Without even realizing it was happening, here I am, a contributor. One should really be careful what you say to James Burns, it usually results in action. I am not of a deep intellectual bent. I am simple and pragmatic. My perceptions are shaped by seeking others and trying to connect to their experience. Empathy. It’s a powerful driving force. It makes change in the world.
So in keeping with the others, my poetic introduction.
Anger of my father
Fears of my mother
Smoke and grime
Of the blue collar city
Prejudice and arrogance
Of proud mountains
Irish blarney
German practicality
Child of poverty
Companion of shame
Woman who grudgingly
Bears their name
Third generation
First with education
Genetically primed
For addiction
Forged in the crucible
Of my parents contempt
Reaping the fruits
They would resent
Washing away
Their history
In faith
Writing
My own story