Minuet in C Sharp Minor

It's national poetry month! >>>> http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/613



what if i never know
the feeling of when our heartbeats match
the moment when the seconds
effortlessly fall into hours
painstakingly listening for each beat
moving together in time
like a metronome
atop the old piano
casting light
upon the keys
hands carefully
poised
waiting
for the
moment
to know
what love is

poem #1

i wanted to write a poem today
something prolific
something profound
i scribbled on
bits of paper
gathering truths
hiding fears
i thought i was on
to something
creating a moment
curling the edges of my paper
the gravity of my words
heavy
filling
the
white space
crowded
despite this
my poem
wasn't
prolific
or
profound
just words
shallowly
strung
together
i
forced
it

What is in a name?

I love my name. I love my mother for choosing my name. Couldn't imagine being called something else. My name is difficult for some. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I will most likely continue this tradition and give my daughter a difficult name. Hopefully she will appreciate it as I appreciate mine. 
*Warsan Shire is a poet. Her words, her poems are something special. *
The Birth Name ---- Warsan Shire


the name warsan means good news in the somali language. i hated it. i despised my name. i wanted to be called something soft, something that ended with an "ah" sound. my name is difficult to whisper into the side of my face. my name is easy to use with a hard voice. i appreciate that now. the hesitation on the other side of the phone. the way they would replace my name with 'baby'. give your daughters difficult names. give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue. my name makes you want to tell me the truth. my name doesn't allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right.my mother calls me 'warsanay'. if a man ever tried to call me that, it means he understands that i am someone's daughter. it means i'll let him call me down from a long building. praise my grandmother, warsan baraka. my father's mother. the woman i was named after.

My Excuse is That I'm Young (10 of 10)

Do you think he likes you?
she asks with such a loaded innocence
that made me stop my thoughts
and look in her direction
I can't call it
nor do I care to know
my response slipped
out of me smoothly
cool to the touch
see this time I won't trip on my feelings
this time I won't hang my insecurities on his bed post
this time I will look into his eyes
and see me
not us
this time it will be all fun
and my excuse is that I'm young
I think at times Ive expected too much
they
 promising
 nothing
me
always
 wanting
 more
but he reminded me that I make the rules
so I'm just gonna ride this thang out
until the wheels come off
until something else
new and shiny catches my eye
until his jokes are no longer funny
my excuse is that I'm young
this life
I only have one
sometimes you gotta indulge

I Make No Apologies (9 of 10)

I am a feminist

a woman 

who loves men

who loves all things pink

a woman whose voice will not be silenced

My vagina is not a handicap 

It is a stepping stool

Standing on the shoulders

of courageous women

who fought

and are still fighting

for things

that shouldn't even be a fight

We don't want to be treated like men

We simply want respect

Want to be recognized as people

who are capable of more than

PTA meetings, ironing shirts, and wiping noses

My feminism is about choice

Knowing that my aspirations for my life can go far and beyond 

what history has dictated 

a woman to be

I will continue to challenge and educate
my male counterparts
because they will be fathers one day
the cycle of inequality has to stop somewhere
I make no apologies
about my beliefs
I am a feminist
a woman
who simply
wants to
be
treated
like a peer
like a human being.

Brown Bedroom Eyes (8 of 10)

He stared at me so intently
making me nervously
transparent
I swallowed hard
I'm sure he read my every thought
his brown eyes browsed
my mind
plowing
through
sure things
doubts
and everything in between
I held his gaze for as long as I could
as his hands
committed
my body
to memory
quenching my thirst
his searching eyes left an impression
I left my mark
We both wanted more

Each one, Teach One (7 of 10)

She's often wondered
when is the best time
to tell him
about that
one
time
someone
stole
her
innocence
as if there's ever a good time
to share such a tale
between drinks
pillow talk
over breakfast
does she even need to?
Yes.
the cycle of victim blaming
must be broken
she prays that he is already equipped to understand
that this was
not
her
fault
that her no
should've been
respected
whether whispered or screamed
this is not just a woman's issue
she will attempt to
teach him if she has to
so one day
she will tell
him her story
because
sexual assault
is an assault against
the human experience
it knows no gender
her story
is
his
story

No love in the Comfort Zone (6 of 10)

he has this uncanny ability
of taking me far away
from what I know to be true
who the he is
depends
changing
every so
often
learning new truths
along the way
nervous
as I follow
what I know
for sure
is that
I appreciate
him

Me No Know (5 of 10)

she asked me what was I waiting for
I answered with silence
because honestly
I'm not quite sure

I want something more

something different
changes were made
Nothing to
show for it
as of yet
my resolve is being tested
wavering
each and everyday
constantly questioning
my place
in this circle of
life
where do i go from here?

