Howdy!  This your friend, Shakespeare Winton Jackson, shoutin' out at y'all!  Hope this finds y'all good; as for me, life still hard, but it's getting better, slowly.

I've now been here in Crested Butte, Montana (or as I used to call it, "Crested Butt!"  LOL) for almost two years now; it was hard to get used to, but I'm cool with it now.  Have a great circle of homies that I hang out with, play B-ball with, and I love my aunt and uncle so much!

I'm out of school now; am now going to college.  I'm attending Montana State.  I am studyin' to be a record producer or perhaps a rapper; don't know what I want to do yet, but it does involve music.  I love rappin, bangin' out new tunes; I rap about life back in N'Awlins, Louisiana, what it be like before that bitch Katrina changed my life as I knew it forever.

Lost my momma, pops, little brother, and three little sisters to that bitch Katrina.  By the time the National Guard find them, it be too late; they already deader'n dead.  I still have nightmares now, but thankfully they're becoming less, thanks to counseling and livin' away from Louisiana.  Oh, I'd love to go back, but I don't think I could ever live there ever again.

My little brother was Shaqarius; he was 11.  As for my sisters, their names were Shenice, ShaKonya, and Sheena; they were 9, 7, and 4.  I still miss them terribly; there ain't a day that goes by where I don't think about them.  I wonder if they are having a good time up there in Heaven, with Jesus; they certainly are better off than me!

I'm nineteen now, hardly a kid anymore.  I'm a full grown man, with a life full of school, working (work several nights a week at a local restaurant, breaking dishes--ah, er, washing--dishes), and tryin' to get my life on track.  Seems that Katrina fucked up my plans, but I am workin' hard to overcome that.

I am tryin' to believe in God; however I still be havin' a hard time. I mean, why He make disasters happen, why are there still wars, people hatin' on each other or blowin' theyselves up, with no regard for others??  It don't make sense!  And here in America, there be people starvin', losin' their homes, their hopes, their dreams!  I tell you, the world is in one fucked up, giant mess right now, and it ain't gon' get any better!!

I been going to church on Sundays, but I don't feel like I belong.  If the churchy people knew I had a toilet for a mouth, they'd run me clear to Russia, or flog me for blaspheming the Holy God (whichever come first!).

I guess I need a lot of prayer, not to mention, a lot of work from God!!  LOLOLOL

Well, I be goin' now; time to go to school; have class at 12:45, in less than an hour.  I will write in here again another time; until then, this be Shakespeare signin' outta here!  Peace out, man!

~Shakespeare W. Jackson, Crested Butt (Butte), Montana.  :)