ROARING WINDS RUSH IN
THE VEIL LIFTS
DIRECT ACCESS GIVEN
BALANCE RESTORED
Stripped
This
Is
Pure
Unadulterated
Me
Raw
Uncensored
Unpretentious
No facade
Pride aside
Complex
Complicated
No longer
Just
A
Plain
Simple
Sensitive
Human
Being
Free
One
Not two
Not three
Just me
Free
Life Quilt 2: Happy Thoughts
Brisk walks in fresh morning air
Cruising top down with wind in my hair
Cuddly and cozy in front of the fireplace
Sipping warm tea, just you and me
Ice cold mint lemonade on a hot, humid day
Wouldn’t want it any other way
Savouring a thick slice of creamy chocolate cake
Dangling my legs in the lake
Twinkling stars against a jet-black sky
Eating pumpkin cinnamon pie
Watching a butterfly flit and flutter
Playing practical jokes on my brother
The smell of wood smoke from a rustic iron stove
Looking through my treasure trove
Making angels in newly fallen snow
Watching my favourite television show
Soothing massage from head-to-toe
Apologies from a long-time foe
Going through a trying time courageously
Aging gracefully
Your compassion after a particularly hard day
Allowing my best friend to have her own way
Giggling and giddy watching a comedy spoof
Raindrops falling on a tin roof
A rainbow after a storm
Thanking God for the day I was born
Beautiful in His Sight
It’s not your
Body size
Body shape
Nails that break
Full lips
Curvy hips
Colour of your hair
Dark or fair
That’s neither here nor there
Why do we compare?
Make up
Stay ups
Push ups
​
Hard abs
Soft calves
IQ
Type of nose
Good at prose
Unilingual
Bilingual
Trilingual
​
Snapchat followers
Number of likes
Amount on your bank account
That’s all material
Temporary
Superficial
​
Things come and go
Unlike God
Who’s everlasting
Everything good you could ever think of
What’s the point?
He wants you – the inner part
Your heart
​
Open up
Let Him in
He’ll never leave or disappoint
What He promises
He fulfills
Woman of God
Don’t ignore
It’s time to roar
Soar as the woman
God created you to be
Injustice
There is an eerie undercurrent
Frigid chill in the air
Darkness prowls
Hatred preys
Violence erupts
Beauty defiled by evil
Roaring winds rush in
The veil lifts
Direct access given
Balance restored
Shackles broken
Truth told
Stereotypes shattered
Captive minds freed
The blind see
Deaf hear
Hardened hearts transform
Brokenness restored
Scattered tribes unite
Fractions mend
Parts become whole
In the end
Forgiveness, peace, unity triumph
Love reigns
Sign of the Times
Violence
Persecution
Oppression
The disease of useless rivalry
Lives taken
Lives lost
Murdered ruthlessly
Arm-in-arm people march in peaceful protest
Against discrimination
Prejudice
Injustice
Around the world
Millions unite
Voices collide
Defiant to be heard
Standing courageously
On the line
For human rights
‘Til justice is rendered
How, did we get here?
A struggle for power?
The selfishness of humanity
In the end, it’s irrelevant
I believe in the greater good
God’s commandment: “Love one another”
That justice will prevail
Truth outweighs ignorance
Tolerance supersedes intolerance
Goodness triumphs over evil
Light outshines darkness
On bended knee
Saturated with emotion
Believing regardless of race
Or the colour of our face
We humans, have more in common than apart
Listen
Empathize
Realize
Recognize
We share a bond
Birthed by God
His masterpieces
Created from love, for good
So why the hatred?
Hear our cry
Take evil captive
Let peace reign
Lord, heal our land
Naked
No eyeliner or lip liner
Not even the thing that makes my browns finer
No lipstick or lip tint
Not even a hint of foundation or cream
If I see another skin sealer, I’ll scream
Don’t even want my favourite plum blush
Seeing myself in the mirror
Without make up
What a rush
No colour around my eyes
No enhancement to my thighs
Nothing to make things appear invisible
Fact is, I want everything exposed and visible
No push ups or stay ups
Proud of my D-cups
Just saying y’all……
Keeping it real
No polish on my nails
Or camouflage my toes
Nope, nothing to clog my pores
Off with the stilettoes
No need to impress the fellows
No suction to suck me in
Don’t need to look thin or thinner
With God, I’m a winner
Don’t need to dye my hair
Back to basics
Living without fear
Don’t worry about me
I’ve broken free
Don’t need concealer
‘Cause God’s my healer
His living water cleanses
Love comforts
Word directs
Light guides my path
I’m strong
Real
Loving me
Just as I am
Wink wink
Nudge nudge
Here’s the deal
For the first time, I am free
We all make choices
These are mine
Because of them, I’m having the best time
Knowing and being myself
Help
God...
