Your gratitude

You should be thanking me

For gracing your stage

For putting on display this bodacious

For lighting up your fire

Sharing on my ride

Can’t no other bring it like I do

I am the wind that carries your dreams

I’ve brought grown men to their knees

With smile or a wink

Be thankful I’m sparing you

The full extend of my beauty

Keri talking about being hated for her beauty?

I was meaning of the word before it was defined

I give breath to singers

I’m the muse to artists

Yes you should be thanking me

For basking in my presence

And so as I stand bringing shine to your world

I accept your gratitude

You are appreciated

So you know I appreciate you…

I wake you with a warm mouth, yeah I claim what is mine

Wake up at dawn to make sure you get a hot breakfast

Make you a hot plate and sometimes serve it in bed

Or join you in the shower to help wash your back

So you know that value you

I leave little notes in your coat and briefcase

Tell you I appreciate the way you hold it down at home

Call you to sweet talk or dirty talk you

Lock us up in your office for naked lunch picnic

So you know that I’m thankful for you

I set out your dinner before you come home

Give you a should rub three times a week

Don’t nag about my day and not give your beef

Greet at the door in stilettos and smile on my face

So I’ve shown and I’ve done and I’ve had it up to here

With your whining and complaining that you don’t get my respect

I’m not asking for the world, but a back rub would be nice

Or a call to tell me baby, I will cook for you tonight

I work as many hours and bring in the bulk of the pay

But just so you don’t stray, and don’t feel underappreciated

And start getting emotionally disconnected because

I don’t pat you on your back for the things you’re SUPPOSED to do

I’ll continue to show you that I’m grateful for you

In fact, baby, just forget all the rants I just gave

I’ve drawn up your bath, let’s go relax

Your game is about to come on

And we don’t want your beer to get cold

Thankful....yeah really

I’m thankful for you

Telling me what to do

Who knew without you I could tie my shoes

I’m thankful for men

Don’t do what they should

Who knew I should reward you for saying hello

I’m thankful for shoes

That last till it rains

Who knew the ones from the dollar store used glue

I’m thankful for friends

Who listen with deaf ears

Who knew not every stranger is friend not met yet

I’m thankful for family

Who call once a year

Who knew that one call would be for a loan

I’m thankful for food

That don’t turn out right

Who knew that food poisoning was a quick way to shed pounds

I’m thankful for romance novels

That leaves me with envy

Who knew that no man can live up to those written fantasies

I’m thankful for days off

To run my home errands

Who knew the house wouldn’t eventually clean itself

I’m thankful for new cars

And high interest loans

Who knew that it was investment to buy a luxury ride

I’m thankful for me

And all that I do

Who new I’m the best the that would happen to you

Post Thanksgiving

Twas the hour after meal on Thanksgiving Day

Nobody was stirring and ev’n the dog lay

The ‘aitis had got them like food always do

But everyone knew soon the party would ensue

The men on the couches worshipped the big screen

Inside the kitchen, the kids made things clean

Some moms with the men tried to follow the game

But waking at 4 really put out their flame

Then children were locked up in a room upstairs

And all of their parents they were all downstairs

No kid would dare peek out or sneak out in coyness

For fear of back hand slaps for minding grown folks bidness

Out came Dominos and Spades to be played

Some sipped on eggnog or mixed drinks homemade

The sales ads were scoped for Black Friday deals

To the kitchen some went for repeat of the meals

Then came the morning or more like midnight

When mama and aunty prepared for the fight

They mapped out the setup of stores they would see

Wal-Mart at midnight, then Target by three

Now Robert, Jamilliah, now Damon and Aimee

On Raven, Anita, on Garrett and Amy

To the store at the mall, to the front of the line

Now push away, push away, this is all mine!

With car full of toys, ‘lectronics and clothing

Fatigued to boot from all of bargaining

We checked out storefronts and many displays

Oh yes, it’s official, it’s now the Holidays

Read

Tear apart these words

That I place on paper

For your perusal

Tell me that you read what

I want you to see

That the depths of emotions

Are expressed in the ways

I feel them in my bones

Break apart the syllables

Use the punctuations to

Pause where I lingered

For understanding in my

Struggle to express the

Intensity of what I felt

As I penned the verses

Spilling from within

Rearrange the stanzas

And scramble the letters

To formulated new words

Of wisdom for generations

Bringing forth character

Revelation and or destruction

Read between the lines

Of BS and tell me

What you really see

Keyboard Courage

When there’s a person that you like and your tongue can’t form the words

And body starts to sweat and your hands just want to shake

And you can’t be face to face

You need keyboard courage

When your friend needs to be told something they should really hear

That they’re making a mistake and their partner is an ass

And you know they gonna lash

You need keyboard courage

When your partner’s gotta go and they hurt with words or brawn

And you know they can persuade and you got no power of will

And you know you can’t say no

You need keyboard courage

When you're angry with your life or your boss or hate your job

When you purchase something good that turns out to be a dud

When you wait in line a while and cut off by a new formed line

You need keyboard courage

Keyboard courage, helping the multitude to overcome the fear of forming word instantly

