselves

For an oncoming backlash

When totally isolated?

After outing myself

To my mom

By answering the door

En femme

On Canada Day 2006.

Living in a county

Where

One of its mayors

Is famous for saying

"No gays or lesbians live

In her city".

Forced to travel

Long distances

By public transit.

Seeking out

Medical and moral support

For my troubles

As my life fell apart

At the seams.

Forced to quit

Under management's subtle

But persistence pressure.

Where long hours

Are the norms

Working 50 + hours

While everyone else

Left after 40.

A simple thing

Like requesting time off

For medical reasons

Became a hassle.

Never mind

Should I just work

An eight hour shift

To attend

A support group.

But

Didn't realized

That I worked myself

To exhaustion.

Thus

Avoiding my mom

And our deteriorating

Relationship.

Even after

Requesting a reduction

In my hours

Fell upon deaf ears.

Like

Mary Tyler Moore

I tossed my invoices

Into the air

As I proclaimed

"I quit".

.Scariest

Yet the happiest

Moment of my life

As I walked out

That warehouse door.

A brief moment of joy

Snatched from my grasp

As depression sank

It's talons

Into my soul.

Finding myself

Standing before

A women's homeless shelter

In another town

And county.

Reviews

[.]

~ i hear you... very, very clearly... and i support you...

[therisa]

Thank you, Serah.

[.]

~ my privilege...

[therisa]

Your welcome.

[TL Boehm]

The thing that resonates with me is the struggle with depression. I deal with anxiety - but I am not an anxious person. I have become anxious because of health issues. Not the other way around. I've run up against doctors who treat the symptom - but not the source. For you to struggle with acceptance, issues at work and society at large, that would certainly cause depression. I hope these writings are cathartic for you. I hope they bring you the peace that you deserve.

[therisa]

Thank you, Tammy, for your healing thoughts. Even before this period, in my life, I have struggled with depression and never realized it. Especially during my high school and university years.

[Holly Mason]

I did not know that Canada felt this way-or was it just this mayor?
I do hope things have changed for you although it goes either way in my country as well I do not know if they are personal choices
depression does have talons-
thank you for sharing

[therisa]

Thank you, Holly, for taking the time, to read and review this poem. The mayor's comment is, how parts of Canadian society expresses it's denial of the emergence of the GLBT community from the closet.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i like the "Mary Tyler Moore" stanza, especially...i used to watch the show and picture that beginning and the speaker in this poem doing same.

tough when parents won't accept us...

[therisa]

Thank you, Jacob, for your supportive words and encouragement. It's with a sad heart that I must say, the relationship between my mom and I, is terminally dead.

[Brandon S. Whitten]

Always in my heart and prayers. Excellent read and write.

[therisa]

Thank you, Brandon, for your supportive and encouraging words.