Shenandoah

Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.

Mom’s family,

Sixteen hundred sailed from Wales,

Settled in Pennsylvania and Virginia,

Getting to work and live in Virginia,

Only place ever felt home,

Lived  on a mountain,

In the Shenandoah National Park,

Work for Aramark,

Three nine and a half months seasons,

My heart sang in peace,

I miss my best friend,

My mom,

I learned what same sex discrimination was,

Janet Shiflett lesbian second in command Aramark concession Skyline Lodge,

Because I had offered her partner an extra bed,

A bed I wasn’t using,

I was discriminated against,

last person at Skyland to get a quarter raise in 2001,

Third season all laws changed,

I was put into laundry,

I was lied about,

It was my last season,

I loved it there,

Skyline Lodge,

Shenandoah National Park,

First season I worked bellhop and linen delivery,

Today’s week I worked all alone,

Last season I wasn’t allowed to work all alone,

I was treated with mistrust,

All I had tried to do was do someone a good turn,

lived in Luray Virginia 9 miles down the road from the Shenandoah National Park,

Untill Becky Young general manager of the housing development for low income,

Becky Young found out that gays and lesbians weren’t protected under the law for equal housing and she evicted all gays and lesbians,

If equal housing won’t protect you the Red Cross won’t either,

Friends of mine rented a van and brought me back to Iowa with my two cats,

I still miss Virginia,

Wished I had been to monster my sister Diana Lee Dudley painting me,

Three women with lay dead in shallow graves,

Jeanette Shiflett second in command Shenandoah National Park,

Becky Young Luray Virginia,

My narcissistic sister Diana Lee Dudley,

They all believed made others believe I was who I wasn’t,