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Topic

Can You Answer This?

⏳If you were given the chance to reset your life and start again, would you? ⌛

Life is a melting pot of good times, great memories, mistakes, regrets and much more. Sometimes we might dwell on a past error and wish we could do it all over. Maybe, we would have made another choice to improve the outcome.

I would have to answer, no. I believe who we are is determined by our mistakes and triumphs. Some of those fails give us a chance to get it right later. The triumphs in life are a testament that we can accomplish our goals.

The happy moments bring peace and joy into our hearts. Allowing us to extend kindness to others. I am grateful for all the great times and the not-so-great ones. Experience in life is a wonderful teacher.

🤔 Can you answer this?

If you were given the chance to reset your life and start again, would you?

Thank you for stopping by my blog❤️🙏🏽

Categories
Poetry Self Awareness Topic Words of Wisdom

Fighting the Feeling; Stage Fright

A Shadorma

you're up next
smiling and sweating
is this real
on the mic
speaking word my thighs trembling
snap, snap my smile grew

I knew then
I can't mess this up 
ankles weak
lights blinding
just who do I think I am
calm down, you got this

Thank you for reading my poem, Fighting the Feeling; Stage Fright. It is a Shadorma written for the W3 prompt. 🙏🏽💖 This is the first time writing this poem style. I’m not sure if it is right, but I enjoyed it!

Speaking in front of a crowd can be a scary thing. The physical things that you feel standing up there. It’s amazing how the body responds and the thoughts that run through your mind. The inner ‘prep talk’ is what helped me get through the recital of Until That Day.

Categories
Diversity Poetry Self Awareness Topic

Employed and Unhoused-What’s Wrong with This Picture?

Man holding paycheck with nowhere to go
The dawn’s early light 
Tells of a downward plight 
Or the perilous fight 
Nearly fifty percent 
  
Land of the free 
Home of the brave  
Depraved of housing 
A basic human need 
 
Nearly fifty percent 
Work for mere cents 
Either part time or full time 
Heavy bombs on descent 
 
Unhoused, homeless, no roof 
Paycheck in hand is no proof 
Proof of simple liberties 
Nearly fifty percent 
 
Show up every day to work 
With income, not enough 
To secure a dwelling 
Prices ever going up 
 
Nearly fifty percent 
No place to call home 
Across the U S of A 
Shall free men stand 
Be free in this land? 
 
In God we trust 
Always a must 
Walk by faith 
But not by sight 
 
Nearly fifty percent 
Not of unemployment 
But homelessness 
 
Nearly fifty percent

Image created with AI using Copilot

Categories
Poetry Topic Words of Wisdom

Redwoods and Infinity Covenants

A Triolet

Couple in Redwood forest
Handle with care, don’t beat my heart 
Longevity of Redwoods our love will endure  
Umbrella canopy keeps us from drifting apart 
Handle with care, don’t beat my heart 
Strength for each other, our counterpart 
Guard the covenant, our union will reassure 
Handle with care, don’t beat my heart 
Longevity of Redwoods our love will endure

Redwoods and Infinity Covenants was written in response to the prompt by Sadje. Thank you for stopping by to read💞

Image credit: Brianna Parks on Unsplash

*Poem revised on 3/12/26*

Categories
Poetry Topic

Friend or Foe

Dalmatian and Bengal

Friend or Foe

A Diamante

 
Bengal  
 Striped Tiger  
Hunting Camouflaging Roaring 
Fierce Majestic Playful Energetic  
Running Fetching Barking  
Spotted Canine  
Dalmatian

Thank you for stopping by to read! 🙏🏽💖

Image created with AI using Copilot

Categories
Poetry Topic

Reminiscent Summertime

Thank you for taking time to read my poem. I appreciate all of you who come here to read and comment.

First, I would like to thank Christine and David. Christine, thank you for the nomination to be PoW. David, thank you for your time and effort in organizing and bringing us the W3 poetry prompts each week.

