My Cardboard Balcony

I know many people who are not genuine. People who are vindictive, judgmental, cold, ruthless. People who hide their true feelings of me behind a paper maché mask that I wish I could've seen through. Whether in a work environment, school environment, or even in my comraderie of friends, I have confronted this ingenuity. Honestly, it's hard to spot sometimes. It's hard to differentiate kindness from phoniness. It's a talent people have. A talent I wish they didn't have. These types of people have done a very good job of attempting to batter down the self-esteem I have worked so hard to build. But I'm not going to let that happen. Not ever. For every fake friend, there are a dozen true friends. For every false colleague, there are a dozen true mentors. And I always make myself remember that. These past few months have reminded me who I truly am. A woman who is not afraid to dress the way she likes, to be who she is, to love honestly and purely. A woman who c...

Jigsaw Painting by Belinda Roddie A car is flying over a moonlit residence Hearts are failing under the influence of its motor Something is growing in the driver's seat A little man's at the wheel, he's not listening Our lives are at stake, we don't notice anymore Some secret lover's messing with our lives The sky is choked with vapors green and purple The smell is sweet, like a flower melting away And from the window, the tables are dancing There's music playing not so gently Our lives are at stake, we don't notice anymore These books are filled with poisoned words Some secret lover's messing with our lives A pot of wishes brewing on the stove The car's just crashed into a redwood tree And the little man's dying from a heart attack Does it all fit in, does it all fit in Our eyes are turning backward, does it all fit in And the sky is black now, black with words Does it all fit in, does it all fit in The savior is almi...

Later on, they were indeed conspiring, though they weren't exactly dreaming by the fire. They were concocting. The two lovers' romp through the snow had very much matched with the lyrics of the charming Christmas song, but by now they were looking at blueprints. Snow catapults. Towering turrets of a winter snowkeep. Ice elves serving as their warriors. "Now this," Billy said to his girlfriend Tina as they curled up by the hearth, "is a real winter wonderland."