Walking into the Washington Pavilion on a performance day, the experience begins well before the curtain ever lifts. For touring productions like Clue, the venue lobby transforms into an extension of the show itself. Part atmosphere, part marketing, and entirely intentional.

For this run, audiences are greeted by a themed photo opportunity featuring the iconic weapons from the beloved board game. It’s a clever nod to the source material, inviting patrons to step into the mystery before they even find their seats. The installation not only sparks nostalgia but also encourages engagement, as theatergoers pause to capture and share the moment.

Nearby, the merchandise stand delivers exactly what seasoned attendees might expect with a mix of branded apparel, including T-shirts and hoodies, alongside a wide assortment of smaller keepsakes. Pins, keychains, and magnets round out the selection, offering accessible options for those looking to take a piece of the experience home.

While the offerings themselves are standard for a touring production, their presentation plays an important role. Together, the photo op and merchandise create a cohesive pre-show environment that bridges the gap between audience and performance, and sets the tone for the mystery about to unfold.

A Classic Game Takes an Unexpected Turn

It’s not unusual to see beloved films or novels adapted for the stage. But a board game? That still feels like a gamble.

Yet Clue, the iconic murder mystery game created by Anthony E. Pratt in 1943 and later popularized by Parker Brothers, now Hasbro, has made the leap to live theater. Against expectations, it works.

And not just modestly. It thrives.

Opening the Doors to Boddy Manor

The production wastes no time setting the tone. A looming image of Boddy Manor, styled like a haunted house in a large picture frame, establishes an eerie yet playful mood before a single line is spoken.

Enter Wadsworth, played by Adam Brett, who acts as both guide and ringleader. One by one, the guests arrive: Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, and Mrs. White. Each bringing their own exaggerated personalities that immediately fuel the comedy.

A standout early impression comes from Sarah Mackenzie Baron as Mrs. White. Having previously appeared as Alice in The Addams Family in 2025, Baron pivots sharply into a completely different character here, showcasing impressive range.

A Set That Becomes a Character

If the script drives the pacing, the set defines the experience.

The stage begins in Boddy Manor’s lobby, but quickly transforms. Doors swing open into familiar rooms such as the lounge, billiard room, kitchen, and library, while others descend from above, revealing the study, dining room, and hall.

It’s an ambitious design that pays off. Scene transitions are seamless, often enhanced by clever physical comedy that keeps the momentum alive. The house itself feels alive, almost like another cast member in the chaos.

Rapid-Fire Dialogue and Controlled Chaos

This is not a slow burn mystery.

With no intermission, Clue delivers a relentless stream of dialogue, much of it carried by Wadsworth. The script leans heavily into rapid exposition, culminating in a brilliantly executed recap sequence. A physical and verbal whirlwind that revisits the night’s six murders.

Unlike some versions of the show, this production follows a fixed narrative rather than the multiple-ending format. Even so, the mystery remains engaging, and the restraint in revealing its secrets is part of the fun.

Honoring the Source Material

Fans of the original game will find plenty to appreciate.

From visual nods like oversized card-style props and a faithful map of the mansion to direct references to its Parker Brothers roots, the production embraces its origins. All six iconic weapons make appearances, each woven into the unfolding mayhem.

It’s a careful balance of nostalgia and reinvention and it lands.

Performances That Drive the Comedy

At the center of it all is Adam Brett’s Wadsworth.

His performance is kinetic, precise, and consistently engaging. From his exaggerated British accent to his physical comedy and near-constant presence on stage, Brett anchors the production.

Nate Curlott’s Colonel Mustard provides a strong comedic counterpoint, leaning into a bumbling persona that disarms tense moments. Meanwhile, Mrs. Peacock, played by Madeline Raube, adds another layer of humor with a distinct character voice and timing that lands reliably with the audience. That’s not to diminish the rest of the cast, who delivered strong performances across the board, but these particular standouts consistently commanded attention and anchored the production throughout for myself.

Afterglow

What could have easily been a gimmick instead becomes one of the more entertaining stage experiences of the season.

Clue is fast-paced, clever, and consistently funny. A production that keeps audiences guessing while delivering plenty of laughs along the way.

As one of the final shows of the current season, it also serves as a reminder of the creativity still thriving in live theater and builds anticipation for what’s next.

On Palm Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend The Passion and The Cross, presented by Lights Up Productions at the Orpheum Theatre. It’s a production that blends community theater with a deeply spiritual message and one that, even before the first note is sung, signals it aims to be more than just a performance.

For those unable to attend in person, the production also offers a digital streaming option for purchase, expanding access beyond Sioux Falls and making the experience available to a wider audience.

A Familiar Story, Powerfully Retold

At its core, the production recounts the story of Jesus Christ, told through music and staged dramatization. While the narrative is widely known, the execution that is driven by a cast of local volunteer performers, adds a striking level of emotional depth.

