Presently
offering myself deliberate gentleness.
Posts
We Both Know
Nobody is wrong.
But you should not waste time.
You know when a season is finished.
You know when it's time to walk away.
There's no reason to fight.
The fighting words are fake.
The topic is a phony.
You just need a reason.
You know it's the end.
So just say it.
It's over.
But you should not waste time.
You know when a season is finished.
You know when it's time to walk away.
There's no reason to fight.
The fighting words are fake.
The topic is a phony.
You just need a reason.
You know it's the end.
So just say it.
It's over.
To My Queen Mother
I have not cried since I was told about the home going of my God mama... But I cried, endlessly, the last time I was with her, thanksgiving day, which was about a week before she transitioned.
My tears were brought on because she lost her ability to speak coherently. She kept trying to answer me but most of her words were sounds and facial gestures. My God mama was a woman of words, many colorful hues of words. To see her struggle with one of her greatest gifts hurt like hell to watch.
It was her words that got me through some of the darkest periods of my life. Her monthly handwritten cards, emails, and long conversations over the phone always left me with clarity, guidance, and peace of mind. Her advice was always delivered in the simplest of forms while remaining robust enough to move my spirit:
"The battle is not yours."
"All you have to do is your best."
"I am so proud of you."
"You are so strong."
It was her words that made her one of my greate…
My tears were brought on because she lost her ability to speak coherently. She kept trying to answer me but most of her words were sounds and facial gestures. My God mama was a woman of words, many colorful hues of words. To see her struggle with one of her greatest gifts hurt like hell to watch.
It was her words that got me through some of the darkest periods of my life. Her monthly handwritten cards, emails, and long conversations over the phone always left me with clarity, guidance, and peace of mind. Her advice was always delivered in the simplest of forms while remaining robust enough to move my spirit:
"The battle is not yours."
"All you have to do is your best."
"I am so proud of you."
"You are so strong."
It was her words that made her one of my greate…
beyond the clouds
Starlights and Wood Marble Leather Stairway to another level Lifted Never looking back
Winter Solstice
Everything doesn't deserve a reaction Reserve responses for energy that feeds the soul
Put poems in vines Place words in rhymes Create in the dew
A morning Winter grey Lined wood copper gold light Enlightened Enough to see
Flower blooms Without Dirt up underneath
Flower woke Flower just woke up
Dirt was but a dream Flower created their narrative
Flower made Dirt important
Now Dirt is just there
Flower felt herself leaving Dirt's ground Flower put herself to sleep to avoid honesty
Flower's nature was to clinch with fear Flower held on Flowered didn't want to lose her comfort Flower didn't want to be without a home
Until Flower realized Flower could bloom without Dirt
Flower woke up
Because Flower wanted to
Dirt don't deserve Flower's thoughts Dirt don't need to see these words Or hear them Dirt Will go on with the thought that Flower is still under Dirt's control Dirt needs the love of Flower though Dirt does not nurture or cherish Dirt needs Flower to get through the…
Put poems in vines Place words in rhymes Create in the dew
A morning Winter grey Lined wood copper gold light Enlightened Enough to see
Flower blooms Without Dirt up underneath
Flower woke Flower just woke up
Dirt was but a dream Flower created their narrative
Flower made Dirt important
Now Dirt is just there
Flower felt herself leaving Dirt's ground Flower put herself to sleep to avoid honesty
Flower's nature was to clinch with fear Flower held on Flowered didn't want to lose her comfort Flower didn't want to be without a home
Until Flower realized Flower could bloom without Dirt
Flower woke up
Because Flower wanted to
Dirt don't deserve Flower's thoughts Dirt don't need to see these words Or hear them Dirt Will go on with the thought that Flower is still under Dirt's control Dirt needs the love of Flower though Dirt does not nurture or cherish Dirt needs Flower to get through the…
Shipped
Surrounded by shapes
In a box
All
All along I thought we were leaving But we were not even moving
To be moved Boxes have to be pushed
Sealed souls of impossibility Shipment of cannots Intentionally concealed from the outside Packaged to sell Hoarded to waste Stacked on top of one another Or below Way below with no way to climb
Stored to the bitter end Let the dust build on our breath Or Use a knife to cut us open
In a box
All
All along I thought we were leaving But we were not even moving
To be moved Boxes have to be pushed
Sealed souls of impossibility Shipment of cannots Intentionally concealed from the outside Packaged to sell Hoarded to waste Stacked on top of one another Or below Way below with no way to climb
Stored to the bitter end Let the dust build on our breath Or Use a knife to cut us open
In a Vase
Lately I just don't know myself I can't seem to see beyond the visions and recognize what is in front of me now I
Feel
Lost And Unkept
How many 4
Not 5
I'm not sad Just not feeling alive
At peace
Alone Things inside of me are dying
Dying inside
Feel
Lost And Unkept
How many 4
Not 5
I'm not sad Just not feeling alive
At peace
Alone Things inside of me are dying
Dying inside
Talking to Myself
Who can say whether you're going the right way when there is no map? The problem is, we have so many directions and apps at hand, we expect all of the decisions we make to be as clearly routed as the blue line between the green and the red flags on Google maps.
