“The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Proverb
So I have a very important writing endeavor coming up and it’s a really big deal. I will be among nine other writers to take part and not everyone’s script is guaranteed to make the final cut. With just a small window available to get it written, it made me think of this quote. A huge job or task only seems impossible because for the most part, we are trying to do it all at once. When I think about projects it’s usually the finished product. I think about how to go about completing the entire project but in truth that just makes it more difficult than it has to be.
When I was in High School (well technically I had graduated but we were still in the summer months following graduation), I was chosen to take part in this program. The program was called “Paint the Town”, in which a group of former students sacrificed the rest of the summer to get together and perform one final project on behalf of the school. Since we were no longer students and really didn’t need the credit this was a paid job, so you know we were in. Some of us were already working summer jobs and preparing ourselves to start College the next semester. The job was to paint a mural on a concrete wall in the neighborhood. Initially, it seemed overwhelming because we had to complete the entire wall before the end of the program. Not to mention that we were not professional artists, we were former High School students guided only by the school’s Art teacher. Our job was to decide on a theme, draw out a blueprint and decided how to transfer our vision from paper to an outside concrete wall. It was no easy task as we struggled to decide what was important enough to leave its mark on this wall forever, or for as long as the elements didn’t wash it away. However, once we decided to break it down into parts and sections, and delegate those sections to certain individuals or teams, it didn’t seem like such a large mountain to move. We were able to see the possibility of it all coming together and today, I can walk down that same Chicago Street and still see my name carved among those who participated in the program that took place nine years ago.
When you are faced with an important job, try not to take it all in, but see it coming in slow, a little at a time and eventually the whole picture will come together. It is only when we try to move the mountain in one sitting that we overwhelm ourselves. Just take it one stone at a time; you’ll get there eventually if you remain diligent.
Have you ever ripped your house into pieces trying to find something, only to realize it sitting right there in the most conspicuous place? We’ve all been there, looking for the answer when it’s staring us smack down in the face. The problem is that when you over-think situations you put yourself in a bad mood; you literally drain all the positivity out of you. I know that some of you are so obsessed with forecasting that you’ll research your head if it wasn’t attached to your bodies. Sometimes we don’t need to plan the next move, we just need to pay attention and be still. Don’t over-think the situation because in most cases the answer is already in front of you, just wait for your eyes to adjust to the light, so that you can see it.
Corner entrepreneurs stand guard unknown to gay innuendos like
pants sagged below assets of homosexual down lows
with
packs stuffed between squeezed butt cheeks and stiff gym socks
New Millennium kids
going all natu-ral
with no real knowledge as to the dred locs
see I’m thinkin outside the box
trying to contemplate the mindset of the end of days,
a cursed people, who walk around as if with no brains
from
video games to spinning rims
from the hottest Jordan’s to the newest timbs
corner entrepreneurs…. introducing, the black SIMS.
you see this is a place where success stories are only filled with those who are known around the block as the ish,
hood thugs lack motivation……except to be hood rich
and
black girls have graduated from turning the biggest tricks
slapping high fives screaming that’s my (laugh)
kitty fights scratching finger nails sprayed mace and sharp knives
no ambitions of a family
baby mama over wives
heroin addicts too proud to scratch away that last itch,
whoring has no fingers to point,
no preference of where it may sit
sick
sickness embedded in the depths of men’s bones,
spiritual zombies spend cash to sport skull and bones
t-shirts
they are aware
they have no spiritual home
independent black women who pretend not to be alone
400 years,
400 years how long?
how long will you continue to bring to life stereotypes of song singing cotton pickers
transformed into blonde, weave wearing, pants sagging, hood niggaz?
we shall overcome,
but only when some white man has pulled the trigger
and who you’ve mistaken as your own
is referred to as nigga, by the “nonviolent” civil rights leaders?
ya leaders
ya leaders have pulled the trigger.
but when will you take it back?
take back what’s yours
until there are no more
Niggaz.
