Journeyman's Row

         Discovering tomorrow's future starts by discussing yesterday & today.

***  October 11, 2016  -  June 30, 2021  ***

“Flock Together”

Poem written by: Jim R. Irion

Two doves of a feather,

       stood on an empty road together,

When along came a grand fiberglass throng,

       a train of ungainly vehicles a mile long,

Many a sullen passenger were dressed in black,

       following an elderly couple leading the pack.

A decorated US veteran of the second World War,

       A dearly sweet beloved hailing from English shores,

They had been delayed by pompous restriction,

       What put the couple there was worse than fiction,

He fell ill with tremendous trouble breathing,

       She refused to leave his side despite her wheezing.

Similar sick patients were sent to the nursing home,

       Soon many of the elderly began departing in droves,

She wept and prayed, wanting, no... needing to stay,

       The staff had no choice; they must separate,

Truly heartbroken, tears streaming down her face,

       he reached out and said, I love you, my grace.

Tragically, one of their sons was following them,

       leaving behind his beloved wife and six children,

Before a decision was made regarding life support,

       scores of bikers arrived to pay respect once more,

Courage, sweat, tears and wheels, they ride together,

       a family protecting children no matter the weather.

As the vehicles approached one thing became clear,

       license plates showed the many miles traveled here,

They bore a shared weight of exhaustive weariness,

       By far the year before was anything less than serious,

As different looking as any one person could be,

       They were all still here as one human family.

High up in the sky more darkness approached,

       a thunderous maelstrom fit to rain fury below,

The doves looked at each other before nudging closer,

       This road was familiar to them but only a sojourn,

With a blink of their eyes and nod of their beak,

       they flew to follow the transient sadness and bleak.

Neither bird nor soul would make such a debate,

       Our time on Earth is much too shortened by fate,

Youngest of the six children was withdrawn and quiet,

       His older sister noticed; he was unable to hide it,

She hugged him close and said everyone needs a friend,

       Indeed the doves knew... to the very end.

Author's Note:  The following poetry contains as much fact-checked information
                         as possible.  This was to ensure the documented events are in
                         the most accurate chronological order possible.

“2020” ©

Poem written by: Jim R. Irion

America, my country, 'tis in misery;

       swallowed by viral hysteria and anarchy,

What were once jokes about perfect eyesight,

       devolved into strife too much for one life.

It began with an ongoing partisan impeachment inquiry,

       Nancy Pelosi delayed the Articles till mid-January,

When President Trump was acquitted in a ‘historic vote’,

       "He's impeached forever…," Pelosi made sure to gloat.

A new Coronavirus was emerging as a notable dilemma,

       So, Trump sought restricted travel to and from China,

Joe Biden tweeted his objection on social media,

       "We need to lead the way with science… not xenophobia."

February 24th, the Stock Market crashed worse since 2008,

       Senators Burr, Inhofe, Loeffler, and Feinstein were safe,

COVID-19, Wuhan virus; many debated what name to say,

       No one was prepared for March, April, or May…

March came in like a lion; out went toilet paper,

       Panic buying left fewer necessities to shop for,

The avalanche of panic-buying memes was peculiar to behold,

       Seeing the elderly unable to buy enough groceries was cold!

Daycares, bars, restaurants, retail, and much more,

       businesses large and small were ordered to close their doors,

High schools and colleges shut down across the nation,

       Thousands of aspiring seniors would miss their graduations.

Countless current students had to rely on homeschooling,

       Many dutiful parents found this rightfully challenging,

How do you explain to a child what a pandemic is?

       Hats off to all the parents who had to handle this.

One governor after another mandated draconian lockdowns,

       Test-positive patients were being sent to nursing homes,

There was an exception with Pennsylvania's Dr. Rachel Levine,

       She removed her 95-year-old mother from what type of facility?

Some governors declared religious services were non-essential,

       Many safely worshipped providing guidance that was valuable,

Lowes and Walmart stayed open.  Small businesses had to stay closed,

       Planned Parenthood abortions were they restricted? No.

Preventive medical care and mental health facilities,

       which millions of people use for quality of life needs,

turned patients away and switched to teleconferences,

       The increased isolation lead to more tragic deaths.

March 27th, just for Knox County Tennessee,

       in 48 hours their suicide rate topped COVID-19,

Those who needed or benefited from in-person treatments,

       had to suffer without them; some succumbed to their symptoms.