Giving the user the confidence to formulate written defenses that could

Impact the receiver in ways that could never be accomplished orally

Not only for those you know, but can be directed at the general public

Texts, emails, letters, bloooooooooogs

Keyboard courage, especially heightened with a dose of liquid courage

SBPF ISO SM for FWB agreement

Single black professional female

In search of single male

For friends with benefits agreement

Benefits of my choosing

If interested, please proceed

I seek a man of character and intelligence

To fulfill my need for conversation

Between the evening hours of 5 and 11

To stimulate my mind and be visually pleasing to my eyes

I seek a man of strength with handyman skills

To paint my deck, take out the trash and clean after I cook

A man to decorate my arms at events

Where family and friends expect one to be paired

I seek a man unafraid of horror flix

A cuddler to hold me when the storms are scary

A masseuse for those nights when I just too sore

A fighter to protect me ‘cause my friends know I don’t fight

I seek a prime specimen to entertain me at my will

To be my friend and confident

To not expect any sex

Oops, sounds like a different ad

Single Black Professional Female

In search of a husband.

Get off me

Get off me

No! I’m not married and

There’s no special guy in my life

And there aren’t kids

But what does this wedding right now

That we’re here celebrating and enjoying

Has to do with my single existence

No I’m not next

Don’t toss me the dang bouquet

No don’t mail it to me either

I’ve caught 3 of the bloody things and

They just wither and die or collect dust

And yes I’m still picky cause I standards

Oh you getting married?

And you want me to be in it?

And wear that uncomfortable dress

And spend hundreds of dollars just to watch

Blow away a few thousands that you

Could be investing

Oh a baby, another one

I’m so freaking, gosh darn happy for you

I’m getting started on the blanket right away

And ooh and shower must be had

I just hope you know we’re in a recession

And I’m done buying birthday presents

You think I’m bitter

Noooooo, me, I’m happy for you

I just want you to stay out of my darn business

Stop telling me what to do

Stop asking me about my relationships

Right now I’m just gonna do me

The other, other woman

What do you expect when you began as the other woman
He was taken when you stepped in
Accepting to believe that he was leaving
That the feelings were ceasing
That the love making was ending
Between them…

What do you expect when you stayed on as the other woman
He knows what he can get away with
You must not have gotten the memo
That sex with the ex is best
That what goes around comes around
You know Karma…

What do you expect when you become his woman
He was once a cheater
Don’t you know that it’s hard to change
That you might not have been the only
That now you have to wonder of his whereabouts
Wondering about the other, other woman…

Restricted Access - Haiku

“Restricted Access”
Tattooed on my inner thighs
Reminder: “Say No”

This Woman

This heart skips palpitations when ever you enter a room
It speeds in fear of yours not loving back as hard as it does
It throbs in anticipation of what’s to be made of this love
It pulses in search of the rhythm to your heart’s vibrations
This heart has known breaks and experienced the flutters of love taking flight

These eyes sparkle when they glimpse your form
They close to allow the other senses the pleasure of experiencing you
They water when emotions overwhelm the spirit
They seek out the windows to your soul in a crowded room
These eyes have seen sorrow and beauty in the faces of loved ones

These lips quiver at the thought of your kisses
They are nibbled when my nerves get the best of me in your presence
They pucker for your lushness of your kissers
They soften with expectation of finding your secret places
These lips have spew out hate and said words of love deeply felt

These hands shake at the thought of you holding them
They tremble and ache to touch the warmth of your skin
They conform to the shape of your sinewy muscles
They slide across acres of bed space to seek out your hands
These hands have been twisted and massaged by a lovers touch

These hips sway to the sound of your heart beat
They gyrate to the rhythm of our own music
They twist between your palms whenever we dance
They writhe above you in the throes of passion
These hips have told lies and dance truths in the name of love

This woman is a blend of heart, eyes, lips, hands, hips and many more
She has waited for you to come around for a long time
She has had lovers, but none like you
She has searched for happiness to compare to this moment
This woman has had pain, but lives to love again

Real

I’m too shallow these days to get deep

With my words when all I feel lie on the surface

Of emotions so raw that a slight scrape can split

The thin skin holding it all in

I want to be able to say point blank that you disgust me

Not that your essence makes me wallow in agony

Because those words are too pretty for you

Why can’t I just say I’m tired

Instead of fatigue crushes my bones

Since I need but one word to say it all

I lost my patience ages ago

And when I wade it, my tolerance is only toe deep

Barely high enough to cover a penny

The only amount I’m willing to pay for what you’re worth.

