The Art of Growing in Purposeful Silence

I just want to travel  and take pictures  and teach  my students  and my children  and love my lover  tell stories at Christmas  around the fireplace  create new traditions  every summer  we'll road trip to Florida  so I can wake up to the myrtle trees  and write it all down  for my great grand kids to read leaving a legacy even when I'm long gone  my spirit will rise  and The Lord will tell me, Val, well done. 

If only out of vanity I have wondered what kind of woman I will be when I am well past the summer of my raging youth Will I still be raising revolutionary flags and making impassioned speeches that stir up anger in the hearts of pseudo-liberals dressed in navy-blue conservative wear In those years when I am grateful I still have a good sturdy bladder that does not leak undigested prune juice onto diapers—no longer adorable will I be more grateful for that than for any forward movement in any current political cause and will it have been worth it then Will it have been worth the long hours of not sleeping that produced little more than reams of badly written verses that catapulted me into literary spasms but did not even whet the appetite of the three O’ clock crowd in the least respected of the New York poetry cafes Will I wish then that I had taken that job working at the bank or the one to watch that old lady drool all over her soft boiled eggs as she tel

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, I used everything you gave me. –Erma Bombeck

Monday, July 28 - 2:52 PM I'm working on a paper but I cannot concentrate. It's my last paper of this course. I need to just do it and get it out of the way but I can't ... It's just so boring. My screen saver changes every hour, which doesn't help with my self-diagnosed ADHD. The image that is up now is this crape myrtle. It's totally diverting me from my task but these have been my absolute favorite trees all summer! They're usually purple, white, or red but my favorites are the pink ones - no matter if they are as light as a pristine pink or as bright as magenta, I love them all. Every time I see these trees, I know great things are about to happen... Because every time I have seen them, great things happen to me.  So of course, I needed to figure out if this was coincidence or if they are historically known to bring good vibes ...  According to what I read, the myrtle was brought to the southern part of the United States from China.

"A commanding presence.  A display of black excellence. Each contributing to growth, knowledge, and your soul's betterment.  If I could've contained this energy, it would've given life to decadence, leaving behind an aroma that would draw you in and set precedent."  -Roc                                Last Sunday, the women of PYNKBerri, Inc. made Brooklyn's Highland Park a literal sanctuary for young, black American artists who traveled from as far as California and as close as Bushwick. The second annual Painting and Poetry in the Park BBQ featured 15 poets who showcased their raw talents, while congregating with others who share the same passion for the craft.  Our featured visual artist this year, Symone Wong (@Sym.Symma), created a collective community mural display of ancient Egyptian royalty, purposefully placing a little girl in the forefront, to symbolize our history as a people and remind us of our future.  This father