Frontline workers had to keep providing essential services,

       Many feared the risk to their families, especially any kids,

Mechanics, paramedics, cashiers, nurses, janitors, and truck drivers,

       Gov. Wolf's former cabinet company in Pennsylvania got a waiver.

On April Fools' Day, there was a tragic announcement,

       "Probably the youngest person ever to die of COVID

has died here in Connecticut." Gov. Lamont said,

       Dr. James Gill hadn't even determined cause of death!

Reports began to emerge of a troubling discrepancy,

       Unrelated causes of death were counted as COVID-19,

"… is assumed to have caused…," the CDC did permit,

       We will never truly know what the death toll actually is.

Unemployment at its highest since the Great Depression,

       Pelosi blocked renewing the program for Paycheck Protection,

Stimulus bills were passed with big government provisions,

       While low-income families struggled to feed their children.

Then came late mandatory mask-wearing when out in public,

       Governors pushed this CDC guideline despite its flawed logic,

In Chelsea, Massachusetts, there was a Coronavirus case study,

       "We found that 31.5% of those individuals had antibodies."

South Dakota Gov. Noem bravely chose to stay the course,

       despite opposition that her state lockdown should be enforced,

Numerous peaceful lockdown protests were organized nationwide,

       In spite of defending civil rights they were heavily criticized.

April 23rd, there was disturbing news from Queens in New York City,

       The NY Post's article echoed Hitler's Nazi Germany,

Body bags had been sent with each test-positive patient,

       They were not even dead from the Coronavirus yet!

As governors reopened their states using incremental stages,

       news coverage overwhelmed viewers with daily statistics,

Stores attempted to enforce mask-wearing like a law,

       Some people were bullied with the mentality of a mob.

Gov. Newsome threatened closure of California beaches,

       Did he close Orange County's for being conservatives?

In early May, barber shops and salons were both under siege,

       Ask salon owner Shelley Luther and barber Karl Manke.

Luther opened her salon early to feed her husband and kids,

       She served two days in jail for a Texas judge's arrogance,

Michigan Gov. Whitmer's attacks on Manke were relentless,

       Fined, forced to close, Dana Nessel suspended his license.

"This is really quite an exciting time…," Pelosi did say,

       Politicians left and right kept getting their generous pay,

One commercial after another, "We're in this together."

       Forgetting Pelosi's chocolate ice cream in April was absurd.

Governors followed CDC guidelines that were contradictory,

       Despite the CDC having downgraded COVID death rate quietly,

Why were the liberal news media caught not paying attention?

       SpaceX entrepreneur Elon Musk wrote, "Good question."

Dan Horowitz pointed out patients sent to U.S. nursing homes,

       pulled up the Case Fatality Rate, the data clearly showed,

"An astounding 62 percent of all COVID-19 deaths

       were in the six states confirmed to have done this."

Kayleigh McEnany did White House press briefings with conviction,

       From his basement, Biden's handlers managed his communication,

Fears of contact tracing being used as spying were a mess,

       Apple's mobile software update only made matters worse.

Charlamagne tha God did an interview with nominee Joe Biden,

       but Biden had a difficult time hiding his racism,

"If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me…

       … then you ain't black." Biden replied—ignorantly.

The following week, CNN redefined Biden's interview,

       What they didn't know, on May 25th, murder was in the news,

A Minneapolis cop killed George Floyd over modest forgery,

       with a white knee to his neck for all in the world to see.

African American residents protested police brutality,

       Within two days, a wave of looting began shamelessly,

White ANTIFA agitators were spotted and told to leave,

       Mayor Frey allowed the city to be consumed by chaos and grief.

A local firefighter, Korboi Balla, spent his life savings,

       to open his own sports bar which was delayed by COVID-19,

Violent rioters burned it down and other essential businesses,

       hurting Stephanie Wilford and other poor black residents.

St. Paul, Los Angeles, Denver, Louisville, New York City,

       Atlanta, Seattle, Chicago, Washington D.C.,

A surge of looting and violence erupted across the country,

       What happened to the COVID-19 narrative was a mystery.

If black lives mattered, because they unquestionably should,

       what about former officers David Dorn or Patrick Underwood?

Killed by rioters and looters who shot the men dead,

       The liberal news media largely ignored them instead.

Minnesota Gov. Walz was quick to blame "White supremacists",

       while CNN and MSNBC blamed Russians for the riots,

The Southern Poverty Law Center disagreed and disputed,

       "I have not seen any clear evidence…," Howard Graves said.

