A Triolet poem
Laughter cradles when sadness weighs
A good belly roll brings oxygen to the brain
endorphins stick around for days
Laughter cradles when sadness weighs
stimulating feel good pathways
shifting mood to a higher plane
Laughter cradles when sadness weighs
A good belly roll brings oxygen to the brain
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read Sidelined Sadness.
Image by Sergei Tokmakov, Esq. https://Terms.Law from Pixabay
Standing quietly, alone
No one in sight, solo
Commanding stance over seas
Views of water for miles
Alone, until people drift by
To and fro, ebbing with the tides
Suddenly you are called upon
Memory jarred that your light is shining
Light that draws them near, curious
Wonderment in their eyes as they pause
Pause, hesitant to ask
How do you do it?
Ask, how do you continue to shine light
All while being alone, present
Day in and out, rain, fog and clouds
Hovering over your crown of light
Difficult task that takes patience
Being constant no matter what comes
Knowing that light is a powerful force
Drawing people into a place of safety
Sound the alarm only when danger lurks
Silent, stationary even when water murks
Pulsating light comes with many perks
Structure standing tall and firm
Navigating shores, signaling when to turn
Horizons of Light was written for the W3 weekly challenge. Unfortunately, I missed the submission deadline. The challenge was to be a lighthouse. You can choose to be a literal, metaphorical, delusional, illusory or false lighthouse.
The piece I wrote is from a metaphorical standpoint.
Standing quietly but not lonely. Drawing people in with your inner light. Just when you think that people do not see you or know you are there, it strikes you. Yes, they see me. It’s like the saying, ‘being seen and not heard’.
Only speaking and/or making noise when necessary. A lighthouse that is like a quiet force. Still standing even when the heavy tides of life roll in.
Thank you for reading Horizons of Light. 💕
Image created by AI with Copilot
motherhood grows the heart and the mind
birthing a love like no other
do I deserve this bundle
a blessing to behold
small eyes so bright, pure
her smile, her laugh
so tender
loving
sweet
To Be Called Mom is written for the Tanka Tuesday challenge.
Thank you for stopping by to read. 🙏🏽💛
You are exactly where
you need to be.
When you land in a place
that looks unfamiliar,
why question it?
You think you should
be somewhere else. But
in reality, the place you are
today was destined for you,
only you.
If you see a friend and
they are ahead of you in their
career, don’t fret. Go at your
own pace. Maybe you are going
slower but your reward will be
greater when you arrive.
We all have those years of
progress, slow but steady.
Bumpy roads that feel like a
stop sign. The bumps are a
test to see if we will
keep going or quit.
You are exactly where
you need to be. We
can make all the plans in
the world but, we are not in
control; no, the Creator is.
You are exactly where
you need to be
Thank you for reading Why Question It? 💖🙏🏽
The writing is in response to the prompt by Sadje.
Image credit: Nir Himi on Unsplash
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.
A Triolet
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*
Christian Worley helped to make it possible, concessions for Endometriosis sufferers.
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).
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.
Women can stop worrying and feel comfort in knowing that there are concessions for endometriosis sufferers.
North Carolina
December 2025
Image created with AI using Copilot
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
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💞
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.🙏🏽💞
A Haiku
Precious life moments
Cherish capture and relish
In every day laud
Thank you for reading! 🙏🏽
A triolet
Finally a new year is here
With everything you have hold on tight
New goals and ambitions appear
Finally a new year is here
Stopping old habits the slate will clear
Just as day turns into night
Finally a new year is here
With everything you have hold on tight
That one place
Place no one knows
Knows not where to look
Look but unable to find
Find your place of peace
Peace not to be disturbed
Disturbed for only one minute
Minute that feels like eternity
Eternity only an exaggeration
Exaggeration of time
Time only imagined
Imagined to be infinite
Infinite it is not
Not by a longshot
That one place
Place now found
Found, no longer sacred
Sacred, private, peaceful
Peaceful once, now tarnished
Tarnished, perturbed, just bothered
Bothered, tense, no longer a place of refuge
Refuge from the outside noise
Noise like loud and quiet chatter
Chatter unnecessary and shady
Shady in times when light is needed
Needed to block out murder masked as self-defense
Self-defense now used as a cover up
Cover up for ill behavior of the letter groups
Can’t we all just get along
Along with each other
Other people, faiths and skin tones
Skin tones, just the outer part
Part of the core of a human
Human, we bleed the same as you
You are not entitled to harass at will
Will led by your lack of understanding
Understanding nothing when it comes to rights
Rights to which you are not the dictator
Dictator to all people you deem unworthy
Unworthy to be here just like you
You in all your glory are delusional
Delusional, unfair, self-righteous to a fault
Place of peace, interrupted
As I write this, I am thinking about everything going on in the world right now and in the recent past. Too many people are senselessly losing their lives, and for what? People who feel that they are more powerful than you. People who feel that we are not worthy of life on this earth. The same way they are living and breathing; we have the right to be here too. The world is in chaos and a lot of us are experiencing unrest. Any semblance of peace, fading away. It is a sad state of affairs.
I can go on, but I think from the poem, you get where I am going with my sentiments. The price of peace should not be this expensive. Such a simple concept seems like too much to ask. Peace looks different for all of us. Be it 10 minutes alone with your thoughts, a one-hour nap, 20 minutes of meditation or cherished time with loved ones. Maybe, a day of not having to look over your shoulder in fear of being snatched up on the street.
Thank you for taking the time to read the post. My hope is that sooner rather than later, things will look up. I know in my heart that better days are to come. Prayer is always bigger than any problem.
Stay well and be blessed🙏🏽💞
In this video is an interview with me about the blog, Inspire By O’Nika. Why it was started and when. Connect the Dots host, Louis asks questions about the content of the blog and the motivation behind it. We talk about other ventures like the IBO Podcast and the You Tube channel, by the same name which I also started. The interview gives a little insight into the person behind the blog.
Inspiring and lifting other’s up is what I love. Check out a throwback post, Re-create; Dare to be You.
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to watch🙏🏽 Thank you for the interview, Louis! Don’t forget to check out Connect the Dots podcast on You Tube.
November 2nd is the day I started IBO. It was in 2021 that I was moved to begin blogging. It was the middle of the pandemic and a very troubling time. Because of that I felt like people could use some words of inspiration and hope. Even if for only the time it takes to read a post.
My journey started out with quotes, and varied topics. A few articles were of heavy content. For the most part, the content of Inspire By O’Nika is light-hearted, motivational and uplifting.
Through the years I started to incorporate poetry. I have come to enjoy it and just have fun with it. I added some comedy to the blog too. Also, I have joined in various picture and word prompts.
I say all that to say; thank you. Thank you to all the people who stop by to read my blog. People who have been supportive over the years. I appreciate the comments; short, long, and even if you just leave an emoji. Thank you for the likes and shares.
4 years in the making, hoping to see another four. Continuing this writing journey with all of you is what keeps me going. I love all my readers who have been there from day one and new subscribers too. Thanks again for the love and support. 💕