Are you there?
It’s me
Messed up
Strung out
In despair
Beyond repair
Hardly recognize myself
Disgusted with self
Tried to change
Put my life back together
Break the cycle
Disrupt the patterns
But couldn’t
My mind was on rewind
It reverted to the familiar
I heard the debilitating words,
You’ll never amount to anything
Then your Holy Spirit swept in
Nudged and took hold
Instead of spiralling out of control
I took a stand
Rebuked the lie
Relinquished the tie
Chose to believe
Your power changed me
I’m no longer lost
But free
Have life and eternity
In the Shadows
Down
The dark
Naked
Alley
She stands
Watching
Waiting
Wondering
Who will it be tonight?
How many will they be tonight?
How much will she make
minus what he’ll take for himself tonight?
People come
People go
Puzzled why she is
Who she is
Little do they know
She is a prisoner
Trapped
With no where to go
No where to hide
From the pain
The poverty
The pride
Inside
She is desperate
Childlike
Wanting affection
Needing attention
With no where to go
No where to hide
From her pain
Her poverty
Her pride
She switches off her thoughts
Numbs her mind
Fades into the shadows
Where she casts her body to the night
And lives where there is no light
Philly at Night
It’s 1:30 a.m.
I’m sitting on the edge of my grandmother’s stoop
Like the neighborhood snoop
Watching inner-city life pass by
From here I see everything
Hear everything
Never miss a beat
Dangling my feet
Watching the people come and go
It’s beautiful out
The sky is clear
Humidity hangs in the air
I’m out in the open without a care
Where excitement and mystery abound
​
They’re lights
Sights
Sounds
People all around
Walking
Talking
Hustling
Bustling
Driving
Riding
Texting
Reflecting
Getting high
I watch them all
The faceless
Nameless
People of the night
In onesies
Twosies
Groupies
Young
Old
Homeless
Restless
Privileged
Poor
Single parents
Grandparents
Cons trying to score
Shift workers
Late night laundry mat-goers
Panhandlers
Go-getters
Ladies of the night
Alternative lifestyle opters
Skate boarders
Hoarders
Teenagers out for fun
Dope dealers
Music lovers
Ricers
Racers
Low-riders rumbling by
The bang of a gate signaling another deal made…sigh
I’m intrigued by the night people
They all have a story
All take their chances out here in the open air
The faceless
Nameless
People of the night
Fly
Fly butterfly fly
Take me with you to the sky
Flap your wings and soar up high
Fly butterfly fly
Hold me close
and glide butterfly glide
through endless clouds
nestled side-by-side
Nothing compares
being with you way up here
You move with flair
Relentless without a care
Fly butterfly fly
Believe in me
Shield me
Guide me
Way up high in the sky
Fly butterfly
Fly
Nature
Backlit by the sun
It stands
Poised
Perched
Positioned
At the rushing water’s edge
Alert
In anticipation
The sculptured beauty waits
Beside rolling current
In
Out
Rising
Falling
Swirling
Foaming
Back-and-forth around its feet
The constricted body
Stretches
Elongates
Grace in motion
Without commotion
Its neck extends
Still
Waiting alone
Wonder how it feels
Anticipating a passing meal
Amazing how one creature
Commands such attention
Beauty
I watch you flit
I watch you flutter
Roundabout
In and out each vibrant flower
Pecking, burrowing, feeding
Mornings and mid-days
You grace me with your presence
I have the best view as I spectate
Looking at you and your mate
Observing everything you are
And do without disturbing you
Magnificent
A shimmery array of life and hope hovering mid-air
What a sight
Your beauty illuminated in the light by the light
It’s clear, your movement is effortless
Carefree
I wish that was me
Not defined or limited by your small and delicate form
From the moment you were born, you were unstoppable
Remarkable
Fearless
Characteristics I can’t miss
Never distracted from your mission by your condition
Your stance of focus and determination
A winning combination
You intrigue and delight
Insite me to be the best I can
There’s so much to learn from you, it’s true
Light
Liberated
Free
At peace, that’s you
By the way, isn’t that what being alive is all about?
