Humanity: Raw & Unfiltered
I touched upon my entire anatomy of silver ribbons and glittering intentions and deep black tar of unidentifiable insecurity without first learning how each part of me functioned.
Allison Ricks is a high school senior in New Jersey. She can't swallow the world so she reads books instead.
I couldn’t sleep anyway
There was nothing else to do with my rage and sorrow
no one believed me – everyone hid in the shadows of shame
I was a broken exile machine piled
exiled in the house I grew up in
so I ran
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.
“What I’m saying is, you could drop dead at any moment.” Blunt, direct and impatient, my father’s cardiologist meant what he said. Didn’t even flinch. “So what you are saying is, my father’s heart has weakened since the last MRI six months ago?” “Yes. One side is overcompensating for the Read more
Renee DeMont is a SURVIVOR. She was born into poverty; spent much of her childhood homeless, living on the streets of Los Angeles, and in foster care. Renee learned early on: life is about adapting to adversity. The greatest gift she ever received? No one expected anything from her. By 18, she was ready to experience life on her own terms. First one in her family to attend college. After college, her focus and determination earned her a spot working at Paramount Studios, on the #1 show in television, "Cheers". At 29, Renee gave entrepreneurship a go and began a Biomedical engineering business out of her garage. Twenty years later, that risky venture grew into 8,000 square feet of success. She broke the cycle of poverty that plagued her family for generations. Recently, Renee turned fifty, filed for divorce (he declared WAR), and trudged through a debilitating nervous breakdown. Through therapy and writing, she reclaimed her sanity. Sold her half of the business to the ex, and now she has clarity and choices. Renee is personally and financially independent. With her new found freedom, she chooses to write in a sincere effort to reconcile her past with her present. Hopefully, through this cathartic process, the second half of her life will be led by her soul's desire, rather than by the fears and doubts of her first half. Currently, she lives in South Orange County with her teenage son and daughter, and her high maintenance yet lovable dog, Joe. Soon to be an empty nester, she plans to downsize the big house in the OC bubble, for a bigger life in the real world. Her days are spent gently launching her almost grown children into adulthood, and passionately penning her memoir. In the mean time, you can find her essays on pain, positivity, and empowerment at: onedropofgrace.blogspot.com
I break character through dynamic vocals and stray fingertips. The beach looks like me, sometimes: grainy, abundance of free speech, unintentionally waterlogged. But you, you live green: soiled, unrooted, an unexpected baptism in nature. Thirty times over. A clashing multiple of prints, seared and stained and loving, all working through the same tangles just to find what’s left in a woman. To find what’s left in a body.
James Wolf is an aspiring teacher from Maryland’s eastern shore. He works as an assistant in a Pre-K classroom, using the quiet of naptime as an excuse to write things in the dark. His work has been featured in GFT Presents: One in Four, Sixfold, and Gyroscope Review, and is forthcoming in Vine Leaves Literary Journal.
The landing at the top of the stairs sounded the loudest lament. Her fingers traced the expansion and contraction lines on the white-washed plaster walls as she took the first steps slowly, navigating the bowed and weakened wood on the stairs. The house and her family were accustomed to her. Read more
Alicia Gatto Petersen’s life revolves around the shores of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Her poems have previously appeared in Mothers Always Write. This is her first flash fiction publication and her first in the Feminine Collective. She is honored to be part of the collective.
Sometimes I don’t want to deal with my life. It hurts too much. He doesn’t see me. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to speak, see, feel, love, hate, be, eat, see, feel, touch or taste the way my feelings are. I am shutting down from Read more
Sarah Fader is the CEO and Founder of Stigma Fighters, a non-profit organization that encourages individuals with mental illness to share their personal stories. She has been featured in The NY Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Quartz, Psychology Today, The Huffington Post, HuffPost Live, and Good Day New York. www.sarahfader.com Sarah is a native New Yorker who enjoys naps, talking to strangers, and caring for her two small humans and two average-sized cats. Like six million other Americans, Sarah lives with panic disorder. Through Stigma Fighters, Sarah hopes to change the world, one mental health stigma at a time.
Little Nose All my pain and all my woes Go right up my little nose Now I am free, so unexposed But my friend, she stunts my growth And in the end I am alone Photo ©Julie Anderson All Rights Reserved E.J. CottrellWorldly. Allergic to fuckery. I’ve seen everything you’ve Read more
Worldly. Allergic to fuckery. I've seen everything you've seen, but I saw it very differently. Just a guy hoping you can pick up what I put down.
Sometimes I want to sleep forever Sleep forever and maybe Wake-up never. Sometimes You make me think of you It makes me sad When I do. Sometimes All it takes Is a little tequila And some booty-shakes. But most of the time I have to be still To quieten the voices Read more
Clementine Heath is an actress of stage and screen and a creative developer/writer for film and TV. She was born in Sydney, Australia, and relocated to Los Angeles 7 years ago. She has been writing poetry and short stories since she was a young teenager and had some of her poems published anonymously. Clementine is currently developing several series for digital and cable networks, along with her feature film projects. 'Mistress Desire and the Lonely Flame' is Clementine's first adult poetry series - a collection of short poems to be released sequentially, exclusively for Feminine Collective.
