If We Were Having Coffee Right Now

Please, come in!

I know it’s been a while since we last spoke. Here, let me get your coat.

Shake the chill from your bones and leave the weight of the world at the door.

Speaking of the door, there is a shoe rack next to you. Go ahead and remove your shoes. I have some footies you can slip into. I hope you like the color black.

I took the liberty of roasting the coffee beans with a whisper of cinnamon and French Vanilla cream. I hope that’s okay.

Sit. Let the loveseat cradle you. Relax yourself. You are home. I’ll open the curtains so the light can spill in on us.

Here’s your coffee. Let your hands wrap around the warmth of the mug, and the heat seep into your skin like an unspoken promise—exhale as long as you need.

The world outside can wait. Here, in this quiet space, there is no rush, no burden too heavy, only the sound of our voices, the comfort of shared silence, and the rich laughter of coffee poured into porcelain.

Let’s drink deep and savor the moment—just you, just me, just the steady rhythm of being.

Now that you have your mug and are snug like a bug in a rug, here’s what I’ve been up to lately…

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest Spotlight: Deep Thought the Lyricist

Today, we are spotlighting the winners of our 2024 poetry contest!

Next is Arsenio Sorrell, better known in these poetic streets as Deep Thought the Lyricist!

I met Deep on Clubhouse back when we were in these COVID trenches, and after hearing him speak, I followed him and some other dope poets on Instagram.

About the Lyricist:

Known on his social media as Deep Thought The Lyricist, Arsenio has a popular following for his work. He is the 2-time Floetry Poetry Sensual Slam Champion, Purple Poetry Slam, Improv Poetry “24 Hour Prompt” Slam Finalist, and now, YAPC Finalist. He has also won The 2024 Golden Poet  Award’ for Poetic Excellence’, the ‘Resilience’ Award, and The 2024 Social Media Breakfast ‘Rising Star Award. 

As you can see, Arsenio is a productive and passionate poet, hosting Sensational Saturday as a member of the Illbejacy Poetry Club.

His winning poem, Hope Moon and Joyful Skies, came in second place for its profound use of poetic technique and imagery. You can watch the replay of our interview right now on Instagram under @yecheilyah where he also recites his poem.

Learn More About Why We Call Him Deep Thought by Diving into his Work at the Links Below:

IG: Deepthought_thelyricist

FB: Deep thought the lyricist 

Threads: Deepthought_thelyricist

Tik Tok: Deep thought the lyricist 

Link: www.Deepthoughtthelyricists.com


Stay glued for details on Yecheilyah’s 8th Annual Poetry Contest 2025, including this year’s theme!

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2024

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest Spotlight: Dondi Springer

Today, we continue spotlighting the winners of our 2024 poetry contest! Next up is my good brother, Dondi Springer!

D.A. Springer walks between worlds as a poet-philosopher and visionary, weaving introspective verse and transformative wisdom into a tapestry of awakening. As a creator, D.A. Springer crafts portals of possibility where personal revelation meets universal truth.

His works—from the raw thunder of “Virus Verses” to the soul-stirring Poetic Paradigm—speak to seekers and dreamers, Gen X warriors, and old souls dancing on the edge of becoming. Through poetry that pulses with both shadow and light, D A. Springer guides readers to reclaim their power and voice their own declarations of change.

His winning poem, Echoes of Joy, came in at number three and will be recited during his live interview this afternoon!

Find his illuminated words across these digital platforms:

Instagram/Threads: @Napalmjax

Facebook: @DSpringer76

YouTube: @Napalmjax

Support Him Here:

https://shop.beacons.ai/daspringer/d6705f5b-e196-4376-b11d-c3e97c30c88e

Stay glued for details on Yecheilyah’s 8th Annual Poetry Contest 2025, including this year’s theme!

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2024

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

A Historical Moment: Meeting Michelle

Michelle Petties

I am no longer surprised to find purpose in the people I meet. I am being guided to certain people for a reason. When I complimented Michelle on her Afro at the She Wins Conference last year, I had no idea she had such a rich backstory. When I did a video about the real Great Debaters, I didn’t know Michelle had also attended Wiley College!

Here are some fun facts I learned from her essay: “GROWING UP ON THE ‘COLORED’ SIDE OF THE BORDER:

  • Meet Michelle Petties, whose grandmother and aunt attended Wiley College, a historically Black college depicted in the 2007 film The Great Debaters, starring Denzel Washington. If you follow me on TikTok, I made a video about the real debaters that you can find under my Must Watch playlist. Michelle also attended Wiley in 1974.
Photo Credit: Michelle Petties | The author’s childhood home at 1208 E. Travis St., formerly known as Border Street.
  • Michelle was born and raised in Marshall, Texas, on Border Street (now Travis St), which served as a literal line of separation between the Black community situated south of the street and the white one on the north.
Photo Credit: Michelle Petties | The author (third from right, second row) at Sam Houston Elementary School in 1965.
  • In the fall of 1965, Michelle became one of the first Black students to integrate Sam Houston Elementary School.
  • A library worker denied her entrance because she was not a “mammal.” “If that sounds strange to you,” said Michelle, “imagine how it sounded to a young Black girl growing up at a time when segregation was still very much a part of the culture.”
Photo Credit: Michelle Petties | George Foreman, perhaps Marshall, Texas’s most famous son, meets President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. LBJ’s wife, Lady Bird Johnson, was born on a former plantation in Karnack, Texas, which is considered the Greater Marshall area.
  • She used to play with George Foreman as a child.