Well-equipped ANTIFA members assaulted people on live TV,

       Prior ANTIFA manuals advised which cops were "friendly LEs",

Therefore, law enforcement helping them is possible now too,

       If crooked cops are killing blacks it is crucial to prove.

As the rioting continued strange items were being found,

       hidden in communities shortly before violence broke out,

Glass bottles, lead pipes, pallets of construction bricks,

       Are baseball bats used to peacefully protest with?

Historic St. John's Episcopal Church in D.C. was set on fire,

       Since James Madison, every president attended services there,

1st black Civil War regiment monument was defaced by rioters,

       How can such a racist act validate George Floyd supporters?

Conservative political analyst Tucker Carlson had enough,

       In a June 1st evening monologue, he had much to discuss,

Entitled, "Our leaders dither as our cities burn,"

       he ripped news media and politicians with intense concern.

Tony Dungy offered guidance to comfort those that suffered,

       "We need to listen. And we need to care about each other.

Even those we might disagree with," before quoting the Bible,

       Dungy's heartfelt words were wise, calm, and humble.

Media figures returned to freaking out over social distance,

       after self-righteously supporting violent social justice,

North Carolina Gov. Cooper revived forgotten COVID-19 lies,

       A full-scale Trump convention unlikely due to CDC guidelines.

Minneapolis City Council sought to disband its police force,

       Seattle's "CHAZ" was established with socialism at its source,

If this was not enough, progressive cancel culture returned,

       Elmer Fudd lost his gun. Gone With The Wind was purged.

Political, corporate, and media elites won't stop their agenda,

       United we stand or divided we fall; We the people of America,

What shocks me the most about the chaos during all of this,

       The year 2020 is only half over with…

Official YouTube video recording

"2020"

Official #WalkAway Campaign Facebook Group

My WalkWith Story

 

This is a list of the countries I have reached with my poem:

• All 50 US States*, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Republic of Singapore,
            Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand,
            Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, South Africa, Nigeria,
            Namibia, Uganda, Spain, the UK, Czech Republic, Norway,
            Luxembourg, Italy, Ukraine, Greece, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan,
            & Bangladesh — every major continent around the world.

© 2020 Jim R. Irion.

My poem is protected under Fair Use copyright law.

Formal publishers must contact me first.

“A Loving Juliet”

Poem written by: Jim R. Irion

It is an honest shame,

       an empty terrible pain,

not to have had a chance yet

       to find a loving Juliet.

Plenty of times I have tried;

       many times they have lied.

I wanted the commitment.

       They flaunted being ignorant.

I tried the clichéd hero role,

       the compassionate and caring Romeo,

the knight in shining armor,

       that nice guy in the corner.

I put myself on the line,

       regardless of the day or time.

No matter what it would take;

       felt like the right choice to make.

Now, most of my peers

       have found their dears.

I feel like I’m the last

       guy picked for gym class.

Missed opportunities all along;

       never knowing what I did wrong.

So many missed social cues.

       Autism had me confused.

By then, it was too late.

       I was almost thirty eight.

Here I am all alone.

       No Juliet to call my own.

Melanie, Becky, Lacey, Jenny;

       just the first four of many.

What does it matter now?

       I’m almost forty anyhow.

No sexy good looks

       or bulging muscles to flex.

No fat pay checks

       or flashy new cars yet.

I already tried online dating

       when I thought my luck was fading.

All I got was more chicanery.

       Then I stopped because of misery.

I don’t know what to do anymore

       to find this true love I pine for.

Before I invest in a casket...

       I long to find a loving Juliet.

“There Is A Time”

Poem written by: Jim R. Irion

There is a time for pain

       that can send you reeling.

There is a time for love.

       Oh the unrivaled feeling.

The Darkness in thee.

       The Light in thou.

Balance them equally.

       It is possible to do.

All prayers could feel lost.

       Not much hope left in sight.

I have been there and back.

       I know what this is like.

Many people think me nuts.

       I’m a talker and a realist.

Why won’t I just shut up?

       It’s my nature to be honest.

Does sunlight not shine

       creating so many shadows?

The good, the bad in life

       are nothing to be afraid of.

So charge through the fog

       and grasp the Light.

Pierce the Darkness

       despite its might.

You’re not too negative.

       Don’t let them shame you.

Remember I was here.

       Tell that to them too.

“Social Media Syndrome”

Poem written by: Jim R. Irion

That moment you stop scrolling

       through your Facebook news feed;

all your friend's happy lives

       you've just irrevocably seen.

