Did you know that October is Black History Month in the UK?
Yes!
The event began in the 1920s but was not celebrated in the UK until 1987.
In its honor, I am visiting V.M. Sang’s blog today with an interview and presentation of my book, Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School, released in February during Black History Month in the U.S. You can read more at the link below!
I was blessed to come in contact with an organization called Black Rewrite, which focused on amplifying and celebrating narratives of Black and Brown authors. They dedicate space for Black authors each week, and I am honored to be featured this week!
At Black Rewrite, they provide space for authors to share their work, and I would be delighted if you could check out my article, “American History X,” on the site. Please be sure to like, share, and comment if you choose and share with your Black author friends!
Here’s the link to the piece. Thanks so much!
I realize I’ve been a bit MIA lately. Not just on this blog but on social media in general. I have a lot that requires my full attention, which is professional work and personal work. I am in that transition place where I am learning to be patient with understanding what’s next for me, between that place of gratitude for what is but seeking continual growth.
In any event, I am still here, and I do want to try harder to check in with your blogs. I’ve fallen off in the blog world, and I really need to get back to it.
But I am still here. I am well, and I hope you are well too and continue to be so.
To catch up with me, please check out my latest interview in Shoutout Atlanta.
They reached out to me last month, and I enjoyed working with them for the second time.
Click on the link below to read in full, and be sure to share if you feel so inclined!
Instagram: ncouragetouch
I saw the competition pop up on my IG thread, and the theme of love caught my eye immediately. Being that I am a woman known for always speaking about love and pride myself in how I love people, there was no question on whether I would enter the poetry contest. In addition, I had already written a poem on love and initially submitted that poem because I was not sure if I would have enough time to create a new poem. However, after submitting my first poem, I read how participants could submit two poems and the challenge to us poets to look beyond the normal description of love we often see in poetry. This forced me to visualize all the different perspectives of love.
I love that poetry takes on a life of its own. It can be a song, a narrative, a teacher, a friend, a love letter, a movement, etc. It has its own language to the reader because poetry is personal. It not only speaks to us, but it has the power to move us individually in various ways as if it knows each of us intimately. Does that make sense?
I started writing when I was very young- it was my escape, and writing was my voice. Although I was outgoing and never had a problem with talking, I struggled with my identity (being understood), so my journals were the only place where I could be myself. I loved how words had the ability to say what I wanted to express vocally. In short, when I wrote, I was free to be me, raw and unapologetic.
I have to say exciting! I love to hear how something I wrote transformed or inspired someone, which is mostly the core of my writing. But it is also hard because if you are not an established author, it is hard to get your work out there when you are self-published. I had to decide to enjoy the journey no matter what, but your greatest desire is for your work to be read as an author—the journey itself has also been an adventurous teacher. There have been many doors of opportunities that opened for me that I never imagined. For example, my book has been used as a resource in a business. I also use my book as a resource in my work as an encouragement coach, not to mention the speaking opportunities.
As I mentioned earlier, you challenged me. That challenge forced me to look inwardly beyond the “emotion of love” beyond “conceptualizing love,” and I was able to see love in ways that superseded my surface emotions and mental awareness. Realizing that love has always been present, but we are often unaware of its presence. I can admit, I didn’t recognize or appreciate it when I was younger because I allowed others to define love for me.
So, I wanted to give tribute to that type of love and the givers of such love. When they gave, they gave all they had. So as the memories washed over me, I began to write, and it flowed from my being. I saw faces- my mother, grandmother, neighbors, friends. I saw our ancestors, their scarred backs, and forgotten history. When I finished, there was joy and sadness within my heart, and I was proud and, without a second thought, submitted it. It deserved to be read even if I didn’t win. I wrote this poem quickly as the memories washed over me.
That’s beautiful and I can tell you put a lot of thought behind your poem. It’s deep and relatable. I felt right away how set-apart your poem was from the beginning.