That revelation makes me shout
God’s creations big and small
I love them all
If Only
After all these years
All it takes is a certain smell in the air
Hint of something that you would wear
Glimpse of someone who looks like you
And the dam breaks
The floodgates unleash
And I’m a puddle, desperately yearning for you
Boo Hoo
I live only because I fantasize you incessantly
I “will” our passion and love back into being
Every moment of every day, I pray
Mourn for yesterday
For you
Us and what we had together
You empowered me
Fulfilled me
Gave me life
Remembering your last breath
I gasped, almost suffocating
Dying as you slipped away
That day, what I dreaded most came to pass
I lost you
Back to dust
My broken heart can’t stop loving you
If only I could bring you back and time would stand still
Prognostication
It's worse at night
When I'm alone
Trying to sleep
When it's dark
Random thoughts threaten the unoccupied spaces of my mind
If I take them on
They could be the death of me
With purpose and determination
I close my eyes
Will myself to sleep
Rocking myself side-to-side
Secretly wishing you were here to stroke and cuddle me
To tell me everything's going to be fine
I crawl into the crevice of mind
Breathe deeply
Try to be strong and keep on keeping on
If only I can hang tight and make it through the night
‘Cause everything’s always better in the morning light
The Encounter
Faintly I hear the feet of steel approaching
Flat on my back I lie waiting
Closer and closer they come
Into my room they trod
Masked faces hoover above my body
As they clothe me in my gown
I see the needle towering above me
Feel it burrowing beneath my skin
It’s sensation is flowing through me
One by one my senses relax
I’m unable to move
Unable to protest
I lie there limp and motionless
I lose all sense of time
All sense of reality
I’m slipping away from myself
Outside myself
I’m being carried away from self
​
Down dark corridors I’m wheeled
Into the operating room I’m led
Onto a steel slab I’m placed
As I lie there under the spotlights
I wonder: “Will I ever find myself again?”
“Will I ever be the same again?”
Through the haze,
I see the instruments of steel closing in on me
Closer and closer they come
Deeper and deeper I slip into emptiness
The anesthetic is taking its final toll
It now controls my mind, my body and soul
I become separated from myself
I lose myself
One quick breath
And I know no more
​
Silently, I walk down what has become
An all too familiar aisle of this institution
Along the way, I see a diversity of people
I had not expected
A microcosm of the macro world in which we live
Eying them gingerly, I wonder if they see me
Looking at them as I play this cloak and dagger game
Do they know that I am one of them?
Funny how at the start, I never would have admitted
That I had something in common with them
I had set myself apart
But truth be told
These people and I share a bond
I admit that today
I see them each and every time I come
The regulars, newcomers and repeats
I watch as they sit
Waiting their turn
Alone or accompanied
Some assured
Some just want their turn so they can carry on
About their way and live to see another day
Here I see no tears
Just courage at its best
Perhaps like me they've shed every tear there is to shed
Asked every "why me" and "how did it happen" imaginable
And they've moved on to fight the fight of their life
Whatever their story, these people have shown up
With their game face on to do all they can
To live another day, their way
No one but no one knows but them how they cope
From the inside out
Some put their faith in God
Others cope the best way they know how
Whatever works for them
They show up prepared to give it their best shot
And I respect them
I can't stop singing their praises
Tip my hat
Raise my cup
Send a heartfelt toast to them
These people inspire me
Are an example of strength and determination
A will to live
If this sounds cliché
I don't care
I call it like I see it
I call it like it is
No pity here
Only genuine respect for them — all of them
With Gratitude
For Front-line Workers
Accolades
A round of applause
Across the city
Coast-to-coast
Essential workers
Doctors
Nurses
Health care providers
Paramedics
Bus drivers
Fire fighters
Grocery workers
Administrators
A full salute
Virtual handshake
Warm embrace
​
Working tirelessly
Fearlessly
Doing all you can
To keep us healthy and safe
Indoors
Outdoors
Frontline
Office
Online
Telephone
To name a few
All of you
Wherever you are
You know who you are
Bravo
A heartfelt thanks
For all that you are and all that you do
Putting your life on the line for mine
So kind
Thanks a million
Suddenly
A new normal
Way of being
New routine
Quarantine
Physical health
Swab
Mental health
Stress test
Instead of being together
We’re apart
Physical distancing
Isolation
Alienation
From vacation to staycation
Forget riding the wave
It’s about flattening the curve
The moment you touch
Out comes the wipes
Disinfect
Sanitize
Sterilize
New attire
Gloves and masks
Medical gowns not ball gowns
Lockdown
Going to town?
