Rosa Parks's Poetry of Hope, Oprah Winfrey's Books, Nelson Mandela's Poetry of Change

Rosa Parks's Magic Farm Adventures (A Fictional Account of Rosa's Early Life and Childhood on a Level Farm in Alabama)

2015-02-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

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We met Rosa Parks when she was 42 years old on December 1, 1955 in the front row of a city bus. How about her early life and childhood?

Born Rosa Louise McCauley, she was the loving daughter of James and Leona McCauley, respectively a carpenter and a teacher. Rosa grew up on a farm in Level, Alabama. Her parents and she lived on the grandparents' farm. This book is a fictional account of Rosa McCauley's childhood on a large farm. It will tell you about the many adventures she used to go on with her pet dog Chester and pet goat Chiva.

This book is a fictional account of Rosa McCauley's childhood on a large farm. It will tell you about the many adventures she used to go on with her pet dog Chester and pet goat Chiva. It will also tell you how Rosa got her first babysitting job. Having learned how to take care of chickens, pigs, goats on the farm, she grew up to be a very responsible girl.

Playing soldiers is one thing, but trespassing onto a forbidden community full of hatred and bent on keeping the status quo was another thing. It was pure suicide for those two black boys.
And the suspense builds on.
Find out what happened when some clansmen spotted them galloping away.....from their cross stockpile....
This is an action-packed, fictional account of Rosa's childhood adventures.

Other Books:

1. Rosa Parks's Fictional, Reimagined Childhood Adventures

2.Top Black History Month Poems and Books, Feb. 2012

3. Black History Month Poems, 2010

To You, My Inspiration (Black History Month, 2012)

2015-02-03T07:21:00.000-08:00

To You, my Inspiration (Black History Month, 2012)
by J. J. Charles, 2012
Laughing and crying in the same breath and with the same fervor
Laughing to keep from crying about our dreams deferred
Laughing about our solitude in crowded spaces, laughing with much ardor
Crying about the huge gap of indifference despite our interdependence
Laughing about our smartphones and social media that make us dumber
Crying about the mountain we have to climb each time we gaze upon its peak
The glass ceiling still exists to remind us of the road nonetheless traveled
It appears there is always something on our path to knock us down
However a thousand times we’ll get back up ‘cause our hope is well anchored
Nothing is a gift. All is given to us on a loan. Grateful we must continuously be
For the achievements of our lives and immense joy brought to us by family and friends
Oh such a feast to be alive today and be able to share the bounty of these times!
In comparison, others before us had a harder time. Yet, they went on their way
Singing, whistling, loving, laboring, dreaming, and dancing in the rain
What unites us to our forebears is the eternal spring of renaissance
Swearing to bury and not to recycle the ills of the past, we will be triumphant
In our forward-looking stance in many areas of our common terrestrial pilgrimage
For without hope, we are like a broken-winged bird
Therefore, we will keep on laughing, dreaming, and hoping for a better tomorrow
Over will be our daily heartache, worries, misunderstanding, and deception!
Oh, may this day be hastened to be christened the day of pure joy and glory!

Mr. J.J. Charles is the author of this book and many others:

Freedom Rides to Sweet Magnolia: Eyes on the Prize - Why I Got on The Bus
A Booklet of Poetry on the Men, Women, -Black as Well as White,
Young as Well as Old- Who Boarded Buses To Protest and End
Discriminatory Practices in the U.S.A.

Purchase it now at Smashwords with this coupon: WS42T

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...Excerpt from the Booklet of Poetry:

New Chants D’Espérance Hymns EBook & Lyrics: Soaring on Wings Like Eagles is a collection of poems and chants inspired by the Christian faith. It has poems that will encourage Haitians and the rest of the international community in their efforts to find a lasting solution to the Haitian problems caused by the Jan. 12, 2010 quake. It tells you from which sources Haitians find comfort in these difficult times. This way, you can better appreciate Haitians' resilience, faith and dedication. This new book can be sub-titled, "Haitian Writings for Hard Times." All the lyrical poems were written in English.

