Purpose Has A Name

Everything has a purpose,
Illuminated or unseen reason exists,
Lives in the actions people create to
Learn about the world
Yet discover only themselves
At the end of their journey...

Heavier Than Steel, Lighter Than A Feather

They told me I was broken:

My arms unable to survive

And I heard them crank the saw,

Caught the glimmer of it's silvery blade,

Braced myself for the sound of pain

Readied myself for the loss of flesh--

Dead weight can only hold you down...

So I laid there, drowning in my own tears

Anticipating the loss from which I could not heal,

Out of Body Experience

Touch the keys softly

And let them speak.

The dancing of fingers

Coaxing the soul gently...

Listen--

The soul bares itself,

Only when the body and mind

Dance together in perfect harmony,

We Will Not Fall

We live in the trees,
High above the ground--
In quaint little houses
Hard for the eye to see...
We're good at camouflage,
Hiding is our protective shield--
The force that saves
When they come a-looking...

Deadlines

Silently I listen
To the clicking of keys
     and the grinding of teeth--
The air is hot with frustration
Heavy with uncertainty, drooping...
I see the clouds just below the ceiling

Dance of Summer's Eve

The sun sets of warm days--
Orange, glowing softly above
And dashes of purple dancing
While the clouds drift on.
Lush forests under lush skies

Recovering From System Failure

I could list a million reasons why
Point out every flaw, every misstep
Paint a vivid image
Of where everything went wrong,
But what's the use in that?
What good comes from point out
Your mistake--

Songversation:Another Beautiful Album

India.Arie is one of the few artists whose album I would buy deafly. So last year, when Songversation was released, I bought it without worrying if I had heard a single song on the album. There are three things I appreciate most with India.Arie: 1) the quality of the lyrics, 2) the uniqueness of the sound, 3) the expression of herself. Most songs today say exactly the same thing, and it's not even worth saying. Half of the songs sound alike, and since many artists don't write their own songs, you wonder what the songs say about them, if anything.  

The Way I Wear My Slave Hair

The ability to reduce your own genetics

To words and phrases someone else created,
And devour your own culture
With the fuel and ammunition of someone else's hatred--
     How did we fall so far in our purpose?
We let the world embody badness in our image,
Allowed ourselves to be brainwashed
That we turn away from our own reflection and grimace...

What is Easter? (continued)

*This post is a continuation of What is Easter?*

Growing up I loved painting Easter eggs with my mom. It was probably the only time we actually used the food coloring in the house, and it was one more crafting experience for the two of us. We learned how to drain the egg without cracking the shell (man that takes practice!) and make the swirly-striped type of eggs. It was always fun. Then we'd take a basket of eggs to the church for the church Easter egg hunt. At the church I grew up attending, Easter tradition holds that the Saturday before Easter, the children meet for Easter play rehearsal. While the children rehearse, the parents hide eggs outside the church, and after rehearsal, they have the egg hunt. 

But eventually I wanted to know why. Why are we searching for eggs? Why are we painting them? Why is it a bunny that hides them? I mean, once you get to a certain age, the stringing together of so many unrelated things becomes quite baffling...

What is Easter?

As a child, I used to ask my parents and my sunday school teachers the same question every Easter:

1. Why does the date keep changing? 
2. How does the word Easter connect to all this?
3. Why does a bunny have eggs?
4. What does the bunny delivering eggs have to do with Christ and the Cross?

For those of you who 1) never thought of these questions or 2) never found the answers, I thought I'd shed some light on the Easter holiday people celebrate like clockwork.

Unlikely Friendship

I can tell she misses me
From the look in her eye--
She waits for me
In the window sill,
Meets me at the door
With wide eyes and furry hugs

Selective Understanding

People hear what they want to hear,
They understand and see what they want to believe,
Then they must ignore and reject that which they
     are not ready to accept or contemplate...
You can't make them realize truth
If they don't want to realize truth,
But you talk yourself blue in the face

Pirates! Arg!

from The Pirate Fairy

My creative writing teacher once told me the best way to become a good writer was to read. She insisted that the more you read, the better writer you would become. I don't disagree, but I've found that inspiration comes from many great places, from the lab and science classrooms to art shows and concerts. One place I find a great deal of inspiration is in movies. Tonight, two of my favorite movies collided in my head for yet another influx of ideas!

Sickness

A thick lining
Suppresses air
And breathing slows...
The air has no where to go
Escape is impossible,

Heaven's Tears

I see the clouds come and
Watch the rain pour, wondering
     are those the tears of the world--
          tears of lives lost and hearts broken?
Chances we've lost amassed into sorrow
Fall from the heavens in systematic rhyme.
Pain and tension rising in the atmosphere
Until the Earth folds in her pain
     and the tears fall uncontrollably
One drop massaging one grain of sand
     attempting to heal the bruised blood,
          cleanse one stain etched in this land...
Flowers grow from her moistened crust--
The tears of the Earth replenish her,
She grows strong where each drop falls
And expresses love in the aftermath of pain...
My tears are part of her tears and
     our tears fall steadily,
          steadily drenching the soil below...
A pain, released in the shadow of a missing sun
So we wait for tomorrow,
When heaven's tears run dry
     and the healing begins.

