Two Erasure Poems
Lynne Schmidt
Erasure Of Messages From My Father’s Family, Who Then Promptly Unfriended Me: Part I
Dear Lynne, This message is too personal to put on public. I have heard stories, and when I did i was moved to tears for you girls. I will never understand as long as I live, how a parent can be anything less than kind to their own beautiful children. I am appalled to say bad parental behavior happened to some of your cousins as well. It is hurtful to even hear about these parental abusive behaviors. I know they stay with our children even into adulthood. BE Strong!! Stay the course!!. He cannot hurt you anymore. You have every right to choose Who is IN your life and Who is OUT. You surround yourself only with those who Love you. Like you, and Appreciate you as you are. Relatives are just people. Make no apology for your choices. You only Live Once! In my opinion, Joel has lost the most precious gifts of life, the love and admiration of his children and total joy of knowing his Grand children. Love to you
Erasure Of Messages From My Father’s Family, Who Then Promptly Unfriended Me: Part II
Lynne, thank you so much for approaching me in the church today with Jacci. I read your post about your dad and it touched my heart the same time it broke it. Primarily because I didn’t know. All I knew is that I deeply loved you three girls and then you suddenly disappeared. No trace of any of you. I’m sorry. I'm sorry that I wasn’t more aware. I'm sorry I didn’t follow my first instinct and hug you each tightly today. I was emotional and didn't want to be the weird cousin you don't really know who embraces you and cries. But I wish I would have. We are all a bit 'broken' in this world and extensions of kindness, love and acceptance are what bridge the gaps and help us to heal. Even if those offerings come from faces we used to know versus those who hurt us in the first place. I want you to know that you hold a place in my heart and I want to know you. You are amazing for making the journey for the service today and for overcoming your fears and anxiety in order to do so. Grandpa would be so honored that you went through all of that effort to pay your respects to him. I know that I am. Extending love to you, Lynne. Sheila
Lynne Schmidt is the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and a mental health professional with a focus in trauma and healing. She is the winner of the 2020 New Women’s Voices Contest and author of the chapbooks Dead Dog Poems (forthcoming from Finishing Line Press), Gravity (Nightingale and Sparrow Press) which was listed as one of the 17 Best Breakup Books to Read in 2020 and On Becoming a Role Model (Thirty West) which was featured on The Wardrobe’s Best Dressed for PTSD Awareness Week. Her work has received the Maine Nonfiction Award, Editor’s Choice Award, and was a 2018 and 2019 PNWA finalist for memoir and poetry. Lynne was a five time 2019 and 2020 Best of the Net Nominee and an honorable mention for the Charles Bukowski and Doug Draime Poetry Awards. In 2012 she started the project, AbortionChat, which aims to lessen the stigma around abortion. When given the choice, Lynne prefers the company of her three dogs and one cat to humans.