There’s a sincerity to the performances that elevates the material. Several moments drew visible emotion from the audience, myself included, as the combination of music, staging, and conviction created something that felt both artistic and personal.

Act I: Miracles and a Childlike Faith

The first act focuses on the earlier ministry of Jesus, highlighting well-known moments such as the feeding of the 5,000 and miraculous healings. Yet the most memorable element of this portion comes from the production’s use of children.

With what appeared to be more than 50 children on stage, their presence becomes central. Not just visually, but thematically. As they sing and interact within the story, they underscore the message of approaching faith with childlike humility. It’s a creative choice that lands with surprising weight, producing moments that genuinely gave me goosebumps.

The act closes with the triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Audience members, myself included, were handed palm leaves before the show. An intentional detail that transforms spectators into participants. As the cast filled the stage, the visual and musical crescendo captured the significance of the moment, even without elaborate props.

Act II: From Supper to Sacrifice

Following intermission, the tone shifts immediately with the depiction of the Last Supper. From there, the pacing accelerates as the story moves toward its inevitable conclusion.

Lighting plays a crucial role in this act, contrasting the darkness surrounding the religious authorities with the radiant imagery of angelic figures. It’s an impressive technical achievement, particularly given the scale of the venue, and it reinforces the sense that this is a production driven by purpose as much as performance.

The Crucifixion: Unflinching and Impactful

The crucifixion sequence stands as the emotional and spiritual centerpiece of the production. It does not shy away from the brutality of the moment, drawing comparisons to The Passion of the Christ in its intensity.

From the haunting performance of “Mary’s Cry” during the flogging to the collective anguish of the chorus as the cross is raised, the scene is difficult to watch but intentionally so. It’s designed not just to depict suffering, but to confront the audience with it.

And then, a tonal shift. The tomb appears. Three dancers portraying angels deliver a choreographed routine that builds to the resurrection, culminating in Jesus stepping forward as the audience erupted in applause and praise. It’s a moment of release, both emotionally and spiritually.

Beyond the Curtain Call

What sets this production apart is how it ends. Instead of a traditional curtain call, the evening closes with prayer and an altar call. It’s a reminder that, for Lights Up Productions, the goal isn’t applause. It’s impact.

That distinction defines the entire experience. While the production succeeds as theater, it is ultimately intended as a ministry to draw people to Christ.

Afterglow

For those considering attending, there are still a handful of performances remaining before Easter Sunday, along with the streaming option for purchase for remote viewing. Notably, the production team also announced during the final moments that 2027 will mark the final run of The Passion and The Cross in its current form.

From my perspective, this is more than a recommendation. It’s a pleading. Whether experienced in person or online, the production offers something that extends beyond entertainment. It’s immersive, emotionally resonant, and, at times, deeply convicting.

If the opportunity presents itself, it’s worth taking and hope that everyone reading this would experience it, and God, this Easter Season.

Setting the Stage

The third show of the 2025–2026 season at Olde Town Dinner Theatre brought audiences the British farce Not Now, Darling, a fast-paced comedy written by Ray Cooney and John Chapman. Known for its rapid dialogue and escalating misunderstandings, the play centers around two London fur salon owners, Bodley and Crouch, and a scheme that quickly spirals out of control.

Bodley, played by Jon Hardcastle, is the driving force behind the chaos. Attempting to purchase a mink coat for his mistress while avoiding the suspicion of her husband, Bodley drags his business partner Crouch, portrayed by John J. Boe, into an increasingly tangled web of lies. What begins as a simple act of infidelity soon evolves into a cascade of misunderstandings, hidden identities, and romantic entanglements that push the farce to its limits.

But before the show began, the evening started the way it always does at Olde Town Dinner Theatre. With dinner.

Dinner Before the Drama

As a true dinner theatre experience, each production features a new menu to accompany the performance. For Not Now, Darling, guests were offered a choice of three entrées: an eight-ounce steak topped with raspberry sauce, a ranch-crusted chicken, or a crab-stuffed flounder.

As a volunteer for the theatre, I had the opportunity to enjoy the meal once the audience had been served. Curiosity led me to the crab-stuffed flounder and it proved to be a strong choice. The flounder was tender and well prepared, with the crab filling delivering a burst of flavor that paired well with the accompanying sweet potato hash and vegetable medley.

However, the real standout of the meal may have been the roasted red pepper gouda soup. Rich and hearty, it resembled a more robust tomato soup layered with creamy cheese flavors. It was easily one of the most memorable dishes of the evening.

Dinner concluded with a chocolate cream pie served during intermission that was light, smooth, and finished with a satisfying crunch from the crust, providing a welcome boost of energy before the second act.

A Farce in Full Swing

When the performance began, I had little idea what to expect. I make it a point not to research the shows beforehand when volunteering, allowing the story to unfold without preconceived expectations.

