Poem in A Pocket Day Ode

Tags

library out loud, petrarch, pocket-sized verses, poem in a pocket day, poetry aloud

PUT A POEM IN YOUR POCKET!
It’s poem in your pocket day;
Celebrate by carrying a poem to share with others today.
Give the gift of poetry, don’t get out of pocket.

Start a poems for pockets giveaway.
Distribute pocket-sized verses to senior centers or nursing homes.
GO TO THE LIBRARY, memorize a poem.
EXPLORE THE STACKS, discover 811 [eight-one-one] today.

LIBRARY OUT LOUD!
poetry is allowed,
POERTY ALOUD.

A-B-B-A A-B-B-A C-D-E C-D-E,
If you love the art.

A-B-B-A A-B-B-A C-D-E C-D-E,
One time for Petrarch.

A-B-B-A A-B-B-A C-D-E C-D-E,
For the little song in your heart.

–@StevieStreets #sonnet | Poem in Your Pocket Day Ode

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Trust The Process

Tags

excellence, habits, persistence, preparedness, success

Slumdog Millionaire status…
what goes around comes back around again.

Success is like a carrot,
the growth begins on the bottom
yet everyone wants to be on top.

Success does not come from the spotlight,
success comes from preparedness in the dark.

Everyone has this idea of what success looks like
yet few understand the inner workings of growth
and even fewer prepare to win.

There’s always a process before progress…

Everything you’ve been through has prepared you to win,

Everything you’re going through is preparing you to win.

Experience is the best teacher, trust the process.

What is meant to be will be;

In the meantime, study the ant – emulate the bee.

Take small steps and work diligently.

Remember, the power of habit is a powerful habit.

If excellence is an attitude, success is a habit.

Get familiar with preparation and persistence;

if you dare to be successful, you must first become acquainted with successful habits.

–@StevieStreets ism sonnet | Trust The Process

WHO ARE YOU?

Tags

I AM, know thyself, self-awareness, self-image, self-talk, subconscious, thoughts

WHO ARE YOU?
I’m not asking about your name or where you are from.
I’m not asking about your occupation or the things you have done.
I’m asking: Who Are You?

The most important words that you shall ever speak will immediately proceed the phrase I AM;
so I repeat: Who Are You?

What kind of self-image are you painting? – Do you draw conclusions? – Where do you draw inspiration from? – What kind of self-image are you painting?

Are you kind to yourself? – What kind of thoughts are you thinking? – Do you know life and death lie in the power of the tongue? – Are you kind in your self-talk? – What kind of thoughts are you thinking?

I’m asking: Who Are You?

Who do you think you are? – Who are you? – Tell me who you think you are?

What makes you who are? – Who are you? – Tell me what makes you who are?

Can you tell me who you are? – Who are you? – Tell me who you are?

I don’t know how well you know yourself; I don’t know if you ever thought about who you are…
Nevertheless, I pose the question “Who are you?” to draw you closer to who you are. – Do you see who you are?

I don’t know if we’re the sum total of our thoughts; who knows if your mental lexicon defines who you are…
What I know for sure is the meaning of life is revealed to those that discover who they are. – Do you know who you are?

They say one can never travel beyond one’s thoughts; if so, you better keep your thinking up to par…
One thing’s for certain, you won’t go far without a conscious mind – keep that in mind – from this time on, get to know thyself – you deserve to know who you are. – Do you think about who you are?

–@StevieStreets #subconscious #sonnet | from THE BOOK OF QUESTIONS: WHO ARE YOU? (An Ode to I AM)

Changing The Narrative

Tags

definiteness of purpose, defying the odds, emotional intelligence, emotionally scarred, self-talk, under no circumstances, you are not your circumstances

Change the narrative…
Speak less of who you were, speak more of who you are.
Think about the plot twist – you got this! – your ability to articulate the divinity within will make you a star.
Change the narrative.

Change the narrative.
Take the band-aids off, open your heart, let the world see your scars.
Speak of those defining moments, there’s no shame in the pain; tell the world, the things that break you make you who you are.
Change the narrative.

Teach the boys and girls how the lowest moments in life prepared you to reach for the stars.
Teach the boys and girls how you acquired emotional intelligence from being emotionally scarred.
Teach the boys and girls why everything you’ve been through has made you everything you are.

