inspired...

There are a lot of things that inspire me to write: God, my husband, my children, my relationships, nature, music and life to name a few. Lately I have been greatly inspired by works of art. This may come from the fact that my mother is a talented artist and I grew up surrounded by her masterpieces. The poem I am sharing in this final post for 2010 is inspired by a Frank Morrison painting called "Floetic". If you have never heard of him, Google him and learn something.

For the final time in 2010, I invite you to relax, reflect and enjoy...

i am

copyright 2010

There are times...

the need to put pen to paper

overrules the need to put fork to mouth

i am a writer

don’t bother passing the peas

instead, sharpen the pencils

the desire to speak the poetry God has given me

outweighs the desire to carry on a conversation with you (harsh, but true)

i am floetic

don’t bother passing by to chat

instead, hand me the mic

the urge to be by myself and reflect

supersedes the urge to spend time with others

i am me

don’t bother passing judgment

instead, take the time to understand

Writer's Block Wednesday (#22) even though it's Friday

It's been a few weeks since I posted a piece for Writer's Block Wednesday. I promise to do better in 2011. :)

Here is my final piece for Writer's Block Wednesday 2010. The word: leaves

Raising My Voice

Copyright 2010

As I stand by the bed

and watch you take your suits from the closet

pack your underwear and socks

a small voice inside of me screams

“don’t leave!”

As I stand by the couch

and listen to you tell the kids

“I love you, but mommy and daddy can’t live together anymore”

a small voice inside of me hollers

“hold up...we can work this out!”

As I stand in kitchen

and notice you taking your house key off your keychain

see you place it on the counter

a small voice inside of me yells

“wait, this has gone too far!”

As I stand in the doorway

and look at you putting your bags in the car and backing out of the driveway

all I hear myself say is

“Good-bye”

A gift so great is one only God could create...

My first born started high school this year. Ever since his first day, I have been on pins and needles... anxious.... worried. I'm not really sure why. He is wonderful, and I'm not just saying that cause he's my son. He is smart(he has a 4.0 GPA), athletic (football, basketball, track) and he has a kind heart. But there is just something about high school that scares me.

I gotta let go of that fear. God woke me up this morning with this poem....

Soar

for my son, Elijah

Copyright 2010

Since the day you were born

weighing in at 9 pounds 2 ounces

i wanted to take you in my arms

shield you from

stupidity

senselessness

suffering

shame

sloppiness

slackers

sin

spitefulness

sex before marriage

Shaneka, Shaquan, Sha nay nay ....soul sistas

Selena, Selita, Sarafina ...Spanish senoritas

Sally, Sue, Soon-Lee ...white and Asian chicks

cause gold diggers and wanna be baby mommas come in all

shapes, sizes and shades

despite my desire

i can’t hold on to you forever

gotta let you step out of the nest

take your first step

spread your wings and fly

because while others spend time dreaming

you are destined to rise

as i let go

i place you

in the protective arms of

the ONE

the ONE

who will

never leave you nor forsake you

the ONE

who will

celebrate your victories

calm your fears

carry you in your defeat

cry your tears

the ONE

who gives

joy that is unspeakable

peace that transcends all understanding

loves you unconditionally

I give you back

to the ONE

who blessed me

with the honor

to birth you

into this world

Soar baby boy....

GOD’s got your back

A poem for my "little sisters"

I wrote this poem for my lil sister Kiara. She followed God's vision and in October she put on a conference for young ladies called Diamonds in the Rough. God showed up and showed out that weekend. As always I invite you to relax, reflect and enjoy...

Diamond in the Rough

for Kiara, my lil sis

copyright 2010

Ordinary at first glance

just another face in the crowd

not worth a second look

But

in case you didn’t know this

please take notice

God is not through with me yet

when dealing with me

patience is a must

for development is a process

it occurs over time

See

I am a

Diamond in the Rough

a valuable find

in an unexpected location

my beauty is

defined by my heart and what is within

not the outer shell

influenced by society

my worth

is more than

a South Sea cultured pearl

greater than 24 carat gold

priceless in the eyes of God

I am a

Diamond in the Rough

Formed under extreme pressure

with the potential for greatness

Unique by design

created with purpose

beautifully and wonderfully made

In line to be

cut

polished

refined

So

in case you didn’t know this

please take notice

God is not through

with me yet

Writer's Block Wednesday (#21) even though it's Friday

So better late than never, but as Drake would say, "never late is better".

What I have tonight is based on a word from a few weeks ago: DIZZY.

