Tag: Poetry

Poets Unite! Poetry Jam

October 24, 2012 · 5 Comments ·

A long time ago I heard a preacher say that if we don’t share our talents and gifts with the world, we become thieves. We all have great talents. How many people though, never step out and bless the world with their gifts. Our talents are not just for us. They are to help make this life better and more amazing!

Last night I began a new thing; I hosted a poetry jam at my home away from home, The Coffee House. I was a bit anxious about it. I worried because I was afraid no one would come. Boy did I waste my time worrying!! We had 25+ people show up to our first meeting last night!! Their were young poets and poets from all walks of life. This very talented woman shared a piece about her trip to New Orleans and it was so vivid, her words took be back to when I went to that beautiful place in my teens. This other poet a young man, recited a poem he wrote from memory. I admire poets who can get up to the mic and do that without any prior preparation.

There were several writers from my writing group, WRITING ROYALTY in attendance and they shared as well.

And lastly, there was a young woman by the name of Leslie Stein who shared her 365 Soul Notes with us and she inspired me!! I plan to have her as a featured artist soon! This is her picture 🙂 https://www.facebook.com/SoulNotesWithLeslieStein

I broke past the fear and I did something I always wanted to do! The Henderson Poets will meet every Tuesday night at 7pm in The Coffee House located on 117. S. Water Street, Henderson, NV. If you are local, come by and join us! Next Tuesday, Derik Jordan, a local guitar player will be our featured artist. This young man played Walk The Line and he sounded just like Johnny Cash!! Please like our The Henderson Poets Group Page on Facebook!https://www.facebook.com/TheHendersonPoets

Word Picture #6

September 21, 2012September 21, 2012 · Leave a comment ·

WORDS: They come cheap for some people. Someone tells you they love you and you just met them, raise your brow and question it. I love you, Te Amo can be thrown around at a whim these days. Those words are power and can render an affection starved soul weak. Don’t say them if they mean nothing to you because truth is, they can devastate . Or if they don’t ruin, cheap I love you’s can make a soul numb. It’s very much like the songs played on the radio; when a new hit is overplayed, the newness of the tune wears out quickly and soon what you enjoyed, you grow to despise. Same thing happens with prematurely, overly spoken I love you’s .

Oh wait, you might think you can never say I love you too much. You can never have enough love right? Don’t say I love you to someone if you aren’t prepared to back it up with action. Love is sacred, let your I love you’s be that way too.

He says, “ I love you.” But then he slaps her.
El dice,” Te amo” y se lo dice a todas.
I love you, Te amo, Je ‘taime, Ich Liebe Sie,
Powerful words,
Use them wisely.
Say them when you know they are true.
Say them to warm a heart-
Without offering false hope in what can never be.

I love you, Te amo, Je ‘taime, Ich Liebe Sie,
Don’t withold them,
When they need to be said.
Don’t make your loved one a beggar.
Don’t wait ‘til tomorrow,
What needs to be said-
Have the guts to say it today

I love you, Te amo, Je t’aime, Ich Libe Sie,
Say it for all the right reasons.
Say it ‘cause you mean it;
Otherwise throw it all into the sea

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 206

July 24, 2012July 24, 2012 · 2 Comments ·

Well today was a great day! I found out from my editor, Amber Losson that I will be able to put more pictures in my new book due out soon; SALSA! THE TASTE OF LIFE. You see, I also like to paint and I was going to include some of my art work already. I can have more of my art work married to my poems and stories in the new book I am so excited about. I can’t stop ranting about it. And I can’t wait to share it with the world! Enjoy today’s post, it’s also another one of my edited poems from my book. I Love it when a plan comes together; and what I love more, is when a dream becomes reality!

Heart Song

So we meet again,

and I see that love,

True love, the deep achy kind

is never for naught.

To love another human being

is truly divine

Whether the beloved

Accepts it or not…

Or if it’s something you fought.

Ignoring it

does not degrade or demean;

Love is pure gold.

It never loses its value.

Instead, the more you love,

its market value soars.

So if I tell you, “Te quiero,”

and you run off

scared and bewildered,

is that my fault?

I used to think so,

and now I’m convinced otherwise.

I gave you some gold from my vault

and gave it freely.

With no strings attached?

Sure. No frills, really!

You couldn’t handle my freedom

And do you know why?

Because what I’ve always given

Is something you’ve never, ever had.

Love must be chosen;

It can never be forced,

for once it’s coerced,

it ceases being love.

Love is a dove

Perched high up above.

Once you hunt it,

trap it, and cage it,

you kill its sweet song

So here I am again,

Offering you what I did

all those many years ago,

and you still do as before.

Stand still as if paralyzed

by the warmth of my fuego,

No seas tonto niño

Esto no es un juego…

Games are for children!

