Wheel of Fortune (Taylor Coen-Lafayette, LA)

i sit there in my gown

waiting for the pain to subside

as i watch all the others play in the grass

it doesnt seem fair as the leaves change colors

pops wont let me go up the incline for it is steep

but that never stopped me before

I guess thats what got me here in the first place

why doesnt the pain go away

the man in white told me i would never walk again

Months pass as I gain more strength.

I figure out how to use the disadvantage as an advantage.

I realize I can move myself around without the help of others but

with the help of the wheel.

Was this a curse or a gift?

Bad things may happen but everything happens for a reason.

One day voices fill the air as I steer myself outside.

A familiar figure sits at the top.

She tells me to stay but I have waited too long.

Up and up and up I go.

My father told me my legs were too weak

but I never believed it for one second.

He also said they were in my genes

but I didn’t believe that either.

My legs were stronger than ever after the day my mom came home.

I might have caused our accident

but at least we grew strong together.

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Ash Wednesday (Brian Falcon - New Orleans, LA)

It’s forgettable- the number of times I was called a “fucking faggot” as a kid. As a former child of god, I wasn’t expected to know what those words meant. I was taught that repentance was vital to achieving everlasting life. My momma made me go to church every Sunday. I said my prayers as I was told. But I eventually learned that Catholicism was never my sanctuary. Christianity was never my safe-haven. God never stopped the cheap shots. He never once prevented the harassment or pure embarrassment that I felt from the words of my “kin in Christ.” Now, picture me- a helpless faggot, blinded by the incandescent lights of an old catholic church. I was home from college spending Spring Break in my former hellscape. So, naturally, my momma yet again made me go to church. This time, on a Wednesday. It was Ash Wednesday. When I was among the folks from home, I felt out of place. So much that I’d imagine camouflaging myself. Like saber-tooth in hiding. But the difference? I had a far mo...

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