Free will

Choices

I bound my soul in

this prison of flesh

My choice to wear these chains

And now, contrary child, I

search for freedom

Release me

Loose my soul wings, I need

to fly again

Climb so high only to

dive and climb again

I strain against this

cord, strangling

my life and remember

to my shame, I

chose this

Shameless

Okay, normally, I am not the type to do this, but I can't help myself this time. Recently, I submitted one of my poems, Temptation, to poetry.com. I've been getting e-mails from them the last couple of weeks. The first one was a notification that I had been chosen as a Poet Fellow for 2007, and inviting me to join the Poet Fellows Society. And of course, I could purchase the pin and medal commemorating this event. I kinda shook my head, and thought "Yeah, whatever" and went on with my day. A day later, I got an e-mail saying Temptation had been selected to receive the Editor's Choice Award, and my poem would be in the next anthology. They also want to include it on the CD set. Again, I shook my head and did a "yeah, whatever". Poetry.com sent me the same e-mail a second time, then sent another one about getting a plaque and offering membership in the International Society of Poets.
Today, when I went to the mailbox, I found a letter from Poetry.com. They are definitely publishing my poem in an anthology. According to the letter, the anthology Immortal Verses will be available in winter 2008. I am also moving forward a step in the competition. So now I am excited. This is the first time I have ever submitted something I wrote, so this is a big deal to me. If you want to read what I submitted, click here. Don't mind me, I'll just be sitting in my chair, grinning. :D

Still laughing

My favorite reaction to the engagement thing so far has been from The Mexican Mama. She looked at the ring on my hand, then looked up and asked, "So, did you say yes?"
A few minutes later, we were talking about this being a third marriage for both T and me. The Mexican Mama says "Third time's the charm!" T grinned and said "Or else it's three strikes, you're OUT!" The Mexican looked over at me, laughed and said if I needed help knocking him out I should let her know. She calls T cabrón and smacks him every time she sees him.

BTW, The Mexican Mama is the one who started "The Mexican" thing, I just added in Mama because she is one of my adopted moms. So don't give me any grief over it. And her granddaughter's nickname is The Bean.

a week in pictures

Just because I can, I'm posting some pictures taken in the last week. I've gotta do something to justify all the playing around with a camera we've been doing! This is what has been going on since last Thursday: I hang out at Wenchy's house a lot. Wenchy is my best friend, mainly because she is more throwed off than I am. It's nice to be the normal one in a relationship! (Just joking girl, you know we are about even!)

My dad got married Saturday night. That's my dad (first from the left), his new wife Margie, and the Reverend and his wife. Rev and his wife are very sweet. That man is 89 and still preaches every Sunday! The next one is (from the left) me, Dad, Margie and Margie's grandson Colt.

Photo removed, sorry.
That's T. I've known him since I was 18. My older brother was married to his younger sister back then. After Shadow and JJ (his sister) died within months of each other, those of us left became closer. We all started making an effort to keep in touch. Somehow this developed into T and I dating. For the last two years, we've been a couple, and when he's not off working on pipelines, we live together. Which brings me to the last picture:

Yep, that's the ring T gave me last night! So, I'm getting married again.

I've gotten some pretty varied reactions from my loved ones. Wenchy-woman (the girlfriend)said "No fucking way!" over and over and then laughed her ass off. My brother (the one who was married to T's sister) said to tell T "Quit stalking me!" My dad laughed and my mom doesn't know yet. Haven't told the rest of the sibs yet either. Boss Lady got excited, and my friends say I should keep him just because he picks out pretty jewelry. Also, according to the friends, I should hang on to anyone brave enough to volunteer to live with me!

Anyway, that's the highlights of my last seven days. I've got more pics, but I think I'll save them for a day when I feel like talking about my family, in all their glorious weirdness.

Oh. My. God.

I got engaged last night!

Nobody ever said it was fair!

No One Gets Out Alive

A toss of the dice

The gods, rolling bones

As always, I lose

Place your bets

Play the game and

Take your chances

With Fate

Damn! Snake eyes

Better luck next time, pretty lady

So you ride the Wheel again

Always choosing

Always gambling

The ultimate game

Life

Just remember...

The gods cheat!

Justice in Pennsylvania?

Apparently, some of the people in Pennsylvania have lost their minds lately. The first two stories really upset me, so I was glad to see that at least some of these people were just loony, not power-maddened asses.

• In Philadelphia: Judge Teresa Carr Deni should be asked to step down. Her Dishonor decided that a defendant who participated in the gang rape of a woman should not be prosecuted for rape and assault. Instead, she held the guy on an armed robbery/theft of services charge, since his victim was a prostitute. Read Jill Porter's story, which includes an interview with Judge Deni.
• Scranton: Police charged a woman for cussing inside her house. Apparently, people in Penn. are not allowed to use profanity inside their homes. I want to know why the cop didn't get in trouble for hanging out under the lady's bathroom window.
• Pittsburgh: A woman is trapped under an SUV while spying on her husband.