Not Now, Darling wastes no time establishing its chaotic tone. Bodley’s attempt to secretly purchase the mink coat quickly snowballs into an increasingly complicated web of romantic deception. By the end of the first act, what began as a simple affair has ballooned into what could only be described as a full-blown romantic pentagon.

The comedy thrives on timing and precision, and the cast delivered both. British humor, rapid-fire dialogue, and a steady stream of escalating misunderstandings kept the audience engaged as characters rushed in and out of doors in classic farce fashion.

One of the most entertaining arcs came from Crouch. Initially presented as timid and reluctant, the character gradually develops a newfound confidence as the story unfolds. Watching that transformation provided one of the evening’s most satisfying narrative threads, culminating in a strange but fitting resolution for the character.

Comedy With a Complication

There’s no denying that Not Now, Darling is a technically well-executed comedy. The production featured strong performances, clever callbacks to earlier scenes, and twists that caught even attentive viewers off guard.

Yet the play’s central premise left me conflicted.

At its core, the story revolves around infidelity played entirely for laughs. While the farce format exaggerates these situations for comedic effect, the humor consistently leans on adultery as its primary engine. For some audience members, that premise may simply be part of the theatrical tradition of British farce. For me, it created a barrier that made it difficult to fully embrace the show.

Entertainment can still provoke reflection, and in this case the experience served as a reminder that even well-produced comedy can carry themes that resonate differently depending on personal values.

Afterglow

As the night wrapped up, tables cleared, dishes washed, and the theatre settling back into quiet, the focus now turns toward the final production of the season.

Olde Town Dinner Theatre will close out its 2025–2026 lineup with Murdered to Death, opening in May. After an evening filled with madness, comedy, and culinary highlights, it’s a finale I’m already looking forward to seeing unfold when I inevitably sign up to volunteer once again.

Hey,

I just wanted to share with you that I am emerging stronger. Yes, it still hurts, but I have come to realize that through that hurt, I have finally found acceptance.

Read more

Hi,

I cannot believe that I have not said this to you before; but I am overjoyed to have shared my life and emotions with you. I feel grateful for the chance to have met you and to have witnessed the remarkable person into which you have been growing.

Your intelligence, sense of humor, and kindness – traits that reminded me of your mother – inspire me daily to be a better role model. Being a father figure to you has been an incredible life experience, and I am thankful for the opportunity to make an impact on your life.

Your love and appreciation mean everything to me, and I am proud to have had you in my life. You are an exceptional individual, and I am constantly impressed by your growth and progress. I am so honored to have part of your journey and look forward to witnessing the incredible things you will achieve!!

Remember, you possess the strength and resilience to overcome any challenges. Continue inspiring those around you. Take care of yourself

and do not forget to give the old’ stinky boi a bath from time to time, because I am quite sure that his floor beans smell like Fritos.

Hugs,

T.

PS Take care of your mother for me.

What I Wish I Could Say - Companion Album

You can find relationship grief counseling in Sioux Falls through therapy directories like TherapyDen, Psychology Today, and Zencare. Several counseling practices in Sioux Falls, such as Evenson Counseling, offer services for individuals and couples experiencing relationship loss or grief. Additionally, organizations like River Counseling Services provide support for relationship issues, grief, and loss, and may offer telemental health services.

Detachment
Emancipation of those chains that bind you,
For the only reason they do,
is because you allow them.
They are not encasing you,
Nor do they hold any torment,
You are the embodiment
of imprinted traumatics in your mind.

How foolish it is to think that the metal
Scraps your own flesh to open wounds
That were already there.
How dare you think that everyone else
Around you isn’t in despair,
Suffering from their own self sabotages.

There are so many mindless things we do,
Like grasp onto the depths of dejection,
How repetitively we do,
Every night,
Every morning,
Like there isn’t anything better to produce,
But miserablism,
The building blocks are there,
But all you see are the chains.

The daunting thoughts like a veil of silence,
A wool over your own eyes.
How many times do you lie to yourself within
Twenty four hours?

How many times,
Do you actually believe in the words,
That you think?
Do you believe in yourself?
Thoughts of buoyancy,
Not the lighting of gasoline,
To set your deliberations ablaze.

The radiation of the depressive aura,
Can finally lift,
For another concept to become reality.
How else can any blueprints be built,
If you don’t let go,
Of everything else?

Open Path Sioux Falls, SD

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The one time I went solo to a show at the Olde Towne Dinner Theatre wasn’t a disaster. It was just awkward in that specific way where you’re eating a pre-show meal alone and trying to look like you totally meant to do this. That’s the night that got me volunteering, because it turned the “before” part into something shared instead of stretched out. It fixed the weirdest part of going alone. Volunteering means I still get to partake of the meal, but I’m not sitting there in my own little island of silence.