Close your eyes. Breathe. Open them back up. What do you see? Yourself. And that's all you'll ever see. So trust that Self and go. Go and know that you will meet your destiny-destination.
Just might not get there in the way you had in mind. You may not even get there. Prepare your atmosphere to go farther than you can imagine.
Plans are based on what you know you want. Destiny is based on the reason for our existence. As much as we think we know why we are here, really, we don't know at all. Hence, the reason why we have to be flexible enough to deviate from our plans during this whole life thing. You haven't seen the highest potential of your greatness yet. You never will because even when you think you'…
Close your eyes. Breathe. Open them back up. What do you see? Yourself. And that's all you'll ever see. So trust that Self and go. Go and know that you will meet your destiny-destination.
Just might not get there in the way you had in mind. You may not even get there. Prepare your atmosphere to go farther than you can imagine.
Plans are based on what you know you want. Destiny is based on the reason for our existence. As much as we think we know why we are here, really, we don't know at all. Hence, the reason why we have to be flexible enough to deviate from our plans during this whole life thing. You haven't seen the highest potential of your greatness yet. You never will because even when you think you'…
9 Evenings Ago
I can be super me
Super vulnerable Disgustingly awkward With him
With everybody
But with him there's no cool It's this little girl Who always wanted more than she was given
And it's the breath of missing him That may be why I can keep going
Moving on. I am. Cruise controlling. With no control of the wheel that sets my emotions on fire a fire that can only be put out with the rain of his voice
Cruise control with no hands It's a slow ride though Along a long road Billboards display our memories But I don't need to see them in the physical They stuck with me Engrained Not disposable
The pain is gone I don't feel no burns no scars no open wounds No. Now all my mind remembers is the love and I want it all to go away so I can be able to move on Why haven't I met a new yet A best friend A n'gga just to laugh with any time we want
Is it because he's still living here Even though I'm not living in him
He says I'm one sided I'm not sure he even knows what …
Super vulnerable Disgustingly awkward With him
With everybody
But with him there's no cool It's this little girl Who always wanted more than she was given
And it's the breath of missing him That may be why I can keep going
Moving on. I am. Cruise controlling. With no control of the wheel that sets my emotions on fire a fire that can only be put out with the rain of his voice
Cruise control with no hands It's a slow ride though Along a long road Billboards display our memories But I don't need to see them in the physical They stuck with me Engrained Not disposable
The pain is gone I don't feel no burns no scars no open wounds No. Now all my mind remembers is the love and I want it all to go away so I can be able to move on Why haven't I met a new yet A best friend A n'gga just to laugh with any time we want
Is it because he's still living here Even though I'm not living in him
He says I'm one sided I'm not sure he even knows what …
10 Nights Ago
Mood disorder Depressed It's clear one minute Scary the next What am I afraid of I know better I miss old spirits They linger over me I pray them away Then I call them right back
Considering the White
Solange been on my spinner. J. Cole on my Spotify. Between the two of them, I am hearing myself.
I was getting dressed and my pink tea roses fell off of the cart. The water washed the dust off of my floor, the roses laid flat together, but even after bouncing from the bottom up, the mason jar didnt break at all. Not even a nick. That's a strong vessel if I've ever seen one...
