Potential tragedies rise

when her twelve year old ego

 

state baits my fifteen

year old truncated growth state.

Pubescence is tough

 

enough without an added

hindrance of traumatized souls.

 

If I’m blindsided,

at sixty, by my fifteen

year old broken child,

 

then the toll on Tina to 

know which role, which ego state,

 

to take is very

severe to veer from a clear 

mistake that forsakes

 

her honesty for easy

facility to gain her

 

desired comfort.

Crystal, you’re very astute.

You can commute your

 

intense insight to refute

her resolute stubbornness

 

to address her life

born from incredible strife

on her naive terms.

[Shannon]

 

Tina does not trust women.

 

[Joseph Ward]

 

She does not trust men either.

 

She goes with what she

knows to be true from the few,

the very few, years

 

of her life awash with tears

shed in her cold, barren bed

 

silently with dread

from her loss of hope countered

exclusively by

 

her courage to cope and to

persevere to steer her life

 

independently.

The fear you now share with me

has scared me as well.

 

It was a sunny summer 

afternoon when I would choose

 

to refuse silence

concerning Ron’s indulgence

with intoxicants

 

and his belligerence toward

her proper self assertions.

           “You’ve been here before,

           Tina. Your soul and body

           bore Bartholomew’s

 

          mark as his birthright to own

           his pleasure as your treasure.

 

           You took flack from Jack

           when you ventured back to school

           as he set to rule

 

           your determination to

           reject subservient stands

 

           before male commands.”

 

Her errant spirit focused

through her dark pupils

 

and crystal clear, steady eyes.

 

           “Joseph, you oaf, it’s my life

 

           to choose whom I meet

           and sleep with, to loose my bet

           on those whom I met.”

 

She fought my storm front with her

raw undeniable truth.

 

I ought to have known

not to have shown undue right

for presumptive truth.

 

[Crystal]

 

It was not presumptive truth.

It was raw, absolute truth.

[Shanon]

 

Friends recruit strong facts

to refute poor judgement when

the consequence may

 

trigger some severe penance

physically as well as

 

spiritually.

You were right to speak truly.

Don’t be so contrite.

 

[Joseph Ward]

 

In spite of what you, both, say

there is no way anyone

 

should usurp free will

from humans. Even Donald,

the colossal cop,

 

adopts the position that

he stops criminal ill will

 

as opposed to acts

of free will’s usurpation.

Living is choosing.

 

Win or loose, Tina must choose.

 

[Shannon]

 

So, you abide suicide?

[Joseph Ward]

 

You’re very confused.

I abide human-life-force

infused with delight

 

in the forthright pursuit of

forging paths of improvement

 

for self and others

in spite of imperfections

and daily errors

 

in each exchange, long or short,

in the huge range of choices

 

replete with many

unforeseen consequences

good or very bad

 

that must be had one way or 

another to cover cost.

 

I’ll stand by your coins

that when joined together speaks

a complete logic,

 

but remember, nurturing

does not bring obedience.

 

Tina makes the choice

and we, as friends, offer her 

assistance always

 

with strong adherence to truth

and honesty with heart felt

sympathy as well.

Tragedy could possibly

be free will’s harsh truth.

 

[Crystal]

 

So, we must wash our hands,

Shannon, to squash attempts to

 

thwart her male choices.

We’d be smart to court deeper

consideration

 

of traits that would make best mates.

 

[Shannon]

 

Could we engage Cole’s band of

 

congenial friends

to extend her contact with

peers packed with a strong

 

desire for harmony.

 

[Crystal]

 

Cole’s band will plan their very

 

first symposium

at the farm early next week.

 

[Joseph Ward]

 

I’ll be a pilgrim

 

in search of solitude from

the concrete, urban bedlam

 

the day just before

their stay to complete their work

as I lurk softly

 

for an opportunity

to insert my expert thoughts

 

why recovering

survivors of harsh abuse

could clarify what

 

otherwise might be obtuse

therefore would be likely missed.

 

Tina could resist

my subterfuge and resist

my plea for support.

 

It will always be Tina’s

decision to choose her path.