Welcome to Day 12 of the April Write 2013: a new era begins
It’s Vent Friday
The Topic for today is “Blessings”
Whilst reading the piece by today’s Guest Host, I was reminded that not all Vents need to be loud or in your face – some are about the quiet reality that we meet each day. So I give thanks to you for this write, on a number of different levels . I am honoured to be in the position to share the work of today’s Guest Host: Justice Clarke aka Flowetic Justice
~ Marina
Flowetic Justice has been working with his imagination since he was a teen. He began writing and illustrating his own original comic book stories at the age of thirteen. He dabbled in poetry a bit at fourteen but those few scripts evolved into rap. He began exploring the world of hip hop at fifteen. He has opened for legendary rap acts such as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Dougie Fresh and Slick Rick, and L.L. Cool J.
He took a break from this while he majored in Psychology at New York University where he earned his degree . It was there that he learned that he had a knack for writing. He then spent several years working in the mental health field as a drug and alcohol counsellor and a clinical therapist. Due to a near fatal car accident, personal hardships, and emotional struggles he begin to write what he was feeling as a coping mechanism.
In 2010 Justice won the Blood Sweat and Tears poetry slam and began to concentrate on writing his first poetry book. Since then he has published six books all of which are available https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Flowetic.
So as his webpage says “Become lost in the endless rivers that flow from Justice Clarke also known as the Thoughts of a Single Man”
“A Blessed Day” by Flowetic Justice
How often do we hear people tell us
to have a blessed day
what do those words mean to you
what is your definition of a blessing
and how often do we stop and think
just how blessed we really are
there are so many hypocrites out there
who do not see the blessings around them
so many who take for granted
all that they have in their lives
and have the nerve to complain about it
I have been around so many people
who have survived so much in their lives
and are grateful
just to be able to see the conclusion of another day
I have also heard people complain endlessly
about the mundane rituals of their existence
people who have been graced by their accomplishments
who have seen their dreams begin to come true
who have put their artistic gifts to good use
and still they complain
while at the same time speaking of the blessings
they wish daily on others
you see I come from a past of abuse
physically from my older sibling
and psychological from those I grew up with
always being told I was the ugly one
the weak one
the meek one
the undeserving one
like to a spouse whose sole objective
was to make me feel that was less than a man
and child who turned from me
after I committed over half my life on this earth to her
that is no said for pity or applause
fro I am far from perfect and have my many flaws
but I have also been in a burning automobile
that should have taken my life and I am still here
and I still know that there are so many
who are much much worse off than I am
yes I have severe pain when I walk
but there are those who cannot walk
yes at sometimes I cannot breath
but there are those who will never breathe again
yes there are problems with my spine
but there are those who shall never bend or ever stand
there are those who can count their blessings on one hand
that’s is why I am grateful each day I rise
blessed that I can open my eyes
I hear those complain about their children
when so many of us wish we had ours with us
people who complain about their jobs
when there are those who wish that had somewhere to work
what is a blessing to you
do you now realize some people cannot read these words
some believe love the saying have a blessed day
is wishing others well
and that they make through another day
not for their possessions or gifts
but that they just exist for some live in a personal hell
and some have stories
they are still too afraid to share and tell
I know I am blessed to able to write sees to write
and pray my word touch at least one other being
for I know there are those who cannot write this way
and find what I write freeing
and any time I complete a poem
a song
a thought
that has been bestowed upon me to share by His grace
I can honestly say
than to me that is and always will be
a blessed day
Thoughts of a Single Man © 2013 tm
Donna Parkinson (c) April 2013
Blessings …Friday vent
In keeping with today’s theme,
I feel my pen scream,
She says… use me,
Abuse me,
I know why you choose me,
I see how your muse be…
Beckoning,
So I’m reckoning,
That you have something to vent,
I beg you share your torment…
So who am I to argue with my ink?
