Chocolate Brown

I’m trying to recall if I have shared any of my “love poems” with you yet.  Well, actually when I think about this poem, and its muse, it’s not a “love poem” because I for sure wasn’t in love with this cat – so maybe it would fit under the label “relationship”? Don’t really think I like that one eather.  Idunno, not really one for labels.  Or rather, one who likes being forced to label.  Any-who, I was flipping through my catalogue of poetry (lol) and felt like posting this one.  I’m not sure why I’m so particular about which poems I post, and when I post them, but there is a method to my madness.  Without further ado, Chocolate Brown:

…a pleasure to have made your acquaintance

chocolate brown

you have brought me smiles that have left me happier

than the morning sun

and looked at me with eyes that reflect the moon’s

glow

and I thank you

Your gaze illuminates the knowledge from within

perpetuating an understanding and humility

that is a godsend

chocolate brown

with skin so smooth and deep

you let yourself be open and free

Could you explain to me things unknown?

Show me things unseen?

Your spirituality elevates you to the brightest star

and I say

well now,

your very essence is a comfort zone

where I feel at ease

…glad to have made your acquaintance

chocolate brown

you have left me

pleased

44

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope everyone had a blessed week.  Today’s motivation is quite simple:  We have a new president.

We Are One

Okay, so I made an oppsie and posted next weeks poem today and didn’t realize it until now.  Tsk tsk.  Well, at least I’m honest with you. So here is the poem that I chose for today.  I struggled between this one and another…but since this was a positive week, I chose the one below.  I wanted to honor this historic and wonderful week with a poem of empowerment.  My thinking is I’ll post the other one next week (it would have been fitting to post around election time- but I don’t think I was posting poetry around then since that’s the time I actually started this blog)   Another thing, I believe this was a poem that I read for some special event in college, and the special guest was the infamous Sonia Sanchez.  I’m going to need my boy (JJ) and my hubby to remind me what the event was, and if this was even the poem I read! (hangs head in shame for not remembering)

Rising with the confidence of kings

Ancestral motivation pumps through the blood of the

Black Man

With the straight back of a warrior’s spear

And the mischievous look of a cat

He prances through the streets

Shoulders slightly bend from the weight of the world

But he moves in the melodic motion of a panther

He struts with the confidence of pharaohs

Whether with hair strategically locked

or artistically faded

His handsomeness surpasses all races

His undying strength cannot be matched

And the love he needs from the Black Woman is

Timeless

Timeless

Second-hand strikes the hour

Time for

Star-rise

Sun-rise

Black Woman rise!

Shinning with the celestial light of day

She is beautiful by any sight

With hair twisted-fro’d-short-long-straight-

Wrapped-or braided

Her head is adorned with the crown of queens

With the tenacity of a lioness

She walks as if she is a dancer

Each step representing a note in the blues she wails

for a people

With sensuous hips that sway

And brings forth a nation

Whose history is so deeply rooted

That the African drums can still be heard beating in

my heart

And the lively spirit continues to flow through my

veins

Although I walk that timeless walk of Moses through the desert

Fleeing modern day Egyptians

I find my future

In knowing my past

Remembering Martin’s dream

Knowing Sojourner’s truth

The fascination of our skin

By the amount of melanin within

Only my third eye can see the hues that Langston

writes with

We lift every voice and sing

Hearing echoes of Ella, Duke, and slaves

And cannot forget the beatings and rapes

and changing of names

We are descendants of an illustrious race

We are descendants of kings and queens

We are not 3/5ths

We are unified

We are one!

Inauguration Night Blurb

Quickly –

Watched the first hour of the Neighborhood Ball. It was the first of like a zillion Balls Barackand Michelle have to go to tonight.  (Bless her feet Lord, for I don’t know how she is managing to stand being in heels for almost 24hrs.)  Anyway, I’m watching (keyword, watching NOT enjoying) the performances and here’s what I noticed –

Mary J has grown vocally…I mean, leaps and bounds1  She was such a studio artist, but once she laid off the drugs and started taking care of herself, one can truly hear the change in her voice.  She’s reaching notes that she once struggled for. And her range has allowed her to do things in her music that she would never have done in the past ( I would have never paid to hear her perform live back in the 90s)  Fast forward to tonight.  She performed her Just Fine song and did a decent job, however, she danced around so much that she was extremely breathy so by the time she needed to hit the last note, let’s just say she went off key. Ouch!

