My name is John and I have been dealing with bi-polar since 1971, in my youth it wasn’t so.
My home in all its cozy warmth with varied friendships, a brethren of colorful personalities.
Roller-skating in my best friend’s cellar in circles around the coal boiler, our exciting world.
My life colorful from birth with all the mischief a child could navigate, eggs thrown at the neighbors.
We were all who we were, and acceptance was exploring forest land uncharted, together.

Ma always said that I was impressionable, call someone a dog and I would bark at them.
I was a follower in a race that never ended, in my youth I was a marble following a bowling ball.

Ma moved us all to her dream environment, a lake with fishy odor and an inboard called Red Devil.
My world turned to dark contrast, there in that small town where I was like the unmix of water on oil.
Rejected by my peers for seeking undue attention, like chasing girls for a scare.
Just needed to be under wings, as I had been, looked out for by my peers once kindred spirits.
Just wanted friends, Instead, was a target for acceptance, but had no bow and arrow to shoot back.
Constant bullying made me one to strike out, at everything, I became Bully known as a shrew to all.
Takes one to know one and there were a lot of ones, rejection is a strife, I was alone.

But It is said time heals all wounds, but the scars, the scars remain, they just get tough as leather.
Being bullied made me who I am, I have looked at acceptance from both sides now and I am strong.
~Life is a Bully~