One Friday night back in 1982, I wrote this poem. My friend Robert and I had decided to take a walk from the West Hollywood apartment I shared with Mama up the hill to Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard. It…

On my fiftieth birthday, in 2001, I was thinking about my family tree, my roots, and the history of my life, not just ethnic, but cultural too—strong, grounded, growing from kindness, love, dignity, and strength of character. I realized how…

This poem came to me one day, back in 2004, when I was feeling pretty down low. It had to do with the man I loved. That day my heart hurt because of the way he talked down to me…

Once again, I tried to help a friend of mine who had been in my life for twenty years. Back in 2003, we were the best of friends, always there for each other with a comforting hug that gave both…

This poem was written in 2002. In the quiet, still light, I watch the sun melt to dusk. This is one of my favorite moments of the day. It’s serene. There’s little or no noise. I am all alone, and…

Many times, within myself, I grappled about my feelings around what happened to me; not just being paralyzed by a faulty vaccine, but learning unconditional love and acceptance of myself. Characterized by my presence and passions for the qualities of…

One night, back in 1992, a nightmare rocketed me out of a deep sleep. I awoke sweating and trembling in terror, shaken to my core. Wrapped in only a thin, black nightgown, I had stood, burning in agony within a…