Welcome!! My name is Elizabeth. Most call me Liz. I’m the voice behind Poetry & Politics. I’m a nurse, writer, mother, and someone who has spent most of my life witnessing the realities that statistics alone cannot explain.

For over 15 years I have worked in healthcare, caring for people in rural communities where resources are limited but resilience runs deep. In those years I have seen the human side of issues that are often discussed only in political terms: addiction, poverty, mental health struggles, maternal care gaps, and the quiet courage people show when life becomes overwhelming.

Those experiences inspired me to create Poetry & Politics, a space where real life meets real conversation. 

I earned my nursing license as a single mother while raising three young children and working long hours to build a better future for my family.

Throughout these 15 years I have personsally experienced or been greatly affected by : delayed or denied healthcare due to cost, lack of insurance or transportation issues; marriage and divorce; domestic violence, addiction, recovery, loss of lives due to overdose and suicide, unemployment, homelessness; food isecurity, CPS, grief, near death experiences depression, C-PTSD, teen pregnancy and more.

I’ve also personally experienced and witnessed the come backs and come up stories you never hear much about in the media.

Ive seen what happens when strangers show kindness instead of judgement. When hands are reached out as a life saver instead of heads turned pretending nothing is wrong.

It renews my hope In humanity.

This journey has shaped my belief that people are more than their mistakes, more than their circumstances, and more than the labels society sometimes places on them.
    Today, my interests extend beyond healthcare into community advocacy and rural development, particularly in my hometown(s) of (Purple Pride Never Dies & Lets Go Katz!) Southeast Texas.

I believe communities can overcome cycles of poverty, addiction, and inequality when people come together with empathy, accountability, and practical solutions.

GuessThrough this blog, I hope to explore:
• The human stories behind social issues
• Rural healthcare and maternal care access
• Addiction, recovery, and second chances
• Family, resilience, and generational strength
• Justice, accountability, and community healing

Writing allows us to slow down long enough to understand one another. And understanding is where meaningful change begins.

So grab a seat. Look around. I would love to hear your story or anything you want to share .    -Truly, Liz 

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Voices From the Porch

Voices From the Porch is a storytelling and advocacy series centered on the lived experiences of rural families, working women, caregivers, grandparents raising children, nurses, teachers, and overlooked citizens whose voices are rarely heard in mainstream political conversations.

The project combines personal essays, poetry, interviews, and civic education to show how policies affect everyday life in small towns and rural communities. Topics may include healthcare access, poverty, family courts, education inequity, housing instability, caregiving burdens, and resilience.

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Healing the Block is a solutions-focused advocacy initiative connected to Poetry & Poverty that turns awareness into action. While my writings highlights problems, this project highlights answers.

It documents and organizes community-based responses such as food drives, school supply closets, caregiver networks, youth mentorship, women’s leadership circles, community gardens, mental health resources, and voter education outreach.

Each post spotlights practical ways readers can help rebuild their neighborhoods, no matter how small the town.

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