Tuesdays with.... (#14)

Today's poet is one you may know as an R&B/Neo-Soul artist and actress. But she is an amazing songwriter and poet too. After all, song lyrics are really just poetry set to music and words that are sung instead of spoken.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the talented, sometimes controversial but always fierce, ERYKAH BADU... (please note: this poem contains "adult" language)

Friends, Fans, Artists Must Meet

By Erykah Badu

Copyright unknown

performed on Def Jam Poetry Dec 2011

Friends, fans, artists must meet

Which 1 are you which 1 is me

Friends, fans, and artist must meet

Which 1 are you which 1 are me

FANS

God, please o please let her breath my way

if she sing my song today i can be ok

See I understand the message in the song she write

i was really happy for her when she won tonight

She a rebel for the struggle fightin just like me

i know she down to sing at the cookout, free

i was kinda dissappointed with the song she wrote

went to her website wrote a long as note

she done made a million dollars but she down to earth

she be rockin chuck taylors and a thrift sto' purse

signin autographs til the park was dark

i know it's kinda hard when they luv ya art

in the magazines they be twistin up the facts

but her response was fair i like how she come back

she be sangin for the world sharin all her pain

when she fell up in the game she had changed

fans, friends, artist must meet

Which 1 are you which 1 are me

FRIENDS

folk in the face like she ain’t da same

still da same b**** she just changed her name

she don't really like to hang around wit us no mo

wasn't nothin like that back in '94

she be fallin in the spot wit a fat a** grin

now she roll a benz she don't need no friends

she only really made it cuz her skin is light

don't nobody really understand that s*** she write

she done made a million dollars she can give us some

she be havin fun s*** we wanna have fun

seen her early in the morning looking bad as hell

gon be lookin really funny when her s*** don't sell

airport, bouta miss a flight

4 carry-ons talkin bout "pack light"

oo please o please give da queen her tea

i only come to da show cuz i get in free

Friends, fans, artist must meet

Which 1 are you which 1 are me

fans, friends, n artist must meet

Which 1 are you

ARTIST

folk in ma face cuz i'mma supastar

n****s hang around cuz of who i are

get a lot a love cuz of wut i got

say they happy for me, but they really not

sell a lot a records and i roll a benz

fall up in the spot now i'm losin friends

all i wanna do is give da world my heart

record label tryna make me compromise my art

make a million dollars, make a million mo

tax time come around still a ni**a po'

i wanna say wait but i'm scared to ask

the world start spinnin and it's movin fast

try to stay sane it's the price of fame

spendin my life tryna numb the pain

i shake that load off and sing the song

liberate the mind and i go on home

Source(s):

Erykah Badu - Def Poetry Jam

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=6550968

Spirit Filled Sunday #19

art by He Qi

heqigallery.com

Hey my faithful followers!

I took a little break last week cause: 1) last Wednesday, my son turned 16... yep 16. Your prayers are appreciated. 2) on Thursday my oldest daughter was not feeling well. Thank GOD she is better now. 3) I was just tired. It happens sometimes, but I'm back!:)

For todays' post, in honor of Resurrection/Easter Sunday, I want to keep it simple and just give you the plain and simple truth. Are you ready? Can you handle it? Here it goes:

HE IS RISEN!

That's it. Enough said. But in case you doubt me, see below. :) Be Blessed!

Matthew 28:1-10

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Tuesdays with.... (#13)

This week's poet is Lucille Clifton. A prolific and widely respected poet, Lucille Clifton's work emphasizes endurance and strength through adversity, focusing particularly on African-American experience and family life. From 1979–1985 she was Poet Laureate of Maryland.

During an interview for the Antioch Review, Clifton reflected that she continues to write, because "writing is a way of continuing to hope ... perhaps for me it is a way of remembering I am not alone.”

Ladies and gentlemen, Lucille Clifton....

sisters

by Lucille Clifton

copyright 1987

me and you be sisters.

we be the same.

me and you

coming from the same place.

me and you

be greasing our legs

touching up our edges.

me and you

be scared of rats

be stepping on roaches.

me and you

come running high down purdy street one time

and mama laugh and shake her head at

me and you.

me and you

got babies

got thirty-five

got black

let our hair go back

be loving ourselves

be loving ourselves

be sisters.

only where you sing,

I poet.

Spirit Filled Sunday #18

picture by Karen Middlebrook

Last week was a good week. I enjoyed quality time with friends, a date night with my hubby and fun with my family. I am grateful to GOD for these gifts. In honor of this, I am reposting a poem I wrote awhile ago. As always, I pray you will relax, reflect and enjoy...

Simple Pleasures

Copyright 2011

A piece of white chocolate macadamia nut cheesecake

An ice cold glass of Dr Pepper sipped through a straw

Taking a hot bubble bath by candlelight

San Francisco in August

A king size bed with a pillow top mattress

A well worn pair of jeans that still fit after 2 years

A poem by Nikki Giovanni (I'm not lonely, You came too & Nikki Rosa)

A song by Stevie Wonder (Superwoman, As, & Knocks me off my feet)

Cosby Show and Different World on NBC

Talking to my Momma...woman to woman

Holding my Daddy's hand

Looking into my husband's eyes

Hearing my son laugh

The presence of the HOLY SPIRIT

The joy JESUS brings

The grace and mercy of GOD

Thought Provoking Thursday (#17)

From the camera lens of the incomparable GORDON PARKS...

Norman Jr. Reading in Bed

1967

© Gordon Parks

Writer's Block Wednesday (#43)

My 8 year old daughter and I recently had a discussion about poetry. She said "I like your poems but most of them don't rhyme." I explained to her that poetry does not have to rhyme.

She concluded "even if it doesn't have to, it should."

I seldom write poetry that rhymes... usually the words, thoughts and feelings don't come to me in that form. However, for today's post, I put on my rhyming cap just because my daughter said I "should."

The word this week is OAK. As always, I pray you will relax, reflect and enjoy...

me under a tree

Copyright 2012

laying a blanket

underneath the tree

resting my body

enjoying the breeze

birds provide the soundtrack

as i reminisce and think back

to the moment when you walked away

even though you promised you would never stray

you left me broken and confused

feeling worn, beat down and used

looking in the mirror at a woman i no longer recognize

months ago i never would have believed you would be the cause of my demise

call me stupid or maybe just completely naive

desiring a man that was never purposed for me

now i found myself under this tree

a fragment of the woman i used to be

Tuesdays with.... (#12)

This week I want to share a piece by a poet whose work I admire as much as that of Nikki Giovanni. Those of you who know me know that this means a lot. Both poets speak truth in poetic verse that is easy on the ears and heavy on the heart. I want to be clear, "heavy on the heart" is not a negative thing. When I say it, I mean their words lay on my heart and take residence there. It is a good thing... poetry that makes you feel.

This week's poet is Sonia Sanchez.

photograph by

Laylah Amatullah

Ballad

(after the spanish)

By Sonia Sanchez

Copyright 2007

forgive me if i laugh

you are so sure of love

you are so young

and i too old to learn of love.

the rain exploding

in the air is love

the grass excreting her

green wax is love

and stones remembering

past steps is love,

but you. you are too young

for love

and i too old.

once. what does it matter

when or who, i knew

of love.

i fixed my body

under his and went

to sleep in love

all trace of me

was wiped away

forgive me if i smile

young heiress of a naked dream

you are so young

and i too old to learn of love.