Posted in creative writing, creativity, expression

Falling

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If pride goes before the fall, what then, before the pride?
Did too many say too much?
Did the words meant only to lift, cause soaring flight instead?
Was vanity a better bargain than the full cost of staying true?
Did the warmth of the spotlight cool the desire for authenticity?

If pride goes before the fall, what then, before the pride?
Thoughts
Whispers
Murmurs
Yells
Screams
Resonating, drowning out reason

Falling.

Copyright © 2014 TamikaBrown and The Fyne Prynt

Photo: Jon Ben Photography

Posted in creative writing, culture, expression

Boots

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{in honor of those who have fought and continue to fight the good fight}

Boots on your feet
Boots on my neck
Oppressing my soul
Strangling my spirit
Forcing me to choke on words of freedom

‘Soon I will be done’ with the troubles of this world
Not because you so desperately want me to depart it
But because I choose to hold on and provide solace for my soul, encouragement for my spirit

No greater power can be possessed as having control
Of your own body
Your own mind
Your own self

Boots on your feet
Boots on my neck

But the POWER remains in me

©TamikaBrown ©TheFynePrynt
Stock Photo

Posted in creative writing, creativity, expression, lust, Uncategorized

You’re It

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I found you.
You found me.
Of course we promised for ever.

I found you.
You found me.
Of course we promised our love.

I found you.
You found me.
Our words hung in the air like birds gliding.

I found you.
You found me.
We made music.
We danced.

I found you.
You found me.
The bliss was unlike any other.
We wondered if it could possibly be.

I found you.
You found me.
But not in the the same space.
But not at the same time.

Posted in creativity, expression, Uncategorized

What’s Past Is Prologue

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“What’s past is prologue”, Shakespeare penned these words in “The Tempest” and what an amazingly complex simplicity.

{And before I travel too far down this thought, no, I have not read nor seen the play. But I love these words. So surely that counts almost as much don’t you think? Yes? I knew you would.}

How often when reading a book do you skip the prologue and jump directly to chapter one? For me, until quite recently, it was all the time. Then I picked up a book and did something unusual for me and I read the prologue. When I finished the book I knew I would never have reached the resolution the author designed had I not read that prologue.

So what, right?

Isn’t it so true that in life we are allowed quickie views into the future if only we are present now? If we would take a moment and really consider the things that are happening around us and to us? But we’re so busy getting to the next place or making the next decision that we simply miss those small cues that could make the biggest differences.

And of course not every past action is an indicator of our life story will ultimately unfold. But every lesson we can learn from our before could help us get to a better, more fulfilling after.

“What’s past is prologue” …. How will your story unfold?

Posted in creative writing, expression, humor, Uncategorized

How To Start Your Day .. In A Slump

monday

1. Go to bed ridiculously early the night before

2. While having a midnight sip of water, spill it in your bed

3. Go back to sleep trying to avoid the wet spot

4. Turn the alarm off AND “accidentally” throw the phone on the floor

5. Oversleep

6. Lose all fashion sense and become unable to create an outfit for the day

7. Once an outfit is selected, ironed and on your body …. find an unhide-able stain

8. Regroup, go forth, can’t find keys – can’t find glasses – can’t find swipe card – you know, the usual

9. Off you go, out to conquer the world!!!

And oh, it’s Monday for your child too sooooo you might want to wake him up and get him ready because he has places to be too 😉

Posted in creative writing, expression, prompts, Uncategorized

There Is No More Room For Broken Things

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What is it about our nature that causes us to hold on to things long after they have outlived their usefulness? We become almost obsessed with keeping things around even when they are if no benefit. It’s almost as though we fear becoming “less” when we let go of things.

And you know I’m not making that up – I mean there are unscripted/”reality” shows all about our inability to simply clean up and get rid of things. And I am NOT making light of those who are truly incapacitated by separation, I’m talking about the rest of us.

We fill our closets with gadgets that don’t work, our garages with furniture that can’t be used, our minds with thoughts that don’t lift us higher and yes, with people who don’t push us forward. And most commonly with people/things that hold us back.

And the way that life happens it’s as if the more we attempt to be completely convicted by our decision to get rid of stuff/people they become like X-Men! And not just any of the X-Men, nooo, like Mystique – really one the baddest of them all! They take on a quality of superhuman proportion many times more determined to STAY than we are to LET GO.

Are we afraid of failure or loneliness? Do we think people will view us strangely if clean out our closets/FB lists/contact lists/minds? Are we afraid of finding out what we’re really made of?

Of course I don’t have the answer {because that’s not what I do here} but I do know that I have no more room for broken things.

Posted in creative writing, creativity, expression, humor, Uncategorized

Note To Self

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“Note to self {NTS}” I find that I use that notion a lot. Typically when I am drifting out of focus and making something about me that really isn’t.

For instance sitting in a meeting discussing {again} the logistics of some project or idea. The speaker may something about “thinking outside the box” – which as everybody knows is the universal trigger to mentally check out because you’ve been collectively getting out of this box for many months now. But I digress.

So that happens and I make a NTS about buying new shoe boxes. But the notes are rarely anything encouraging, inspiring or uplifting – just more crap to do.

So I was thinking why not a beautiful NTS {lord knows i might be waiting forever on somebody else to write it but i’ll save that lil bit for another time}. Anyway, what would I write to myself as a beautiful love letter, an inspired Note To Self?

Here goes:
Dear Tamika, your ability to allow people the space to be themselves truly astounds. You provide comfort simply by being present. Your thoughts make me wander and wonder. You make me want to take my time to get to know you better, stretching our moments into hours, our hours into days, our days into a lifetime.
xoxo
PS those candied pecans and red velvet cookies you make are everything! i would be ok getting fat with you

So that’s mine. What’s your inspired Note To Self?

Posted in culture, expression, headline, news, Uncategorized

This skin requires Courage, Hope, Love.

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Isn’t it always so amazing the things we experience each day, each moment? Today would have been the 123rd birthday of acclaimed author Zora Neale Hurston and of all her wonderful words, I was struck most by this quote from How It Feels To Be Colored Me:

“Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.”

With all the talk of our “post-racial” society the tragedy is truly that too many things are happening to individuals daily based on nothing more than the color of their skin – both “positive” and negative. It is certainly true that not EVERY thing is racial but it is also true that the things that are racial should not be overlooked.

For instance their is jubilant news that SNL has hired it’s first African American female comedienne in 7 years. That’s great but in a post racial society should/would it be news? Is the ascension into one’s passions and attaining one’s dreams so rare for People of Color (POC) and specifically Women of Color (WOC)? Is it generally seen as a supernatural event for POC/WOC to reach this level?

I don’t have the answers and I’ll leave it here for now but in the meantime I salute every person who has the Courage, Hope and Love to truly live in their own skin!

Learn More. Love More.

Posted in business, expression, productivity, Uncategorized

Passion

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People often speak about successful lives as a result of following their passion(s), doing well those one or two things that bring them joy.

I admire that and actually am a bit envious of it. Not because I’m generally the jealous type but because I want to know HOW they arrived there! HOW did they know or recognize it as “the thing”?

I am good-great at a lot of things. That’s not bragging, that’s just the truth. Some of those things result in people saying ” oh you ought to sell that or do that as a business” to which I often reply “nah, I’m not quite that interested in it to be fulfilling orders and whatnot”.

And even while saying those words I’m thinking “well why not? – what ARE you *that* interested in?”

Idk …