Lovaholic

I am a lovaholic through no fault of my own

I was preconditioned to not be alone

Was told even a girl living in cinders could one day find love

Not knowing the only love guaranteed was that from above

Every little girl does not grow up be the princess

With skin so pretty and body so flawless

Don’t want to rain on your parade

But you may just always play bridesmaid

Now I live with a compulsion to engage in acts

Or rather activities that do not add, but subtracts

From my character as I strive to unearth

The blemishes in my character that downgrades my worth

I exist in a constant state of obsession to track down

The love that was promised me and the wedding gown

That I dreamed of as a child reading of a white knight

And a damsel that should be me caught in his sight

Us lovaholics don’t know when to quit

Doesn’t matter if more pain is caused just to get a bit

Of satisfaction of that thing we crave

Blind to the type destruction that could pave

The road to hell and back

Not caring that each relapse is a setback

That we cannot afford to transpire

Since every obstacle spreads disaster like a brushfire.

I am a lovaholic, through no fault of my own

I was preconditioned to not be alone

They call this dating

I was standing at the airport and overheard a girl on the phone
"Oh my god, he was so not my type, but he was so nice
And he paid for dinner, open my doors and when we got to hotel
he actually walked me to the door. Have you ever heard of that?
He wasn't even that cute, but I invited him in and ...."

Well she walked away, but you can imagine. I was so disheartened
What has this world come to that chivalry must now be rewarded with sex or an invite for a nightcap.
I mean how hard is it for a young attractive woman to find a date who
Opens the doors, pay for dinner and walk her to the door.
Apparently very hard cause I started thinking about my past dates
Maybe it would have been easier if I'd met them offline
Ladies, be skeptical about a full body picture that's only 2 inches long
In his distant picture, guy one was GQ
But he showed up for the date looking Eweew
Dude had a shirt that was beyond wrinkle and dare I say it, dirty jeans
No not the color, it was just plain dirty
We met at the movies and when he showed up, told me that he had
Had to gas the car and wondered if I'd get this date
My momma always told me; take enough to pay your way
I paid for the date and fool had the nerve to ask if I want a snack
What, so I can shell out more cash?

I got had by date number 2
I was flattered that he drove 4 hours to see me,
Little did I realized how much it would really cost me
We... I mean I drove us 2 hours away from my small town
Spent an hour going through sex shops and this was before he fed me
Drove back home and went to IHOP
Where he paid for his meal and left me to pay mine and the tip
Can you believe he thought he deserved to get some?
What he got was the couch and a one way trip back where he came from.

On another site, I met date 3
We talked for weeks and he seemed real cool
I wasn't attracted, but the conversation was good...until
Until we met in person
Oh he paid the bill which I thought was nice
And spent so much of the night talking down his ex wife
I felt I was married to her by the date's end
I didn't know, that was just a link, to get to my friend
who wouldn't take his hint.

Now comes date 4 the kind I run into a whole more
Whatever happened to the telephone?
To voicemails and whispered chats
Remember when you would call someone up
Just to chat?
Or they would call you up and ask if you were busy
And then chat?
Now thanks to technology, speech is being eradicated
Phone numbers are simply for texting
And voicemails are ignored in lieu of emails
With this guy it took effort from website to IM to email then gave him my number
Only for him to keep sending me dang text messages
If I knew you only wanted to do thumb typing
I could have saved up my texts and skipped giving you the number
Whatever happened to the telephone?
To voicemails
And people using the lure of their voice to seduce?
No wonder I didn’t even bother go on a real date.


Is it any wonder a girl can get excited about a guy who opens the door, pays the bill and walks her to her door and not expect anything?

Empowered

I guess this is the part where I’m supposed to say you broke my heart
Skip that, brother, I feel like I now have a new start
I guess this is the part where I’m supposed to cry
No way, with all I have, I’m going to fly
I guess this is the part where I hide away in pain
I don’t think so, I’ve got so much more to gain
With the time that you’ve wastedI see that as experience tasted
Now savored with thoughts of the tastes I’ve had before you
I take this mixture of samples from life
Concoct a dish some say should be served cold
The best revenge that I can dole outIs to live my own happily ever after
Thanks for the good times and the lessons learned.