Girls,Girls,Girls (4 of 10)

I used to think I was different
 from those girls
Until I did those things
that those other girls did
how quickly we forget
self worth
does
not
lie
between
my
thighs

Buried under

double standards
I found myself
struggling to stay above water
sinking ever so softly
Luckily I landed on soft ground
because lets be honest
those other girls
have way more fun

Tequila, Vodka, Rum (3 of 10)

* inspired by my nights out and two songs: Party by Beyonce >>>

and I'm on One---Drake, Rick Ross, Weezy F Baby [Drake's verse of course ;-)]


attempting to find innocence
in between sheets
soiled with curiosity
mornings filled
with triumph
not the regret that hung on the shoulders of
other girls
this moment felt different
the smeared mascara said it all
a wild night
turned into
an even wilder morning
and my excuse is that I'm young.
realizing it wasn't all a dream
it was simply
a night
that ended
too soon
only to start again
maybe with you
maybe with him
always with my girls at
my side
because
we
like
to
party

Consequences (2 of 10)

He was my first crush

first kiss

He was the beginning 

I still remember the way he looked at me

There was a sincerity behind his eyes

I will never forget

and I have yet to see in anyone else

Each summer we picked up where we left off

then life happened

it came at him too fast

his potential wasn't enough

now he finds himself

in a jail cell

for the next 20 years 

the same guy who whispered sweet nothings

cant be the same guy charged with murder

he was about that life

in more ways than one

two lives were lost that night

two families have to deal with the consequences 

a sad tale of a young boy who was simply a product of his environment

Memories (1 of 10*)

Yesterday I wanted to write a poem
I didn't know where to start
the tips of your fingers
or maybe
the melodic way you said my name
perhaps
your mere presence
See I tried to write about
memories
dates
times
and places
that I just knew I would never forget
I would always have tucked in that
special place
But today I write about
memories lost
fading away with each passing day
I breathe a sigh of relief
no longer at their mercy

Words.

your words were sweet
but they weren't for me
typed for all to see
your words caught my breath
I wanted to make my self
small enough to fit between them
so that I could be closer to

you
I wanted us to be a
we
I wanted the words to be about me
but they weren't
so I'll let them fall from my fingertips
washing away from me like raindrops
however leaving my  palms wet
you've made an impression
you've left me open
I'm not quite ready to
let go yet

Love has never lived here before

I've never been in love before
but I've liked real hard
I was told that it wasn't the same
but those nights when
my feelings were sprawled across
my floor
beg to differ
although I may not have given my whole heart to a man
I did give him a piece
never quite sure
what would happen next
Crushes
Daydreams
Sappiness
We were in this together
life happens
sometimes mutual feelings don't
coming up short
or so I thought
in all honestly neither parties were ready for anything real
but those quiet moments with no space between us
tricked me too

A Bittersweet Farewell

I had fallen for the idea of you
it was shiny
corners perfectly tucked
Absolutely fascinated with the thoughts of what [you] might be like
you were everything
I had imagined you to be
but time and reality worked against me
as quickly as I allowed you to cloud my every thought
you were gone
leaving nothing
no evidence
that you once held
my heart
hostage
they say admitting you have a problem
is the first step towards recovery
so I will say this
It wasn't all in my head
but I was in it by myself
no longer mad at she

[my heart]

I can look at you and  

my heart smiles

because you were everything I wanted you to be 

in those quite moments

because you promised me nothing

because in the end you allowed me to meet another part of me

There were things I'd never do again

But then they'd always seemed right
although
frustrated no more
I have tucked she away for now

 not yet ready to take another risk

they're memories made,
who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?

Temporary Insanity.

