All I Have To Leave Behind Are Words

Primitive, Frank, and Relatable Rhymes
Depictions of Life’s Circumstance
In the Raw Artless Tenor of Our Times

I believe that enlightenment is best achieved when we engage and explore alternative points of view, that we should form opinions and convictions empirically, and that we should tender our perspectives without apology. They are merely what we believe to be true at a given point in time and subject to change. That’s how it works when we continue to grow.

Early in 2016, as 45’s political shenanigans were unfolding, long-dormant emotions and sensibilities awakened in me. I felt compelled to engage, and though I was an adult, I was reluctant to voice my opinions because I feared that, if pressed, I couldn’t back them up, and I didn’t want to assert my ignorance.

First, I needed to figure out where my give-a-shit factor was on stuff. I found I have a broad and abiding regard for embracing diversity and inclusion, the import of the phrase “you do you”, a practical appreciation for the premise “I’m Ok, You’re Ok”, and the precepts “Do No Harm” and “Leave No Trace”. Those revelations gave me a basis on which to form opinions and ultimately, convictions.

Writing about my stuff forced me to scrutinize it and gain a better understanding of it. With my rumination complete and filtering mechanisms like ethics, morality, and legality considered, I had informed opinions, some actual convictions, and I felt ready to be part of the greater discussion.

My poems are profoundly personal expressions and ask only to be perceived without bias or critique. I have no illusions about my significance or the impact of my work. Nor do I apologize for its tenor, or fret over how others might judge it, or me for it. To do otherwise would inhibit free expression, and a reticent self-conscious poet is doomed to an uncreative and unproductive melancholy.

I don’t pigeon-hole myself as Democrat, Liberal, Republican, or Conservative, but merely a free-thinking 60s-era poet who realizes that health is fundamental to both life and the pursuit of happiness, that liberty should be color-blind, and that big business can never be trusted to think beyond their next quarter's earnings report to put their country's best interest ahead of their bottom line.

Naively, I hope my writing fosters awareness in the innocent, enlightenment for the ignorant, and clarity of conscience in the culpable.

Ridge