I am Barack Obama

This poem, written by Elizabeth Smith, from the book, "Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems, is a first-person perspective, serves as a tribute to Barack Obama’s legacy and his journey as the 44th President of the United States. The text highlights his rise above political adversity and prejudice to achieve a position of global leadership. By referencing specific achievements like the mission against Osama Bin Laden, the author illustrates Obama’s transition from a community organizer to the nation's chief executive. The narrative emphasizes his charismatic communication style and his role in fulfilling historical civil rights aspirations. Ultimately, the source portrays Obama as a symbol of hope and perseverance who remains dedicated to the American people. These verses celebrate his ability to turn ambitious dreams into reality through hard work and self-belief.

Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems is self-published and available now through: ● Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pocketful-Poetry-Formally-Short-Poems/dp/B0DF7YHZZL ● Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pocketful-of-poetry-elizabeth-smith/1146209322

The Algorithmic Retention Loop: Mastering YouTube Watch Time

This text explores the mechanics of the YouTube algorithm, emphasizing that audience retention is the primary driver of video success. Rather than relying on traditional keywords, the platform prioritizes high watch time and completion rates as indicators of content quality. When viewers stay until the end, it triggers exponential distribution, moving videos from search results to prime homepage placement and suggested sidebars. The source highlights that creators who maintain session time—keeping users on the platform longer—earn channel authority and viral potential. Ultimately, mastering the initial hook and hitting specific retention benchmarks are presented as the essential strategies for sustainable growth.

The Charity of Thorns: A Guide to Trading a Scumbag for a Billionaire

 This narrative follows Elara, a woman who finds herself betrayed by her unfaithful fiancé and a family that prioritizes her cousin’s emotional needs over her own. After choosing to walk away from these toxic relationships, she experiences a dramatic reversal of fortune by falling in love with Julian Vane, a wealthy and protective businessman. The story highlights the stark contrast between Elara’s new life of luxury and emotional fulfillment and the crumbling, poverty-stricken lives of her former partner and relatives. Through themes of poetic justice and personal empowerment, Elara eventually secures her inheritance and celebrates her success while her detractors face the consequences of their choices. Ultimately, the text serves as a satirical commentary on outgrowing manipulative people to find a much higher standard of living and respect.

 Strategic Overview of Obtaining International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN)

Executive Summary

In the United States, Bowker serves as the exclusive official agency authorized to issue International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs). While various platforms offer free ISBNs, these options frequently restrict distribution to specific ecosystems and limit an author's professional branding. To maintain total distribution freedom and establish legal status as a "publisher of record," authors must obtain ISBNs directly through Bowker’s official portal, myidentifiers.com. The most cost-effective strategy for authors is the purchase of a 10-ISBN pack, which accommodates the requirement for unique identifiers across different book formats (paperback, hardcover, and audiobook) while providing significant per-unit savings.

The Role and Authority of Bowker

Bowker has served as the official U.S. agency for ISBN management since 1968. Sanctioned by the International ISBN Agency, Bowker ensures data integrity within the global supply chain.

• Official Authority: Bowker is the only entity authorized to regulate and issue these identifiers in the U.S.
• Legal Standing: Purchasing directly from Bowker ensures the buyer is the permanent, legal publisher of record.
• Industry Integration: ISBNs issued by Bowker are automatically indexed in the Books In Print database, the primary resource used by global retailers and libraries to locate and order titles.

The ISBN Procurement Process

Obtaining an ISBN through the official U.S. channel involves a structured five-step process:

1. Account Creation: Registration at myidentifiers.com.
2. Publisher/Imprint Registration: Authors must register a publisher name. This can be a personal name or a business name (e.g., "Lively Hope Books"). This name appears in global databases.
3. Package Selection: Authors purchase identifiers in quantities of 1, 10, or 100.
4. Metadata Assignment: The ISBN must be linked to specific book data, including title, author, format, and genre, within the Bowker dashboard.
5. Barcode Acquisition: While Bowker offers barcode generation for approximately $25, authors can utilize free external services, such as the Bookow Barcode Generator, to fulfill this requirement at no cost.