.........................................
 I am beside myself
I have become that girl
opening myself up to a worry
I have not known before
leaning on friends
but feeling silly doing so
but a school girl crush
is an out of body experience
everything I have ever known
is hanging in the balance
allowing the mellow drama
to descend upon me
Aaaaahhhhh
But then I remember the plan
I have prepared for it all
the plan may include him
it may not
a school girl crush
is nothing to play with
I think for now
I will plead
temporary insanity
it's the only thing that makes
sense.

I wonder does he know...

Today he told me I was beautiful
I wonder if he knew
that my father never told me
Never referred to me as daddy's little girl
Never having the pleasure of Daddy-Daughter day
Never having the dream of  walking down the aisle with him at my side
Never uttering the words
Daddy
Papa
Dad
Father
Padre

Never knowing the love of the man that

help create me

No, he probably doesn't
because my daddy issues are not written
on my sleeve
they are in the dark spaces
I have  often visited over the years
Analyzing every failed fling
wondering if his lack of presence was the reason
I can't call it
And I refuse to place all the blame upon the weak shoulders of a man
who couldn't even look me in the eye
the last time he saw me
eleven years ago
Instead I will take the compliment
and place it next to those dark spaces.
cushioning my disappointment
reminding me that
although fatherless children love differently,
we love nonetheless.

Drunk on memories

"only in those quiet moments do I think of you
your smile
hugs that seemed to last an eternity
memory lane is where I reside
I feel as though I've been here before
writing about what may have been
reveling in what was
dizzy with confusion and hope
always in the hands of hope
but in this moment
time only knows
what the future will hold"

.....it's Valentine's Day. I was feeling sappy, soft, and hormonal. #PMS

Valentine's Day has never meant that much to me in terms of having a male to spend it with. Well, frankly, there was never a boy to spend it with. Year after year, I celebrated with my girls. This year is no different. She and I will be making dinner, baking cookies, and watching sappy love movies. *grabs Klee-nex* . Honestly, I wouldn't want it another way. If this day is all about spending it with someone you care about, why not spend it with my friend of 4 years [seems longer than that. Lol] Friendships take as much work as relationships. So at this point, she is as close as I'm getting to a boyfriend on Valentine's Day. She'll do. Lol.

As I browsed Facebook and Twitter, people were either upset or all for Valentine's Day. For some, it's the day when their significant other does something super cute and sweet. For others, it was another day to bash the opposite sex. If I were in a relationship, yes I would want the boy and I to do something disgustingly cute too. However, a random day in February is not going to cut it. I'm a just because kind of girl. Let's do something because we want to celebrate our relationship not because that's what is supposed to happen on February 14th. I also understand the bashing that occurs. All this sappiness could make someone jump off a cliff. Sometimes being bitter is all of the emotion people can muster up.

So have a Happy Valentime's Day :D [[why this is mispronounced every year drains my entire life]]

Impossible Dreams

He was told that it could never happen.

The American people weren’t ready.

But what his critics failed to understand is that his message of Hope and Change was colorblind. People from every walk of life could relate.

His message told the stories of the forgotten people, reminding his political counterparts that in the end it is the people that matter.

His message was the extension of the American Creed, Yes We Can.

Yes we can hope for a brighter day.

Yes we can dream our biggest dream.

Yes We Can.

These words hold the American Dream together.

Turing impossibilities into something more, something worth fighting for.

See on the night of the election, I went to sleep knowing my president looked like me, shared a similar story, and at times felt like an outsider , just like me.

But one feeling that we as Americans have all shared is PRIDE for our country.

I am proud to be an American.

I am proud to be an American.

Although, on July 19^th 1776, Americas’ smartest men forgot to include my people in the Declaration of Independence

A document that represented freedoms my people weren’t a part of.

But out of that forgetfulness, El Hajj Malik Shabazz aka Malcolm X, Sojourner Truth, Barbara Jordan, Shirley Chisholm, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Fred Shuttlesworth, Colin Powell, Emmitt Till, David Paterson, and Martin Luther King, Jr.were able to emerge out of the depths of injustice.

Because of their courage and dreams of an equal America, a Barack Obama is able to hold the highest seat.

So if you are upset that for the first time since the beginning of time, your president doesn’t look like you, remember that the only color that runs the world is green.

Money is what keeps the world spinning on its axis.