Unique

You are one of a kind

I remember being told, as a kid, that I was special

Not everyone gets told that

                                      I am grateful

I wanted to see the world and make movies and fall in love.  I wanted to fight against racism and elitism and greed.  I wanted to live in an apartment with a brick wall and a wood floor and ride on trains.  I wanted to drink whiskey and go to the theater.  I wanted to explore and disappear into the night and write poetry.  I wanted to listen to good music.  To have true friends.  To pay attention to the sun sets and sun rises and the rain.  I wanted to jump.  Thank God for keeping me alive.  And jump again.  I wanted to run barefoot on hope and faith.

Maybe I didn't want all of these things at once, but at some point I wanted them.  At some point I put a foot in front of another and shifted my weight.  I fought and scrambled and... got out of bed!  I willed the world to accept me.  I thanked the people and the buildings and Chicago and my artist and if I haven't been thankful enough, I am sorry.


I am grateful.

Please know and remember that you are special 

      Not everyone gets told that 

                                                  You are one of a kind

Photo by Carl.  Words by Dustin

Twilight Lace Sexy Fantastical

Hotels are great
Especially this lobby
Jazz sounds
Light change
She says hello with no words
Cigarette extension thing 
Red dress 
She is all the way across the room
Chandelier
Piano
She is sitting on it
Legs crossed
So fuggin' sexy
Snaps
Claps
A drink is poured
Do my boots have mud...
Whoa whoa whoa
She switched her legs
High heels
Dangling from the toes
So fuggin' sexy
 
I wish I owned a tuxedo


So
Fuggin'
Jazzy
Sexy
Lace
Fantastical

Soft high hat

Low voice "Yeeeaaah..."

Photo by Sadie.  Words by Dustin.

Ode to Lemonade

Words by Catherine Hawks.  Photos by Sadie Whitehead.

Tiny Hands

Every day I say thank you 

I celebrate 

I thank God for him 

I dance with him

I feed him 

I smile with him

I also worry 

And try

And wonder if I'm doing enough

If I'm guiding 

Gifting

Teaching him to fly 

There is no way to use earthly words to describe my parental love 

All that I can say is that my purpose is slightly less fuzzy now that he is here

He is not yet two

But when he is

I will have been awake 

For two years

Photo by Sadie.  Words by Dustin.

Stage and Screen

Stage and Screen meet 

For a beer

Its cold

They are ice fishing

Screen says to Stage, “Thanks for doing this.”

Stage says, “What was I going to do today anyhow.”

They laugh together

Old friends

Coexisting

Fishing for a buzz

Then they are quiet for a while…

 Photo by Sadie.  Words by Dustin.

Sewing what we know

Down she go left right 

To the fight of the Irish 

Battle Song long alone 

And postin' in the wilderness 

These puppies need a home 

Where are the tax breaks 

Movie maker 

Earth shaker 

Fan of the stage 

Did that silly girl feel guilty 

When she brought the rage 

Afternoon firefly chasing the car 

Wanting winter to end 

Just a little at all 

It's global weird-ing writhing

And soaking my heart 

After so many years 

Let's pick our favorite part

All of it

Sewing what we know 

And sharing what we SEW

A wife with many skills 

And an affinity for snow 

Blessed are we for seasons 

and London and New York 

And Holidays are Holidays 

Sailing port to port 

Some things black and white 

And some worth a prayer 

There is beauty in the current

And wise are those who care

I talked tonight to a father 

Photo by Sadie.  Words by Dustin.