Need a pass
How long will this last?
Makes you rethink how things were before
Was it that bad after all?
Nanny
Couldn’t resist
Had to take a picture of you
At the front of your house in your favourite position
Without care or inhibition
Looking out
Perfectly framed in the windowpane
This shot of you is priceless
Timeless, it tells your story
At ease and kind-hearted
No nonsense
Wise without compromise
Simply clad in a frock and ordinary hat
There’s nothing simple or ordinary about you
Scarified so your children could thrive
They’re now doctors, lawyers, well-to-do, thanks to you
A regular on the block
Observing everything and everyone around the clock
You sit quietly content, one with the world
Enjoying life as it comes, one day at a time
Good to see you after all these years
The sight of makes me happy and brings a tear
You took such good care of me back then
On you, I could always depend
You were like family and also a friend
Consoling, reassuring
You helped me with my sums
Were quick on your feet
Creatively got me to eat, what a feat
How you did it still has me beat
Thoughtful and kind
A rare find
Thankful we met again
You made such a difference in my life
Nanny, I’ll never forget you
Unity
Creator
Our maker
You fashioned us out of love
For love
In love
To live in unity
We all belong
Have more in common than apart
Are stronger together than divided
Sounds cliché?
Touché
But why can’t we get along?
Why do we conform and go along to get along?
Light of the world
Penetrate the darkness
Illuminate the world
Eliminate the deadly, destructive root that breeds hatred
Eradicate its offspring
Obliterate racism and discrimination
Dismantle the belief that one person is superior to the other
​
Expose the unspeakable inequities that stain humanity
Erase the intolerable rhetoric that spews from despicable Mind-sets entrenched in the bondage of prejudice
Uproot belittling words from vocabulary
That perpetuate abuse and unrest
Light-bearer
Correct the contortions of deviant minds
Expose archaic, systemic patterns and systems that breed inequity
As far as day is from night
Separate us from divisiveness
Teach us not to judge or hold a grudge
Empower us to include not exclude
​
Source of light
Consume
Fill
Radiate
Permeate
Convict us to embrace truth
Choose right not wrong
Peace and harmony
Therein lives the freedom to spread love
Making the Best of it
You stop and stare
Speechless because I have no hair
Yes, I know
I look different since the last time you were here
Haven’t you seen a cancer patient before?
There, I said it
Cancer
Cancer
Cancer
Saying it helps me embrace it and takes away the sting
By the way, did you notice my new bling?
Distracted by the obvious, guess you didn’t
Got zapped three weeks ago
Have been resting up
Today I got dolled up
Have my smile on and my winning attitude
So back at you
This is my optimum time
I’ve garnered as much strength as I could
To spend time with you
Let’s get the obvious out of the way
So we can visit as we planned today
Didn’t want to tell you in advance
Couldn’t take the chance
You’d jump the gun and write me off
It’s interesting how you’re just standing there
Distant from me
Come closer
Hug me if you wish
I won’t break
It’s not contagious
I can’t pass anything along except good wishes
Oh no, there’s the look
Not you too
Wondered how long it would take to appear
Something I was dredging but anticipating
I see the look of pity and sadness in your eyes
Even if you’re trying to smize
No, I’m not dying
I’m still me
The same person you knew before
And thought you were coming to meet
Except for the diagnosis, the physical changes
And this thing called cancer
I’m still me
Standing as straight as I can
Without hair on my head, brows or lashes
The results of the treatment
By the way, the good news is, I don’t need to get waxing
Always found it taxing
I’m okay believe me
Am as confident as can be
It’s not always like this every day but I think myself happy and that gets me through
My mind and thoughts are half the battle