This site is for my poetry and fiction. I am a survivor of child sexual abuse, and I write about that, as well as other subjects. I feel that it is very important to be honest and open about what I lived through, so that I can heal and so that I can communicate my joy in being alive and being my own person. It is important that the abusers not win, and they do if we stay scared and quiet. I will not be quiet, and I will not be scared.

Some music that has been helpful to me is "Just One Word" by the Story, on their CD Grace in Gravity, "I Will Stand Fast" by Fred Small on his CD I Will Stand Fast, and just about anything that has hope and joy in it, which is a great deal of music.

If you are a survivor reading this, please know that it was not your fault, your abuser was wrong, and it does not matter what you can tell me or anyone else about what you did or did not do. The abuser had no right to touch you, no right to hurt you, no right to do anything but behave appropriately toward you. You are good and brave and worthy, and I hope that someday you can read this and nod, or that you don't need to read it at all, since you know it in your heart.

I have been blessed with many friends who helped me over the years since I remembered about the abuse. I wish the same for any survivor who is reading this. Let your friends help you. They will if you give them a chance. One very special one taught me HTML so that I could make this site all by myself. Thank you, Alex.

Of course there have been many other friends who have helped, in no particular order: Jon, Mike, Jeff, Annet, Deborah, Mareen, Katja, Tinnean, Silk, and of course my beloved Greg. Some of these are no longer in my life, but I still acknowledge their caring, because it was there when I needed it.

Gail (gem225@hotmail.com)