Rosie says it well

what still remains

06.27.09 at 12:13 am in in the news, fame, love 

after i heard he died
we went on the boat 
to watch the sunset 
I felt numb 

nothing - empty 
his life the Hollywood dream 
his death it's bitter truths 
lonely

the light once flowed thru him 
directly from the source 
a shining stream  poured out of him 
never ending

few can even imagine the high of that 

and the confusion it must bring 
when u somehow become 
what u saw in the others 
who came before u

the ones who made u dream of dancing
revered him 
fred astaire phoned
the boy from gary indiana

the boy who had the beauty beaten out of him 
by the man who gave him life
then put him to work at 5 
childhood lost 

with no remember when - 2 get back 2 

money cant buy it 
publicists can deny it 
but u must live it 
ur truth 

so what exactly do we mourn
 the man 
the music 
the myth 

we all saw him suffer
as his face fell in on itself 
friends and family unable to reach in 
he unable to reach out 

many made millions 
 looking the other way 
as he invited young boys to his bed
he turned into the thing he loathed 

the man in the mirror
had no idea how to change his ways 

"i've lived my life the lonely 
a soul that cries of shame 
with handicapped emotions
save me now from what still remains"

so now the crowds gather
endless tributes 
 the kind of love and adoration he seemed to crave
and he is not here to feel any of it 

breaks my heart in every way 
for his children 
for the child he was 
for the dreams he tried to live up to 

i turned the boat around 
looking at my 2 young children
happy with the wind in their hair
salty sea spray splashing their tiny faces

a storm was moving in 
there thru the clouds 
a beautiful rainbow appeared
and finally i cried

compassion 
forgiveness
the only way thru is thru 
start with u 

Legally (hyphen) Married

So much good news for gay rights and same sex marriage but after seeing another YouTube video expressing so much love and commitment, I have changed my mind. Same Sex marriage should have nothing to do with love or with state's rights - it is a Federal level issue of Civil Rights and of Separation of Church and State.

Gay people have been getting Married since at least the 80's; maybe not in the eyes of most religions or religious organizations but in the eyes of their family, friends and their God. What they haven't gotten is any recognized legal rights except in a handful of states and countries.

What same sex couples and couples overall want is to be Legally-Married.

Legally is the government issuing a license to two people who have decided that they want to be joined together so they can receive over 1000 legal rights - including taxes, hospital, death, emigration, parental, inheritance etc. This is recognized on the state, federal and international levels and does not require the approval or involvement of religious organizations. If a couple doesn't want any legal rights or benefits, they can be Married (no hyphen).

Hyphen is the joining of Legally and Married so that one man and one woman (because Federal doesn't recognize same sex Legallys)  can have all the rights and happiness of being Legally-Married. 

Married is celebrating the request of two people to be joined in love in the eyes of their God, their friends and their family.  It is usually performed/controlled by a religious organization but is not required i.e. commitment ceremonies. 

Divorce ends Legally, involves lots of paperwork and usually a lawyer. It is what the government requires to terminate the license that gave two people over 1000 legal rights. Divorce is accepted by religious organizations and ends Married but religious organizations don't have ceremonies, words or procedures, they just follow the government. However, some religious organizations do require an annulment to get Married by them a second or third or more time.

Death ends Legally-Married but still requires lots of paperwork and a lawyer from the government to end Legally but nothing from religious organizations to end Married.

State regulation controls the state level rights and the conditions of which two people can be Legally - age, family relations (some states allow 1st cousins others don't), sex of people, number of people and historically but, no longer, race and/or religion.

Federal accepts and recognizes all state regulations for Legally and adds additional federal rights EXECPT for State Legallys that are between people of the same sex. Federal, to my knowledge, also does not recognize Legallys of the same sex from other countries for emigration and probably hospital visitation . This, President Obama, makes same sex Legally a Federal issue. 

I was engaged to be married. I got down on one knee in the middle of a restaurant on Valentine's Day, he said yes and I slipped the ring on his finger. It didn't end in marriage but I would like to get married when I find the right man.