My strength is that I can create a piece quickly. If I am passionate about a topic, the creativity flows. I also love taking chances as a writer, even if I am uncertain if I can write about a particular topic or theme. I put myself out there! I believe it is because I know myself, so I am no longer writing to be affirmed as a writer. I fell in love with my voice, whether written or verbal.
My weakness. Wow, there are two that come to mind. The short one is learning to get out of my head to fully unlock the untapped potential and creativity that I know I have. My second weakness is more of a past weakness, which is fear because it hindered my writing for so long.
I am currently a full-time student, so I only take on small writing projects for people, such as writing personalized poetry pieces or short stories for birthdays, events, or special projects.
I have more books in me, but I am trying to get through these last two years of schooling. I recently, right before school started, for the first time, had the opportunity to work on a script project for a short series, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. There are still more episodes to be written, and I hope I have the time to be on the rest of the project. I will say this, scriptwriting gave me a new desire to write a fictional book and maybe dabble even more into scriptwriting for films.
On my last year of college, celebrating being a writer on the series project I mentioned earlier and seeing it on Netflix or Hulu. My book being not only in other states but other countries and being a best seller. I want to impact more lives through my encouragement, coaching, and writings, and I expect more unexpected opportunities that blow my mind! I am also a huge supporter, so I want to be in a position to help beginner writers in whatever way I can.
Love is distinctively woven into the fabric of our being
experienced through the ordinary each day
a silent wave of an old memory washing over us; a segue to our humanity.
Love is home, love is grandma’s baby
love is survival and hustling;
cleaning toilets, scrubbing floors, changing diapers, washing clothes by hand, and layaway plans.
Love is spiritual; a scared village, the spirit’s libation, broken history, and love is migration love is food stamps, government cheese, grits with sugar, and collard greens
love is the sand between my toes.
Love is the prize at the bottom of the crackerjack box, love is hopscotch, and double-dutch love is afro-puffs, two French braids and your first French kiss
love is overtime, colored easter eggs, Santa Claus tales, and hand-me-downs.
Love is that switch from the tree, love is praying hands and bended knees
love is loud, silent, large, small, and intriguingly complex —Love is Proud
love is scarred backs and stubborn roots —old hymns and sung negro spirituals.
Love is “I told you so”
love is easy like Sunday morning
love is Betty Wright, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and Patti LaBelle;
a brilliant collaboration of lyrical hands fighting for the same devotion because love is Soul Train.
Love is rich soil to the soul
love is fearless laughter, getting up at 6am, sleepless nights, untold stories and second chances love is the ancestors’ wisdom —the great orator and the greatest debater.
Love is underestimated, yet chosen
love is fierce; righteously angry, patient, and sacrificial — it is the caged bird singing love is the paint, painter, and work of art.
Love is a savior —the hero’s journey
Love is amazing grace
Love is wealth, life, and death.
Love is not weak; it bows down to no one yet surrenders itself to everyone by its own authority — love is badass. Every time I close my eyes, I witness love.
Love is distinctively woven into the fabric of our being.
experienced through the ordinary each day
© by Tiffany James 2021
Today wraps up our poet spotlight for the 4th Annual Poetry Contest. I want to thank everyone who has participated and supported our poets this year. If you want to help coordinate or sponsor next year’s contest, please reach out to me at yecheilyah@yecheilyahysrayl.com. I love hosting these contests, but I can’t do it without your help.
Instagram: napalmjax
My inspiration for this poem was really the essence of life itself. Without love, there is no life.
I love the wordplay, how you can paint a picture, tell a story, or escape into your own little world. Better yet, you can sing a beautiful song and not sing one note.
Some benefits of a contest like this is not just the exposure as a poet or writer, but the opportunity to meet other poets from all over. Plus, being able to showcase versatility and depth with a theme.
The process of writing this poem for me was actually kind of challenging. Writing to a theme is not always easy, as it makes you think and stretch your creative muscle. Once I got the direction I wanted to go with, the words came easy.
