Charity Janisse

There are words
others use
for people like us
and some of them are not kind;
crazy
mad
solitary
delusional
tragic…
what have you
who cares.
I embrace them
I claim them
I love them.
You have to understand
that just because we see the world
differently than you do
and perhaps have seen
more enchantment and tragedy
in our unusual lives
than others have seen
in their
many peaceful years
there is nothing more right or wrong
with any of us
than there is with anyone else.

The world is different
than people think
there are hidden lights
shadows and mysteries
we remember them
we see them
when others forget
or cannot
that is all.

And we write those mysteries
we paint those thoughts unseen
we create music
from tunes we hear and feel
but could never quite explain
any other way
and we share our world
with you.
And you love it
you do
you love our vision
our passion
our “weirdness” our “madness”

While you shake your head at our tragic lives
of “solitude”
“confusion”
“hard living”
and “seclusion”
the truth is
that madness
that loneliness that can never be relieved
by any amount of company
it paints the paintings you see
it writes the stories you read
It creates every note
in the songs that you love
and every line that you’ll sing
time and again.

And they say
of us
what a shame
they are so talented and yet they
never could quite fit in
so troubled
so tragic
their story is.
But that is why
we create
the exquisite things we do;
If we ever for one minute
fit into your world
we would never be desperate enough
to write our stories
paint our pictures
play our songs
and attempt to share
the world we see
with you.

Charity