Photography by Drake Faulk

Be peaceful in a way you’re at peace, Be respectful in a way you get respected, Be honest to those who can’t, Be native to anything that makes you feel native, Be quiet especially if you want to be heard, Be resourceful before you need to, Be apologetic when you’re hurting the most, Be mad at no one, nothing, Just be happy you’re still breathing, loving and living. And always remember our friends and family who are not.

I yearn for the wild Because being in its midst is exhilarating Deep within the woods Where you could be lost forever And in the dark and bark Behind each trunk there is an elf A lurking black hearted witch Full of seduction and black magick Toadstools bloom in startling colors The swirling gloom holds mysterious danger Possible permanent isolation Separation from the moral, the tame In the depths of the woods The heart roams wild, free Like a wolf uncaged With unquantified, unrestrained beauty The woods seem to extract the feral And encourage the shedding of emotions Until you are naked and raw Uncovered before the gods And your soul is whole Once more

Photography by   C. Blake Photography .

I..... Waited, waited, & waited Until the silhouette of my patience Was left lingering on the window panes..... Sitting in emotions of defeat But this seat...... Was my only attachment to you..... A connection between your soul and my heart Yet, we departed ways In the middle of our days Where the sun would try to hold on to that last lingering cloud Before the moon would break through the shadows..... Neither could fathom the reason why They kept seeing my face day after day..... I Waited..... On you to break the silence Of this dark disposition Wondering where the moments of wondering where you are Were nothing, but wonders pondering on what to think next Yet, nothing was left to think of But you made your decision And I couldn't believe I sat waiting on you to appear Then disappear then re-appear like ain't shit happened That chair should have crumbled beneath me To let me know our foundation wasn't even sturdy enough For me to lay my emotions on..... Waited Un...

What's become of our generation? The same faces we see in the halls of high school, we recognize on the bathroom floor of the bar. It's true, that at times it seems, we all tear from the seams. So from that point we pick a poison and bathe in it. Having a good time isn't a crime; but let me remind you that our minds are bred to believe we have to drown ourselves in wine. Sad to say, most of us believe our lives started at 18. But because of the paths we chose, I'm broken hearted that the next group of 18s will ride along the same road. Our legacy hangs low Languid, lawless, lethargic Is it for the bitter or the better Or for worse? We can't curse the bottle Only bottle the curse

Consolation is a rocking motion. You hold someone and sway them      back and forth      back and forth Until they remember being a baby And the comfort of rocking (being rocked) In someone's arms. What if no one consoled them as a helpless crying child? What if no chest served as a pillow? What happens then When they're asked to call upon These long ago memories Of comfort and consolation? Consolation becomes an unreasonable request. A demand to fetch water from a dry, dry well.

When i say i love you i will always love you. When i say your mine you will always be mine. My love is not a thought or a mood. is not something you can see or buy. Get closer though i'll bet you can feel it in my touch. We may not always be together. But you will always be in my heart. i may take a while to say i love you. But at least you know it’s real when i do. You may think my heart is full, You might even think i love too many. They say your heart is as big as your fist. Look at my hands you know i have room for plenty

Who's that face outside my window, Thought that you was dead and gone. Why's your face outside my window, I thought that you was dead and gone. Yeah I thought I'd left you back there,                                     but I Feel you hangin' on. Seen so many folks slide under, Seen 'em slip on further away. Watched too many folks slide under Yes I watched them all slip away. By the time I saw them slippin',                         they done Too far in to save. Well my steps sometimes grow heavy, Pavement crumbles 'neath my feet. Yes my steps grow oh so heavy, Pavement crumbles 'neath my feet. Its the weight of all them people        ...

In 3 years, we discovered love was a roller coaster  But can time be the glue that binds us?  Our relationship clicked on the tracks upward In 6 years, we built a life on our love We figured out our rhythm in 3-line stanzas Hands up in the air, we soared into the dark In 9 years, we lost each other in ourselves Problems spiraled that could have been solved Riding a future that couldn’t hold us together In 12 years, we found each other in solutions Though times were tough, but we were smooth The good times we never took for granted In 15 years, we fought the sadness The waves of self-doubt and fiction But happiness is the ride that we caught In 18 years, we faced a storm of confusion Rejection, acceptance, heartache, and joy We fought hard, tough, fast, and eager In 21 years, sickness tried to creep up We were more prepared to sneak down So, no worries, our love makes sense In 24 years, we almost came off the tracks But...

Colored lover Pale mother Blue as blood Before blood goes red Skin like mud Broke Mary's bread Crimson blood As veins are bled Lips loose Used noose Child's blood On Mary's bed

I make my home, here Here, where the willows grow Here, where the fairies dance Here, where the magick is I coax vines to grow the walls I bless the canopy that is my roof I remain intact, apart, hidden, Safe In the home of my own making The only thing that can touch me, here, Is Me

Rachel is the artist & designer who created the original logo for Louisiana Words! She is also a phenomenal writer! She will be re-creating a new logo this Winter 2019! Please, let's show support Louisiana Words Family!