Speak life; plant seeds of wisdom in the youth, help the boys and girls grow.
Speak life; teach the youth to live and let die, preach the power of letting go.
Speak life, even if it kills you to speak your truth; you must know, everything you’ve been through has been preparing you for everywhere you must go.

–@StevieStreets #youarenotyourcircumstances #sonnet | Changing The Narrative

#codeofthestreets:
A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on her own wings. Always believe in yourself! -Unknown

You are not defined by your circumstances.
You have the ability to defy your circumstances.

You have to keep an eye on your choices, your chances.
You will be refined via your choices, your chances.

Under no circumstances will I allow to think quitting is a choice, you will not squander your chances.

Under the circumstances, you will make better choices and prepare for better chances.

Stand firm in your decisions, walk in your purpose, don’t leave it to happenstance.

In the journey of life, you must step up, you cannot live a purpose driven life by happenstance.

Change your mind – change your life, it’s that simple at a glance.

To be or not to be is a choice, just be careful with that choice, you only have one life to live and NOW is your chance.

–@StevieStreets #defyingtheodds #poem | Under No Circumstances

People Are People

Tags

humanity, humankind, humans, kindness, respect

People are people;
it doesn’t matter what they look like,
it doesn’t matter what their language sounds like,
people are people.

People needed to be treated like they matter;
I don’t care if they’re filthy rich or poor,
it doesn’t matter if they smell like a million bucks or the scent of alcohol is seeping through their pores,
people need to be treated like they matter.

Jesus had shaggy hair and flip flops;
so who are you to judge?

They say judge not the garments
yet you walk around with hate in your blood.

Keep turning your nose up,
someday you’re gonna get punched in the face,
then you can really turn your nose up and smudge your face with that hate in your blood.

Every person you encounter should be treated with respect.

The rich man and the poor man,
they both deserve respect.

The man, the woman,
and the children,
they’re all human;
they all need to be treated with respect.

–@StevieStreets #humaneletters #sonnet | People Are People

Ode to a Surrealist

Tags

apple of the eye, birds eye, man in a bowler hat, motifs, rene magritte, surrealism, symbolisms, the false mirror, the son of man, theatrical masks

Everything we see hides another thing; we always want to see what is hidden by what we see. -Rene Magritte

#codeofthestreets:

Here’s an ode to a surrealist…

Who’s the man in a bowler hat?

Who’s the son of man with the provocative and playful knack?

Why does the false mirror compel you to see the real gist?

Who do you know that can open the mind’s of academicians,
evoke mystery and keep nothing hidden?

Who’s better fit to depict the actualisms that appear before the eye…

with symbolisms and motifs that draw you to see what’s hidden neath the eye?

How many artists do you know that can alter sight like an optician,
illustrate optical illusions to draw attention to the visible that’s hidden?

There’s always more than meets the eye…
Did the forbidden fruit fall from a tree or was it the apple of the eye?
Never rule out what you see,
on the level – there’s always more left for the eye.

In your right mind,
your left eye is the bird’s eye…
Don’t be close minded,
open your third eye;
the windows to the unmasked soul lie in the left eye.

Did you peep the undertones of the guy in the overcoat?
How’d he hide the visible in plain sight? – Was the arm bent slight a clear indication or an oversight of the eye?
Why does keeping up appearances drive one to lose sight of the visible that is present to the eye?

How do we get past the theatrical masks?
Why are the tears of a clown too complex to grasp?
Is sight something we see
or is it a reflection of a conscious mind?

Why is sight often cited as eyesight;
why is the ability to see perceived by the range of vision on site,
why does visualization begin in the mind?

I don’t know why they say “believe half of what you see.”
I don’t know why psychoanalysis suggest: IMAGINATION can change the perceptions of reality.
What I know for sure is the surrealists invite us to look at the world differently;
even if it’s only in the mind,
even if it’s only in the mind.

–@StevieStreets #surrealism | Ode to a Surrealist

Calla Lily

Tags

calla lily, daisy petals, dandelions, no bed of roses, the garden of love

She was lovely as a calla lily…
magnificent and beautiful,
sophisticated and powerful;
she bloomed mystically.

She was much more than she appeared to be…
she was far more than a pretty face and a slim waist.
She had so much substance behind that pretty face and that slim waist…
she was much more than I cared to see.

