Hi Fellow Broken Pieces!
I originally had something different to share, but because of personal events, I’m putting that off for later in the week.
My spreadsheet tells me I wrote this haiku on November 25, 2020. That was the date of my estranged youngest brother’s last public psychotic break. He had another one yesterday, and it has left me too heartbroken to do anything else except make this comic.
I have so many thoughts on the tangled web of trauma, mental health, religion, and free will that my brother is caught in—that all of us siblings must contend with. But the feelings behind those thoughts are much too raw for me to share publicly yet.
And so I will do what I always do. I will create, and I will walk. I will write and read poetry—Mary Oliver and Ada Limón comfort and challenge me in times like these—I will try and love a little deeper, and I will hug my wife and children a little tighter.
Be kind and be the poetry you want to see in the world.
Cheers,
Jason
My Poetry Books
sending a hug and love...from someone who gets it.
I grew up having a mentally ill very religious family member... and I hear you loud and clear. Be gentle with yourself today. Remember to drink water and breathe deeply. Hugs.