How sad this time of year

       can be without someone.

Since I'm in the mood

       here is my poem about one.

This is nothing you want to read.

       My "someone, someday" is not with me.

All these pictures with your kids.

       Partners, pets, the smiles and grins.

Friends or family, would I really be missed?

       Maybe someday I may end up testing this.

Too many friends my life is no part of.

       React with a ❤️, please show me some love.

I'm sorry I'm not a more popular person.

       Accomplished, married, any number of children.

I try, I hope, to be like many of you.

       Next year though, I just hope to see it through...

My daily headaches have not stopped yet.

       Someday soon I may not wake up again.

I think back to high school all those years ago.

       Who am I? With nothing to show.

If you're reading this, and truly do care,

       please don't unfriend me if you have love to spare.

A genuine act of generous kindness

       can still help when my life is toughest.

“Souls and Soulmates”

Poem written by: Jim R. Irion

Somewhere nearby

       yet no way to know

       they may be thinking of you?

So close yet so far

       from that cherished first smile.

       What can you possibly do?

Guesses galore.

       No idea at all

       who they could be?

You think back

       to that Avatar film,

       "(She) must also choose me."

You've lived your life.

       Too many breaths to count.

       Unknown if your lover exists.

Those who haven't found

       their significant others,

       you know the toll this exacts.

You wonder when.

       You weep, then.

       So empty and incomplete.

Ever feel as if

       your soulmate is within

       but just out of reach?

They could be

       thinking about you,

       writing poems this cute.

Should it be me

       I wouldn't have a clue.

       I miss every social cue.

Grab the collar of my shirt.

       Kiss me you flirt.

       I will make breakfast in bed.

If I happen to not

       wake up soon enough

       I'll buy you flowers instead.

I know how this feels...

       Wondering why you are here.

       Everyone has found someone.

I know I'm inexperienced.

       Too many relationship gaps.

       Could I be a father to your children?

Too much going on?

       If you're not ready yet

       I kinda feel that way too.

Whatever you do,

       whomever you choose,

       I'll be right here waiting for you.

“I Could D;e Tomorrow”

Poem written by: Jim R. Irion

People who do not know what lies

       behind these dull brown eyes.

Too preoccupied with your lives,

       nor the time to ask me why.

Unfamiliar with mental health.

       Inexperienced with how to help.

It's some of those who know better

       that have made life a living hell.

People who have been intolerant

       of free speech and opinion

have claimed to be anti-stigma,

       but exclude me from their agenda.

"Stuff your "all due respect," Jim",

       followed by blocked on Facebook.

Oh what bigotry I have been gifted

       for just a single election vote.

People who identify as LGBT

       have been encouraged to hate me.

Sympathy for his cancer scare.

       Let me know what the tests show.

"Message me, say one bad word...

       I will contact the law" (on you).

A threat for being compassionate?

       He is popular and protected.

I hope he has no cancer, though.

       Even if he punches me again in public.

I pitched my anti-bullying article

       to another who blocked me on Facebook.

"im not sure this is of any interest

       to anyone in the group".

Such ignorance from an LGBT member

       bullied on a bus three years ago.

People who are so deeply consumed

       by pettiness and bigotry...

What were those subtle "signs" again?

       The ones many are late to see?

This intolerance, anger, and hypocrisy

       is inexcusable if you ask me.

After all I could die tomorrow,

       and would be missed by so many.

Not missed like that. I'm sorry.

       As if I do not exist at all.

A cherished several, maybe fifty

       if I am lucky and likeable,

would actually miss me when I'm gone.

       More than I may ever truly know.

Bless your hearts. I love you all!

       You know exactly who you are.

So, this could be a suicide note

       to end my pathetic life.

It could easily be one day to live

       before I die from a weakened heart.

What if I suffered through addiction,

       or struggled with cancer?

I learned from Martin Luther King Jr.

       Judge by content of character.

My Dad once taught me:

       do not throw stones in someone's path.

One thing I learned from suicide:

       all lives matter no matter what.

Can this world still be saved?

       Just re-read this poetry.

Share it with those who hate you,

       because I care about them too.

I've never believed in my future,

       and in fact I still don't.

I am doing what I believe I must do.

       I will make it. I have to.

I might not know how to save myself.

       If there is a single breath in me

I will not give up on th;s.

       Neither will I give up on you.

“Not Forgotten Or Remembered”

Poem written by: Jim R. Irion

I long to challenge this affliction of mine

       for all of you, for the better.