Cost Analysis (U.S. Market)

The following table outlines the pricing structure for ISBNs through Bowker:

Quantity	Total Cost	Cost Per ISBN
1 ISBN	$125	$125.00
10 ISBNs	$295	$29.50
100 ISBNs	$575	$5.75

Strategic Considerations for Authors

The 10-Pack Requirement

The 10-ISBN package is considered the optimal value for most authors due to format requirements. Every distinct version of a title—including paperback, hardcover, and audiobook editions—requires its own unique ISBN. A single ISBN is insufficient for a multi-format release.

Professional Branding and Control

• Imprint Control: Direct purchase allows for a custom "Imprint Name." Free ISBNs often default the publisher's name to "Independently Published" or the name of the retail platform (e.g., Amazon), which may deter libraries and bookstores from stocking the title.
• Metadata Integrity: Authors retain full control over descriptions, genres, and titles, ensuring consistency across all sales platforms.

Risks of Alternative Sourcing

The source context highlights significant risks associated with "free" or "discounted" ISBNs:

• Platform Lock-in: Free ISBNs provided by services like Amazon KDP, Barnes & Noble Press, or IngramSpark often restrict the author to selling only through those specific platforms.
• Reseller Hazards: "Discount" sites or third-party sellers (e.g., Fiverr) often sell ISBNs from bulk lots they have purchased. In these instances, the reseller remains the legal publisher of record, not the author.
• Distribution Limitations: Direct ownership of a Bowker ISBN provides "Full Distribution Rights," enabling sales through any wholesaler, retailer, or library worldwide—a level of access not guaranteed by platform-specific identifiers.
  
  

About The Invisible Pillar

 

The Invisible Pillar

The following video chronicles the emotional liberation of Maya, a successful attorney who has spent her life as the financial and emotional backbone of her ungrateful family. After years of being exploited, the conflict reaches a breaking point when her parents and siblings attempt to sabotage her wedding by demanding she fund an expensive European vacation instead. Maya responds by deactivating their credit cards, canceling their financial support, and celebrating her marriage with a "chosen family" that truly respects her. The narrative concludes with a final letter of independence, marking the end of her role as their provider. Consequently, her relatives are forced to face the harsh reality of self-sufficiency while Maya finally enjoys her own life. This collection of text serves as a powerful character study on setting boundaries and escaping toxic domestic dynamics.

Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems is self-published and available now through:

● Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pocketful-Poet... ● Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pock...

Mastering Barnes and Noble Press

The provided guide outlines the essential steps for authors to independently publish their work through the Barnes & Noble Press platform. It emphasizes the importance of protecting intellectual property by registering with the U.S. Copyright Office and suggests purchasing unique ISBNs from Bowker to maintain professional control and distribution flexibility. The text details how to prepare manuscripts and cover art specifically for both digital and print formats to ensure high-quality results. Additionally, it walks users through the online submission process, covering everything from setting up tax information to selecting appropriate metadata and pricing. By following these instructions, writers can effectively manage their own publishing imprints and reach a wider audience of readers.

Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems is self-published and available now through:

● Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pocketful-Poetry-Formally-Short-Poems/dp/B0DF7YHZZL ● Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pocketful-of-poetry-elizabeth-smith/1146209322

The Open Door: From Betrayal to Boundaries

This story is a gripping exploration of trust, betrayal, and the high cost of "modern" shortcuts in a relationship. At 32, Mark thought he had it all—a solid career and a beautiful 27-year-old fiancée, Elena, with a wedding just months away. But the foundation shatters when Elena demands an open marriage to "explore" before settling down. Mark reluctantly agrees, only for the experiment to end in disaster: Elena contracts herpes during a casual encounter, bringing a permanent consequence into their shared life. What follows is a high-tension drama about a man who chooses self-respect over a toxic obligation. While Elena and her "flying monkey" friends and family use guilt and gaslighting to force a reconciliation, Mark finds a new, honest love in Sarah. It’s a story of medical consequences, social fallout, and the powerful moment a man realizes that "failing" a broken relationship is actually his greatest victory. Would you like to refine the tone of this introduction to be more dramatic for a voiceover, or keep it analytical for a video description?