Olde Towne has been part of my yearly show-going since 2024, and the place keeps earning that slot. It’s an amazing night out whether it’s date night or a night with friends. There’s something about a full evening that starts with food and ends with curtain call that makes regular life feel a little less loud.

This year’s show was The Savannah Sipping Society on December 21, 2025.

Text, structure, and pacing

At the center of The Savannah Sipping Society, written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten, are four women dealing with grief, job instability, and relationships that have stopped being kind. They’re down on their luck and trying to keep moving anyway while one of them, a supposed life coach, tests out her skills in real time.

On the surface it plays like a comedy. Underneath, it keeps circling serious subject matter. Loss shows up in more than one form, including death and the job market. The script also brushes up against toxic relationships and dating in general, with the kind of humor that doesn’t erase pain so much as make room to breathe around it.

The big idea I pulled out is the one that matters. People don’t get through hard seasons by powering through alone. They get through by having others in their corner.

Performances and direction

What still amazes me about Olde Towne is the volunteer magic powering the whole machine, and how that changes the atmosphere in the room. When you’re watching volunteer theatre, you’re not just seeing a performance. You’re seeing people choosing to build a night for strangers.

The Experience Sioux Falls listing for Olde Towne Dinner Theatre backs that up directly by naming the volunteer roles, including wait staff, bartenders, and performers. I can honestly say I have not seen a bad show here, and that’s not me being polite. That’s me being kind of shocked every time.

That volunteer backbone also makes the performances feel more exposed in the best way, because the actors aren’t mic’d. If you’re used to big venues and big sound, that might sound risky. Here, it works because the room is sized for real voices and the performers know how to project. There’s no hiding and no coasting. It feels less like theatre filtered through technology and more like you’re sitting in the same air as the story.

The shows still hold firm because the talent on the stage is real and the sets do their job. The production doesn’t need to overcompensate. It just needs to be solid, and it is.

Design and environment

Olde Towne’s “dinner first, show second” structure changes the whole feel of the night. It’s not just arriving, watching, leaving. It’s an evening you inhabit.

The biggest environmental detail, though, is how visibly the place runs on people deciding to show up. Olde Towne says on its About Olde Towne page that it began in 1982, and that matters beyond trivia. It makes it one of the longest continually running theatres in the Sioux Falls area, which is wild when you realize how much of it runs on people simply deciding to show up. It also makes the volunteer model part of its identity.

That knowledge changes how you watch everything. Even when you’re just sitting there, you’re watching a community choose itself, again.

Audience and context

Olde Towne isn’t just “a cute local thing.” It’s a machine that runs on community will.

The numbers back up the feeling. The Experience Sioux Falls listing for Olde Towne Dinner Theatre says the theatre draws over 8,500 people a year across more than 75 performances, which is a lot of momentum for a place powered by volunteers and stubborn hope.

A Sioux Falls Simplified profile of the Worthing dinner theatre puts it in human-scale terms, noting roughly 100 people nightly coming into a town of fewer than 1,000, and pointing out that the operation is volunteer-run from the bar to the stage.

Afterglow

Olde Towne is still the place that surprises me, because it runs on a fuel that’s getting rarer. It’s hard not to notice the parallel between a play about getting through life together and a theatre that runs because people keep choosing to show up for each other.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with The Savannah Sipping Society, and I’m looking forward to what I’ll see next as I keep volunteering.

Dead Memories is the twenty-third entry from the book, The Helpless Romantic, by Travis Salguero. This book is a collection of journal entries presented as poems that give you insight into the Author’s struggles with addiction, mental illness, and his journey overcoming them.

Dead.

My arteries have ceased pumping,

There is nowhere left to go,

Instead, cascading onto the ground,

Just like the tears and phlegm an hour prior,

Free falling, as gravity pulls more blackened iron from my veins,

The old familiar sting of a blade ounce touching against my flesh is now gone.

All that remained was a festering wound that no stich or staple could ever hold shut.

Panic, defeat, and envy push stronger than the will to hold the gash closed as the moments slip into a haze.

Minutes….

Hours….

In and out,

My eyes close as my consciousness drifts, hoping to see you one last time before I weaken. Giving into the dark spiral growing so heavily on my crown.

I give into the shadows that plagued the corners of my thoughts.

I dream of you, and how big your smile was to see me.

I have asked where you have wandered, who you have met along the way.

How you have been managing the stress, and I can see the excitement in your eyes to be near me again.

I stammered and let a single tear flow. You smile and tell me that everything is going to be okay, and all I must do is wake up.

How reassuring your touch is and how convincing your words are…

Then an ultraviolet light burns into my eyes,

Seeping ever so slowly into my corneas,

I wince for the appearance of it,

I unlatched my swollen maroon eyes to see,

That I am still alive,

Even though my soul died last night.

