Retail Therapy

I used to by shoes when I was sad,
     Shoes when I was stressed,
     Shoes when I was mad...
I love the smell of them fresh out the box
The scent of the newness wafting in my nostrils
The scent acting like an emotional detox—
And I would wear my new shoes feeling hip,
Confident in the way they looked,
Confident in the way they matched my outfit.
Not a single thing in life had changed,
But when I put them on everything was different
But when I put them on, my perspective was rearranged...
I used to by shoes when I was bored,
     Shoes when I was happy,
     Shoes when I was adored.

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Verity Sanders

Growing Up

It used to be so easy
To write line after line
And now the topics escape me
Time rushes by like the wind
And before I know it,
The day has come to an end.

It used to be so easy
To stay up all hours of night
And now I find myself nodding
Unable to control my eyelids,
Losing focus each passing minute,
And needing naptime like the kids.

It used to be so easy
To think I knew the way
And plunge ahead recklessly
Without concern for consequence
But experience has opened my eyes
And now I question my competence.

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Sven Brandsma

Productivity Pendulum

Sometimes I take on too much,
I get excited about the idea of it
And find myself out of touch
With the reality I fit.

Sometimes I stare at the walls
For hours upon end just thinking
With nothing moving these calls
To do something more than shrinking.

Sometimes I get it just right
And pace myself throughout the day
I work in a balance to my delight
For productivity is meant to be this way.

Photocredit: Unsplah.com/Windows

I See You

Have you ever just wanted to be seen,
To have someone understand what you felt?
Without ridicule, without needing to be mean
But truly willing to listen and be of help?
Have you ever wanted to sort out your own mind
But been so trapped you couldn't explain?
Know what you feel but seeing your eyes go blind
Because there's something deeper in your pain?
Have you ever gone through something
And wished you could disappear?
Let yourself get lost in what you thought was freeing
Only to find it was actually your worst fear?

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Eliott Reyna

I don't usually give context for poems because I think some of the fun is letting the reader insert themself in the words and come up with meanings unique to them. But this one I'm going to spoil because its inspiration comes from an important conversation that is being had right now about the hypersexualization of young girls. I'm going to add to that conversation in an actual post in the near future, but this poem is adult Shiree reflecting on how she thought and felt as a pre-teen and teenager (not necessarily about hypersexualization but about navigating growing up in general).

Shipwrecked on Earth

Once upon a time, I knew of another place,
Unfortunately, my vessel crash landed here—
I stepped out to find this poisoned planet,
And my whole self was consumed in fear.
People were selling hate on every corner,
No one seemed to care about the other—
People were starving and without a home,
Sister against sister and brother against brother...
Scientists rushing to find the most efficient way to kill—
Bombs that reign great and terrible fire from the sky
For unnecessary wars against people just like them
With no concern for how many live or die.
Polution and trash littered on every street
Because they're more comfortable with laziness and greed
So let the environment cry out in protest
Because the corporations will never concede...
And I wondered what I had done to deserve this,
Why I would land upon such a horrible place—
So I vowed to look for something good
To find this wretched land worthy of grace.

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Chandler Cruttenden

A Prayer for YHWH

Father help my unbelief—
I'm reading about your disciples thinking I can do better,
Looked at my life realizing I could never do better...
I've never walked on water, never healed the sick,
Never moved a moutain or changed langauges quick.
I know You're there listening, prayer afer prayer,
I need You to change my direction, to lead me there,
To change my heart and give me faith,
That's why I'm here surrendering to Your perfect grace.
My knees are down, my head is bowwed,
Proclaiming You my King before this very crowd.
Even when my heart is weak,
I come before You because I believe.

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Samuel Martins

Imposter Syndrome

Everyone else is in their purpose;
Everyone else is plugged in to the same circuit,
But I got my wires crossed and blew the circuit...
Everyone else seems to know what to do;
Everyone else is following some unknown rules,
But I keep using all the wrong tools.
Everyone else is confident and strong;
Everyone else never seems to be wrong,
But I don't fit in, I don't belong...

Everyone else is looking at me;
Everyone else can't see what I see,
And I'm moving from space to space freely.
Everyone else is hiding their doubt;
Everyone else is afraid to stand out,
And I find every opportunity a chance to stand out.
Everyone else sees that I'm trying my best;
Everyone else is weighed down by their stress...
And I look just like everyone else.