Master Barnes & Noble Press

The provided guide outlines the essential steps for authors to independently publish their work through the Barnes & Noble Press platform. It emphasizes the importance of protecting intellectual property by registering with the U.S. Copyright Office and suggests purchasing unique ISBNs from Bowker to maintain professional control and distribution flexibility. The text details how to prepare manuscripts and cover art specifically for both digital and print formats to ensure high-quality results. Additionally, it walks users through the online submission process, covering everything from setting up tax information to selecting appropriate metadata and pricing. By following these instructions, writers can effectively manage their own publishing imprints and reach a wider audience of readers.

Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems is self-published and available now through:

● Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pocketful-Poet... ● Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pock...

Ode to Langston Hughes

Ode to Langston Hughes, by Elizabeth Smith is from the book "Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems" 

Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems is self-published and available now through:

●     Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pocketful-Poetry-Formally-Short-Poems/dp/B0DF7YHZZL

●     Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pocketful-of-poetry-elizabeth-smith/1146209322

 

 

Langston Hughes: A Poetic Father

Langston Hughes's vision for representing everyday life in Harlem was centered on capturing the authentic experiences and voices of ordinary Black people. Unlike other writers of his era who attempted to imitate white academic styles, Hughes insisted on writing for the "low-down folks" . To achieve this, he deliberately used the everyday language of the barbershop and the street corner to reflect the true culture of his community . By infusing his writing with the sounds of blues and jazz, he developed a "jazz poetry" style that captured the rhythm of Harlem, which he considered the "heartbeat of Black culture" . As the "Poet Laureate of Harlem," his work ultimately aimed to document the "dream deferred"—highlighting the profound tension between the ideal promise of America and the harsh, everyday realities of racial inequality.

 The poem, "Ode to Langston Hughes can be read in "Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems," a self-published poetry book that is available now through:

● Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pocketful-Poetry-Formally-Short-Poems/dp/B0DF7YHZZL ● Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pocketful-of-poetry-elizabeth-smith/1146209322

The Weight of Words Inside Elizabeth Smith’s Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poem

Hi everyone! I’m excited to share my self-published, published September 20, 2024. My poetry collection, Pocketful of Poetry, a compact yet deeply personal anthology that explores the layered, tender, and sometimes contradictory nature of the human experience. The book is divided into five themed chapters—Love Poems, Self-Reflection, Odes, Struggle & Activism, and an Epilogue. These pieces were born from quiet reflection, joyful moments, heartbreak, social awareness, and the desire to transform lived experience into art. The collection honors traditional poetic form while embracing creative freedom when the message demands it.

🏆 A proud moment:

My poem “The Sun Does Shine in the Ghetto” earned Honorable Mention in the Non-Rhyming Poetry category of the 94th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition, chosen from nearly 3,800 entries submitted from 45 countries. This recognition means a lot to me and reflects the emotional depth I aim to bring to all my writing.

If you enjoy poetry that is heartfelt, socially conscious, and easy to revisit again and again, I’d be honored if you checked it out.

📕 Available here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pocketful-Poetry-Formally-Short-Poems/dp/B0DF7YHZZL Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pocketful-of-poetry-elizabeth-smith/1146209322 I’m happy to share sample pages, discuss my writing process, or answer any questions about the collection. Thanks for supporting independent authors!

Meet the Poet: Elizabeth Smith

This video outlines the life and professional career of Elizabeth Smith, a veteran New York City educator and poet who was raised in Harlem. After enduring the early loss of her father, she utilized creative writing as a vital emotional outlet during her youth. Her extensive academic background includes three Master’s degrees, which have supported her twenty-four-year tenure teaching elementary students within the public school system. Smith’s literary contributions are highlighted through her self-published anthology, Pocketful of Poetry, a collection that examines diverse themes ranging from social activism to personal reflection. Beyond her classroom and written work, she maintains an active presence on her YouTube channel, where she continues to share her unique perspective. This biography serves as a testament to her commitment to community service, lifelong learning, and the power of the written word.

