Tag: mental health

The Crazies

Jacqueline Cioffa

Are the precious ones with the most colorful souls Painting love in glorious hues of aqua, fuchsia, tangerine and gold The crazies feel the weight of the world in their twinkle toes And catch the gentle autumn breeze on the tip of their upturned nose They feel it all heavy Read more

Jacqueline Cioffa

A retired, international model, and celebrity makeup artist. Co-Author of Model Citi Zen, the guide. Founder of http://modelcitizenmakeup.blogspot.com/. Author of numerous prose pieces in various literary magazines. Most recently published in Little Episodes Brainstorms the anthology, among esteemed artists Sadie Frost, Melvin Burgess and Todd Swift.

Art Of Silence

Marie Scampini

the postman may always ring twice for Lana Turner
but not for me
no more
Silence
in that sacred space created
a beauty of mind

Marie Scampini

Marie Scampini is a published poet, playwright, short story writer, currently working on a poetry collection and project - 1775 Poems in 1775 Days, to save her life every day, on a page, and in this world; fighting for justice, safety, and equality for all, one person at a time.

Garden Of Solitude

Marie Scampini

I was always choosing between a relationship and my cherished
and essential alonement
my connection to Self
denied for dozens of years
choosing validation by whomever wanted to fuck me

Marie Scampini

Marie Scampini is a published poet, playwright, short story writer, currently working on a poetry collection and project - 1775 Poems in 1775 Days, to save her life every day, on a page, and in this world; fighting for justice, safety, and equality for all, one person at a time.

Do I Have To Tell You?

Shareen Mansfield

I was so stupid when I found out I was pregnant. I had no idea. I was 14 years old.

That I didn’t know missing my period meant pregnancy. Do I need to be ashamed? Do I have to tell you how many pills I swallowed to hide my shame? Do I have to tell you how it felt to have tubes shoved up my nose as they pumped my stomach at 15 years old?

Shareen Mansfield

Shareen Ayoub Mansfield is a veritable font of information, compassion, and attitude. She is a first generation, American of Arab descent. Widely known as both an airhead and genius. She is a Jill-of-all-trades resulting from her Lebanese heritage plus compulsion to learn everything once and learn it correctly. She has a soft side. It's her back side. If she's facing you and you've ignited the wrath of her inner dragon, duck or burn. Your choice. Aside from balancing ferocity with kindness, Shareen has been trained for Red Cross Disaster. She has helped train dogs for emotional support and Search and Rescue. She's studied Nursing, Dietetics, Journalism, Kickboxing, cooks better than your mom, is active in her children's school, is a runner and has a third-degree black belt in the creative use of "fuck" and putting megalomaniacal narcissists in their place. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook or connect by emailing her at Shareen.Mansfield(at)me.com Shareen is a Social Butterfly choosing to connect with her favorite authors on all platforms. Consider her your biggest fan. You can find her poem Compromised Field listed in The Writes Of Women. Read her on Raising MothersHer personal poem of her journey into the inferno of Hell & addiction and how it impacts the lives of those you love featured on OTV's Team Wizard Raymond Baxter's site The Relationship Blogger. Her raw & unfiltered experience with An Eating Disorder featured Nourish Your Soul published by the prolific author of Hush by Nicole Lyons on TheLithiumChronicles.com. Shareen is a Publisher, Author, Social Media Whisperer on: OTVMAGAZINE.Com Twitter : @ShareenM Website: OTVMagazine.Com

It’s JUST a Measurement

SA Smith

If we allow the weight of that emotional baggage to tie us to that measurement, then it can do damage, then it means something, then it can hurt us emotionally, physically, however we choose it to.

But wait, it’s just a measurement.

SA Smith

SA Smith has always loved the magical life. She is the bestselling Amazon author of FOREVER, her four part young adult paranormal romance series. She is an advocate for women of all shapes and sizes. Believing that we are all enough just as we are, and needing to spread that word far and wide. Having been diagnosed with CRPS over 12 years ago, SA also uses her writing to increase social awareness of the disease. Writing is her passion. She often tells friends that writing is a journey for her. It’s like spending time with friends. "I just follow my characters along on their adventures, like a fly on the wall, and see where they take me." SA currently lives in Florida with her best friend/husband and their one son.

The Burdens Of Childhood You Can’t Outgrow

N.M. Zwolinski

As a small child, I tentatively
reached my feet toward the floor
apprehensive of the crevice,
the mere inches
where darkness bleeds until
my monster emerged

N.M. Zwolinski

Nicole (Coley) Zwolinski earned a BA in Creative Writing with a focus in poetry and Mass Communications – Journalism. Coley’s pieces have been published in Firewords Quarterly, Flash Fiction Magazine, Bare Hands, and NEAT. She’s a multipotentialite and when she is not working in an office or writing, she can be found instructing yoga or wrangling her young son, who inherited her husband’s adventurous nature - like scaling the toilet and riding the dog (son, not husband.) Their son is Germericanishishish – a conglomeration of their German, American, Polish, Irish, and English heritages. Her husband is already planning their son’s championship in the Germericanishishish Ninja Warriors competition which will take place, most likely, in their backyard.

Faggot

Dave Pasquel

The raw emotions continue to be painful. I’m still spazzing. I’m still distraught. I’m still frantic and furious. I’m working hard to shed this baggage and the image that has been branded upon me. Meanwhile, I am damaged. Mentally and physically, I am unable to cope on my own. I need support. I need help. I need an advocate.

I finally understand what it means to be a survivor. I must find my footing, pave my way, and mow over the resistance. Even if I’m all alone, I fully intend to fight for my self-worth for as long as it takes.

Sanity

Natasha Alexander

When the silence starts to scream,
when the pain starts to demand,
I search for a crowd,
one that can distract the deafening silence.

Natasha Alexander

Writer, always Wife and Mother first. Perfect is overrated, I am flawed and yet loved. Now that I don’t chase perfection, I can chase my dreams. I have completed a "Write a Novel" course in 2015 through S.A. Writers’ College and passed with a distinction. I also completed the Copy-Editing and Proof-reading course through them in March 2016. My first Manuscript of 60 000 words has been written and currently seeking a publisher. I have been writing poetry since I was 14 and the reason/inspiration behind all my writing is a stand against women abuse. It is a cause that I hold close to heart. Something that started as an outlet for feelings too ghastly to speak about has turned into my passion.