This is a first for me (pun intended) 😊. Hosting a poetry prompt, I am humbled. I hope you all enjoy and I am excited to read the responses. Have fun creating!

Reminiscent Summertime

An echo poem

It all began with a glance
glance
A quick look that had me in a trance 
trance
Butterflies in my stomach do a dance
dance
Not like the two-step but the Harlem shake
shake

My first adolescent crush
crush
Had my face all flushed
flushed
Suddenly cheeks turn beet red like blush
blush
Ah this puppy love, what a rush
rush

Holding hands at summer camp 
camp
Eyes light up bright, like a lamp 
lamp
Sweat beads on my forehead, damp
damp
Oh, I wonder if he thinks I’m a tramp
tramp

Only one thing is for sure
sure
Summer camp is nothing but pure
pure
Hot fun in the lush green land
land
One must experience it to understand
understand?

Categories
Poetry Topic

Love is Like a Kaleidoscope

Answer me this
Bring awareness to the
Complex idea about love
Does it happen organically
Exempt from conditions
Free of judgments
Gratuitous just for its existence
Hopeful for its longevity
Imagine finding lasting love
Just once is enough
Knowing some may never have
Love is like a cup of tea
Making the heart feel warmth
Needing no validation from others
Only building excitement for 
Pleasure purpose and peace
Quick to turn away opposition
Releasing any and all doubt
Soothing the body mind and soul
Tension leaving with each tantalizing touch
Unleashing stress from the day
Vanquishing control with each caress
Wishing the best for all
Xenodochial by nature
Yearning for that feeling
Zen is the ultimate goal

Thank you for taking the time to read my poem. Love is Like a Kaleidoscope was written in response to the W3 Prompt for this week.

I hope I followed the rules for the prompt. Apologies, if I missed the mark. It was a lot of fun writing this one. Enjoy!

Image credit: Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

Categories
Diversity Topic Words of Wisdom

Concessions for Endometriosis Sufferers

A win for endometriosis sufferers

Who

Christian “Cece” Worley. A woman who faced discrimination by her employer. Ms. Worley requested time off from her employer when she experienced pain, due to a medical condition called endometriosis. It is a condition affecting women that causes severe pain.

Denied accommodations is what led her to file a lawsuit. She was told that her condition does not meet the requirements for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

What

Ms. Worley won a case, the first of its kind that now qualifies for accommodations for endometriosis under the ADA. To her surprise, she won the case, against the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, by representing herself. Perseverance and knowing that so many other women experience the same condition is what motivated the filing.

Although, Ms. Worley initially lost her suit, she did not let that stop her. Advice from various legal counsel told her that this was not a case that was likely to win in court. Ultimately, successfully winning a ruling has proved otherwise.

Where

North Carolina

When

December 2025

Image created with AI using Copilot

Categories
Topic

Thawing Sunshine

A haiku

Melting icicles
Turning fluid with sunshine
Liquid ’til next freeze

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read Thawing Sunshine💞

Image created with AI using Copilot

Categories
Diversity Topic

A Triumph for Muslim Athletes

Who- Najah Aqeel, a teenager who was not allowed to play in a volleyball match. Why? Because of her hijab. A hijab is a head covering worn by Muslim women as part of their religious beliefs. It holds the meaning of identity, faith, and modesty, among other things. She turned her disappointment into triumph.

What- At that time, a rule by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association was in place. The rule stated prior approval was required by the National Federation of State High School Association. Prior approval to wear any type of head covering.

Can you imagine! Needing to get permission to practice your religious beliefs. Najah and her family, along with the American Muslim Advisory Council has changed the ruling.

Najah Aqeel has affected change, and now student athletes are free to participate and wear their religious head coverings.