400 years…
• Your website or blog name has the word “Poetry” in it
• I disagree with almost everything you post, which is strangely interesting
• You seem to actually have a brain
• You wrote a post that took my breath away and I’m still trying to find it
• You said something weird
• Your a black woman with natural hair and I’m just wondering if there is something else interesting about you
• You laugh a lot
No, I’m probably not going to take this course. It’s not something I want to do at this time, but I will be taking part in some of its prompts from time to time. Truth is I’m still a new blogger but I’m not new to blogging. I’m new to blogging at this rate, in this form and with this much interaction which has been extremely cool (yaass). I’ve been at this address since August, but I have done some blogging before going back two years so I’m not that green. When I saw the “Introduce Yourself” prompt though I considered diving in. Not necessarily because of the course itself, but because I think it’s a great way to re-establish my goals for this blog and to strengthen my relationship with my readers, especially those of you just coming aboard.
I know Pearls Before Swine is an awkward enough title, so let me briefly explain what it means and how it relates to this blog and me as an individual. For a more in depth explanation however please visit my about page here:
Pearls Before Swine is first the title of a book series I began a year ago. The story surrounds the discovery of forbidden magical diamonds and their connection to the alleged rape of Ja’mella Jones, a famous hair stylist on the West side of Chicago. This project was the initial inspiration for this blog.
The Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth
Pearls Before Swine is also a phrase taken out of Matthew Chapter 7 verse 6 of the bible which obviously indicates that I am a bible believer. I am not a Christian, but I believe in the bible from Genesis to Revelation and it is the foundation to which my life is built. While I do not consider myself religious in nature it hasn’t stopped people from referring to me as such which is annoying, but I don’t sweat it. I know a lot of people are not used to disassociating the bible from religion, to understand that it is not a religious book, but that it is a history book, an instruction manual for all of mankind. In short, I am a spiritual centered individual and you will often see me reference this spirituality in my writing. Don’t expect me to preach to you though, I believe more in the actual putting to practice of the bible than the quoting of scripture. I believe the physical is important because we live on the physical, but I also believe the spiritual is important because it is higher than the physical.
Symbolically Speaking
I chose Pearls Before Swine as the title to this blog because I love to write symbolically, objectively, and metaphorically; being able to compare objects or use them as symbols to stand-in for a much more complex, and generally more abstract idea. Experimenting with the creativity that embodies this form of writing is most exciting. I notice that one of the most interesting ways that people learn is by way of symbols because it appeals to the subconscious, and I enjoy incorporating this into my writing. It is the reason for both the title and subtitle of this blog. Pearls Before Swine and Truth is Stranger than Fiction encompasses my style of writing, my inspiration, my poetry, my mission, and my foundation.
Why Blog?
I still keep notebooks and the notepad on my phone stays full. While I don’t share all of my thoughts with the world I’m always writing. Though I don’t publish a post, I’m still writing in some way. Over time I’ve kept my poetry and short stories within the private confines of my mind. It was a personal, regional thing that belonged to just me. As time progressed however I would go on to publish my first book of poetry and begin attending Open Mic Nights. Public speaking took those things that were once personal and brought them to the mainstream. As such it has helped me to come to terms with my own voice and how it is needed in the world. It helped me to see that not only did I need to share these words but the power of words when they are combined with voice, tone, and emotion. As someone once said, “a poet knows they will never trade the written word for the spoken word”. Who said it? I don’t know, read it somewhere.
While some poems are written to be read on paper, some are also written to be spoken. I’ll be the first to tell you that feedback is as essential to the art as putting it into practice. Blogging is kind of like an internship, a way to work at what you love and receive the same kind of attention and open dialogue as you would if you wrote for a magazine. Believe it or not blogging is not a small deal; it does actually help to put experience under your belt. It is the reason some have elevated to celebrity status simply through the impact their blogs had on others. I’m not trying to do the celebrity thing, but the point is that it helps. It is networking and community management. So I do appreciate the feedback whether it’s in the form of encouragement or constructive criticism. Introducing my writing to the world stage by way of books and Spoken Word has helped nurture my writing and speaking in ways I could not have done alone. From this perspective, I blog because I think blogging can help nurture writers the same as debates can help develop the skills of an aspiring attorney.
My mission then for the existence of this blog is to spread truth by way of the spoken and written word, to provoke thought among the limited ways we tend to think and feel, and to inspire others the same as others have inspired me.
The PBS Blog 