Dutifully….I think,
About the blessings I have been given,
And I am driven,
To flow,
Like most of us I know,
I have complained many a time,
I know I have not always been grateful for what is mine,
My life has continually been an uphill climb,
A battle; a fierce fight,
But flowetic justice is right,
There is always someone worse off than me,
And Dear God I am free,
I can see,
And I can speak,
My will at times may be weak,
But my sentiment is strong,
My blessings are many and I long,
To reach the youth,
To share the truth,
That I have inside my heart,
Through my chosen art,
You see….My poetic cries,
Are like little butterflies,
Born from the VERY depths of my cocooned soul,
Set free to dance around me making my half…whole
Carrying my feelings and emotions on their gossamer wings,
There are so many things,
I want to say,
And each day,
My pen screams,
Yet sometimes it seems,
That I turn my back on this particular blessing,
Somehow Compressing,
It into the stuff that gets in the way,
Dare I say,
LIFE… yes life!!! gets in the way,
It sometimes sends my mind into disarray,
And it has a field day,
With my motivation,
However, deep down I know I am a special creation,
That has some sort of purpose; an objective,
And irrespective,
Of my life’s trials,
I have come miles and miles,
Into my journey this far,
And my blessings are,
What have always carried me through,
I don’t know how they do,
But I just want to say thank you:
Thank you to my daughter my number one,
Thank you to my husband; there since time begun,
To my mum and dad for moulding me,
To my siblings for holding me,
When I needed their touch,
I love you all very much,
To the friends that have supported me,
To the extended family that transported me,
From depressions door,
To the people that picked me up from the floor,
When I was so low,
To my ink… to my flow,
Ya dun know,
That I would be lost without you all; you make me complete,
I truly have the world at my feet,
And am blessed to be me,
And so thankful to be surrounded by this infinity,
Of love so pure and entire,
That I require,
Nothing more than what has already been gifted,
My heart is now lifted,
And my ink has bled,
I have said,
All that I wished to say,
Yes… I give thanks for my blessings on this and every day…
Halim Flowers (c) April 2013
PINK
Before I could express what I thought
Before I could comprehend anything anyone spoke to me
I reached for you
As a babe
And you gave me life
Before I could understand what life was
You nurture me
So as a man
This day, this week, this month
This moment
For you
I wear PINK
Because I’m at war with the cancer that kills you
Before I knew the warmth of your womb
Before I had the direction to your entrance
Sometime after the first crush
The first kiss
A little thereafter
I reached for you
Because I loved you
Before I grasped what love truly is
I lusted for you
Before I even had a seed to give life
So as a man
And a human being in love and lust
This second, this minute, the hour
This moment
I wear PINK for you
A PINK ribbon
Because I need you to stay around
A little longer
Longer than me
Before I ever planted seeds
In your secret garden
Before your treasure chest ever swelled with life
Before you beared our child
Before the sonograms and labor pains
I honored you
In the midst of my lust
Amalgamated with the taste and texture
Of your areola tantalizing my tongue
I cherished you
Because all that I am
And all that flows through me
Came from your nipple
I adore you
Because everything that our child will need
Will begin at your faucet
Therefore as a man
And a conscious creature that cares
This year, this decade, this existence
This moment
I wear this PINK ribbon
On my shirt, my hat, my car, my tags,
My heart
Because I live for you
And life would not be worth living without you
PINK!!!
Halim A. Flowers
Copyright 2013
Excerpt from “For Colored Girls”
Zita Holbourne (c) April 2013
FEEL BLESSED
Everything I have I had to fight for
Opportunity never knocked at my door
Nothing came easily
Or was given to me
All I had I earned
All I knew I learned
I could be bitter
That others had better
I could be so consumed by anger
That I didn’t progress further
But I learned to embrace simple things
Be prepared for whatever life brings
Writing poetry
Was my therapy
Creating art
Was my beating heart
Raising my beautiful baby
Breathed new life into me
And made me feel blessed
Four walls and a roof over my head
A place to relax and a new bed
Made me feel blessed
In getting to know myself
I found a wealth
Flowers in spring time
Creating a new rhyme
Sitting in the sunshine
Made me feel blessed
Understanding my role
Aiming for each goal
Teachings
Creations
Made me feel blessed
A smile and a kind word
A sweet melody I heard
Meetings
Greetings
Made me feel blessed
Knowing how far I’ve come
Pride in all that I’ve done
Just being allowed to be me
Knowing that I’m free
Makes me feel blessed
Zita Holbourne Poet~Artist~Activist AprilWrite 2013 Day 12
Marina Bayley (c) April 2013
I have been blessed with a gift that is an integral part of me – it guides my way of see, doing and thinking however it has it down sides
Knowing one think
And experiencing another
Wanting to express the thoughts in your head
Being held back by letters and spelling of words
Knowing a word will fit the phase
Complete the thought
Fit the page
use 10 when 1 will do
Simply frustrated
the letters don’t fit,
won’t fit
End up being called thick
Backwards, retarded, slow
Yet I know
What appears on the page?
Says a lot if the world could see
They need to get pass
What they see
The grammatical rules that simple lie
‘I’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’
Read is Red but not Read
When Cue is not Queue of Q
Silent letters, different sounds
Inconsistencies abound
Hid myself in the numbers I knew
When 1 + 1 always equals 2
But the teacher fails to read
What’s on the page
Context
Content
Thought stream
Ability to reason
ability to see beyond that which was presented
All put away
with one simple phase
‘Your word is peppered with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes’
all i could say on that day
Please Miss Black or White pepper a sprinkle, dash or shower
needless to say I went home late that day