I recently met an extremely talented young man that challenged me to a project I would never have imagined I could accept. I heard him play his cello at work one day, and I can't even find the words to describe how his music and talent touched my soul. I closed my eyes and drifted with the notes, wondering how I'd never taken the time to really listen to classical music. His magic took me to a place that put me in touch with such peace and tranquility that I wanted to cry joyful tears.

Jamayal informed me that he had a project for school, requiring him to compose a musical piece about 20 minutes long, and he needed poetry for it. Though I'd stepped away from poetry after finishing Voyeuristic Elucidations to pursue other projects, I was intrigued and up to providing some words for his project until he told me the subject matter. The piece was about being a gay male in today's society. I was stunned. How could I even begin to place words on the page that could adequately describe such a plight. I initially wanted to place myself into the role of a mother with a gay son. I could relate to that concept, because I'm a mother and I know my love would not be any different for my child if he were gay. I tried various times to pend the words, and they just would not come to me. I then approached it from the only angle that made any sense. Being bi-racial, I know what it's like to be discriminated against. It doesn't matter what the reason for discrimination is, the end result is still the same. That's when the approach hit me and flowed with ease. I wrote the piece in two parts; from the view of a gay man, and from the views of society.

In the end, I was overwhelmed with what I'd written, and Jamayal was pleased with it as well. I look forward to the finished product and will post it on my website once it is complete.