Photocredit: Unspalsh.com/Christina

When Blood Cries Out

⁹Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. ¹¹Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. Genesis 4:9-11 NASB

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Jeppe Monster

Blood cries out from the depths of the sea,
From the bodies thrown overboard by the burgeoisie.
That ocean floor, where souls were left to die
Sends up a wrath of fire toward the sunny sky,
Stalking the heels of this monstrous boat
From shore to shore, the enemy it smote.

Blood cries out from the depths of the land,
From the bodies beaten and buried deep in this sand.
Stripped of dignity and herded like cattle,
A wrath rises up ready for battle:
Stalking the heels of this monstrous deed
It will not stop until we are freed.

Blood cries out from the depths of the trees
From the bodies hanging, swaying in the breeze—
Wafting the putrid smell of burning skin—
As a wrath rises up from the deepest depth within,
Stalking the heels of these monstrous people
Fraudulently hiding beneath the steeple.

Blood cries out from the depths of the pavement
From the bodies that fell in the streets of Flint,
In Ferugeson and Charleston and Minnesota and Kentucky—
The earth trembles as a wrath rises up out of the lucky,
Stalking the heels of this monstrous oppressor
Seeking vengeance on this ruthless aggressor.

Blood cries out from the depths of the cloth
From the bodies of the ancestors of the cultures wroth,
From the souls that made it across the depths of the blue
Who were whipped and stolen from and never given their due,
And watched the red of the blood shed at their expense—
Afraid of the white and longing for justice.
There is a wrath rising up from the soul,
By a people that were never yours to control.

Falling Stars

The sky is on fire,
Stars removed from their place—
Streaks of orange in the night
Light upon my face.

Darkness is replaced
By these streaks of light
All eyes focused on this display
of stars blazing bright.

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Nick Iliasov

#CharlestonStrong

Stained glass and mournful cries

Clapping and stomping, songs begin to rise

The bellow of the organ fills the room—

Beauty grows from sorrow and doom.

Still the body when the breath is gone

When the soul has left its Earthly home,

Sleep, be still, peace comes in the coming days

While we live on, stand strong, hold on to faith.

References

1. Melanie Eversley. "9 dead in shooting at black church in Charleston, S.C.". USA Today. June 17, 2015

Doing the Most

I've been stretched thin,
Trying to do it all--
Determined not to quit,
Determined not to fall
And stretch my wings
Just a little further, higher
Keep pushing until I get there—
Until I'm the strongest flier

When I Grow Up

When I grow up,
Strong, wise, and tall
I see myself in charge
No one will dare call me small...

My vision changes daily
The shifting of goals
Constantly evolving,
Constantly changing roles.

When I grow up,
Will I be popular and pretty,
Or perhaps the unblossomed nerd,
Will I be worthy and witty?

Who will fill these shoes
Walk a path in my name
Speak the words I may soon forget
And take on my rise to fame?

When I grow up,
Will I be comfortable how I behave?
When childhood has disappeared,
Will I have learned to be brave?

Image from GallSource

Visions of Love

Incoherent babbles of shy teens--
Roses, red and delicate
Hushed whispers of promised things
A soft kiss, sweet and affectionate
Under sparkling stars we sit
Torn apart by distance and fears
A short walk, smiles and cunning wit
Long nights full of empty tears...
The embarrassment of snorts in giggles
Ocean water washing over our moving feet
Awkward motions of dancing wiggles
By the phone waiting on your voice to speak--
Ice cream mends a broken heart,
Hand enclosed in hand
From a little spark, this fire might start
Soft eyes and thrown away plans.
Cozy moments in theaters dark
Comfort, lounging on couches lazily
Rain falls as we walk in the park
Arms embracing, more words shared
Goofy photographs in a photo booth
A shoulder to lean on because we cared
Two adults reliving the beauty of youth.
Good morning and good night,
Silver and diamonds--rings for two
Thinking about you at first light...
White, flowers, vows--I do.

Modesty

A declaration of modesty--
The restrictive cry of shrouded beauty
While the other half flaunts bold brawn
Subtle, but causing us to fawn...
And yet we define a controlled look
Try to avoid lingering eyes
Treat ourselves like bait on a hook
Awaiting someone else's untimely demise.
Who are we to define such laws
When styles change just because?
Why should I worry and acquire stress
About the shoes I wear, or the way I dress?
If he can make me weak at the knees
In a pressed shirt under a suit and tie,
What hope is there for my closest's ease?
Anything I wear will distract his eye.

