The Cries of Men (Louis Toliver Jr- Swartz, LA)

“Oh, GOD!” we cried. “Please help us with the burdens of being a man!” We have felt weighted down by our identities for too long. Our emotions have been held within inside us for too long. “How do we teach our sons to release their pain, GOD, Oh GOD?” Our sons fear their fathers. Our sons are afraid to become real men. Our sons want to become their fathers in order to take revenge against their own fathers. “Oh, GOD, help us!” We want our sons to play pianos, we wanted our sons to love their husbands, we want them to love who they are. “Oh, GOD, teach us to love our sons. Oh, GOD, teach us to hug our sons!” We want our wives to believe in us, men, again. “Oh GOD, teach us, men, how to accept ourselves!”

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Lunatic (Lily Lechler - New Orleans, LA)

“Lunacy” comes from the moon, Who cycles through brilliance and darkness Bipolarity’s patterns are not so easily assumed Opposites not so well harnessed Who cycles through brilliance and darkness? The girl who sits in bed, wrestling with Opposites. Not so well harnessed As she thought, her brain gives reason the slip The girl who sits in bed, wrestling with Her body, depressed, her thoughts manic. As she thought, her brain gave reason the slip And gives the gift of life in a dreamlike panic. Her body depressed her thoughts. Manic Lunacy comes from the moon And gives the gift of life in a dreamlike panic Bipolarity’s patterns are not so easily assumed

Louisiana Words Remembers Jorge Arturo

There’s nothing that hurts more than when we lose someone from our Louisiana Words family. But, the beauty of our writing movement is that the words of our loved ones live on with us. On June 20th, 2023, Louisiana Words Allstar, Jorge Arturo, moved on from this world leaving our hearts broken. He was a charismatic and talented human being. Jorge resided in New Orleans, LA and had been active on Louisiana Words for over a year. To honor Jorge’s life and work, we will be sharing his writing and live performances all Summer 2023. Please help keep his spirit alive by sharing his work. We know that Jorge’s words will connect with our readers and we hope to keep his spirit alive. Jorge’s first submission: “The Dog Show” debuted on February 6th, 2022 and is his most successful piece to date. In 2022, Jorge spent 10 weeks in the top with “The Dog Show,” “Weavers,” “They Say Love Kills, This Time It Really Did,” and “If Hell is Real, It Looks Like an Airport.” His la...

The Harvest (Nick Perere - Baton Rouge, LA)

When I was in college a barely adult youth, strange men a circular ellipse around me placed their heavy hands on my temple and prayed in twisted tongues like at the Tower of Babel Casting out the Demon of Homosexuality. I like to think on that day, the Demon was free’d. And he formed this gayer than gay version of me. Maybe he escaped the Bible Belt and found himself in New York or San Francisco. Free from being Oppressed. Repressed. Dogmatized. Free from the thoughts of self harm. Free from trying so hard to be someone they’re not meant to be. While I mourn for my youth, it started over when I escaped the spiritual enclave the cult. Doesn’t make me an atheist. Because that in itself is a religion. But I no longer converse with the Creator. Or walk in the Holy Spirit. I have embraced my demons And that brings me peace. God loves all of His children except you.

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