These two girls express unity and the uniting of differences beautifully. They are truly wonderful poets with beautiful thoughts.

Eye to Eye

"I got my self a notion
One I know that you'll understand
To set the world in motion
By reaching out for each other's hand
Maybe we'll discover what we should have known all along
One way or another together's where we both belong

If we listen to each other's heart
We'll find we're never too far apart
And maybe love is the reason why
For the first time ever we're seeing it eye to eye"
Eye to Eye - Tevin Campbell

Some times it feels like we're too different--
Unalike in every way,
     and we don't speak the language
We create, feel, and express...
Everything is a world apart
     and yet  here we are, face to face...

If we could move past this barrier
See the human that exists
Beyond our unavoidable difference,
     and find a way to love what we are,
Who would stop us from gazing
     brown, blue, or green--
One eye to one eye?

Mars Lives

Red,

Speckled and shining 

Far in the sky

A tiny speck,

A disillusion of mass

Greater than we see--

It twinkles, like a star

And someone may be watching

Looking back at me

At a blue speck,

Second star to the right

On 'til morning,

When beauty fades.

May The Odds Be In Your Favor

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

What do you say when no isn't enough,
What do you do, when actions aren't heard--
And if the odds are not in your favor
How do find yourself when the situation is lost?

If the blame fell on you, simply because
No one believed the betrayal you claimed
And your motives were questioned
Your entire life placed on display
For the world to examine...

How High Will You Jump

End Game

The finish line is 

Somewhere in the sky

And you can't reach it

If your wings are bound--

If you're scared of heights

Or you simply don't try.

The Little Details of the Big Picture

Learning How to
Properly Plan an Event

Learning to plan events is useful, no one would argue with that. However, there's a significant difference in planning an event for a major organization versus a smaller organization. For example, at my undergraduate university, there is always a traditional pep-rally the Friday before homecoming. Many organizations participate; IFC and CPC Greeks usually do skits, the band and A Cappella groups perform, etc. When I was in undergrad, the winner of the NPHC step show would also perform; now the NPHC step show is at the same time. It took a lot for NPHC to convince the office of Greek Life that they should be able to have a step show during the homecoming festivities, particularly at a time that overlaps one of the school's biggest traditions. On the surface level it made sense, as many schools do have step shows tied in to their homecoming (especially HBCUs). Alumni usually come back for homecoming which makes it convenient for them to attend and it creates stability for the date of the event.

Creating Bonds

My Sister

My sister and I,

We don't always see eye to eye,

I don't always like her,

We don't always get along...

But we're stuck with each other.

Rain or shine.

When the world comes crashing down,

Excuses Are Tools of the Incompetent

Failure

A house made of thin glass--

I can see straight through it,

Shatter every brick with a single blow,

It is unstable, an excuse:

It will get you no where,

Will do you no good...

You appear the fool

Leading the Way

De Facto Leader

I would be content to follow,

To allow someone else 

The front seat, 

     if I can just get the job done.

I have no desire to stand in front

To shake my fist in the air

Mastering the Art of Public Speaking

Introduce Yourself

Find a friendly face
     somewhere in the crowd,
Take a deep breath
Pause, then let it all out.
The information is caged there
In the front of the mind
And it's easy to let it flow out

Put Your Best Foot Forward

Walk Like A Celebrity

Every time I open my mouth

The world is ready to criticize--

They call me a role model,

Say I represent my generation

That I inspire others

For better or worse,

And my actions are reflected in the masses.

What I say and do echos

What Greek Life Did For Me

One of the most common questions that often leads to heated debates stems from the relevancy of participating in Greek life. Often as I speak to non-Greeks, their big question is why they should join a Greek letter organization and what it will do for them that they can't get from joining other organizations. I often have more answers than I can cohesively and concisely explain in a short time. Now that it is the season of new member presentations, a lot of young new Greeks will be stepping into a world they didn't know they were signing up for and sparks of interest will start to stir in some non-Greeks. Therefore, I though I'd take the time to shed some light on what type of personal growth I experienced as a result of being a member of my organization.

Posts for each of the 7 aspect of Greek Life that contributed most to who am I now are linked below for easy access.

Hidding in the Wheat Fields

There was a field of yellow stalks
     Wheat all around me--
Villages behind me and the sun before me
And I didn't understand
What I was doing there...
Bare feet and water in baskets
     Moving in the heat

At Risk

They tell me
     those kids
Are at risk--
And I wonder,
What must it be like
To be told you're at risk?
My whole life I was told I was smart
I was told I could be anything
And everyone expected me
     to achieve...

Lost Words

See the words hanging there?
Scattered with ellipsis--
     Unfinished,
          Dangling,
Memories and ideas trying to escape
While time ticks on,