Have you seen this? Human Family ~ Maya Angelou

Tamara shares a poem by the wonderful Maya Angelou.

The Purple Almond

I turned an assignment in yesterday, so I had a little extra time. I came across this beautiful poem by Maya Angelou and wanted to share it with all of you. Whether you’ve seen it, or not, it’s quite inspiring and worth a look. 

She talks about how we are each unique. If you travel the world, you won’t find any people who are identical, even twins are different. However, these are just differences on the surface: our skin tone, our hair color, our eye color, our height or weight. 

But, when you look within people, get past our outer shell,

we are all more similar than we are different. 

We all strive for what we love. 

We all cry, laugh, love, and feel.

We all bleed red.

We are all human

At the end of the day…

“We are more alike my friends,

than we are unalike”

God bless!…

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Revisited: Women of the World: Own Your Power and Glory by Kim D. Bailey

Kim brings back a powerful statement.

Kim D Bailey

My column piece from one year ago with Five 2 One:

In light of the #MeToo posts and articles this past week, I decided to share this one again for those who wish to read and may have missed it.

I tell the story of a specific event of sexual abuse by an ex-partner. It isn’t easy reading. However, there are millions of such stories and it’s time our culture took this disease of patriarchal-sexual-power and abuse seriously.

It’s time we eliminated it.

Once and for all.

“We have been taught, through insidious modes of belief and behavior, that we are second-class citizens. A language of dehumanizing and demoralizing women pervades our collective consciousness. Even women jump on the bandwagon against other women who have been abused, raped, or disrespected. We have allowed this to happen, and even though there are a few of us out there fighting against it…

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Dear Hollywood

Devon thanks those who are speaking up and reminds us they are real people.

Devon J Hall

The men and women of Hollywood are coming out in force and I am so proud of you.

For years I have gazed upon the far reaching lights of tinsel town with envy like many others who wish they could be the next famous actress, like any of those very same dreamers however, I never once stopped to consider the cost.

For that I am truly sorry.

I never considered how many women spread their legs for a role, and how many did so unwillingly.

I had no idea how many of there you were. I see the lights of Hollywood, and I look up in awe and a dose of respect for so many of you. Only now it is not because you are famous, it’s not because you are beautiful or smart or talented, it’s because now, in the eyes of the world you are more then just…

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I Just Wanted To Be Loved – Peter Olsen

Nicole shares the poetry of Peter Olsen

The Lithium Chronicles

“I want God to come/And take me home
‘Cause I’m all alone/ In this crowd
Who are you to me/Who am I supposed to be
Not exactly sure anymore./Where’s this going to
Can I follow through/Or just follow you
For a while/Does anyone ever get this right?”
– ‘The Vampires of Time and Memory’, Queens of the Stone Age

And now I’m all alone.
In the dark I’m home.
My mind is gone.
As I wait for you to finally say goodbye.

I just wanted to be loved.
By anyone.
I just wanted someone to love
Me.

I would do anything
To kill this pain
That infects my brain
For what you did to me.

But I stuck around
Even when you felt down.
I gave my heart and soul
When you were low.
I tried to do anything
To help to wash away your pain
Just because I cared

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Sudden Denouement is seeking new writers

Sudden Denouement is a great place for writers – check it out if you haven’t already.

A Forum for Divergent Literature

Writing is often a solitary vocation. Sudden Denouement is a community of like-minded individuals who strive to promote each other’s writing. We offer a community of best writers in the world, and also offer the option of publishing. Please send a sample of your writing to Jasperkerkauwriting@gmail.com.

Jasper Kerkau

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My Life as a Schizophrenic

Allie Burke is on OTV – a must read

ORGANIC COFFEE, HAPHAZARDLY

by Allie Burke

*Trigger Warning: Mental Health and Suicide

I was 24 years old. I smoked weed like so many others my age, took muscle relaxers for fun. Daily, I heard these voices and saw these shadows, but they had always been around. It wasn’t like they were new. I’d learned to live with them like they were allergies on a spring day. But when my marriage started failing, I started to accept the fact that there was something wrong with me. I could live with hallucinations; I could not live as a divorcee. I wasn’t my mom, and I had to make it work.

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How Do We Find Peace?

Veronike writes of seeking peace in time of change.

Thoughts Of A Sunrise

The last three weeks I will admit, I have been feeling quite low again with this nagging feeling of discontent mixed with frustration mixed with sadness. Before these three weeks, I really actually have been doing very well emotionally and mentally, considering all that has happened. I definitely didn’t have any form of depression plaguing my life, I had enough energy to exercise almost every day, I was doing well regardless of immense stress in my studies and with my husky’s epilepsy and overall, despite a lot of things going wrong, most things were going very much right on the inside. I don’t think one’s state of mind and heart is defined by the presence or absence of difficult circumstances, disappointments or stressors. I think one’s state of whether you are in a good place or not is determined by how well you deal with all the chaos around you…

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I Turned Fifty and This is What Happened

The Shameless Hussy about … I can’t explain it. Just read and enjoy.

That Shameless Hussy

Apparently, I turned fifty sometime over the last few days. Years. Old. God, what did you think I meant?

You know what else turned 50 this year? The 25th amendment. Just an observation.

Anyway. I celebrated by riding in the middle seat of a rented Ford Explorer for eight hours with two Labradors in the seat behind me breathing with such exuberance that I could taste it. Did you even notice that I didn’t say where I was going in that sentence? Pay attention! It’s like you don’t care about me!

We went to Manitou.

Manitou! Manitou–oo–oo, now we are here, in MAN…A…TOOOOOO!

Quit acting like you understand that reference. The first one is a town in Colorado. The second is the blockbuster greek god musical roller rink romance Xanadu, with Olivia Newton-John and Not Andy Gibb, who I thought it was for all this time, but now know…

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Here begins my harvest

Devon has lost patience with assholes.

Devon J Hall

I accept that no matter what we do, there will always be people who try to tear you down.

There will be, no matter what you do, people who refuse to love you. No one is obligated to love someone. That is not this works.

I do not love all people who are transgender. Is that a shocking admission to you? I can’t apoligize for not loving every single human being on this planet, because some people are assholes. The fact that some of these people are Transgender though? That actually has nothing to do with anything. That is an identity, not a personality trait.

Being an asshole is a personality flaw, it is something you can change if you choose to.

If.

You.

Choose.

To.

I am not perfect, regardless of what I say here, I may come across as if I think I am, but if you haven’t…

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A Man Who Walked Among the Stars

Nicole pens a memorial to one who sounds to have been a beautiful soul.

The Lithium Chronicles

It was colder than usual that morning,
the way the wind was blowing just so,
I heard the sun weeping her love,
into the moon and its fading glow.

And I watched the stars as they flickered
to the beat of my broken heart,
as if someone was dancing across them
turning goodbye into a work of art.

I have heard there was a man
who walked among the stars.
Legend says he was a teller of tales,
and he could write his soul into ours.

I have heard that this very man
also walked among the weak.
Legend says he whistled the truth
and encouraged those voices to speak.

I have heard that this very man
also walked among the strong.
Legend says he carried a tune
with the weight of all they had done wrong.

I have heard that this very man
also walked among the missed.
Legend…

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