At the root of it all,
my foolish pride was illy.

If only I’d stopped to smell the roses,
I could have cherished my calla lily.

The Garden of Love is no bed of roses,
I miss my calla lily.

They say love is stronger than pride,
my ego said “Nope! NOT AT ALL!”

Truth be told,
a calla lily is not a lily at all.

Nevertheless,
I should’ve fought for love…
when I had a calla lily in the palm of my hand;
now I’m picking the petals of a daisy,
thinking of my calla lily,
plucking dandelions,
blowing the seeds off of a dandelion globe,
making calla lily wishes,
waiting for dandelion snow to fall.

–@StevieStreets #nobedofroses | Calla Lily

Within You, Everything You Need

Tags

earth, energy, heaven, melanism, sun

Everything you need is within you…
Dear melanin-ite:
your skin absorbs sunlight;
the heavens are within you.

Everything you need is within you…
Magnesium – Iron – Zinc –
the capacity to think;
the heavens and the earth are within you.

Oxygen –
Carbon –
Nitrogen –

There’s water in your body, 9-ether in your hair – the elements of the earth are within you.

Your skin transmits energy from the sun – the heavens are within you.

Remember; the best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm – the power of God is within you.

–@StevieStreets #melanism | Within You, Everything You Need

Memorial Day Weekend

Tags

remembrance

Memorial Day…
weekend, 1994;
we hung out the night before…
the night before he was taken away.

I’ve dealt with death before, never in this way.

That morning he told me he was looking forward to graduating
and being a father to his daughter.

He stated he splurged a little,
but he met with a lawyer
to ensure the money received from his parents death
would be beneficial to his daughter.

BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM!!!
I will never forget the knock on the door,
I’ll never forget that day.

I could still see him smiling from ear to ear.

I remember wondering if he felt it coming in the air,
the last thing he told me was
“when I’m gone, pour a lil liquor or put one in the air.”

I remember finishing that school year,
sitting in class next to his empty chair.

I remember when he copped the Cherokee,
he pulled up that morning knockin’ M.O.P.

I remember how we used to write rhymes in U.S. History,
and crack jokes with Coach Volpe.

I remember the first time I drunk liquor,
it was in remembrance of my friend Joey.

–@StevieStreets | Memorial Day Weekend

Everybody Loves The Sunshine

Tags

inner glow, mindfulness, smiles, stillness, sunshine

Feel what I feel, when I feel what I’m feeling… in The SUNSHINE! -Roy Ayers | #codeofthestreets: SUNSHINE… Everybody Loves The SUNSHINE

All it takes is a little mindfulness,
to radiate your inner glow.

When you discover the beauty in the moment,
love – peace – and happiness will consume the mind.

When you think beautiful thoughts,
your presence will become illuminant; luminous as the sunshine.

All it takes is a little stillness,
to cultivate your inner glow.

Each day blooms a beautiful surprise,
let your eyes exude the sunrise.

Never lose sight of your insight,
open your heart – open your mind.

Always remember,
peace of mind is buried within pieces of the mind.

Keep in mind;
where the mind lies, the heart soon arrives.

Forget tomorrow, forget yesterday;
all you have is this moment in time.

Don’t forget to smile,
your smile is as lovely as the sunshine…

And – everybody loves the sunshine.

Forget tomorrow, forget yesterday;
it’s a lovely day,
today is a beautiful day,
all we have is this moment in time.

Don’t forget to smile,
your smile speaks volumes to a beautiful soul;
one may surmise,
the are eyes are the windows of the soul…
yet I apprise – when you open your eyes to let the sun shine in,
your inner glow becomes brilliant as a diamond…
when you unlock the power within,
even the blind can see your inner shine shinnin’…
when you live life like it’s golden,
love – peace – and happiness become treasure troves illumined in the mind…
when your heart smiles, your eyes smile;
and – your smile – your smile becomes as lovely as the sunshine.

A smile does to the soul,
what the bee does to the flower…
exercise self-restraint,
to gain ultimate power…
forget tomorrow, forget yesterday;
all we have is this moment in time…
don’t forget to smile,
your smile is as lovely as the sunshine…
don’t be afraid to let your light shine on the world,
– everybody loves the sunshine.

–@StevieStreets | Everybody Loves The Sunshine