Pocketful of Poetry is available now:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pocketful-Poetry-Formally-Short-Poems/dp/B0DF7YHZZL Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pocketful-of-poetry-elizabeth-smith/1146209322

How to Publish on Kindle Direct Publishing

 Also, you can find my, “Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems,”on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

Steal This Poem

Steal this poem was written by Elizabeth Smith, from her book, Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems, a book the captures moments of tenderness, struggle, resilience, and social consciousness, available now online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Also, leave a like, subscribe, and comment to this video videos on my YouTube channel, Queen Lizz.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pocketful-Poetry-Formally-Short-Poems/dp/B0DF7YHZZL Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pocketful-of-poetry-elizabeth-smith/1146209322

About Steal This Poem

The provided text, a poem titled "Steal this Poem," serves as a fierce call to action against the long-standing history of Western colonialism and white supremacy. The author encourages marginalized groups, specifically Indigenous and African American populations, to reclaim their power and reject the assimilative demands of a dominant culture. By urging readers to "steal" the message, the work advocates for grassroots revolution and the replacement of social apathy with righteous defiance. It seeks to heal communities broken by poverty and negative stereotypes, promoting a path toward self-love and cultural restoration. Ultimately, the poem envisions a future where collective resistance dismantles systemic oppression and restores the beauty and sovereignty of the oppressed.

Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems is available now on: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pocketful-Poetry-Formally-Short-Poems/dp/B0DF7YHZZL Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pocketful-of-poetry-elizabeth-smith/1146209322

Excerpt from Pocketful of Poetry: Formally a Short Book of Poems

 My Poetry Book

Just bought me a new poetry book

Now my fingers are twitchin’

To write down theories and agendas

I’m gonna my poetry book sing

The love songs of heart break.

And first loves, joy, and pain

My poetry book will serve as a reminder

Of past here-to-fors and where-un-tos

Of days that are yet to be and those that have already been

They will all be in my poetry

I’ll write about the love of a good man

I’ll write about how some bastard done me wrong

In my poetry book

There will be odes to personal triumph

Sonnets dedicated to self-esteem and, ME!

I’ll jot them all down so everyone can see

The kind of poet I’ve grown to be

I’ll use words that will make the mind boggle

I’ll make rhymes out of many different reasons

Conjure up metaphors and similes that tell tales

To take a journey in to the great where I want to be

In my poetry book, even though it saddens me

Times of unhappiness will be recollected

Melancholy tales of self-loathing will be told

My poems will cry my tears and ease my pain

My words will ache for me, keeping me from dying inside

In my poetry book

I will scream at injustice

I will right the wrongs of the world

My wrath will be felt and my outrage known

There will be no protection from the fury once it is unleashed

In my poetry book

My poems will sing the praises of heroes

Sonia Sanchez, Assata, Chaka Khan, and Langston Hughes

And Ruby Kitchen too, you may never have heard of her, but

She’s the one who made sure I made it from childhood to adulthood safely

And all she asked of me, was that I do right

And I’ll do right in my poetry book

My poetry book will speak

My poetry book will cheer

My poetry book will cry

My poetry book will sing

My poetry book will yell out loud

Just bought me a poetry book

Now my fingers are twitchin’

To write down poems… My poems

All down in my poetry book

Trayvon Speaks

If I am walking down the street and I am descendant of African,

Then I have to give a good reason why I am walking down the street of another man!

I have no right to free movement… Or even to see my family again?!

You say that you were just standing your ground;

But it was you who followed me, because I looked suspiciously;

However, you are nothing more than a self-appointed vigilante!

You! Who was told to stop your pursuit; but continued stalking my route.

You! Who left your car and thought it a good I idea to confront me, because I was in your territory

You said shooting me was your right all because you couldn’t beat me in a fair fight!

The jury has spoken and you tell my people to go home, but this time it you who has got it wrong.

Because my people have learned their lesson from Rodney King,

The do not have sticks, bottles, and knives… Peace is the weapon my people are will be using!

You may have won the battle, but you don’t know who you are messing with, the war has just begun.

You are going to think twice the next time you see anyone from the diaspora of Africa

The artillery we use, you may not be ready for…  

Demonstration, boycotts, sit-ins, and petitions

The one thing you forgot about my people; they may take a lickin’, but they keep on tickin’

After 600 hundred years of persecution and struggle;

My African people may bend and they don’t buckle!

They are going to stand with mother and father, and that is absolute

Their faith in justice is like their faith in me, resolute.

You are really going to know what it feels like to be attacked,

Because it takes a nation of millions to hold me and my people back.

So call Geraldo Rivera, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh

Because me and people will rise and not fall, and in the end we’re gonna win it all!

I’m not saying this to incite a riot, but your house of cards is on fire

Even though the search for justice will long and arduous one, my people are prepared and they never tire!

