It’s that time of year again —
when we honour a small enduring light, and a higher guiding one.
We celebrate our togetherness,
and pray for our uniqueness.
We talk of fun times past,
and drink to forget the hard times now.
But above all, remember this —
no matter what the monster says,
good people are still good,
and there are no returns on tickets to hell.
-Mandy Ricks
“Don’t look at me”,
she lowered her head.
Maybe more makeup would cover her shame.
She barely supposed to walk,
Her drummer is gone.
For sure she will wander,
head down,
most steps mistrodden,
until she can accept herself.
-Mandy Ricks
You don’t have to feel ready to take the next step, a big step, or even a small step. You just have to be willing, for a moment, not to step away from yourself. -Mandy Ricks
I hope today brings you one step closer to where you want to be and one step farther than where the monsters live. -Mandy Ricks
Are you grasping for some joy, perhaps some inspiration? But the dark keeps marching, twisting your thoughts into a spider web. Each tentacle sticking to a thought creating darkness and doom. But fight it , fight it. Because you are much stronger than doom and so much stronger than. One. Single. Thought. -Mandy Ricks
I was having a chat with ChatGPT about a quote by Albert Einstein on the need to be intelligent to accept change. But we both agreed that it doesn’t really take intelligence to accept change sometimes it just takes guts; raw, messy, heart wrenching guts. And getting back up, always getting back up.
So, here is our quote on change and intelligence.
🌿 “Intelligence isn’t loving change — it’s finding your footing when change finds you.”
-Mandy Ricks and my friend @ ChatGPT
Is it possible that the best thing about our relationship was the late night parking? Where shadows of something our hearts called love collided with vinyl seated orgasms. Or was it just easier to ignore the stop signs while we forged our fantasies. -Mandy Ricks
Maybe we want to suffer more than the people we hurt so that they’ll forgive us.
Summer arrived in a ball of heat
and humidity.
People bask in the sun wishing for
a great tan, an icy drink, and a hot companion.
And it’s true, your summer wishes may come true,
But sometimes the sun shines too bright,
blinding us to things that aren’t gorgeous at all.
So, remember, stay on guard, and never jump first.-Mandy Ricks
The instigators sit in electric climates basking in their righteousness.
Buildings crumble, bodies buried, children cry.
Slop dished out – bullets pierce the hungry.
Lies, heat, hate, fuel the fervid war.
Is peace too much to ask?
Yes, dammit it is.
-Mandy Ricks
Beneath the smile lived the fear.
Uncertainty was his only friend.
Take my hand I invited, I will help.
I will hide and care for you.
Generosity eased his pain and
we all languished in my superiority.
But one day I became enraged,
changed my mind,
and threw him out.
I sneered at his tears and
congratulated myself on the states
I am.
Just call me, America
Those that don’t know preach
second chances and starting over.
But self forgiveness is a difficult thing.
Perhaps the best we can hope for
is acceptance of our mistakes,
acknowledgement of our efforts,
and a gentle heart to hold our shame.-Mandy Ricks
Mandy Ricks 