Mrs. DeDeo rarely steps away from the classroom. Today she is needed across the hall for a moment. A moment is all Dwayne needs. He leaps to the front of the room body-blocking the chalked letters we’re supposed to copy into our marble notebooks.
With a spoon from his pocket, Dwayne excavates boogers while singing how he likes mowing down squirrels. We don’t believe him. Mrs. DeDeo returns. Dwayne begins mercy yowling. The fear in his voice chains John the Baptist between my ears. Imprisoned in one of Herod’s palace cells, John prays to receive Jesus’ blessing.
The following morning John will lose his head to dawn’s early light.
(I find joy in sharing bits and pieces of my childhood truths here with you. These memories make me smile – even the sad and odd ones. My inner-child lives as a constant reminder of humility and perseverance. Of kindness and compassion.
Each of our childhoods lingers near, our memories like shadows to embrace, to reshape, to share, to delete, to run from, to run toward…)
My flying squirrel was created with Tombow markers and Prisma pencils. I think he’s a few years old now.
Thank you,
am:)
anntogether 
how are you doing annmarie i was in the hospital 3 weeks due to my sister in an episode saying all this cruel stuff to me and real nasty saying im going to cost her job said she spent thousands of dollars on me and saved my life twice alice made me suicidal because she was doing this for days i went for help in the hospital great dr and they served me gluten in my food i had to stay in the bathroom throwing up for 3 hrs then i had a low sugar attack real low i couldnt move or talk a bunch of nurses surrounded me with a wheelchair took me to vitals room gave me a giant glass of orange juice retested i got a 81 i had a young guy i didnt like he had my back when i got high sugars from them forcing me to eat foods i didnt like he told me 200s are ok because it was a very dangerous low sugar attack i got pretty good numbers there and when i was home i was a bad boy still am eating ice cream i drink water and try indoor exercise. i have plenty of time ive been banging out good numbers with 6 weeks left until my a1c is taken. i got to work hard and the nurse said snacks like doritos are fine in moderation you need to be realistic its too cold for walks and the momentum has shifted. jane told me to cut myself some rope i lost the cat was trashed by alice and in the hospital. i wrote a musical for averi and sarah. sarah loves my weriting shes 38 and averi is 11 she is my friend’s daughter averi’s father really likes that i write about his daughter, averi is a gifted writer herself pilling up awards. i made them share the musical because no girl wants to be second choice. speak to me annmarie how are you doing? i hope you are banging out those books i posted on instagram a picture of me holding your book,.
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Dan – you’ve been going through so much. Your life has its challenges – often more than a person should have in their life – but you’ve carried yourself with dignity and you continue to persevere through it all – keep writing as you do – words can be wings when we need to fly – you are an amazing young man
annmarie:)
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