So I’ve decided to be still,

give you all the space,

hide my radiant face

from you…

‘til you wake up

and come to your senses

and answer the call.

Otherwise if I manipulate

guilt and coerce,

what I’ve always felt

will lose purity and intensity

and then I’ll be left

with something far lesser,

cheap and of no value;

Fool’s gold.

All that glitters is not gold.

My love for you

doesn’t just glitter;

it sparkles and shines.

It lights up my days

and gives me warmth

on the cold, coldest of nights.

If this wasn’t real,

it would have

by now vanished…

But to prove it to you

as if I need to at all,

the love in my heart

that only keeps growing

one day at a time

will always keep glowing…

whether you like it or not!

Love endures, love never ends.

If this was selfish,

I would have done all I could

in my feeble power and strength

to cause the bending of our wills.

But true love is beyond all

that useless struggle and striving.

For you see:

To truly love someone

is to be more concerned

with the state of their soul,

instead of being impressed

by their fancy outward

display of their flesh.

When love is true,

all self-centered motives go out the door.

And you see the object of your affection

just as you see yourself;

Cold, needy, and poor.

Take all your time…

Ha! Been feeling like this

for so very long

that it’s now turned

from letters on a page

to my heart’s song.

Don’t misunderstand;

this friendship of ours,

it’s quite grand.

I will never let you go.

I am not looking for answers,

not even your look of approval,

much less your acceptance.

Those, I already have.

Just wanted you to know,

I’m no longer touch and go.

Will you allow me to write

on the pages of your heart

things never written before?

Or will you hold me at arm’s length?

Rejection has taught me

A valuable lesson:

Things aren’t always what they seem.

It’s never about me,

in the language of love…

It’s usually about others.

That’s how I’ve learned

of contentment

with very, very little.

The seeds we have sown,

Where have they all gone?

Fiddle dee-dee sang the fiddle…

Now after many long winters,

watch ‘em sprouting.

We were never doubting,

always knowing

we would see the light of day!

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 122

May 1, 2012May 1, 2012 · 1 Comment ·

My daughter wrote this..please read it and pay attention to the youth because they are way more in tune with life’s events than most people will give them credit for.

I am a senior in highschool…YAY CLASS OF 2012! I am proud to proclaim that I have been homeschooled all my life. Throughout my years of learning, my mother has instilled in me the skill and love of reading. And not just reading regular writings, but literature. And all through highschool, my mom has had me read to her. I have read and discovered all sorts of works, like that of Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, John Bunyan and so forth. I have even read literature from Ye Ol’ English, dating back to the infamous Beowulf.

Though I have read some bad things, along with the good works, I have grown to love literature. It’s become my favorite subject. You learn about yourself when read things like these. You learn and find where your morals, and views stand…you self-discover essentially. I have grown to love poetry a great deal. It has inspired me to write some of my own. Through reading literature, you gain culture, knowledge, and a well-rounded vocabulary, which you use in turn to write works of art. My mother always taught me the value of communicating well. Not sounding like an idiot when you’re speaking to somebody…whether it be for a job interview, or in a social setting among educated people. It’s important to have this…because you never really know where you’ll be, or when you’ll need it.

I hope you enjoy!

Bleeding Sacrifice

Your body, feels good next

To mine,

As I run my fingers down your Spine.

Your body, feels like it’s in its

Place,

Everyone questions

They think us a disgrace

Forget them Love,

Live a little.

All we have is the now,

There’s no turnin’ back.

I see you,You see me.

They think us Crazy.

We’re each other’s baby.

We see each other as

BEAUTY!

No one can see our

Pain,

See our veins,

Dripping with the blood

They make us.

We come together now

Healing each other’s

Wounds.

In our weakness,we gain strength.

In our fight to save

Each other.

We fall,

Joining another paradise.

Elena Brincat

365 Snap Shots of Life: Day 83

March 23, 2012 · Leave a comment ·

” I shall not pass this way again-” -Eva Rose York

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 20

November 20, 2011November 20, 2011 · Leave a comment ·

Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense

Day 20 Question #20: Besides something directly related to the family (i.e., the birth of a child), what has been the most exciting day of your life?

Answer: It’s Sunday so I looked for an easy question! The day I received the first copy of my first self-published book came to mind right away when I read this question. I began writing the book in 2007 and it was the most amazing journey I have ever under taken. Writing your own life story is very difficult; I had to fight the nagging inner voices that whispered things like: You aren’t famous, who’d want to read about your life when you haven’t gone to the moon or stood on the red carpet? Everyday I had to keep believing in myself and fight all the negative voices of the past as well. Having the support of my husband and kids helped me out tremendously.

Since I was self-publishing, I had to save up my own money to meet my publishing goals. One night after my kids had received their allowance from their dad, one by one they gave me their allowance and told me that they wish they could help me more. I was dumbfounded and as I’m recalling this right now, I’m getting a little choked up all over again. And so they continued, every time they got money from their dad, they immediately put it in my hand for my book.

