Five years ago I said this line to a good friend of mine who was going through some problems. “God will only let you go so far until He brings you back.” Little did I know I might have been talking about myself.

It’s true that when we’re feeling a bit lost, not sure of our direction in life or in the middle of self-destructive behavior, The Father will always find a way for us to return back to Him if we want it. Now, we’re living in an era where the skepticism is high regarding His presence and power, even to the point of mocking Him, but I would have to wager that the soul who truly and deeply seeks God, will find the route created for that person to return to His loving arms.

There are so many distractions ranging from social media to cable and even the dealings with our own personal lives. It’s easy to get sidetracked and lose focus. Each one of us has to choose whether or not we need assistance in our daily lives. Even developing a personal relationship with the One who made us all. I say this as an individual who in the past five years has had to rely on His grace and mercy to battle the pressures thrown at me, the shortcomings and to celebrate the triumphs He has allowed me to have. Without Him, I am nothing. Nothing in the sense that I don’t have all the answers or know every single thing in this world. One will go mad with that kind of mindset.

Whether you believe or share the same faith, it’s true that we can’t progress without acknowledging God in our lives and the contribution He has made in making it easier when Man insists otherwise. It’s good to come back every now and then.

He would tell me to put my books in shrinkwrap as a way to preserve the cover.

He was a great help when I started my journey as an author.

He also had a great love for the art of poetry, and it shows in this piece I’d like to share with you:

MOTHER AND CHILD

A MOTHER’S WORK IS NOT EASY
THAT IS FOR SURE
THERE ARE MANY HEARTACHES
A MOTHER MUST ENDURE
CURIOSITY IS ALWAYS UPON HER
WHEN THE CHILDREN ARE OUT OF SIGHT
SHE IS ALWAYS WONDERING
IS MY CHILD ALL RIGHT?
MOTHERS CRY
AND MOTHERS FEEL
THOSE PAINS OF GIVING BIRTH
THEY WERE VERY REAL
MOTHERS PANIC
FROM THE FEARFUL SOUND
OF THEIR CHILD CRYING
WHEN THEY HAVE FALLEN DOWN
THESE THINGS ARE ALWAYS PRESENT
ON A MOTHER’S MIND
WONDERING ABOUT HER CHILDREN
ALL THE TIME
MOTHERS SHOULD RELAX
AND ENJOY THEIR DAY
CHILDREN WILL BE ROUGH
WHENEVER THEY PLAY
WITH CUTS AND BRUISES
AND OCCASIONAL FIGHTS
IF THEY ARE NOT BLEEDING
THEN THEY ARE ALL RIGHT
THESE ARE THE THINGS
THAT KEEP MOTHERS UPSET
SHE WILL WORRY ABOUT HER CHILD
NO MATTER HOW OLD THEY GET
I LOVE MY MOTHER
WITH THAT TENDER LITTLE SMILE
SHE GREETS US WITH SAYING
“HOW IS MY CHILD”

He was the Black Writers on Tour Poetry Facilitator for their open mike and contest.

He was Frank Wallace.

He was a mentor and friend. Because he wrote such wonderful poetry, he like others who have gone on who have shared their hearts with us like Merilene Murphy and Sunji Ali, he will never be missed.
 
 

Note: wrote this eight years ago. Found it personally in the same year :) This piece can be said for many levels; personal, artistic, etc.

WILL YOU EVER FIND LOVE?

Will you ever find love poet?
The scribe shrugs
Have you ever known it?
He says that he thought
He did
But told it was
At the level of
A little kid’s
So now he’d rather
The play shall end
Than walk the planet
Trying to pretend
“she” is out there
“she” will take his hand
The poet says it’s all
A lie, always has been
For he now understands.

A culmination of years, months
Days, even hours
Searching for a princess
In every basement and tower
But as he should know
Life changes the script
Makes its own revisions
Finding out too late
Loneliness is
The deadliest prison.

With bowed head he writes
Pen never leaving him
Though an inanimate object
Irony fills his heart
In all this time
He’d never suspected
The chapters of life move
Pages blown by a harsh word
Which blows past this poet’s soul
In a world spinning wildly
Out of control.

What is love?
Is it life?
The poet in the age
Where men take wives
But he stands on the top
Of a mountain
Stretching out for eternity
Grateful for his gift
Cursed with his destiny.

Maybe then - he’ll find love.

C.L.C. Copyright (c) 2005

Going back to my poetic roots, with a piece I wrote some time ago but shown for the first time here......

WAIT

Wait
Until we get away
Wait
Until we can finally say
“We can’t help you Negroes
out right now
why can’t you be
like the tribes
start your own gambling pow wow?”

Wait
Why don’t you ask
those pros?
who spend their contracts
on drinking and ‘ho’s’
what do you mean
 by asking for reparations?
don’t you see
we’re giving it back
to the best ballers
in the nation?
Don’t you get iffy
with me!
What happens if
we give you cash?
don’t you know
we’re still in a recession
and that Wall Street
might crash?

You see 2Pac
and Biggie
the results
of only a taste
all of that generous money
and you see how it all
gone to waste?
But you hold on mister
keep your hands to yourself
and off my sister
(non-Negro of course)
Wait
I can’t hear you
Like your “leaders”
Your voices are getting hoarse.

Wait
For the past five years
it’s quite evident
all you crying Negroes
now have your own president
shout at him!
just like little kids
tell him you want your
“money”
oh hold on, you did?
and you’re still not paid
I’m sure he has a good reason
not to
I know I wouldn’t
being afraid
But you see
we just can’t allow him
to do that
our corporate friends
would be perturbed
if we didn’t have enough currency
for them to funnel
to other islands
no way do we want that disturbed.

Ahem!
Reader, don’t you see
the mindset
of the opposite side
it makes you wonder
Individuals
like the speaker
think inside
not saying all
are this way
Just a few
it would be troubling
if we don’t change that thinking
True?

C.L.C. Copyright (c) 2013

Had a quick thought on an earlier post relating to "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street"

Remember the climax of the classic Twilight Zone episode where the aliens sit back and watch from their spaceship, controlling the machinery in the affected neighborhood, allowing the fear and paranoia of each of the neighbors to take hold in their consciousness? Remember when one of the aliens mentions that all the earthlings had to do was destroy themselves?

Don’t you see a similar pattern on social media?

I’m referring to the flood of conspiracy theories, End Time posts, links to various news sources which may or may not be true, pictures of quotes of famous celebrities not mentioned by them at all, emotional drama saddled within? Doesn’t it seem quite curious to you that like the aliens, all we’re doing is destroying ourselves….at the very least, our conscious minds? Our rational senses? Perhaps we’re led down a rabbit hole from which we may never return?

Think about it. I’ll even provide the clip of the ending of the episode referenced above. Then, the next time you log on to Facebook, or Twitter, even Google Plus, reflect on that. See whether or not you agree.

Just adding my two cents! Take care.