For the time being justice has been delayed, but make no mistake it has not been deferred,

You be celebrating now, but forget what you might have heard

Because my people all around the world are preparing for a fight;

And it will take a lot more than a handgun blast to darken this light!

So I tell you now because America has NOT learned from the lessons past,

African American children will not be predestined to the second or third class!

Using attacks, dogs, water hoses, Jim Crow and other racist, discriminatory, and misguided rules of law

And all they’ve managed to learn is… My people can take a hit to the jaw!

So the next time you make a decision about who someone might be

First of all you’re not white, and second you too can look suspicious in a hoody!

Poetry Is...
Poetry is…

Nourishment for the hungry mind,

Solitude for the overcrowded soul,

Water for my thirsty heart,

Do I like poetry?

NO...!

I NEED POETRY!!!!

Party in Heaven

The truth is in the story you told

"Ain't no drag, Papa's got a brand new brag."

The lives you touch, the music you made

You made us, "Say it loud, I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD"

There's a party goin' on in heaven, God thought he could use your rhythm section.

Baddest brother in patent leather, The Godfather of SOUL, FUNK, and yes even HIP HOP!

You were the first to drop the beat on da' ONE.

Laid the foundation for the crush groovin and the body movin'!

No wonder God called you HOME!

So you could do ya' thing on da' microphone!

Yeah there's a party goin' on in heaven, Josephine Baker’s stoppin' by,

Dorothy Dandridge, and you know Moms Mabley wanna GET DOWN TOO!!

Redd Foxx will be in the back tellin dirty jokes with Richard Pryor.

And you will be the Purveyor of the Funktastic, Broadcaster of the Boogie Oogie Oogie,

The Entertainer of entertainers, Mr. Soul Brother #1,

JAAAMMMEESSSS BBBRRROOOWWWNNN!!

And when St. Peter sends forth news of your arrival, Curtis Mayfield will once again rise to his feet,

To accompany you in da' groove.

Gregory Hines will tap in unison to, "I know you got SSSOOOUUULLL, brothers and sisters!"

There's a party goin' on in heaven,

Yeah, God's havin' a party in heaven

And Tupac and Biggie told him your music is da' BOMB!

Even Luther and Gerald, had to concede to the hardest working man in show business.

And that's when God put in the call.

So you could blast your hitz in the place where the party never ends.

And even though your time here on Earth is no more,

Your star burns on forever and a day,

If one listens closely they can still here you call out,"

“Heh, heh, HHHEEEYYY!”

I am Barack Obama

I am Barack Obama

I made you believe, “Yes we can!”

I made Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream a reality,

I’ve been doubted, lied about, and insulted

I’ve taken the worst and haven’t buckled

I am Barack Obama

I am America’s executive branch

I answer only to titles that truly define me

Motivator, leader, and defender to millions

Leaving a legacy of encouragement to those who hope

I am Barack Obama

I am charismatic and famed public speaker

But I can do more the talk,

Because I put truth power, and make the impossible happen

Don’t believe me… Where’s Osama Bin Laden

I am Barack Obama

They called me a community organizer and thought that would shame me

But that’s okay, because now I organize an even bigger community

I will always work hard for my country  

Despite what anyone might say…  That country is the USA

I am Barack Obama

I am you, you are me

I got this far because I always believed

I rose above all the hate, prejudice, and negative sentiment

To become and remain America’s 44th president

26

Yesterday I cried 26 tears

fought back 26 more...

Because I still don't understand

Why people do what they do anymore:

Children in the throes of innocence and promise,

Cut down in the belly of hate and madness.

And the teachers whom everyone claims,

Don't do enough, gave everything,

So now... where are all the blames?

I cried 26 tears yesterday,

and was startled by 26 fears.

Because if children cannot be spared,

Then there really isn't enough love to be shared.

With cries of injustice, and demands for gun control

We huff and we puff;

But still... There are parents left, without children to hold...

I cried 26 tears yesterday

and collected them in a box for safe keeping,

So that I can always look back,

And remember why I was weeping.

Let's not forget, but try to forgive...

And as we move on, pray for and recall

Those who will continue to cry;

And no matter the resolution, I still will not understand why.

On a day in December;

They all had to say goodbye.