I wrote my book for several reasons but the most important ones were: For my own personal healing and closure to my trauma filled past. Secondly, I wrote it in the hopes that others would be helped. Lastly, I wrote AS CLEAR AS CLAIRE GETS, A CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST, as part of the legacy I want to leave my kids and my future ancestors.

I compare the writing and birthing of my book to a type of birthing of a new baby. The pain was there for sure as I revisited some of the most painful memories of my childhood; once I wrote about it though I would feel free. As I continued to bury those things that tormented me in the pages of my book, I was giving birth to a new, more empowered version of myself. The day the UPS truck delivered my first author copy, I liken that to the same profound joy I felt every time after I had labored for a while only to end up holding a beautiful baby in my arms.

I urge you, whoever you are reading this, whatever you dream of doing, don’t put it off anymore. Fight past the nay sayers and the self doubt and take it step by step. Making your dream a reality is the one and only path to your destiny. Go and fear no more because the only thing we really fear, is fear itself. The definition of fear is this: False Evidence Appearing Real. Go make it happen!!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 13

November 13, 2011November 13, 2011 · 3 Comments ·

Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense.

Day 13 Question# 13: What was one negative in your life that you were somehow able to turn into something quite positive?

Answer: When I first read this question, I decided to write about the very first thing that popped into my mind. I grew up in my uncle‘s home and he is the typical male chauvinist with an extra added twist; he is a Latino macho man who thinks women are to be seen and not heard. Back then the message I was getting was that I was not to have my own voice, or opinions. You’re a girl, therefore no one wants to hear from you.

So I began to journal and really made friends with pen and paper pretty quick at a young age. Being that children long for the approval and recognition of their parental figures, I was no exception. One day I ventured out of my shell and I showed him a poem I had penned, which I was proud of because I felt in my heart it was a good piece. I took it to him and I asked him to read it. He did his usual looking down at me through the end of his bifocals which were perched on the end of his bulbous nose much like a surfer trying to balance his board on the crest of a wave.

I stood there frozen, holding my breath and trying to hush the beating of my heart which felt much like a freight train barreling down a dark tunnel at top speed inside my chest. I tried hard not to focus on my uncle’s’ blank face so I looked around in the place trying to count the people around me instead. Finally he finished. I wondered what took him so long to read just a few lines of my prose. The terrible silence continued and all I wanted to do was make a mad dash for the door and forget it all. Then my uncle pushed his military issue glasses back up his snooty nose and then he spoke,

” Well, you know this isn’t any good. Every good piece of poetry MUST rhyme and since your doesn’t, this isn’t good at all.” He gave me my journal back and turned back to his newspaper. I was dismissed just like a scullery maid.

“That’s it?’ I thought. I was in the 8th grade at the time and I had been reading plenty of poetry, I was falling madly in love with Shakespeare’s love sonnets. I knew for a fact my uncle was being narrow minded because not all of the poetry I was reading from the greats I was studying had to rhyme. Being that I was quite shy and also understanding that my uncle would never hear my views, I kept my thoughts to myself.

I didn’t let his insensitivity stop me. No sir! Not when I had been encouraged by Mrs. Gillard in the 6th grade who told me I had a gift and that one day she hoped to see my first book of poetry. Her words have been the steam behind my engine all of these years. Yes, my uncle hurt me terribly but I chose to ignore his biting words and I embraced my teacher’s honey coated positive words.

And I’m so glad I did because ever since then, I have published my first bookand I’m working on publishing my 2nd book; which happens to be a volume of short stories and poetry. When my second book comes out I plan to mail it to my uncle with a thank you note. Because of his mistreatment, I learned to turn the negative around and prove to myself that I can do my dreams; no matter what dirt people throw in my face to blind me along the way.

I am writing this in the hopes that if you’ve been discouraged and kept from following your dreams, DO NOT LISTEN to those haters who tell you you can’t. Turn it around and prove them wrong because that’s the power that you have to hush those voices of opposition.

No MATTER What…

October 22, 2011October 23, 2011 · 3 Comments ·

Today I want to remind you that NO MATTER what you’re experiencing right now, that God’s love for us goes deeper than what any of us can fathom. Trials have an interesting way of manifesting God’s love in a more powerful and tangible way. My dear readers and friends I want to encourage you by letting you know that you don’t always have to know why you go through what you go through; just TRUST Him the one who has it all under control. Think about this, trials and adversity are our university where we go, in order to learn who we are in God. TRUST Him even when you’ve no reason to and guess what? You’ll come out stronger in your faith and deeper in your love for Him. I dedicate this video to all of us who are in the midst of trials right now. This was posted to my Facebook wall by my sweet sister and I hope it uplifts you as it did me. Have a great day!