exhaustion from empathy

i wonder if its possible to feel the emotional toll of my home state from so many miles away
today to see the article the michigan has the highest unemployment in the country
to know my brothers job is tied to construction and thus the economy and thus is super tenuous and his is the main income for their family of six and two dogs
to know how many people of my chosen and of origin family are looking at hand to mouth and struggle and some serious worry about ends meeting

my heart feels tired
and i feel like my insides are running between the states
trying to hold some of the energy together
so it doesn't all just fall apart.

Queer Open Mic Pride Kick Off

Hey Kids
Don't forget now - this Friday is the last QOM of June!
The amazing Daphne Gottlieb is featuring with special guest Sarah Katherine Lewis.
The open mic sign up starts at 730 sharp and I say get there early this time as folks are getting ready to get their art on!
Remember - open mic readers get five minutes to read one piece or less.

Rock and roll folks. I couldn't be happier than to have Daphne, who was one of the absolute first features at QOM to share this last dance with me, and Mollena hosting with me - who came to my very first open mic reading in SF with me years ago. It's all kinda making me misty. Plus we're popping Sarah-Katherine's open mic reading cherry!!! This has been an amazing group of readers and regulars for a long time for me. It's like my own little SF Artsy Fartsy grad school and this is my graduation. I hope you can be there.

This Friday!!!!
8pm!
Queer Open Mic, feat. Daphne Gottlieb with special guest Sarah Katherine Lewis

* Vince & Pete's Three Dollar Bill Cafe
* 1800 Market @ Octavia
* San Francisco