As always, I invite you to relax, reflect and enjoy.....

3 Steps from Dizzy

copyright 2010

you call out of the blue

unexpected

unsolicited

your voice

takes me back to the times

we spent together

on the couch at your momma’s

watching re-runs of Martin

stealing kisses when no one was looking

sneaking off to your bedroom

doing things we had no business doing

and despite myself

the memories make me smile

but even in my

dizzy state

i know that was the past

i have moved on

you are not in the steps

of my current plan

Step 1

DO BETTER...

i know i can do better than you

Step 2

STAY TRUE TO MYSELF...

the truth is , you’re no good for me

Step 3

KNOW MY WORTH AND WALK IN IT...

being with you decreases my value

So even though you call

sounding sexy and alluring

talking about how you miss me

the thought of being with you makes me

dizzy

so i must decline your invitation

Writer's Block Wednesday (#20)

The word for this week is CORRECT. Here's what I got:

Come Correct

Copyright 2010

My name is NOT

baby

slim

ho

bitch

sexy

shorty

sweet thang

If you put these titles on me

you obviously

don't know

who I am

I am

a Colored girl

a Diamond in the rough

a Black girl who rocks

i wear

weaves

braids

wigs

cornrows

depending on my mood

i like to snuggle on the couch

in my leopard print Snuggie

with a cup of

Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate with mini marshmallows

and a good book

i color with Crayola crayons

in coloring books

while laying on the floor

with my daughter

i scream

"run baby run"

at the top of my lungs

as my handsome son runs

the football down the field

i dance slow

with my arms tight

around my man

as I whisper in his ear

i work hard

for the education of children

no matter

their race, ethnicity, gender or

economic status

(although little Black girls with bright eyes and braids steal my heart)

i believe

in the wonder of love

the power of prayer

and that God has a purpose for my life

My name is

Beautiful

Blessed

Beloved

Intelligent

Strong

Kind

I AM

a Colored girl

a Diamond in the Rough

a Black girl who rocks

a CHILD OF GOD

I know my worth

so come to me correct

or don't come at all....

Writer's Block Wednesdays (#19)...even though it's Thursday

So mid term elections are over and I am more than a little disappointed in the outcome. The word for this week is PULSE and it is the perfect word for a time such as this....

Mid Term Pulse

Copyright 2010

Dear America,

checked your pulse lately?

Are you alive?

Can you see

what's goin on?

pull up the shades

open the blinds

take a look

you are sure to find

teen pregnancy on the rise

glamorized on MTV and

the cover story

in entertainment magazines

real housewives

who ain't real

and who ain't even housewives

spending money with no rhyme or reason

while your next door neighbor

is on his second year

of unemployment

struggling

hustling

to keep his family fed

in the words of Teddy P

Wake up everybody

our classrooms

are overcrowded

led by teachers

who are

underpaid

unsupported

de-valued

filled with students

who just wanna learn

but are so hungry

they can't concentrate

election of government officials who are

racist

sexist

out for self

blaming our problems

on Barack Obama but

he didn't create the problems...

they came with the job

while you're

waiting for Superman,

I'm depending on GOD

Dear America,

in the midst of it all

I must ask

Are you alive?

Do you have a pulse?

Writer's Block Wednesdays (#18)

The word this week is RESIST. Wrote a poem about it. Wanna hear it? Here it go...

to resist

Copyright 2010

there are some things

in life i find

easy

to resist...

lima beans

scary movies

that make you jump out your seat

and pee your pants

flu shots

tuna casserole with green olives

long winded conversations

running around in circles

hot sweaty nightclubs

cause at this stage in life

there is only ONE place i want

to be hot and sweaty

on the other hand

there are some things

in life i find

hard

to resist...

plain M&M's

lifting my hands

in praise and worship

reality TV marathons

Nikki G poetry

super sizing

my sweet tea and waffle fries

at Chic-fil-A

fantasizing about Michael Ealy

cause there's just something about

those eyes

facials by Divine Hands

taking the elevator instead of the stairs

the sound of your voice

your kiss

your touch

and unfortunately....

your lies

Writer's Block Wednesdays (#17)

Welcome back to Writer's Block Wednesday. With some past pieces I've written and posted, I have stressed the words you were reading were fiction or in other words, not from my personal life experiences, but based on what I know of others. Well this week's piece is pure fact and totally based on my life. This week's word is TILT. Here's what I came up with. As always, relax, reflect and enjoy...