NAKED

Ha ha, I heard that they got NAKED here
I came cause I heard they shared stories here
I thought they shared stories NAKED
But I learned they shared NAKED stories
Stories that touch the soul and
Spans a wealth of emotions
Stories of laughter, pain, and sorrow
Stories that reflect the lives of the tellers

I came cause I heard people sang here
I thought they sang in the raw
But I learned the only thing raw were the emotions
Songs with and without melody flows
From the lips of artistes on a mission
In life to get you to see their side
Their story, dream their dream

I came cause I heard they spoke words hear
I thought he words would be clothed by flourish
But I learned they spoke the NAKED truth
Spoken by NAKED artistes who speak
Speak the souls of the audience and tell words
So true that it can tear apart any lie

I learned this is a place where people share stories,
Sing their lives and speak the NAKED truth.

Untitled

Like that dream you have
Too embarrassed to repeat
Where the room sees you
Wearing the Emperor’s new clothes
It’s the NAKED truth in its simplest form
The beauty of it all, these raw expressions
While standing before you stripped
Clothing can’t hide this exposure
As a newborn, I’m NAKED sharing
Emotions new and raw out for the crowd to see
My companions showcase their NAKED talent
My words, my voice, my music
Can’t bare any more of my soul
Then I plan to do this night

Let’s talk about the weather

I remember when people made idle chatter about the weather
Passing time discussing the heat or the cold
Conversation veering off to talks of winter breaks or summer gardens
Topics taking turns to Christmas pageant or spring breaks
Outfits to wear and trips to take

Now when the weather comes up, it’s not longer idle chatter
The turns are no longer pleasant and fun
The weather now bring home reality of places in the world
Where it rains people as the sky cry
Where children are swallowed as the earth shifts
Where ashes cover grounds from volcano coughs

No we don’t make idle weather chats anymore
There’s not fun digression of conversation
We talk about global warming and cooling
Of winters that last eternity
Of cancerous summer sun that scars and kill
Of oily tides that kills the wild

No, the weather is no conversation for the faint of heart
Not when the weather seems to be taking turn
Causing destruction across the land
Now when you want to talk idle
And discuss something pleasant
Perhaps we can try talking about …
Heck is there anything idle to talk about anymore?

Book Cover

I walked in discount store
And he started watching
Sneaking glances under
Lashes couldn’t keep his eyes off me
I strolled through the aisles
And he always seemed to me

Pretty young, blond little thing
Came in after me
His glance barely acknowledged
Cause it was on me
She was asked if assistance was needed
But the other worker standing there
But I’d been waiting 15 and got nothing but stares

So busy judging me they didn’t see
The pretty little thing walked out without paying
And as for me as I left sans purchase
I saw them heave a sigh of relief
Cause I and my brown skin had left without trouble

Trapped

Get me outta here
This small town life
Job brought me here
But I need the lights
The big city crowds
The concerts and plays
Street vendors and performers
I dream of the days
Of strolling down the block
Music blasting down the street
Friends gathering on the corner
Or sitting on the steps of someone’s
Mama’s or grandmama’s house
Yeah the job pays
But when do I get to play
Doing things that I like
That do not cost an arm and leg
Get me outta here
Get me back to my lights
To babysitters at a blink
To hanging out at scrimmage games
To happy times and carefree life
I know I can’t go back
But hey, I can dream

Brillo Pad

Brillo pad
Nappy roots
Dull and dry
They called my hair
Wig it up
Weave it up
Perm it up
They told me to
So I accepted and did what THEY said
Until I stumbled upon knowledge to care for my roots
Threw out the chemicals
Cut out the damage
Moisturize, moisture, moist
That’s all this kinky curly hair needed to survive
So while I don’t flow down my back
With synthetics or chemically treated tracks
I love my natural curls
Yup every curly, tangly strand

Senses

Blindfold me so I can read your body
Like fingertips across Braille
Running my palms down your spine
Across your shoulders and down your lines
I’ll use my lips to translate what my eyes cannot see
Use my tongue to savor your essence
And my teeth to tantalize and tease
Vibrations from your moans tingle my ears
And roll me under your spell while
The scent of your desire, our desires burn my nose
And by the time the blinders comes off
I don’t need to see now deep I’ve fallen