Dead Memories - Companion Album

Find Grief Therapists and Psychologists in Sioux Falls, SD

Psychology Today

https://www.psychologytoday.com › ... › Sioux Falls

As a Christian therapist, I help individuals navigate life’s challenges, including grief, anxiety, depression, and strained relationships.

Grief/Bereavement - 38 results

Helpline Center

https://988search.helplinecenter.org › search › Bereavem...

Monument Health Home+ Home Health and Hospice provides educational, supportive grief support groups. These groups bring people together who have experienced loss

Groups in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

GriefShare

https://www.griefshare.org › states › sd › cities › sioux_...

GriefShare grief recovery support groups meeting weekly in Sioux Falls. Click on a group date to find out more information about the group.

Black Sheep (Deep Seated Trauma) is the twenty-second entry from the book, The Helpless Romantic, by Travis Salguero. This book is a collection of journal entries presented as poems that give you insight into the Author’s struggles with addiction, mental illness, and his journey overcoming them.

Black Sheep

Black Sheep

LITTLE BLACK SHEEP

You have always been alone in a hundred.

“Do not play in the mud! Stay off the FUCKING fields!

DO THIS AND DON’T DO THAT!!”

Follow every direction that has been left,

Remember when you used to play?

Free to roam across these acres of beauty?

Black Sheep

Black Sheep

LITTLE BLACK SHEEP

How innocent everything was until the farmer came back to say,

“BLACK SHEEP BLACK SHEEP,

LITTLE BLACK SHEEP!!

I KNOW YOU’RE SMART, AREN’T YOU LITTLE SHEEP?

TOO BAD YOUR HEART IS STUPID AND THAT MAKES YOU WEAK!”

Black Sheep, Black Sheep,

LITTLE black sheep.

“Please do not take this the wrong way, but your heart? You do not need to keep it; throw it away behind lock and key. Then throw away the key. One day you will thank me!” he said with a twisted grin,

“You won’t need that where you’re going,”

BLACK SHEEP

BLACK SHEEP

LITTLE.

BLACK.

SHEEP.

Black Sheep - Companion Album

Several organizations in Sioux Falls offer resources for those feeling like an outcast, including peer support groups, counseling, and crisis intervention. Connecting with others, finding mental health support, and engaging in community activities are all valuable steps to take.

Immediate and non-emergency support

• Helpline Center: A 24/7 service connecting you to a wide range of community resources. You can call or text to find help with everyday needs or in times of crisis.

  • Call 211 or Text your zip code to 898211

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: If you are in emotional distress, experiencing thoughts of suicide, or need to talk to someone, you can call or text this 24/7 confidential lifeline.

  • Call or text 988

• The Link: A community triage center for those experiencing a non-violent behavioral health crisis or dealing with substance abuse issues. It offers immediate treatment and referrals to other support services.

Peer support and community engagement

• Empire Mental Health Support: Offers free, in-person support groups for adults (age 18+) living with a mental health diagnosis. The groups are led by trained facilitators with lived experience. They also offer arts and crafts sessions before some meetings.

  • Address: 737 W 10th Street, Suite 103

  • Contact: info@empirementalhealthsupport.org

Love? is the twenty-first entry from the book, The Helpless Romantic, by Travis Salguero. This book is a collection of journal entries presented as poems that give you insight into the Author’s struggles with addiction, mental illness, and his journey overcoming them.

Love?

I am ashamed to even say it.

Why?

Why should I be ashamed of loving someone as

Wonderful

As

You?

Several counseling centers, support groups, and other resources are available in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to help with the emotional difficulties of love and relationship loss.

Counseling and therapy services

• Moore Counseling Group: Offers a “Divorce (or After Relationship) Group” for adults dealing with separation and breakups.

• Sioux Falls Wellness Counseling: Provides individual and couples counseling for people struggling with divorce, relationship issues, and grief.

• Bartels Counseling Services, Inc.: Uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques for individuals, couples, and families navigating relationship challenges.

• Lutheran Family Service: While a faith-based organization, it offers mental health counseling to anyone and has specialized grief support for the loss of a spouse.

• Thriveworks: Features grief and loss counseling services that can help people navigate and move forward from the loss of a loved one or relationship.

• Rising Hope Counseling, LLC: Offers counseling for individuals and couples, helping clients increase hope and work through relationship problems.

Hues is the twentieth entry from the book, The Helpless Romantic, by Travis Salguero. This book is a collection of journal entries presented as poems that give you insight into the Author’s struggles with addiction, mental illness, and his journey overcoming them.

Color me different,

Intertwined with hues pre-existing,

And cannot mix correctly with others.

So do the hues shine so brightly to the colors you paint me,

Slow drips of words, adjectives of due negligence,

Because you do not know my true colors,

Only my top layer.

Underneath a rainbow emits lights and blends,

Pressing onto the darkened epidermis of hardened surface layers.

