After reflecting on how far I've come on my earthly and spiritual journey...thru highs and lows...ebbs and flows...thru the usual daily micro and macro aggressions, I soothed my love. While great strides have been made, feelings of hope and helplessness well up from time to time...health issues from stress emerge from time to time...both of us work hard, supporting one another to maintain our dignity...sometimes to the point of exhaustion...adding stress to our relationship, changing careers and interests often to adapt to our vision changes...and pervasive systemic realities. I tactile whispered to my love, "Honey, I love you no matter what...whether you have a BS degree or no degree (you have a degree in putting up with ignorant BS). I am here for you and will continue to love you, no matter what. Everything will be alright...we will make it." My love's eyes watered, mine, too...and we just stared into the tunnel passages of each other's eyes, caressing and kissing each other, taking a deep breath, exhaling, cuddling...

(Adapted from my facebook post 2/27/14)

© Rossana Reis, 2015

Disability as an adjective is uncool and unimaginative
All this ableist promotion conveying negative notions
does nothing to impress... all this does is oppress.

You mean unaware, oblivious or ignore
not blind, blind to, blinded by, turn a blind eye

You mean uninformed, ignorant or disregard
not deaf, deaf to, fall on deaf ears, turn a deaf ear

You mean outrageous, unreasonable or irrational
not crazy, nuts, mad, maniac, psycho, lunatic, insane

You mean illogical, meaningless, or pointless
not retarded, imbecile, stupid, idiot

You mean conscientious, meticulous or precise
not OCD and the like

You mean overly excited or awkward
not spastic or spaz

You mean inhibited or damaged
not crippled or disabled

You mean unconvincing or baseless
not lame or feeble

This list goes on and on
It would take all day long
Do not use disability in haste
or else you will have recklessly poor taste
Alternatives all over Tumblr
Check it out, quite a number
Let's get creative and meditative
It would be so much appreciated

© Rossana Reis, 2015

Ping ponging between moving chatters
Gestures, gists, do I really matter
Protactile, captions, transcripts are grand
My whole consciousness and vision expand

A cobra, canary, cougar or cow
Making guesses out of cumulus clouds
Unless I am given a useful clue
Not sure what value and respect it's due
Image, video descriptions solve codes
Synapses fire, messages uploads

A restful night of sleep is a blessing
Awake with aches, I will not be dressing
Overwhelmed, sometimes to myself, I'm unkind
My muscles reeling behind my ambitious mind
Smiling, laughing, sun shining on my soul
Depth and meaning, I crave to fill my hole

Misread assumptions based on preconceived notions
Presuming I've not yet chosen or been chosen
I breathe, share space with much love and delight
Queer is a way of being, a birthright

During family festas, I feel unease
I studied English, Spanish, and Portuguese
Can they learn ASL, LSM, or LIBRAS
So we can have more bate-papos com vida?

© Rossana Reis, 2015

Dor

The pressure on my point
The pain of my curves
The crack of my twists
The aches of my wrings
The needles thru my thumbs
The slips of my steps
The stings of the cold
I give all these to you

Dom da Dor

The reflections of beauty
The slivers thru my fingers
The dips of my brushes
The sores of my strokes
The joys of my colors
The glares of my glee
The dances of my pupils
The throbbing of my temples
I tenderly accept

© Rossana Reis, 2014

Soul dreamin, spirit guidin
Lickers wick grabbin

Ablaze! Dare to exist!

Body slowin, mind spinnin
Shoulders brushin, fingers hushin

Let your glory take its toll!

Self-love oozin, needs floodin
Eyes rollin, whispers flutterin

You're so utterly worth it!

Hips knockin, struts tappin
Unmutual obstructs, entangled rebuts

Your torch se guia, não será perdida!

© Rossana Reis, 2014