My writing comes mostly from my life’s experiences and personal growth. So I would have to say that’s my writing strength and my weakness. I have no technical training. I just like to write. When it comes to poetry, I just throw the rules out the window and write it how I feel it.
Yes. I am working on a project and a book. I have a short inspirational book called “Can’t Stay Here” that I’m doing edits on right now. Also, I’m working on a memoir about my journey into veganism, called “Vegan-is-M(e)/Deeper Than A Diet.”
A year from now, I see myself back here, competing for the grand prize, and blogging.
Love is a life that flows like a fluid
An infinite vibration like waves of an ocean
Touching your soul, the arrow of a cupid
That breath of fresh air, when life’s undercurrent comes grasping
To some, it comes freely,
to others, it comes while kneeling.
That long labor of love is where you will find compassion
The blind will see the light to walk out of their plight
It is the fluid of life
More than just a feeling, love becomes a part of your being
It runs deep in your veins,
limitless like the astroplane
Love makes us all relate, with no space for hate
So we are all connected in this space
Love is…
Copyright©2021 Dondi A. Springer
Instagram: shining_of_yah
In a world that sometimes seems void of all things good, being a single woman, I thought of love on an intimate level. My mind processed what it would feel like and look like, and that poem resulted from that vision.
I named my poem “Unknown” because up until that point, love was something for me that wasn’t just surface. It was a deep, soul-warming feeling from bringing life into this world where I experienced the unknown. It was different, it was new, and it was foreign to me. I now know that parental love is the best love. Often, we associate love with love between man and woman, overlooking the love between mother and child. This love never changes. No matter what, it never wavers. In my thought process, the unknown is the best known, my experience.
Poetry is one of the most beautiful forms of expression I have ever encountered. It’s like giving a voice to the soul. It can be a healer to both the writer as well as the reader.
I grew up in a broken home. The chaos of it all would have my mind racing so much that I started writing my thoughts and my feelings down just to relieve the pain. Then, when I entered middle school as a form of escape, I joined a drama class. The first poem I ever heard was “A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes. It was short but powerful. At that moment, I decided I wanted to turn this pain into something beautiful, and the process began.
I’ve heard many say that they don’t enter contests because it can weaken your confidence, or they don’t want their art judged. I’m the opposite. I have never been a quitter. Although I’m still a babe in this art, my goal is to perfect, which can only be done by challenging myself, taking criticism from those more experienced than me, and rendering myself vulnerable and humble to those that have spent years perfecting their craft.
Every year I have accepted my honorable mention not as a defeat but as a means to come back stronger and more mature. This year, I placed, and it felt good. However, my work is not done. I will continue to examine and push myself. I’m coming for that number one spot. They say practice makes perfect.
It gives the writer exposure, and it helps to strengthen the skills of the writer. You get to share a little bit of yourself with the world, and you never know who you may touch along your journey.
I have always been my worst critic. However, I wanted some maturity to show in my writing skills on this one since the topic was so heavy. I wrote and rewrote a few times. But once I tapped into what the word love really meant to me, the words became clearer. All I needed to do was write.
My strength would definitely be my ability to speak on any topic without fear. I can bare my soul with complete confidence that my words will resonate with someone. My weakness is that I’m not consistent and unable to remember what I write, so it stays in a book most of the time. I need to share my talent more.
I’m currently not working on anything in particular. I write all the time, so I’m just waiting for the opportunity to share.
I will continue to mature my writing skills. I also would like to work on some spoken words. Writing a poem is one thing, but reciting it is a whole different experience. Poetry is such an underrated art. I want to continue to be a part of keeping poetry alive. Who knows what the future may hold. My book may be coming to a store near you soon.
The epitome of love I carried in my womb.
Every flutter, every kick brought about abundant joy.
Nauseous and excitingly waiting to give birth to a nation.
As my body morphed to make space
a delectable glow filled my face.