Knowing one day they will break through,

The inner strength of constant turmoil and fear has not slowed me down,

Ravishing the grey and brown shades to nonexistence,

Do my true colors burst through hardened layers of anguish, uncertainty, and injustice?

I am finally free to color my own canvas the way it was supposed to be.

Hues - Companion Album

Equality South Dakota: LGBTQ+ Resources

eqsd.org

https://www.eqsd.org

Equality South Dakota Institute is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization that works statewide to win equality in the communities we call home.

Advocacy

Sioux Falls Pride

https://www.siouxfallspride.org › pages › advocacy

Our mission is to support and empower transgender youth, young adults, and their families while educating communities in SD and the surrounding region.

LGBTQI Support Groups - Sioux Falls

Helpline Center

https://www.helplinecenter.org › taxterm=LGBTQ2++Su...

LGBTQ+ youth, adults and allies provides support to anyone who may need it. Once a month get togethers are held to help have a sense of community.

Struggle of Sobriety is the nineteenth entry from the book, The Helpless Romantic, by Travis Salguero. This book is a collection of journal entries presented as poems that give you insight into the Author’s struggles with addiction, mental illness, and his journey overcoming them.

Struggles of Sobriety

The struggle.

The struggle of opening your eyes and hoping you could have the “energy” to get up, to do something, instead of lying dormant.

Still, the opposite happens. My body shakes and my heart quivers. Gathering myself time to reclaim my bearings, I hear a voice calling out to me:

“HYPOCRITE! GET OUT OF BED! GET MOVING! BREAK FREE! BREAK FREE OF YOUR CONFINES! OPEN UP YOUR MIND!

THESE TORTUROUS MEMORIES HAVE MADE YOU WEAK!”

But instead of rotting into my bed like I had planned to that day, I remembered the last time I held your hand. Nowhere else did I feel safe. There was nowhere safer being in your beautiful blue eyes of reassurance. How deep they went into your soul, and how much it drove the fire out of mine to extinguish the urges to poison my body any longer. I wanted to confess my need for help, but I was afraid that they would say I cried wolf. Why do I do this to myself?

Why did I fall madly in love with an intoxicant that is killing me on the inside? I am still so fucking tired. Exhausted beyond a point, watching the diminishing point vanish on the horizon. I could still catch it; I had time to. Scribbles in a notebook cut into quarters, holding in emotions like an episode of hoarders. Timing is key, timing is like diamonds. Let them gleam like they can never be blinding, open and shut case.

I am convicted of trying to soothe other souls while mine is slowly dying.

I want to be able to support anyone in their time of need like how I have always wanted to.

Seeing how those nights were fogged with shadows and darkness.

With no one by my side to be able to even soothe my most inner thoughts.

So, I tried to soothe them myself,

Damaged,

Marred,

I kept going because I thought that the pain was my only outlet.

Digging into my own flesh in the vast blackness that was my room.

It hurt,

Did it mean,

I was alive?

Struggles of Sobriety - Companion Album

Arch Residential Treatment Center

3.4(25) · Addiction treatment center

516 W 12th St · (605) 332-6730

Open 24 hours

“Had a very helpful DBT skills group.”

Website

Directions

The Link Community Triage Center

4.0(23) · Addiction treatment center

132 N Dakota Ave · (605) 275-1000

Open 24 hours

“Great service for the Sioux Falls area residents”

Website

Directions

Face It TOGETHER Sioux Falls

5.0(99) · Addiction treatment center

5020 S Tennis Ln #4 · (855) 539-9375

Closed ⋅ Opens 10 AM Tue

“I’ve learned a lot and my life has really improved”

Suffer in Silence is the eighteenth entry from the book, The Helpless Romantic, by Travis Salguero. This book is a collection of journal entries presented as poems that give you insight into the Author’s struggles with addiction, mental illness, and his journey overcoming them.

Suffer in SILENCE

I want to lash out so bad,

but I want to prove how I have changed,

because the version of me that used to light fires just to watch the world burn?

They still live in me; they are still my go-to thought.

But I remember to clench my jaw, breathe through the hurt and rage, and walk away; not because I am calm, but because I finally know the cost of chaos.

Sometimes I need that reminder of that collateral damage; not only onto myself but those closest to me.

In a way, they are extensions of me.

Healing is not always peaceful; It is a restraint in the middle of a war no one else can see. A cease fire in order not to bloody anymore bodies.

Even if my body has been bloodied, by me.

A war has so many victims,

I will not let it be me today.

Suffer in silence - Companion Album

For depression support in Sioux Falls, call or text 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which offers free, 24/7 confidential support. Other resources include the VA Sioux Falls Health Care for veterans, and statewide providers listed through the South Dakota Behavioral Health and South Dakota Department of Social Services websites.

Immediate support

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call, text, or chat online for immediate, confidential support from trained counselors.

• 911: Call immediately for life-threatening emergencies.

