
Every time I walk past the mural on the street where I used to live, I stop and stare at it. Memories of my friend, Jesse flood my mind. He was a phenomenal artist. I honestly think he was born to be one. It was his passion. It was what made him a beacon of hope for us. He rose above his circumstances. He created beauty in a place where violence, drugs, alcohol and crime were prevalent. He was a light in a very dark place. He made other kids and me want to be somebody–to pursue our dreams.
Jesse is gone. He was taken too soon. It wasn’t a bullet that got him or some random act of violence or drugs–he never touched the stuff. It was HIV. He got it from his girlfriend who got it from a guy she cheated on Jesse with. She’s still alive but it’s only a matter of time before she dies too. The guy she got it from died a couple of years ago. She said that if she had known that he had it, she wouldn’t have slept with him. Her mistake killed her and my friend, Jesse. I have long since forgiven her for what she had done. Hating her wouldn’t bring Jesse back.
This time, I brought a rose with me which I now place on the ground in front of the mural. It’s for Jesse. It’s a token of my love of a friend whose light has gone out of the world but it still illuminates my heart.
Our minds are like canvases and our imaginations are the brushstrokes.
This is a response to the #writephoto Prompt – Imagination at Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo.
Lovely response to the image, well done.
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Thank you, Michael 🙂
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This feels very personal, Adele. Well written.
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Thanks, Sue. Am happy that it feels personal. I guess I have watched enough movies to see how HIV affects not only those who die from it but those they leave behind.
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Thanks for reblogging 🙂
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Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks, Ally. I saw the prompt and this story of a young artist whose life was cut short by HIV just came to mind.
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Heart wrenching story. Thank you for telling it so delicately.
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Thanks, Violet. This was the story that came to my mind when I looked at that beautiful photo.
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[…] Continue reading at Notes to Women […]
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A lovely tribute to your friend…
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Thanks, Bette. Actually, this was purely fictional tribute but I wanted it to resonate with those who have lost loved ones to HIV.
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Well done!
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Thanks, Bette 🙂
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Written with a wonderful sensitivity. I felt my heart twist where she says she wouldn’t have slept with him if she’d known. She shouldn’t have been sleeping with him at all, or she should have broken things off with Jesse. It feels like her concern still doesn’t reach to the fact she was unfaithful. Like the saying, she’s not sorry she did it, she’s sorry she got caught out.
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Thanks, Carol. I wanted to get the point across that she shouldn’t have slept with someone else, period. And the sad thing is if she hadn’t cheated on Jesse, both of them would have been alive.
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Amazing story. Beautiful response for the prompt.
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Thanks, Helene. I loved the image. Something about it inspired me to write about a killer disease which has taken so many lives.
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Good story well done 💜
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Thanks, Willow 🙂
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💜💜
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[…] Adele at Notes to Women […]
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How sad. It always amazes me how the actions of one person can affect so many.
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You’re right, Michelle. It is sad. And it is the unfortunate reality that one person’s actions can affect so many.
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