You Can Read Michelle’s Full Essay Here!

Why Self-Publishing Poetry is Different From Other Books

Publishing a poetry collection differs from publishing a novel or nonfiction book. One main reason is the editing; poets must pay special attention to this.

When looking for an editor for our poetry collections, we must ensure they know how poems work. Some poems, for example, are not intended to be grammatically correct. They might include lowercase letters where they would not normally be and play with conventions of spelling, layout, and typography.

An editor of poetry must be a critical reader and familiar with current trends in poetry publication. They must work closely with the poet to understand what is deliberate and what is not. A good editor will point out grammatical errors and ask if they are intentional—frequently, they will be, but it is a good editor’s job to ask.

Poetry editors must be willing to respect the intention of the poet. They must exercise restraint in those areas where they think a piece should be corrected when the poet did not intend it to be. It is also helpful to know whether the poem respects the conventions of the form or deviates deliberately. For instance, if there is a misstep in the rhyme scheme, it should be flagged in case the poet wants to adjust it.

In short, authors who self-publish poetry must find editors who are knowledgeable about how poems work. It would be even better if the editor were also a poet.

If you enjoyed this post, check out our archive on Indie Author Basics, designed to guide you to self-publish your books with excellence.

Stay Warm, Good People!

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest Spotlight: Trevita Johnson

Today, we are kicking off our spotlight series of the winners of our 2024 poetry contest!

First up is our first place winner, Trevita Johnson!

I have known Trevita for years but did not know she was a poet! Her poem “Her Journey to Joy” inspired and spoke to our hearts. It stayed true to the theme and was easy to understand and digest.

You’ll hear her recite it live this afternoon (1/21/2025, 11:30a) on Instagram Live! You will also read her piece, but details will be provided later. We’ve got something special up our sleeves for that!

About Mrs. Johnson:

Trevita Johnson lives in North Carolina with her husband of almost 24 years, Austaniel Johnson. They have three young men, ages 25, 21, and 19. Johnson graduated from East Carolina University and is a former middle school math and science teacher of fifteen years. She has traveled along her creative path for several years, starting her UrNaturalLocs brand by doing natural hair, locs, and braids. She started creating and selling natural hair clothing, expanding her brand name to UrNaturalLocsGear.

UrNaturalSkinTreatz

Trevita currently sells homemade soaps, sugar scrubs, head-to-toe body wash, and body butter online through her Etsy shop, UrNaturalSkinTreatz. She has been creating skincare under the name KardaYah’s Kreations since 2017 but rebranded in 2020 as UrNaturalSkinTreatz. She uses natural ingredients such as shea butter, coconut, and avocado oil to create healthy skincare.

Trevita enjoys journaling, reading, listening to audiobooks, traveling, and spending time with her grandbaby.

IG/TikTok: UrNaturalSkinTreatz

FB-Trevita Johnson

Website: urnaturalskintreatz.etsy.com


Stay glued for details on Yecheilyah’s 8th Annual Poetry Contest 2025, including this year’s theme!

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2024

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest: Finalists Revealed

Introducing Our 2024 Poetry Contest Finalists and Prize Package Winners!

I am so incredibly proud of this year’s winners! Please help me congratulate these fantastic poets, who are now winners of Yecheilyah’s Annual Poetry Contest, Season 7!

Her Journey to Joy
by Trevita Johnson

Hope Moon, Joyful Skies
by Arsenio M. Sorrell, aka Deep Thought the Lyricist

Echoes of Joy
by D.A. Springer

Winners, please look out for an email in the next 24-48 hours with details on how to secure your prized package and the next steps for your interviews.

Each of these poets will receive an individual spotlight on the blog and an interview feature. We are eager for you to hear their winning poems and the inspiration behind their pieces.

Please head over to Instagram and show them some love. The post will go live on my page shortly. View and follow @yecheilyah.

Cool Fun Fact: When we announced the semi-finalists, I didn’t know who the three winners would be. At least not consciously. It wasn’t until we went over the poems with a fine-toothed comb and arranged them that I realized I had placed the winning poets in almost the exact order of the poems we loved most!

Stay glued for details on Yecheilyah’s 8th Annual Poetry Contest 2025 including this year’s theme!

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2024

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017