Professional and long-term support

• VA Sioux Falls Health Care: For veterans, the VA offers inpatient and outpatient mental health services, including psychiatric and psychological support, addiction treatment, and telehealth options.

• Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs): These centers provide a range of services, and funding options can include insurance, private pay, and state/federal funding, such as Medicaid.

Finding other resources

• South Dakota Behavioral Health: This state resource provides information on local prevention providers and mental health services.

• South Dakota Department of Social Services: You can find a map of behavioral health agencies by county on this website.

• National Helpline: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Null is the seventeenth entry from the book, The Helpless Romantic, by Travis Salguero. This book is a collection of journal entries presented as poems that give you insight into the Author’s struggles with addiction, mental illness, and his journey overcoming them.

Null

My body does not know what to do anymore.

It is crushed under its own weight of anguish.

Not willing to bend out to a comfortable place.

Lethargic. Apathetic. Heavy.

I should be happy for her.

I should be happy for the memories we shared.

I should be happy that she is still in my life.

I should be happy,

I should be,

I should…

Except…

I do not feel a single thing anymore.

My heart and soul were none.

Null.

It is time once again,

To enter the void.

The walls go

UP.

Null - Companion Album

For apathy-related concerns in Sioux Falls, call or text 988 to reach the Helpline Center, which provides free and confidential support from trained crisis specialists 24/7. Additional resources include mental health services through providers like Avera and MWI Health, as well as substance use disorder support available through the state’s 988 lifeline.

Crisis support

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call, text, or chat 988 to connect with the Helpline Center for immediate, confidential support for any behavioral health concern. This service is available 24/7 and is routed to local South Dakota professionals.

Mental and behavioral health

• Avera: Offers a range of behavioral and mental health services for all ages.

• MWI Health: Provides treatment for conditions like depression, anxiety, and ADD/ADHD, including psychotherapy services.

Custom Music Album available on Spotify and Youtube

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Anxiety (Revisited w/ Medication) is the sixteenth entry from the book, The Helpless Romantic, by Travis Salguero. This book is a collection of journal entries presented as poems that give you insight into the Author’s struggles with addiction, mental illness, and his journey overcoming them.

Day Zero:

I am afraid to write anything down because then I might manifest evils beyond anyone’s control. Writing it down will not make it go away but make it more real. Fleeting with its own mischievous ways, I feel so stuck. Why can’t I do it? Am I THAT cowardly? To die on my own terms, my own time?

Day One:

I feel too much, it hurts, and even the medicine evolves it into apathetic energy,

I know I need it to care, but I just do not. No. Nope. Not right now.

Come back later when my mania has taken a turn for the better.

Toxicity.

Day Two:

Sloth

Here I am immobile,

Laying here,

Not making a sound,

Not today,

I will wait for another day to finish this thing they call life,

But until then,

I sleep.

Day Seven:

Solace

Endearment

Patience

Care

Love

Amending

Community

Lessen the Lessons

And leave me to my disorganized mess.

Day 12:

Red Hot inferno of flavors beyond your apparatus of knowledge. This pepper was a bad idea. Too spicy? Or too dull of a flavor? I cannot quite put my tongue on it,

Because

It is

Burnt.

Day 14:

Do you ever think about me?

I hope so.

Day 15:

Coffee Stains

All over my stomach lining,

I cannot taper out energy,

Ingest more,

Take more!

Binge on this energy,

Till there is nothing more!

Then, in a spurt of jitters and twitches,

Find out where there is MORE

I WANT MORE

Day 28:

Is my heart supposed to ache like this? It feels like a veteran percussionist. No room to go on, but as stubborn as its owner, does it still beat as it fills irregularly. How? Why must I tolerate the suffering and not say a thing? Shhh…you talk way too much for your own good. It brought you everything that you have ever wanted…but it gave you everything that you did not, too.

Day 104:

I want to die; do I need a reason as to why?

It feels so rhetorical at this point. So many reasons, rarely ever voiced. Sometimes involuntary as if were coerced. Reasons be null, and invalid, void of any actual comprehension, running rampant until they cease to exist anymore.

Day 355:

Grocery list:

Eggs

Milk

Hope

With a hint of sanity and/or the will to live

Day 428:

Note to Self:

Next time, just do it.

It will make you feel better.

Day 579:

Memory served as an eviction notice,

Please evacuate any meaningful prosperities or hauntings that you have provided and leave details on why you wish to part with this memory, wonderful or not. Any feedback will be logged and put into the database.

Day 665:

Memories, your time is up.

Sorry, but most of you cannot make the cut.

Hard to say why you need this notice. Bittersweet is your favorite flavor.

Here I am to do you and I exceedingly more than a favor.

Day 764:

They say a picture is worth a thousand words,

BUT

One look can drive a million daggers into your soul.