I need to get a few groceries. I have a budget of $35 a week for leisure and such. It's funny what being pushed into a financial wall will force you to do. This is a budget that I should keep myself on, even after my personal recession comes to an end.
I found $4.25 in quarters, nickels, and dimes in my old camel Coach. I thought of all the things I could buy: a Saucelito and provolone from the corner store, a pint of Martinelli's, or a couple of used books from the Goodwill... I went with something that will leave me with nothing to show for my money: a medium chai latte from Buunni coffee on Pi…
I was getting dressed and my pink tea roses fell off of the cart. The water washed the dust off of my floor, the roses laid flat together, but even after bouncing from the bottom up, the mason jar didnt break at all. Not even a nick. That's a strong vessel if I've ever seen one...
I need to get a few groceries. I have a budget of $35 a week for leisure and such. It's funny what being pushed into a financial wall will force you to do. This is a budget that I should keep myself on, even after my personal recession comes to an end.
I found $4.25 in quarters, nickels, and dimes in my old camel Coach. I thought of all the things I could buy: a Saucelito and provolone from the corner store, a pint of Martinelli's, or a couple of used books from the Goodwill... I went with something that will leave me with nothing to show for my money: a medium chai latte from Buunni coffee on Pi…
Like not Love
Old black guy knocks on the door, politely.
"Is somebody in there?"
"He's very busy in there." Casually, as if he's talking about a janitor cleaning the toilet with extra care, a plain clothed white cop says. "Yeah, he hasn't quite gotten the needle out of his arm yet."
Laughs exchange themselves with no question of a receipt.
The Harlem Metro North station is to fiends what Central Park is to pigeons.
As I rode here in an Uber from my room in the Heights, taking selfies trying to catch the natural light, passing billboards advertising "A Bronx Tale", and listening to my driver uselessly scream on school children running across the street without looking, my eyes were struck blind by the sun rays that bounced off the glass windows of brand new buildings ... Funny... They all seem to be intentionally placed on a corner, closest to a train line. Gentrification is killing the culture of black and brown communities but is it wrong to adm…
"Is somebody in there?"
"He's very busy in there." Casually, as if he's talking about a janitor cleaning the toilet with extra care, a plain clothed white cop says. "Yeah, he hasn't quite gotten the needle out of his arm yet."
Laughs exchange themselves with no question of a receipt.
The Harlem Metro North station is to fiends what Central Park is to pigeons.
As I rode here in an Uber from my room in the Heights, taking selfies trying to catch the natural light, passing billboards advertising "A Bronx Tale", and listening to my driver uselessly scream on school children running across the street without looking, my eyes were struck blind by the sun rays that bounced off the glass windows of brand new buildings ... Funny... They all seem to be intentionally placed on a corner, closest to a train line. Gentrification is killing the culture of black and brown communities but is it wrong to adm…
Phone on 4%
10:19PM
Phone on 4%
125th.
AC BD train station.
Waiting.
Not just for the train but the direction that I am supposed to go in.
I feel lost. Scattered.
During the day I try to keep busy but I lose focus. I cry, quiet tears. I lay in my bed and gaze at the cracks in my ceiling, as if they are stars. I get a new reason to break down everyday. Today I spoke to a mortgage lender that said my credit was so low, he was at a loss for words. I took it well. I told him that I would call him after I got everything straightened out and thanked him for taking the time to help me learn more about the home owning process.
Then I called fed loans, for the umteenth time in the last few weeks. Asked to speak directly to the Teach Grant department, for it was they that caused my score to decrease so vehemently. They gave me the run around and transferred me back to the loan department. I spoke to a black woman with attitude, ready for me. I told her this so called letter that I never received was specifically …
Phone on 4%
125th.
AC BD train station.
Waiting.
Not just for the train but the direction that I am supposed to go in.
I feel lost. Scattered.
During the day I try to keep busy but I lose focus. I cry, quiet tears. I lay in my bed and gaze at the cracks in my ceiling, as if they are stars. I get a new reason to break down everyday. Today I spoke to a mortgage lender that said my credit was so low, he was at a loss for words. I took it well. I told him that I would call him after I got everything straightened out and thanked him for taking the time to help me learn more about the home owning process.