He

He came to make room in my mind just for him

To move around the stuff, looking for a space where he fit in

And now, he expects me to think straight

Now he what me to go on as if nothing has been said and… Done!

But I think he knows what he does…

Because he smiles whenever he does it

And in his mind I see him

Plotting ways to make me lose control

He’s trying to make his way to my heart

Using words to make me want to give in

Does he know that he is fighting he can’t help, but win

Or can he does he have to compete with my defenses

He swears he knows just the way

Because he claims he saw the very depths of my soul

And spied my heart and mind and saw me

Waiting, ready just for him

He’s never been this much to me before

Never been the one to make me write a poem

Yet, he’s the reason I sit here, pouring out my heart

Recollecting all the ways he moves

Does he the smile be it shows on my face

Does he hear the beat of my heart?

When he is near I want to say…

Say all the things he makes me feel

Though I have never seen his face

I know he is beautiful

The only question I would pose if he were here…

Can we fall in love forever?

SUPERGIRL

I know I am a superhero, cuz I leap excessive drama in a single bound.

My only weakness is my inability to tolerate stupidity.

I crush all foes in the blink of an eye.

My greatness nemesis knows they are no match for me,

because in a fight, they learned that my death blow is mean,

and there is a reason they call me the QUEEN.

So if you find yourself in trouble, in need of a helping hand, I’ll be there in a jiffy, because I CAN!!!

White Magic

Magic is the practice of slight hand and to deceive,

But I see the Aces you hide up your sleeve,

Maybe if I were a bit more gullible,

You'd be, the very man bringing me heartache and trouble,

But I'm hip to the slick,

Not falling that lame ole' love trick,

I'm a Queen in case you're befuddled,

God's already promised me an ocean...

SO DON'T COME BRINGING ME NO PUDDLE

He II

He moves like the clouds in the sky, smooth... effortlessly.

He's Mr. Good Stuff, way beyond good enough, satisfying.

He's cool like fire and as hot as ice, he's my man, man because he’s twice as nice.

He is the King of the world and I'm his Queen,

He's the days of my week, and he always stays clean.

If it is a cloudy day, it never was, because when he comes to see me...

He always brings the sun.

Ode to Langston Hughes

I can remember…

An October, or was it September?

I stood in front of my class

To pay homage to

A literary patriarch

The poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,”

Though the words slip my mind…

I can still feel the joy in my heart

As I those read the words to my classmates

I saw more than words on paper…

For they, were more of an experience

They were the struggle of a man

His delight and hard work

They were a voyage through…

A content state of wisdom

And as I read

My classmates saw more than me just reading

They saw a poet burst out of her shell

They saw words inspire a little girl’s creativity

And help bring forth, the woman I am today

Langston you made me laugh

  you made me cry,

But most of all

You gave me the gift to share and think

How to put my emotions and insight,

Into an ordinary piece of paper

As I sit and write these words to you Mr. Hughes

I wonder about your poems

Those that are familiar

And some I only know vaguely

How could those words from yesterday,

Inspire these words I write today?

Using those words written so long ago,

Was it by accident or your intention to…?

Make me voyage taking the roads you once used

Or have your lyrics of toil and resistance.

Given me the prudence to…

To walk confidently, bravely with every step on the road to achievement

And somehow because of you, it is easier to take

I thank you Langston Hughes

For my love of poetry

For my freedom to express

For who I am and,

Who I will become.

Ode to Robert Frost

When I was young

I walked the road traveled by most

This road was paved with

Failure and bad intentions

Because this road was shadowed by doubt

Leaving heartache in its wake

For I was a follower of those who had…

Forsaken good judgment

Headed toward self-destruction

Leaving me lost in the dust

But still I continued to.

Walk the road traveled by most

And it was making me ill

I began to tire of this path

Then in off in the distance, what did I see?

Unpaved, on unworn fields of green

Desiring the wear of traveler’s feet

Lit by the sun,  not shadowed and clean

The road was the road less traveled

It is bumpy, but the hills are filled with fresh flowers

It is long; still the trail is lush green under toe

I wish to be on this road…

Now that I am older,

I will take the road less traveled

I will walk with God, and give Him my trouble

I will forsake those, that journey down that easy path

And end up nowhere,

Stranded… Out There!