Adam from Maroon 5 sang This Love and he was another artist that I think need to take cues from Beyonce, Christina A., and Eminem when it comes to breath control.  He went flat trying to sing his last note.

Okay, wasn’t going to write about Alicia, however, as I was typing this I heard her singing her No One song (Mike’s “somewhat” watching this downstairs)- so I ran down to catch a listen…umm, maybe everyone has just been screaming all day because, yes, she was struggling to hit notes and make runs which leads me to….

Mariah Carey.  OMIGOSH!  What the heck happened to her?!  Did the marriage of Nick Canon completely erase her ability to sing?  My belief is that she’s been playing around with these last few albums and hasn’t really been singing so her picking Hero (a song from her hay day when her vocals were actually intact) was not a smart choice for Mrs. Canon.  From the first note Mike and I looked at each other and braced ourselves for the train wreck that we were both about to witness.  This Grammy award winner who can sing up to 20 octaves sounded like an American Idol contestant – that didn’t make it to Hollywood.  Sad to say, I couldn’t turn away.  I just watched in utter amazement.  Like a car accident. Flashbacks of Whitney Houston came to mind and I shook my head in disbelief.  It didn’t help that when the ensemble (Beyonce, Alicia, Sting, Faith Hill, et al) was singing with Stevie Wonder she stared out looking confused as to wondering when she was supposed to come in and to her ad lib.  I’m just left with one question; What happened?

I know there are other performers, but I seriously need to get to writing this paper so I’ll end with Beyonce.  She sang At Last for President and Mrs. Obama.  She didn’t over do it (thank God).  And even thru what was obviously an emotional experience (she started to tear up – nice to see some personality from her as of late) she kept herself together and didn’t jack up the song.  May not be a fan of hers, but she keeps it professional.

p.s. Aretha looked better than ever, but my my, the Voice is lost under all that weight.

My request to you readers, please, please, help your struggling artists.

Welcome Mr. President

Happy Inauguration-of-our-44th-United-States-President’s-Day!  This will be brief, since I still have much to do for my first full day of classes (tomorrow).  But I couldn’t let this day pass without sharing in my (and I believe many of yours) excitement.  I have been glued to the television all day and since I don’t own a laptop (yet) to do a moment by moment post on my blog, I settled for Facebook. 

I’m not sure how many of you were able to celebrate this day with others, but I was one of the unfortunate that celebrated this day in my home…alone.  Yeah, everyone I know and love seems to have a job, hence, they viewed Barack being sworn in some office conference room, or a sports bar, and maybe even by radio, in the company of others.  Me? Well, I woke up, prayed for today, the Obama family, and all those who will be out celebrating, (and for those who have in their hearts not to celebrate) paid a bill, took a shower, and began the marathon watch of today’s events.  Got downstairs around 9:30ish, so I had already missed almost two hours of coverage, but was pleasantly surprised to see that one of my friends was up early in California and via cellphone, kept your girl company.  Oh yeah, and all the people who were on Facebook too.

       So pardon me for the randomness.  I haven’t really structured my thoughts for this post.  In a way I wanted to fill some space, lol.  I will have a full day of classes tomorrow and a class on Thursday, that I am not quite sure when I would be able to jot down some thoughts about this historical day.  I’m overwhelmed, proud, elated, full, curious about what happens tomorrow and the days ahead…just a myriad of emotions.  The family looked absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  Don’t those children make you beam?!  The speech was inspiring, authoritative, firm, beautiful, and audacious all in one. 

I became a U.S. citizen in 2004 even though I’ve been living in this country since 1982 (it’s a long story and I don’t feel like getting into it now).  My first election that I was able to vote on was that year and well, I didn’t want to see Bush go in for a second term, but wasn’t sure that my alternative choice was a strong one.  And to be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever acknowledged any president in my lifetime here in the states as my president.  But today, TODAY, I feel proud to say that Barack Houssein Obama is my president.  That my First Lady is a woman of poise, grace and intelligence.  That my First Family gives me hope and offers me images that I can relate to. 

In the days, and weeks to come, I would really like to take time and really share my thoughts and insights to this monumental time in our lives.  Please be patient with me, because with this new man in office, comes a new student in class (that would be moi). 

So, how did you enjoy this day?  I’d love to hear your stories.

 __________

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Kennedy family and pray that Teddy will be able to see many more days.