Michael Ealy

Charles Michael Davis

Morris Chestnut

Post in response to a blog post called "Why I Chose To No Longer Wear Leggings" by Veronica Partridge

Second Day

Time rushes by me

And I never see it past

Didn't have the time to see

What did or didn't last--

When the dates roll by

And the hours tick on

The work piles up high

And dust turns to dawn...

Stop, take a deep breath

A moment to enjoy the day

Thankful for life and health,

Let any problems fall away--

Here's to to stopping the clock

If only for a moment in time

We create a mental block

To wipe away all the grime.

From A Barren View

Winter comes

And the trees become bare...

Give way to sight

In the distance over there.

I watch

Through once full trees

Gentle waves
Drifting in a gentle breeze--
A beautiful view
Stark, ordinarily concealed--
Waits for a season to come,
And from desolation, is revealed.

Simple Rhyme Poetry

Synopsis

Simple Rhyme is one of the first poetry styles I learned. Usually structured in quatrains with a rhyme scheme of aabb or abab, I consider simple rhyme to be structured solely based on a consistent rhyme scheme. Simple Rhyme is often found in children's stories, such as those written by Dr. Seuss, and is easily remembered.

A few less common but equally simple rhyme schemes are listed below:

1. Second and Fourth Rhyme: xaxa
2. First and Fourth Rhyme: axxa
3. Mono-rhyme: aaaa
4. All But One Line Rhyme: axaa
5. Inner and Outer Line Rhyme: abba

My Tips, Tricks, & Opinions

Feel free to leave your thoughts and advice in the comment section below.

Achieve the Unique

A general rule of thumb is that the more unusual the rhyme scheme, the less childish the rhyming will sound. Most people stick to quatrains and the rhyme schemes listed above, but don't be afraid to play with tercets or stanzas of 5. Interweaving rhymes between stanzas like aba bcb cdc or abcb cded, can also make these poems unique and improve the flow.

Try to Avoid...

As with any poem structure requiring rhyming, you want to avoid words that are hard to rhyme—like orange—and clichéd phrasing. After penning a line (or stanza), if it sounds remotely familiar or predictable, it's going to hurt the quality of your poem.

Examples

Ancient (October 21, 2014)

Beneath the sand of ancient dunes
Carved in stone, some unknown rune
This beautiful language of forgotten lore
Untold knowledge, secrets, legends, and more.
Hidden there beneath my weary feet
Forgotten and thought to be obsolete
But there's power there, in hidden words
The clear solution to a vision blurred,
And I wish to understand it in my soul,
To bond with it, learn it and gain control.

References

1. Nicholas Tozier. "Have You Mastered All Six of These Basic Rhyme Schemes?". The Lyric Writer's Workroom. July 2014

Realizations

Yesterday the clouds came
It rained all day and all night
And everything hid in shame
Dripping, gloomy, devoid of light...

Yesterday, the sun didn't shine
The trees blocked out the light,
I thought I'd lost my mind--
My goals drifting out of sight.

Yesterday, I didn't see beauty
Lurking in corners dark,
Or understand purpose and duty
Of setbacks, the beginning spark.

Yesterday I didn't understand
The clouds proceed the sun,
Things don't go according to plan,
But the game can still be won.

Lost Children

Where have they gone?
Wide eyed innocent faces
Suddenly replaced with hostile gazes,
Playing tricks and putting on--
These so called sweet lads
With foul mouth and tongue:
Fresh faced, agile and young
Struggle to keep up with changing fads
Speak angry words for no apparent reason
Who are these wannabe thugs
Hiding behind facades unplugged
Giving way to this open season...
And who forgot to tell
These young ears are not safe
The targets of fire and strafe,
Of this image we can not dispel?
Common sense is a thing of old,
Lost to these young minds
Precious lives wasted, but reminds
Of bodies lying cold.

References

1. Marcus Bleasdale. "Child Soldiers". Human Rights Watch. 2013

When the Sun Rises

Out of my window, I see light break the shadow

Colors burst across the sky

A show of light entertaining my eye;

Gone away the cloud's endless white

The battle scars of the colors' fight

Stain the clouds if only for a while

To bring me the joys of a smile.

And though I know they'll soon pass away

I wish in vain for the colors to stay--

Break from mundane, oh beautiful skies in my window pane.