Category Archives: Poetry

The Best Kind (Freewrite)

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The best poetry,
is the kind that’s poured
out of our hearts like libations

The kind that upholds truth
like African Griots
tracing their lineage back to ancient Kings

The kind that fights for the freedom
of the common man
like an unselfish King
who’s passion is giving freely to his people

The best poetry,
is the kind that sings the song of life
over the drumbeat of love

The kind that’s born from the place
where the beat of the heart
intersects with the rhythm of the soul
and the words Tango with our emotions

The kind that’s expressed
with the humble confidence
of a child of God,
driven by purpose
unwavering
relentless
dedicated
and embodied with truth

The best poetry,
is the kind that simply is…
pure
compassionate
hopeful
dreamy
strong
courageous
brave,
and loving
like a mother and her newborn

The best poetry,
is LOVE… 

Beautiful sunrises
and breathtaking sunsets
LOVE…

Honeybees
and hummingbirds
LOVE…

Morning breath kisses
and nighttime prayers
LOVE…
just LOVE…

What kind of poetry do I like?
I like the kind that is
LOVE…

I Don’t See Ugly

Celebrate Life

 

When I see you at your lowest point
I don’t see ugly
I see uncertainty
as you try to balance the weight
of walking God’s path
while simultaneously trying to fit into man’s world

When I see you at your lowest point
I don’t see ugly
I see insecurity
as the damage of the years
of negative attacks
from your peers
and even your family
start to weigh you down
with enough doubt
to make you wonder,
what if they’re right

When I see you at your lowest point
I don’t see ugly
I see a work in progress

Someone who’s battle tested
and scarred
yet still fighting

Someone who’s been beaten up
and kicked while they were down
but still getting up

Someone who’s been doubted
and told they would never amount to anything
yet still chasing their dreams

Someone who’s fallen short
and been labeled a failure
but still has the audacity to believe
God has a plan

When I see you at your lowest point
I don’t see ugly
I see someone
who needs to breathe
reflect
to remember all those other times
when you fell in a hole so deep
that you never thought the light would
find you again
just before you did something amazing

When I see you at your lowest point
I don’t see ugly
I see beauty
I see power
I see resilience
I see life
I see light
I see love
I see infinite possibilities

I see dreams,
Your dreams
coming to fruition

I see truth and destiny
just within arms reach

I see you,
right on the verge
ready to ignore your fear
just long enough to say I do
to your greatness…

and why not
you’ve already come this far..

Poetic Voices’ marks celebration of black history

‘Poetic Voices’ marks celebration of black history

PoeticVoicesPhoto Credit: Stephan StarnesAnna Marie Sprowl delivers one of her many poems to CRC students and staff at the Poetic Voices event on Feb 13.

Elizabeth Witt, Opinion Editorial Assistant

March 1, 2013
Filed under News

Students and staff trickled into the Recital Hall at Cosumnes River College to observe Black History Month through Poetic Voices, a poetry reading event held on Feb. 13 featuring three prominent and published writers whose roots are right here in Sacramento.

Emmanuel Sigauke, an English professor at CRC, organized the event for students, faculty and community members as an opportunity to celebrate African-American culture in a creative and expressive way.

“This is an honor for our Black History Month,” Sigauke said as he introduced Laura Cook, Anna Marie Sprowl and Sean King as the guest artists at this event. “Bringing them to CRC is a dream come true.”

In Sacramento, poetry events are held almost every night of the week and Sigauke wanted “to bring interesting, poetic voices to campus.”

As a preface to the guest speakers, Sigauke invited audience members to come up and share some of their own poetic work in a “mini-open mic” setting.

“I always want to involve the CRC students,” Sigauke said as he spoke to the crowd of more than 40 students and staff members, including CRC President Deborah Travis.

Alexander Stallings, a 19-year-old theater and radio broadcast major, was one of the students who shared his work at the beginning of the event.

“It gives more of an understanding of how important this is in African-American culture,” Stallings said. “It gives me inspiration.”

After students read their poetry, each guest spent about 15 minutes sharing their own work with the audience and left many members wanting more but still feeling inspired.

Each poet spoke of individual emotions, feelings and experiences.

King’s ending line in his poem about Martin Luther King Jr. was that “you cannot assassinate a spirit, you can only kill a man.” Cook advised to not “wander too long in other people’s darkness.”

Along with the historical and cultural insights, Poetic Voices also embodied emotional elements.

“Poetry is a passion,” said Alexis Senegal, a 26-year-old psychology major. “It has the ability to reach and connect and get attention, and that’s incredible.”

– See more at: http://www.thecrcconnection.com/news/2013/03/01/poetic-voices-marks-celebration-of-black-history/#sthash.oLu6kEPX.6XcYoIVa.dpuf