Inside Looking Out

JERRY EDWARD EASTBOURNE born August 7 1954 Akron Ohio. My poetryis largely infl uenced by my learning disability dyslexia;therefore making readers aware of problems I suff ered from secondgrade into adulthood enduring endless torment and ridicule fromkids who labeled me ?retard?. Other factors are: my life as a Gayman struggles making friends fi nding employment and housingliving with HIV/AIDS and the end of a 25 year relationship with myfi rst love. What I learned gave me the ability to be a volunteerand become a board member in a HIV/AIDS organization thenpresident of a Gay/ Lesbian/Bi/Trans/Straight group for nine (9)years; educating people from colleges schools and PTA meetingsabout my life with HIV/AIDS throughout the state of Oregon as wellas the people gay and straight also infected and the friendshipsthat were made and lost with their deaths. My own struggles of lifeand death because of lack of medication severe side eff ectsViral Load in the millions the low to zero CD4 count I lived withfor nearly 3 years. The many optimistic infections of my fi rst 14years of the now 28 years I have lived with the disease. Nominatedand winning the Harvey Milk award for my work to educate othersabout sexual genders and HIV/AIDs through my lectures of livingwith the disease as a Gay man. Giving support for those who arefriends or family of others infected. Finding Love now 14 yearstogether sharing our love and life