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Fearlessly and with a Smile
I don’t see the frail body of a woman
fighting an epic battle with cancer
lying in pain
I see a fighter,
a woman refusing to give up
in the face of insurmountable odds
I see a warrior,
who even in the darkest hour
continues to touch and inspire the souls
of those still needing something
to believe in with her light
I see an angel,
with a bigger than life heart
and a fill up the room beautiful smile
kissing me on the cheek
before asking me in a faint whispered tone,
to write a beautiful poem for her……
…and I heard you Tamara
I don’t see the frail body of a woman
fighting an epic battle with cancer
lying in pain
I see my sister,
a woman of passion
pouring every ounce
of her blood
into the youth
in hopes that she can rescue
at least one child’s tomorrow
from the dark caves of despair
I see my sister,
working
and praying
to give at least one
misguided youth the opportunity
to walk God’s righteous path
I see my sister,
believing
she can help at least one kid
save their dream from the oppression
of hopelessness……
I don’t see the frail body of a woman
fighting an epic battle with cancer
lying in pain
I see a friend of 20 years,
a wonderful mother who has
always been there for her children
no matter what life threw at her
I see a lady,
carrying herself with humility
and grace
illuminating compassion
from her every pore
I see a woman,
of genuine kindness
and love
providing consistent support
even in the face
of her own struggles
I see a warrior,
refusing to be a victim of circumstance
living her life with dignity
a shining example of
how to keep your head up
no matter the challenge
you’ve been called to face
I see a queen,
giving the world
an up close and personal
look at how a woman
can serve as the foundation
of her family
while simultaneously uplifting youth in the community
and fighting her own personal battle
with breast cancer
I don’t see the frail body of a woman
fighting an epic battle with cancer
lying in pain
I see a hero
a role model
a shining example of how
our young women should approach
life…
Fearlessly and with a smile…
All I see is a fearless woman
all I see is a fearless woman
who knows God,
not man
will always have the final word…
God bless you Tamara
Sweet Taste of Freedom (A Sunday Freewrite)
I picked the lock to the chains they built for me,
My soul has been forever tainted by the sweet taste of freedom
I stepped outside of the cage and discovered me,
There’s no way I’ll ever give up the sweet taste of freedom
The rays of love have shined their light on me,
Why in the world would I let go of the sweet taste of freedom
I discovered a power I didn’t know existed in me,
I’ll do everything in my power to hold on to the sweet taste of freedom
They’re lying traps in an attempt to capture me,
I’ll never go back to that place before I had the sweet taste of freedom
They’ll try to assassinate my hope and take my dreams from me,
Even then they’ll never separate me from the sweet taste of freedom
The whole Universe has conspired to free me
I’m a warrior, using the weapon of love to protect the sweet taste of freedom.
Today, A Reflection on Life
As a black man in America, one of my more difficult challenges in becoming the human being I was placed here to be has been learning to differentiate between God’s purpose and my personal ambitions. Coming to grips with the fact that being gifted mathematically doesn’t mean I’m supposed to be a math teacher or labor in a science or engineering field, that being gifted with the pen doesn’t mean I’m supposed to be renowned poet or author, or that being able to eloquently speak in front of people doesn’t mean I’m destined to be a politician or minister standing at the pulpit.
This struggle of understanding my purpose is especially challenging in the land where we often confuse success, as defined by man, with the favor of God. Like many others, I have told myself that wealth, high paying jobs, nice houses, and fancy cars are a reflection of God’s favor… often ignoring the fact that the pursuit of these things has left me feeling unfulfilled and that my happiness has been elusive.
Over time, and with the help of my elders combined with a heavy dose of eulogies delivered at untimely funerals, I’ve began to open my eyes, to reflect on life, and to shift my thinking accordingly.
Today, I can’t say I completely understand my purpose, that I know where I’m going, what my future challenges will be, or that I even understand which of my many gifts God wants me to focus on. I’m not sure if I will end up wealthy or broke, whether my life will be celebrated or forgotten, or how much of a difference my life will make on the lives of others. What I do know, is part of my purpose is to love and be kind, to understand and be empathetic, to move forward, reach back, lift, climb up, fall down, and then get back up again…
…for now, I understand enough to keep moving forward and listening as I go. I’ve been through enough to be faithful in my understanding that the rest will be revealed to me in due time. I’ve rushed myself into failure enough to know that I need to be patient. I’ve allowed man misguide me enough to know I need to be mindful of what I allow to enter my mind, my heart, and my soul. Most of all, I’ve learned that I need to enjoy and be present at all times in the journey that is called today. Here’s to the journey…
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