Joanie's Daughter

copyright 2010

i caught a quick glimpse

of myself in a mirror today

the reflection

looking back at me

was my mother

the same

tilt of her head

smile in her eyes

i've noticed

there are times

her walk

struts from my legs

her gestures

spring from my hands

her laughter

emerges from deep inside of me

her words

fall from my lips

i caught a glimpse

of myself in a mirror today

and i saw

the woman

i desire to become

Writer's Block Wednesdays (#16)

What's up my faithful followers? The word for this week is HOST. Here's what I came up with...

Gracious Host

Copyright 2010

I bet there are

a set of permanent footprints

on the welcome mat

outside your house

where I stand

fingerprints etched

on your door

where my hand

frequently rests

as I turn the knob

my butt cheek mark

imprinted on your love seat

where plenty of loving

has taken place

the outline of my body

indented on the

Ralph Lauren sheets that

lay on top

of your king size

pillow top mattress

a deep dent

in the pillow

you keep on the

other side of the bed

where I lay my head

you are a gracious host

for my body

and

my heart

Writer's Block Wednesdays (#15)

It has been awhile. I could make excuses, but what would be the point? What matters is that I am back with Writer's Block Wednesday. Tonight's word is SPACE. What I came up with is purely fiction... none of it fact. So with that said, as always, I invite you to reflect and enjoy.

The Space Between Us

copyright 2010

i'm doing all i can

to fill the space between us

watch Monday night football

root for the Bears

fry catfish

make your grandma's mac and cheese

call in the middle of the day

just to say "i love you"

wear heels and skinny jeans

to the mall...

you hate when

i wear flats

listen to rap on repeat

although i prefer

smooth R&B

ignore that you

sleep in on Saturdays

even though

there's tons to be done

graciously agree

to your night out

with the fellas

while i

stay home

with the kids

wake you

when you fall asleep

on the couch

coax you to come to bed

though most times

you never do

filling the space

between us

leaves me

drained

resentful

empty

and leaves

no

space

for me

Tuesdays with Nikki (#15)

It's been a minute since I've blogged. My son has started high school football and my Tuesday and Wednesday evenings have been consumed with touchdowns and tackles. But I'm back tonight. This Thursday my handsome hubby will celebrate his birthday. So this Nikki G selection tonight is one of my favorite poems and it goes out to my hubby. Reflect and enjoy...

You Came, Too

By Nikki Giovanni

Copyright 1968

I came to the crowd seeking friends

I came to the crowd seeking love

I came to the crowd for understanding

I found you

I came to the crowd to weep

I came to the crowd to laugh

You dried my tears

You shared my happiness

I went from the crowd seeking you

I went from the crowd seeking me

I went from the crowd forever

You came, too

Writer's Block Wednesdays (#14)

I'm behind on my words... Whitney sends them, but I've been slacking. So tonight's piece combines two words: ROUGH and LIVE...

In the Midst of the Storm

Copyright 2000

Get thee behind me satan.

I have work to do.

I am God’s child and with me, HE is not threw.

Don’t try to play games with me.

It goes far deeper than that.

I know God’s Word... I know the Bible,

and with that I will attack.

I know Jesus as my Savior and Lord.

HE is the one who I love, cherish and adore.

Get thee behind me satan.

Don’t play games you can not win.

I am a child of God. The Holy Spirit dwells within.

Get thee behind me satan.

Don’t try to be under my feet.

This is game you can not win.

With Jesus there is now such thing as defeat.

Get thee behind me satan.

You can not have my dreams.

Hallelujah is what I scream!

I am not afraid of you.

You have no reign here.

The Lord is my light and my salvation

Whom shall I fear?

God is my shelter, my protector, my all and all.

HIS light shines through me.

In HIM, I stand tall.

Get thee behind me satan.

I am a friend of Jesus Christ

You can not win.

You can not win.

For Christ is my goal and my center.

My home, my family, my life

You can not enter.

You can not enter.

You seem rather stubborn, so I’ll say it once again.

Get thee behind me satan.

For Jesus is my best friend.

I may be weak sometimes

I may stumble... I may fall.

But Jesus, HE picks me up, stands me proud, stands me tall.

Get thee behind me satan.

Go on somewhere else.

I’m not going through this all by myself.

No Jesus is with me.

HE is my friend.

Jesus is with me.

On HIM, I do depend.

So get thee behind me satan and make no mistake

The Word of God says me, HE will never leave nor forsake.

This storm will pass.

This pain will end.

So I say

Thank you Jesus

Thank you Lord.

Thank you my Savior.

Thank you my Friend.