Leah

http://charlespoet.podomatic.com/entry/2015-07-21T15_13_42-07_00

I met her and immediately liked her.
She helped prove to me that not all people on FB are just emoticons and silly ass stickers.
She also opened my eyes to fucking on Muppet sheets and that I’m not the only one who climbs inside of their writing and stays for a good long while because getting it just right is important in our land of no free lunches and welfare that in the end only benefits the rich.

I met her in Canton, Ohio.
She was featured. In fact she was the only poet that night who I could stand to listen to because I am funny that way and do not accept half measures from anyone because if you strive for only mediocrity then we cannot be friends.
Her husband is also someone who holds a special place in my heart. I even asked him to write a forward to a collection of my poetry because I found his feedback on FB not only insightful, but also helpful in a way that shows how genuine he is and that he’s not just saying nice things because he has nothing else to offer to the conversation.

We live in a world of buzz killers and shock jocks extraordinaire, but if you look closely and take the time to eat the flowers and not just smell them we also live in a world of open hearts and true romantics who everyday die just a little bit to help keep the rest of us just that much saner.
I have never lived in a closet nor have I ever used words as a shield because either I was too afraid to show the world just who I am and why it is I am here or because being realistic is easier said than done. I believe the reason I find myself connecting with Leah as much as I do is because she has also never closeted any of her fears and refuses not to show up simply because it may hurt too much or she may be asked to leave her comfort zone and right some honest to God wrongs.
Let’s get something straight right here and now poets are not just writers, but are in fact the conscience of the world. I refuse to mince any words when it comes to Leah Mueller and how she rocks my entire universe because she never fails to be a light in the darkness and a story whose chapter and verse will both enlighten you and make you laugh harder than you ever have before.

Charles Cicirella
7/21/15