Where- Valor Collegiate Prep, Nashville, Tennessee

When- September 2020

Categories
Diversity Info Topic

Safety While Driving, Priced Right

Traffic Light

Who

David Price a young man who was taught as a child to be aware of his surroundings. Especially when it comes to traffic stops for the Black community. A traffic stop is a very tense moment for Black drivers. David saw the need to come up with something to help make it safer. The release of his product came during a time of heightened police brutality.

What

The Safety Pouch holds documents needed at a traffic stop. A tool invented by David Price to aid in making interactions between Black drivers and law enforcement safer. The Safety Pouch is hung from the visor or driver side window and provides increased visibility. It eliminates having to reach for registration, license and insurance from the glove compartment or middle console. It is only available in one color, Orange. The bright color makes it easily seen and less mistaken for a firearm.

Where

The Safety Pouch is available to buy on the site. You can buy it at online stores like Amazon and at national retailers like Walmart. Reasonably priced too.

When

The product was made available to the public in May 2020.

A traffic stop is a high anxiety exchange. The invention by this young man is needed and can help to make these stops safer for all involved. It does not provide all the answers or solutions. Although, it is a step in the right direction. Kudos to David Price for his ingenuity.

The bright color of the Safety Pouch is a smart idea. Often times, wallets or other document holders are dark colors which law enforcement can mistake as a weapon. The bright orange color leaves no mistaking for a weapon.

Thank you for reading! 💞🙏🏽

Image created by AI with Copilot

Categories
Poetry Topic

Held Hostage by Insomnia

Trouble sleeping

A Tanka


Thoughts invade my mind
Trying to sleep, I count sheep
One, two, three, four, five
Doze off for thirty minutes
Beep, beep alarm clock goes off

A related post titled, Better Sleep for Increased Productivity can be found here. I wrote this back in March 2024. It is a helpful addition to the poem about insomnia that reflects the importance of sleep.

Thank you for taking the time to read my poem, Held Hostage by Insomnia. 💞🙏🏽

Image created using AI with Copilot

Categories
Diversity Topic Words of Wisdom

Trailblazer who Helped Shape History

Who-
Claudette (Austin) Colvin was an unsung civil rights activist. She helped to end segregation on public transportation, as one of the four plaintiffs in the federal case of Browder vs Gayle.

No stranger to the plights of Black people in an era when racism plagued the African American community. She was one of the first to protest for her rights. As did Rosa Parks, who also stood up for what she believed in.

What-
As a teenager during a time of segregation and oppression, she bravely refused to give up her seat on the bus.

Where-
Montgomery, Alabama

When-
March 1955

Claudette demonstrated her refusal of injustice by standing up for her rights. She lived until the age of 86. May she rest in love and peace. 🕊️

"I always tell young people to hold on to their dreams. And sometimes you have to stand up for what you think is right even if you have to stand alone-" Claudette Colvin

Categories
Poetry Topic Words of Wisdom

Guilt Free Closet Cleanse

closets overflow
shoes, dresses and jewelry
must haves, impulse buys
space is tight, what can I do
make room for new trends, donate

The challenge this week for Tanka Tuesday is to focus on cleansing/purification. The poem I wrote looks at cleansing from a spatial standpoint. I used this definition as my guide to shape the poem for this week-to rid of something seen as unpleasant, unwanted or defiling.

Cleansing by way of removing clutter is wonderful. Donating all those things no longer needed or wanted, gives those items utility. A second life, if you will. Someone else can enjoy the items rather than throwing them away. Spatial freedom makes way for clarity.

Thank you, Yvette for the prompt this week. Also, thank you to all for stopping by to read. Stay well and be blessed💞

Categories
Poetry Topic Words of Wisdom

Essentials of Humanity

An Etheree

Love
Gives the
Courage to
Hope and instills
Passion to enjoy
Embody, realize
Happiness when it shows up
In your life, it is not luck that
Money flows your way, sheer fruit of efforts

The poem Essentials of Humanity was written for the prompt by Sadje. Thank you for taking the time to read.🙏🏽💞