Enjoying the Dream

I think there are a lot of reasons to be inspired, motivated, encouraged, excited…we are witnesses of history in the making, and personally, I think it’s wonderful.  Of course when we ponder the events that are taking place, that Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of these united states, many of us begin to think, “how did we get here?”; especially people of color.  We understand that what is taking place is not happenstance.  That there were many people, movement, and prayers that have brought us to this place.  We stand here in this moment, privileged to see where we’ve come from.  To be thankful to those who have paved the way.  To hopefully learn from history, so that we can press forward toward the mark; for a WAY better future.  Not only for us, but for our children, and our childrens’ children.  We don’t know what will happen the day after tomorrow.  How we will face the challenges that will come before us.  But for right now, at this time, during these historic hours, let us enjoy the emotions of pride, humility, gratitude, and hopeful expectation.  It’s been over four decades, I think we should all try to enjoy a bit of the dream right now. 

 

(K)eeping (I)t (M)ake-believe

So I don’t really watch BET anymore.  It has been a station that I feel has been going downwards for over a decade now.  I think the beginning of the demise was when they used a digital host (ya’ll remember Cita?) and some random dude acting a fool on the street (Hits From the Street).  I missed Donnie and Sherri.  Thought provoking shows like “Our Voices” with Bev Smith, our actually having a summit for Teen Summit.  I’m just saying, how are you going to call a show “Teen Summit” and it’s just three 20-sumthin’s talking and interviewing people? Anyway, BET has also been a place for black people to watch videos from black artists.  during the time that I wrote today’s poem (yeah, I’m getting to it),  a certain female hip hop artist was coming out with a new look and style.  Let’s just say I wasn’t impressed and she still leaves A LOT to be desired.  You can say that I wrote this with a Prodigal Sista Lost, and Sitting on Steps, mindset.  I think after reading this, and heck, just taking a second look at the title, you will know just who I am referring to.  Oh yeah, this is one of the few poems that I have written that rhyme.  Sorry for the soliloquy.

She stands there naked

Flesh all bruised

Self-hate is the disorder

She decides to use

Being prostituted and raped

Claiming to elevate

And believing she’s keeping it real

With tits all fake

Blue eyes, blond hair, is the beauty she sees

Sadly unaware of the beauty of “we”

My hair was never meant to blow in the wind

Instead it was made to make the wind bend

Standing tall on strong stalks

Not trying to pretend

And be like you

I saw your picture sittin’ under the shade

There must be some poison up in your lemonade

That got you buggin’

Makin’ you do the things you do.

Sista it’s sad when the world knows you confused

But I thank you,

Cuz every time I see you on BET

I smile and remember why I love me

Negative…

thirteen is the current temperature here.  today’s high was supposed to be zero, but we just missed it by five degrees.  it is so bitterly cold.  so cold. i think the wind chill was negative thirty last night.  burrr.  i was sure my body was going to go into cardiac arrest as i was forced to inhale the frigid air.  i mean, you try to breathe but you can’t.  the minute that thing hits your nostrils you lungs are shouting “are you kidding me?!” this is the kind of weather that makes me feel for those people who have to wait and take public transportation.  you think you pay enough taxes that the state (a state that has VERY COLD WINTERS) would do their best to place heaters/warmers at the train and bus stops.  but, oh noooo, you’re just stuck under a stop that has the warmers above you, but when you press the button to turn them on, to your chagrin, them busters don’t work! tsk, tsk, tsk.  this coming from an occasional train rider.  anyway, the point is: IT’S C-O-L-D.  the good thing is tomorrow is supposed to be warmer…seven above.  i’m just staying, it’s degrees in the right direction – up.

Aboundance…

of snow!!! i know it’s only january.  barely halfway thru it.  but i’m going to be honest with you.  i’m over it.  yes, i’m over the snow.  i guess, if i must look at it in the positive and ignore the shoveling, traffic delays, accidents, shoveling, cleaning off the car, the layering, the cold, oh yeah, and the shoveling – the snow is just a pure reminder to us believers that God is showering down His love and favor upon us this season.  sometimes you just have to make a decision to be overly positive and see past what is in front of you and look ahead.  so, yeah, i’m looking ahead to Spring.

Orientation

Well, today is Monday and I usually have something to motivate you to start your day and week…well, it’s well into Monday evening and this is the first opportunity I have had to actually get on here today.  Why?  Because I was a Orientation!  So yeah, no video or inspirational quote, just “A sista is preppin’ for school!”  Well, at least that motivates me.  But the funny thing is, I was all concerned that some of you stopped by to get motivated, then I checked my Blog Stats and I haven’t had one person stop by in THREE days, LOL.   Worried for nothin’.