Day 889:

Somewhere in the forgotten lands underneath my bedroom’s cracks and crannies, how else could I remind myself where my mind was hidden? Waiting for something, anything, extraordinary, but all around me did it exist, blinded by the stress of mortality and hardships.

Day 1055:

HEY!

Ask someone about their day,

You never know

How much they NEEDED that.

Day 1146:

It is so nice to have you around,

And it is terrible to see you go,

I will follow too,

If you let me. Me. Me. Me…

I commit to only positive things, but it is necessary to have a negative charge to power a battery.

How ironic is the world when you can compare a battery,

to love?

Day 1236:

Hope

Things are not so bad. The ceiling is not so dull,

Things are so vibrant and interesting again,

How did I obtain it again?

Thank my lucky stars for my renewed love in life again.

Thank you as well, R. For you have given me hope.

Again.

Day 1374:

My vision is not blurred anymore; my sights clearly set on you. Precision points past perspectives of lost loves to know I am found once again. Astounded to feel full once more and not a shell of a man. Autumn leaves fall around us as I kiss you for an infinite time.

How these daydreams of mine will become reality.

Day 2190:

Thank you for continuing to heal. Medication has finally been taking effect and apathy has turned

into full empathy once more. Reading back on this old poem reminds me of how much has changed over the last six years:

Stagnant, immobile, converted from kinetic energy,

Of a long day’s work. Lay your head in comfort, with twelve hours gone with only sweat dried upon your brow and blistered hands, can it ever feel more comforting than this?

What could happen next week?

I NEED a vacation.

Day 2920:

You are currently residing in a place that you personally longed for, with years and years of waiting instead of acting on the confidence and experience that was inside of your soul. I love you for continuing your life regardless of it was harder every day to get out of bed. You chose to rot for the longest time and over time the difference was awful. 2,000 whole days later, and I recognize you again. I want you to read the next poem and tell me about the convictions in your soul, are they the same as they were all those years before?

Funny, how I can see bits and pieces of you through your work. Here is another that makes me smile to this day knowing how you genuinely care for another person.

Sending mixed smoked signals but assuring me everything is okay,

I trust you.

Please don’t disobey your feelings.

Do not deny your love another chance at fulfillment.

Remember who you are, and what your purpose is on this Earth.

Journaling your thoughts was one thing, now putting action onto those words will be the next exciting step into freedom that your wildest dreams have never fathomed.

Anxiety - Companion Album

Anxiety resources in Sioux Falls, SD, include numerous counseling centers like MWI Health and Avera Behavioral Health, support groups through organizations such as NAMI South Dakota and Empire Mental Health Support, and crisis support via the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For immediate, urgent psychiatric help, Avera Behavioral Health Hospital offers 24-hour access, while several other clinics provide outpatient and specialized services.

Let me tell you

About my best friend

He looks like me

He acts like me

He thinks like me

But he isn't me

He is so much more

He is my confidant

He is my ride or die

He is the sunshine to my day

He is the keeper of my dreams

He is the tissue to my tears

He is the listener of my fears

He is more than a best friend

He is everything I have ever been looking for

Previous paintings from this series by :

*New Chapter drops every Thursday

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The comet lingered in the night sky for weeks, its trail stretching thin, its brilliance softening into memory. Crowds flocked to ridges and rooftops, pointing cameras upward, filling feeds with images of fire suspended in darkness.

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Joji Boy is the fifteenth entry from the book, The Helpless Romantic, by Travis Salguero. This book is a collection of journal entries presented as poems that give you insight into the Author’s struggles with addiction, mental illness, and his journey overcoming them.

This is for my little puppers, even though he cannot read.

I will make sure to let him know how much he is loved and cared for every day.

Fur ball, full of mischief and energy,

Running for his life at two am.

Three am.

4:45 am.

Your little body pushes way harder than when I was young.

Your hazel eyes give me the most warmth I have ever gotten from a canine.

Bites, scratches, and several cuts later, I am still in love.

Even with all the accidents and mistakes in the world adding up,

I will always call you my Joji boi.

Joji Boi - Companion Album

*New Chapter drops every Thursday

Custom Music Album available on Spotify and Youtube

Purchase Book Here < CLICK

News of the comet’s return spread quickly through the astronomical community. This time it wasn’t just Elias alone on a city street — telescopes across the globe confirmed the sighting, data logged, photos captured. It was real. Undeniable.

And yet, Elias’s colleagues reacted with smug satisfaction rather than awe.

“Well, what do you know,” muttered one in the faculty lounge. “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

Another chuckled. “Thorne lucked into a comet. Doesn’t change the fact he’s wasted decades.”

But Elias no longer felt their words pierce. For the first time in years, their scorn slid off like water. Because the comet wasn’t just in the sky — it was beside him, paint-stained hands steady on the wheel, laughter returning to his nights.

Claire had come back. That was the miracle.

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