Then I called fed loans, for the umteenth time in the last few weeks. Asked to speak directly to the Teach Grant department, for it was they that caused my score to decrease so vehemently. They gave me the run around and transferred me back to the loan department. I spoke to a black woman with attitude, ready for me. I told her this so called letter that I never received was specifically …
blank pages
...giving advice to younger women who share my story of neglect ...thinking about the days when I was experiencing those same moments of my mom acting like a real mom... After longing for her love and affection for so many years, one would expect me to have welcomed her new behaviors with opened arms but no! I wanted her to cut the bullsh't.. It was fake, intrusive, and annoying as hell! People in my family would see it from the same lens that I did but they would say, - she's trying. Meanwhile, I'm like oh please! She should have been trying! I regret being like that. I guess I just wasn't ready. At the time, I was the same age as Babygirl in the messages above - about 21 - I didn't know anything about my mother's battle with her mental or my own. I didn't have anyone to ask what to do... I actually don't have any friends or elders in my life who were completely abandoned by their parents enough to have given me guidance when I was younger or even righ…
Servant Leaders Speak Low and Listen Loud
9:49PM Now Playing: Speak Low - Billie Holiday
As a woman, I am becoming a lot less self-absorbed. Oddly enough, this is allowing me to notice the beautiful contrasts between myself and others. A stark difference that I have recently taken note of is: many people are not as transparent or vulnerable as I am. Sometimes this can be attributed to comfortability, other times it can be attributed to timing. Fact is: everyone processes their emotions and needs in their own way. I have learned that I have to be very aware of the way I listen and speak to people. I have to monitor and sharpen my ability to empower their voices, instead of trampling them with the ferocity of my own. Implementing a reticence of such takes a high level of self-confidence in one's self as a servant leader.
...confidence and practice.
As a woman, I am becoming a lot less self-absorbed. Oddly enough, this is allowing me to notice the beautiful contrasts between myself and others. A stark difference that I have recently taken note of is: many people are not as transparent or vulnerable as I am. Sometimes this can be attributed to comfortability, other times it can be attributed to timing. Fact is: everyone processes their emotions and needs in their own way. I have learned that I have to be very aware of the way I listen and speak to people. I have to monitor and sharpen my ability to empower their voices, instead of trampling them with the ferocity of my own. Implementing a reticence of such takes a high level of self-confidence in one's self as a servant leader.
...confidence and practice.
Homeless Roses
8:07PM NP: How Much a Dollar Really Cost - K. Lamar
Who gave this mouse the permission to eat the hummus off of my roommate's fork? I love my roomie but he is always, unconsciously, leaving treats behind for Minnie and Micky. The worst is when he leaves spoons in the sink, with thick traces of peanut-butter on them. I had roaches in my apartment as child. Growing up, my grand taught us to rinse and fill the dishes with water if we weren't going to immediately wash them; that way, the roaches wouldn't come and feed off of what was left in them. My roomie never rinses anything. When I went into the kitchen, nasty brown Micky ran out of the sink and hid behind the washing machine. It's a sign that I cannot get too comfortable. I need to keep grinding. But it's quite frustrating. Our apartment is so clean. I mean really, we keep it spotless... But we still can't seem to get rid of the rodents.
But I'm living with them. When I moved into this space, I declared, &q…
Who gave this mouse the permission to eat the hummus off of my roommate's fork? I love my roomie but he is always, unconsciously, leaving treats behind for Minnie and Micky. The worst is when he leaves spoons in the sink, with thick traces of peanut-butter on them. I had roaches in my apartment as child. Growing up, my grand taught us to rinse and fill the dishes with water if we weren't going to immediately wash them; that way, the roaches wouldn't come and feed off of what was left in them. My roomie never rinses anything. When I went into the kitchen, nasty brown Micky ran out of the sink and hid behind the washing machine. It's a sign that I cannot get too comfortable. I need to keep grinding. But it's quite frustrating. Our apartment is so clean. I mean really, we keep it spotless... But we still can't seem to get rid of the rodents.
But I'm living with them. When I moved into this space, I declared, &q…