The heartbeat was music to my ears
like an ancestral drum beating in the distance
silencing my fears.
The weight on my bladder
the swelling in my feet
it was worth it cause it was pure love I was to meet.
As stretch marks began to cover my abdominal,
I begin to feel something phenomenal.
The conception of perfection
a body within a body
ten toes, two feet
the divinity of the creator giving life through me.
It was an umbilical connection being nurtured from the beginning, and it has no end
As my pelvis expanded,
the pain sent a thrust through my veins
straight to my brain.
Like a volcanic eruption, I think that’s the best way to explain
My introduction took 15 hours, no sedatives
in the room me and my grandmother
my closest relative.
My first gaze upon his tiny face,
my heart was beating faster than the normal pace.
At that moment, I experienced three degrees of love
Unconditional, Agape, and Infinite
For me, parent to child love was and is
the ultimate.
Copyright©2021 ZerahYah Ysrayl
As soon as I read the first few lines of Love Is by Tiffany, I whispered, “Yes.” Determined not to play favoritism, I sat it aside, but every time I came back to it, I would whisper, “Yes.”
I knew from the start this was the poem we were looking for when we decided on this prompt.
When I said this year, our theme was love, I wanted to see how the poets would explore love beyond what we typically think of it. More than romantic love and even self-love. What other faces does love have?
“Love is food stamps, government cheese, grits with sugar, and collard greens. Love is the sand between my toes. Love is the prize at the bottom of crackerjack box. Love is hopscotch and Double Dutch. Love is Afro-puffs, two French braids, and your first French kiss.”
As someone who grew up in the Robert Taylor Projects on Chicago’s south side, I can relate to these words. I remember government cheese and powdered milk and how my mama used to french braid me and my sister’s hair. Sometimes we had one french braid to the back and sometimes two. While we didn’t have much, we had love.
These are the kinds of lines that set Tiffany’s poem apart. She went deeper and took us back to our roots. Her poem showed us other sides of love and it was relatable:
“Love is easy like Sunday morning. Love is Betty Wright, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and Patti LaBelle, a brilliant collaboration of lyrical hands fighting for the same devotion because love is Soul Train. Love is rich soil to the soul.”
As you can see from these excerpts, Tiffany understood the assignment. Let me introduce and congratulate our grand prize winner, who will, along with the other prizes, be taking home a full publishing package toward whatever book she writes in the future.
Tiffany James | The Personal Encourager, Founder of Encouraging Touch Enterprises Writer/Encouragement Coach, Spoken Word Artist/StoryTeller, Author of “Living in the Land of I Am- Your Life Story Reveals your Purpose | IG: ncouragetouch
Tiffany James is an incredible motivator, speaker, and gifted storyteller. She is married and has three beautiful daughters, who are her world. Tiffany’s mission is to inspire everyone to own their voice, walk with their heads high when they walk in a room because they belong in the room, and rock their greatness while celebrating the greatness in others.
Tiffany knows firsthand how hard it is to be the cheerleader behind your dreams, after deciding in 2007, when her corporate career came to an end due to the economy, to pursue her passion of using her voice and writings to impact change. It has been a beautiful, exciting, and sobering journey. There have been many times over the years she found herself struggling with uncertainty from the many disappointments and considered giving up and returning to Corporate America. Thankfully during that time, she had surrounded herself with a strong tribe who believed in her dreams as much as she did.
It is now her mission to be a voice of encouragement to people all over, regardless of their journey, to be bold enough to answer the call of the dream. 
Tiffany passionately and consistently achieves this mission through her writings, workshops, storytelling, encouragement-coaching, speaking, and her new, inspiring book, Living in the Land of I Am- Your Life Journey Reveals Your Purpose. She teaches you success is not defined by how many figures you make but by the courage, it takes to stay true to yourself while pursuing your purpose. Her mentoring motto, “Greatness is about serving others with the gift that God has given you.”
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