Twitch and Shout, Hallelujah, Amen. Gregory John Nashif

      Poetry is the expression of a man; it is the extension of his soul

      —Gregory J Nashif

      Carried on the Wind

      “Holy Spirit dwell inside me,

      fill me with your pure desire.”

      I raise my hands in worship praising,

      with the tongues of holy fire.

      Holy Spirit let your peace prevail

      upon this earth so dark with hate;

      allow your love and word avail,

      with your spirit this holy fate.

      All prophets of this world ignite!

      Spirit aflame the heart and mind!

      Pierce with the sword of truth and might

      and slay the souls of all mankind.

      The Lord is faithful by all measure,

      reaching the world face to face.

      For His wisdom is our treasure,

      which inspires His Holy Grace.

      Which inspires His Holy Grace

      Anthem

      How Great is God and His creation!

      His Works performed among every nation,

      He has given us life upon this earth;

      And in our hearts His eternal birth.

      How Great is God!

      His Spirit moved upon the waters deep,

      He spoke the word and the light did weep;

      By his hands the worlds were framed,

      And through his Son the world was tamed.

      How Great is God!

      Every star, He calls by name,

      He knows the number of the same.

      He knows our hearts and our minds,

      He frees the one whose thoughts are blind.

      How Great is God!

      How Great is God and His creation!

      His Works performed among every nation.

      He has given us life upon this earth;

      And in our hearts His eternal birth.

      How Great is God!

      Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead,

      Through his Father’s will his blood was shed.

      Breathing, at the last, with forceful breath;

      He died, He arose, He conquered Death.

      How Great is God.

      As I bow my head in prayer,

      I know my God and feel his care.

      There is one last sigh for my soul;

      I live by faith and now I know,

      How Great is God.

      Part the First

      Living with Tourette Syndrome

      Tourette Syndrome

      noun.

      a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent involuntary movements, including multiple neck jerks and sometimes vocal tics, as grunts, barks, or words, especially obscenities.

      Discovered by French neurologist George Gilles de la Tourette in 1885

      Also called Tourette’s disease.

      Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

      My Life

      It has been an interesting life, living with Tourette’s at times has been a strange adventure; sometimes like a merry-go-round, like a circle with no beginning and no end. Other times it is a roller coaster ride, or an unfinished jigsaw puzzle with its pieces scattered; and me trying with all my heart to pick them up one by one and make them fit into a clear picture.

      I’ll live with these ticks all my life.

      I cannot escape the hardship and strife

      this twitch and shout bring to me every day.

      Is there any peace coming my way?

      I never get used to people’s stares,

      The laughing, the mocking; nobody cares.

      My body is tired and so torn apart

      Tears fall from what is left of my heart.

      Is there a hope I can find somewhere?

      Is there a breath I can take to ease my despair?

      If much weeping comes in the night without warning,

      Will joy come my way in the light of the morning?

      Marbles

      I am just kid, a boy so young and ever so naïve.

      On the playground at school, I sit alone and watch as kids are having fun: kick ball, marbles,

      little girls playing hopscotch.

      As I sit and wait, my head begins to tic and quake, and kids stop and look.

      One shouts out “You’re a freak!” Another throws a boy’s coat and hits me in the head.