THE CURATED COURTSHIP: 2002 By the time Jason Singleton was a senior in college, he was the "Hope of the Heights." He was a man who smelled of laundry detergent and library books—the polar opposite of the cigarette smoke and metallic scent of the back room at Auntie Earl’s. Draco watched him from the shadows … Continue reading Excerpt 2 The Concrete Inheritance →

I don’t know exactly when the weight settled onto my shoulders, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve been carrying a Savior Complex. I had plenty of ways to justify it. I told myself it was empathy—that because I knew the sting of being left alone to figure things out, I wouldn't let … Continue reading Confessions of a Recovering “Fixer”: Why I Had to Resign as Savior →

This is an urban tragedy I’m currently writing. It based on real life experiences I was privy to, although not my own.

The room is the same, but the sight is gone, The edges are blurred where the day stood strong. I reach for the wall with a trembling hand, In a place I once knew, in a familiar land. The air is heavy, the shadows are deep, And promises made feel harder to keep. It’s a … Continue reading The Muscle Memory of the Soul →

Inadequacy is an actress, seeking stages where she can star, The heart skips a beat—misfires—when life isn’t up to par. Serrated heartaches and breaks have left deep, jagged scars Inside. Inside. Where negativity is a squatter, fighting for free living space, And my thoughts are Olympic runners in a never-ending race. Emotions play a predator’s … Continue reading Inside →

In the neighborhood where I grew up, we all had two identities. There was the one the streets gave you—the nicknames, the "Lil's," the aliases that felt like armor. Then there was the one on your birth certificate. We called it your "Government Name." Most of the time, hearing that full name meant you were … Continue reading The Power of a “Government Name”: How Three Syllables Can Save a Life →

Darkness is a liar; it tells you the room has changed. But the switch is where it’s always been— pinned between your faith and your memory. You are not lost. You are just fumbling until your hand remembers exactly where the Light resides.

Lord, keep me different,‘cause I already tried normaland honestly…It was exhausting. Keep me laughing at the wrong times(not too wrong, I still want friends),tripping over my own feetbut calling it choreography. When everyone zigzags,keep me confidently zigging,even if I forget why I started zigginghalfway through. Keep my weird thoughts weird,my jokes slightly delayed,and my personalitya … Continue reading Lord Keep Me Different →