In Your Own Words — June 2019
Virginia Bryant (Credit: Giles Clasen)
Shit, YES, I have Daddy Issues
How about your issues? Whatcha got?
By Virginia Bryant, VOICE vendor
My last glance, you there in your casket, in the Bullock Mortuary, as big in death as in life. So they called you God’s soldier, eh? Curious, isn’t it, that you felt so entitled to take over a woman’s life in every which way you could?
So, say, did you notice that I had brought my Marvelous Marv with me? No, no, he was the one in the wheelchair and I the one pushing it. A great healer, this veterinarian. Well, before his massive stroke rendered him of such little American value. Really, doctor and all? I bet he wanted Doctor Kevorkian.
Hey, I think that was just great, you and your monied wife dashed around this town to find a nursing home for him. Did you actually think I’d let you near him as he lay near death in a Rose hospital bed? You never giving up an opportunity to convert my Jewish husband to your Christianity. I wasn’t going to let you near him. And then you interrupted my crisis, his crisis with your crisis…always intruding upon my life! Bastard! The ole so Reverend Dr. Bryant. Aptly born on April Fool’s Day. You were, indeed, a cruel practical joke upon my life. If there is a hell, you’re burning for what you did to Mom and I.
Oh yeah, Mom. Remember her, Dad? She, the schoolteacher, who left me to go spend the majority of her abbreviated life, teaching those other kids in Sedalia. Her words for the last months of her life, “I wish I were dead!” So lonely in life, her back to me, as she sat on the back patio of her dream house high on that hill near Castle Rock.
That green lawn, and below that two snow forts where I remember playing “bombard the others” with snowballs. Croquet on that green grass. A picture of the Bryant men out there. None of the women, of course. Did I forget to bow in obedience or something? Such an arrogant man in so many ways. Making everyone stand up when you, this time as the principal, entered my 7th grade classroom.
I know that it might be a little late here, you the master and me your totally fucked and afraid girl, being that it is now 2019 and now human in your death on June 12, 1984…about time, don’t you think? Jesus, what took you so long?
Of course, I started thinking the same thing about Marvelous Marv. He was hopeless the moment his spoiled children banished me as his caretaker, dumped him in a nursing home, and ran off to their carefree lives. He never had any bedsores when I was his caretaker/manager at home.
So hard, so heartbreaking. Did not know how that was going to end. Little or no family, friends going, going, gone. Thank God for the The Reciprocity Collective, Mama (i.e. Mary Putnan), and the Denver VOICE.
It strikes me I am in kind of the same place, few people hanging. I can’t even get the VA to show up under their Hippocratic oath.
Oh what dad? You found the 72 virgins? So how goes it, Dad? You still doing your peep show in the boxer shorts?
All this, and I had to deal with the VA again today. Couple of nice women, though. I found my doctor quacking. This suicide mission they are on is a farce. Hey, you’re supposed to stop veterans from killing themselves. Not making them hurt so badly they want to just fucking die. ■
Raelene Johnson (Credit: Jesse Borrell)
What Will You Do?
By Raelene Johnson, VOICE vendor
Will you walk away from someone in need? Will you turn away from someone in pain? Will you look away, knowing you could change things if you stepped up? Will you be able to live with yourself knowing you could have helped someone and didn’t?
Will you not change things, if you can? Will you only act if someone sees you, so you can be praised and make yourself feel good?
Will you care about others? Will you be scared to help others?
Will you show love to someone today? Will you give all of yourself to someone today? Will you give kindness to everyone today? Will you love yourself today?
Will you love Mother Earth today? Will you pick up litter or spread it? Will you share food with someone hungry? Would you give a coat to someone cold, or walk by and not care? If you saw a child or animal in trouble would you help?
Why do most people say someone else should help? You ask “why should I be the first to do something?” I say why not you?
My must angry words come out more than kind words? Why do we break people down instead of building them up?
Why is love and peace so hard to give or receive? Why is frowning easier than smiling? Why is forgiving someone who hurt us so hard? Even if in the end we are set free. Why is hating so easy and loving so hard?
Why can’t we just love each other so we can take pain away? Let us help Earth, not cause more harm to it or others.
I hope I’ve made you think! ■
Nathanial Trotter (Credit: Giles Clasen)
A Proposal for the NFL World’s Fair
By Nathanial Trotter, VOICE vendor
I have been a Denver VOICE vendor for seven years now, as of May 15th. I love the people of Denver and I love Denver itself. I am a big Denver Broncos fan, too, and God has given me the talent to make this historic and amazing four-piece art set. It includes a framed picture of John Elway and Peyton Manning printed on canvas, a 3-D display of Elway and Manning, an official-sized football, and a Denver Broncos helmet.
But hold onto your seats! All four of these art pieces include some of the real Super Bowl XXXII end-zone turf! Plus, Super Bowl 50 golden confetti and grass clippings taken right from the fields where Elway and Manning played five historic games.
The turf and confetti are from two of the Broncos’ Super Bowl wins against the Packers and the Panthers. The real grass clippings are from these three historic games: Manning’s first official win as a Broncos player against the Steelers, when Manning threw for seven touchdowns in one game (matching the single-game record against the Ravens), and the game when Manning and the Broncos broke all those single-season records against the Raiders.
Football is the most popular sport in this country, and there have been thousands of quarterbacks in the NFL, the most popular position in this most popular sport. But John Elway and Peyton Manning go on the Mount Rushmore of NFL quarterbacks as two of the all-time best.
When they put their signatures on this four-piece art set, I’m going to put it into the conversation as one of the 20 most amazing pieces of sports memorabilia of all time. Not only in the top 20, but it must go in the top 10!
Now, this four-piece art set will be the spearhead to start my idea for an amazing world spectacle: “The NFL World’s Fair!” The “NFL World’s Fair” is an amazing 24-event spectacular to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the NFL. The “World’s Fair” will be hosted right here in Denver, making this the most famous football city in the world!
I am not a professional speaker, but I made a video to talk more about the World’s Fair to show and tell my ideas. Just pay close attention to what I’m showing and telling and be flabbergasted! Go to Youtube and check out my two amazing videos, just search “historic football art” and “Football World’s Fair.”
The 24 amazing events I have come up with are all things football and will make Denver the Disney World of football. Football fans from all over America and the world will come here to the Mile High City every year to share the ongoing “NFL World’s Fair” experience. The top companies in America and the world will pay millions of dollars to sponsor and advertise in this world spectacle!
Come on Broncos Country, let’s make history together! All those who want to join me in this historic movement may email me at eze122128@yahoo.com. History awaits! Thank you, and God Bless. ■