Recovery narratives are a clinical term for a beautiful, breathtakingly courageous form of poetry. They are not the "beautiful stories for ugly children" as commonly portrayed by T.V melodramas, radio talk shows and other populist media. These writers bravely share their nature and reveal the nurture or the force of their realities. They teach us their survival tactics. They lend us their cautions and their hope so that we may learn about ourselves. We at Zoomersmagazine.com are privileged to receive these voices and thank them earnestly for their gifts. In return for this opportunity, we ask our readers to accept these pieces with openness and compassion, These pieces are about all of us, as a people and as a person. We accept ourselves. We love our selves, our developing selves.

I'm an experienced freak
And I don't mean rollercoasters
(But, they're fun, too):

I'vealwayswishedIcouldtravelmore
And I have a fantasy of being abducted by aliens.
maybeIjustneedtotravelmore.
I don't lie well enough to create an abduction story,
A real fantasy.
Takeatripwithoutleavingthefarm.

I would start my own cult,
but I can't stand people who follow or join.
Yeah, I really don't like joiners except that
theyaretemporarythrillseekers.

nexttimeIgetonaplane,
I'm taking Nicorette gum with me.
I recommend the 4mg gum for smokers over
24cigarettesaday.
I wonder if aliens will let me smoke?

I've painted my shoes in primary colors,
butIwouldreallyliketofindanicepairofboots.
It's so hard to find a nice pair of boots.
does anybody know what happened to Jerry Jeff Walker's Charlie Dunn?

I'm 41. I have enough disorders,
Some developed, some inherited;
Rage enough to wrestle a large
Elephant and win.

I'm at war with fear and I've always won.
But it scares me still--
This thing at the end of fear.

No time to waste on worry;
The outcome's written,
The battle's begun.
"To die is to live; to live is to die!"
That is our battle cry.
Do you have the courage to live?
The courage to die?