I want to hang on to this life

       as long as I possibly can.

To stay and live in the hopes

       of creating positive change.

To actually advance mental health awareness

       and improve suicide prevention.

Selfishly; by helping others.

       Selflessly, though I'm struggling.

I am not all that

       remarkable of a person.

But I may have become

       something more than expected.

I can fight these battles

       that many never could.

I am not an Avenger,

       but I am an advocate.

I cannot live with myself

       if someone is being abusive.

How can anyone live with

       someone dying young from misery?

Enough was enough all those years ago

       when a classmate took his life.

Enough was enough all those days ago

       when a classmate drowned from addiction.

We cry from all this unbearable pain.

       We wipe away a thousand tears.

How could I possibly settle for

       giving sincere condolences?

Their lives are worth far more than mine.

       No one can prove otherwise.

I want their sacrifices to be meaningful,

       truly honoring every moment of silence.

I don't want to be forgotten.

       I don't want to be remembered.

I want to change the course of history,

       or trade my life for theirs.

Amidst all of life's daily issues, thousands of people still struggle in dreadful silence for a shamed, unspoken reason. Some are willing and able to talk about it. But only a few are actually strong enough to do something about it, in others, even while braving their own menacing storm.

“Th;s”

Poem written by: Jim R. Irion

Many of you may never know

       what was going through their mind.

Most still don't or will not

       understand why.

When the signs are, or were...

       supposedly missed.

How the pain can linger

       and lead to relapses.

Point a finger. Whose fault it was.

       Blame is not that important.

Or why do it at all??

       The nerve. The selfishness...

Yeah. Good one.

Especially when we are so

       deceptively surrounded

by people who think they know you,

       and assume to know your feelings.

As if humanity has always been

       so dearly sweet and welcoming.

Why can't we all just get along?

       That is the bloody problem.

Getting along should not be cliché;

       scapegoating negative attitudes.

No. It does not matter

       that I am almost thirty eight.

Wow. Who is this guy?

       He must have it great!

Dressed well. Still living at home.

       Oh so young still, many joke...

What's the matter with him?

       Why no career yet?

What are you waiting for?

       Id-i-ot.

Is it starting to

       sink in any, yet?

I'm an enemy of society,

       and for not choosing sides.

Is this really

       such a surprise?

Gay pride or politics.

       Employed or unemployed.

African American or Caucasian.

       Christian or Muslim.

Homeless in shelters

       or high-rise owners.

Reformed addict, currently addicted, or prison time.

       Mental health recovery, still struggling, or institutionalized.

Oh, but you missed us;

       scattered all around.

The ones who just want to live

       yet feel so ready to die.

; know why...

It is time our society SToPS

       with divisiveness, hatred, and hypocrisy.

This kind of pain actually kills people.

       Every. Single. Day.

Bright, caring, funny,

       as compassionate as can be.

The most wonderful people

       you will ever hope to meet.

I consider myself fortunate

       to have lived amongst them.

Unfortunately it is true.

       I live on borrowed time, too.

All these years I have not been able

       to choose a single career

without feeling I just don't know

       what to do with my life here.

Suddenly, my age nearly doubles.

       Sometimes it feels crippled.

Or worse without having found

       a partner, no kids, or a purpose.

Even less of a reason to live.

       I hope I don't overdo it.

I am a survivor of suicide loss,

       and a suicide attempt survivor.

Honestly, my pain has yet to heal.

       I'm sorry if the truth is difficult.

The sooner people accept this,

       the sooner you can save us.

Just please don't hold out

       too much hope for me...

Helping each of you

       is my reason to be.

Not all of us make it.

       But some of us do.

Th;s is for

       all of you.

<3

#ThePainIsVeryReal

#TheLoveIsRealToo

#ItMattersHowPeopleAreTreated

#MakeThisGoViral

“Mentally Ill?”

Poem written by: Jim R. Irion
(click on title for web URL*)

I am not mentally ill.

I have a mental illness.

It does not define me,

       or who I can be.

My mental health is important.

       Both to me, my friends and family.

I chose to address my mental illness

       properly and promptly.

I know in my heart,

       what has hurt from the start.

Mental health is important to me,

       as it is to help everyone I see.

All lives really do matter;

       not one over the other.

I am a suicide attempt survivor.

       I know we deserve this life of ours.

Because of you I know why I am here...

Life is worth so much more

       than I ever knew all these years before.