gives support to those

who must live with the heartache

that forsakes pleasure

 

in being festive due to

massive, corrupt, cruel actions,

 

or anomalies

tragically ascertained

at a poor child’s birth.

 

Unfortunately, Crystal

was a child defiled at birth

 

by Nature’s mishap

that sapped her parents’ rising

elation with fear.

 

The thrust of ambiguous

genitalia surges

 

with mega scary,

parental anxiety

over the child’s needs

 

to achieve normality

when confronting puberty.

 

Crystal volunteered

with the R J P before

her kind husband steered

 

his close friends to hear Compton’s

communal presentation

 

of plain solutions

engrained in three coins explained

as guiding beacons

to light a substantial path

and/or rallying banners

 

around which bakers,

lawyers, barbers, bankers or

child care workers could

 

meet, greet and discuss a shared

robust reflection during

 

inclusive, public

forums designed to find new

implementations

 

of better solutions that

must never succumb to a 

 

deviation from

the dictum fused in three coins

pursued honestly

 

as the community’s shared

common ground that’s wound around

 

a strong cultural

identity honoring

broad diversity.

 

Democracy is never,

ever a spectator’s sport.

 

With agility

of mind, Crystal was inclined

to find subtle ways

 

to stray from her R J P 

experience as guidance

to enhance support

circles with the essentials

coin-carriers hold

 

as required behavior

which inspires harmony.

 

Diversity is

individuality

cooperating

 

for the common good of all,

thus Crystal presents Tina.

 

[Crystal]

 

Thank you to all who

heeded my call, but before 

we, here, completely

 

become enthralled with our

shared secrets laid bare safely

 

form a courtly state,

I must translate my feeling

of deep gratitude

 

into public words that must

praise Donald’s firm rectitude

 

to nurture always

as prelude to this day’s work.

This quaint hunting lodge

 

camouflaged in this forest

is the perfect venue for

 

the quest to invest

our courage to manage

fearlessness to speak

the truth of trauma and pain

inflicted, never chosen.

 

Donald, we thank you

for the use of your cabin,

immensely, with joy

 

as we can employ the peace

and healing serenity

 

as an inherent

bounty present in your place

that escapes the race

 

of competing humans’ fierce

desire to win the day.

 

We’re here to defend

each other’s right to pursue

Life, Liberty and

 

Happiness as we journey

through the reality that

 

surrounds all spirits

bound around in human flesh,

our conduit

 

for joy or for suffering;

for exploring and learning

 

and for evolving.

We’re here today to support

my newly found friend,

Katrina (Tina) Mason.

This is a circle formed to

 

support expression

of hidden woes that bow souls

with frightful visions.

 

Katrina prefers the name

Tina among her close friends.

 

She comprehends her

need to free her soul from Bart’s

imposed, harsh burden.

 

Bartholomew Wallace Childs

refused my cordial invite

 

to make right the wrong

that belongs to be observed

as unfortunate,

 

ignorant stupidity

inflicted casually

 

upon souls seeking

tranquility amid life’s

imposed misery.

 

To see a thing for what it

is, brings the mind to a place

 

to trace perceptions

of the creative force that

set the course for growth

 

and required transitions

of evolution’s quest for

better solutions

to our tribulations

and painful trials

 

to learn to discern better

ways to live well together

 

with less fear that smears

the lens of our human

sight with the road-grime

 

that slimes our poor vision

impairing navigation.

 

[Bob]

 

Tears may be the means

for cleansing soiled, bruised souls

or washing debris

 

from lacerations received

from forceful confrontations.

 

A warm gentle spray

in privacy’s safety sways

the flesh to feel soothed,

 

but first we must certainly

disrobe fully to expose

 

the bare nakedness

below the public show of

the invincible 

 

strength toward damaging insults

or the shame that’s framed in fear

oozing from our

insecurities that please

venomous bullies

 

seeking to poison boldness

and needed self-confidence.

 

To alleviate

all fear that debilitates

public honesty,

 

we absolutely make clear

a sincere fidelity

 

to this signed oath of

confidentiality

and a solemn pact

 

to extract hurtful judgements

that seek to blame and/or shame.

 

Crystal will sign first

and then myself before we

disperse briefly for

 

light refreshments during which

each will affix signatures

 

to hear what is said

but adhere to speak only

to this assembly

 

about issues shared that lay

bare the most vulnerable,

 

sensitive feelings

we, each, will fiercely protect

from unchecked probing.