My Bio in verse. |
I would like to tell you a little bit about me I was born in California in nineteen-sixty-three In my earliest memory, Mother is beautiful and tall I loved her without reservation, at two she was my all. By three I understood that I was distinct, separate from others I came to know that I had no less than three half-brothers. At four I began to question the nature of reality And my place within it, what was “I”, this “Me”? At five I gladly joined the ranks of those who went to school For I knew the place was full of knowledge and knowledge is a tool. From six to sixteen, I lived with my family in a house on a hill Nobody back then noticed that I was mentally ill. At sixteen my madness bloomed, and I quit school out of spite But to spite who I cannot say, try to though I might. When I turned seventeen, I tried to join the Navy proud But I washed out and judged unfit, membership was not allowed. After that I hit the road, homeless but carefree. For the first time in my life, I had no one but me. I crisscrossed the nation from shore to distant shore I cannot remember now what I was looking for. Hitch-hiking was my mode of choice, upraised thumb was my cue I told stories for tips, and sometimes they were true. I found my family by chance, they had moved to Idaho Why they chose that dusty place I will never know. But my family I had by then outgrown, Caldwell too small for me Peripatetic carnivals were my employment choice, truly they were key. I often drove trucks, and though unlicensed I was a good driver I picked up a lot of skills, I was a survivor. I was at the end of my rope, in a shelter where I stayed I was going to suicide; the decision had been made. A homeless counselor saw my plight, he saved my life indeed. His intentions were good and pure, not a thought toward greed. He reserved a bed for me while he worked my case, For eight long months, the shelter became my home base. I am not a weak man; I consider myself tough. But I was tired, all used up, life had gotten rough. For eight long months, I languished awaiting the counselor's word I thought my case was hopeless, and to ask for help was absurd. Within the law, there is provision for people just like me I qualified for and began receiving Disability. Bi-Polar Disorder, that’s what it is I’ve got An emotional disorder, it screws me up a lot. I was no longer homeless, and my worries dissolved on that day I was saved by a saint; I have a home to stay. I am here to tell you that I have received God's benevolent blessing, though I wouldn’t have believed. |