BLOODLINE

Oh woeful tale, oh woeful tale and yet it is so, and no one can change it, so we sympathise with all who suffer hereditary diseases and wish them the strength to make of their lives something positive in spite of their pain, their anguish and their anger at the fact. This you do so nobly and with such dignity of verse that we are continually forced by your fine poems to bow in acknowledgement of a master of words and thoughts so well produced and expounded. I have said it before we are in awe, not only because of the poetry but because of how you handle the beasts giving them no arm to bite with your determination to champion yourself as a person of worth. It is good, superbly good what can we say more? Your Annuccia with love and respect.

Sigh. Who knows these things? In my family, apparently my grandmother on my father's side, my father suffered from Bipolar (other relatives are in Europe, so I don't know that history); both my brother and I have been spared, though he was subject to drugs & alcohol, and me, I'm the *perfect* poet, vacillating between euphoria/bliss/ecstasy and misery/sadness/depression. Neither of my children nor my grandson are bipolar, though they too, have their demons. After all is said and done, in a very real sense, we are mere chemicals interacting. Much love to you, Longo. My 11 yr old "grandaughter" and my daughter's partner's brother's wife have MD, she has a daughter who just turned 5. ~A

An enjoyable piece; thanks for the footnotes, for the explanations enabled me to have a chance to understand this heartfelt poem of what must have been difficult situations; it's never easy to lose loved ones, but three to the same disease. Have you considered being tested to see if you're at risk? --Joe