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Nelson Mandela's Poetic Biography: How to Live Before You Die, Experience Leadership Academy, Best Business Quotes and Freedom Struggle

2014-11-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

Book Review

Tables of Content
1, Purest Form of Gold: A Long Journey to Freedom Day
2. What is it like to be Free? Nelson Mandela’s Freedom
3, Awupatha: We Shall Not Be Dominated
4. Robben Island
5. Life Celebration
6. Tribute to all the Comrades:
Mandela Pays Tribute to the Martyrs of the Struggle
7. Rolihlahla, the “Troublemaker” for the Right Cause
8. Robben Island: Thrown into the Heart of Darkness
9. Robben Island: From Darkness to Light
10. Men Made of Gold: My Respect and Tribute
11. God Bless Africa!
12. Apartheid: The Idiocy of It All
13. Bullies’ Indignities: Down with all Bullies
14. Time to Breathe Fresh

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Nelson Mandela’s Poetic Biography:
Best Quotes, Leadership Academy and Freedom Struggle
Foreword:
As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by freedom fighters and human rights activists. They are men and women who seek to redress the wrongs of their societies. I am talking about men such as the various African kings who fought hard to turn back the tides of slavery and occupation of their homeland, Abraham Lincoln who fought to keep the Union intact and ultimately emancipate the American slaves, Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Alexandre Petion, Henri Christophe, Jean Francois Biassou and many others who fought to liberate St. Domingue (Santo Domingo) and create the first black republic in the world, Haiti, Martin Luther King Jr. Rosa Parks, and countless others who fought in the Civil Rights Movement. The list of those who sacrificed their lives, possessions, and families for the freedom of the People, their people and complete strangers, is very long.

Nelson Mandela follows in the footsteps of all those heroes. He knew that South Africa could treat her sons and daughters better. He also knew that there were many other men and women from all ethnic and racial backgrounds who were feeling oppressed by the nationalist agenda. If the majority was not free, the minority was not either. Finding time and devising ways to redress the wrongs and indignities directed to the dark-skinned members of the society would have to take place over time. Little did he then know that the personal cost of his commitment would be very high and arduous!

Nelson Mandela knew that he had to give up everything to launch himself into the Freedom Struggle. He figuratively became a sacrificial lamb for the cause. Many others stopped bullets with their own skin and body only to depart the struggle at a very young and promising age. The non-violent revolution was not fought without bloodshed orchestrated by the apartheid regime. Wrongful accusations and imprisonments were common. And Nelson Mandela and many of his comrades would spend more than 27 years in prison. Many South Africans and sympathizers all over the world were also suffering along with the convicted ANC members. After all, if one was in jail, all were in jail. With hammers, they crushed stones. They were sent to the lime quarry. Their determination to the cause could not be crushed despite the forced labor they endured. Despite the situation, they managed to study and educate themselves at the Robben Island University (the prison).

In this booklet, you will read about the true measures and characters of men and women who survived the most brutal attacks against their persona but who coped and ended up surviving only to finally triumph. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity. The warders as well as the prisoners were not free. So many times, the warders had to defer to Nelson Mandela and his group in many areas.

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Order This New Poetry Book, "Freedom Rides To Sweet Magnolia: Eyes on The Prize - Why I Got on The Bus" by the Author of "Rosa Parks's Inspiration and Sitting on the Bus"

2014-05-10T00:50:00.000-07:00

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...Excerpt from the Booklet of Poetry:

1961: Shaking The Status Quo
by J. J. Charles, writer/author

Welcome to the Camelot era. Indeed, a new president may bring in much needed change
JFK brings in a new way of looking at things: ensues a general period of malaise and upheaval!
The fruits of freedom that this country promised to her citizens are not enjoyed by all
Huge as well as small winds of change start blowing. To many, the Deep South is out of range
The images of separation, abuse, and daily torment are engraved in the minds of little boys and girls
Parents are fearful of letting their children go on to this mean world that does not spare the weak
The idea is to test and challenge the segregated travel facilities of the South through twist and twirls
Putting an end to Jim Crow that forced black people to use separate water fountains, public restrooms,
Waiting rooms, and back seats is not decided on a whim. Oh well, better to become change freak!
Aboard and onward we go! After all, such inhumane practices were abolished in courtrooms!
Soon the evidence of travels from Washington, D.C. through Charlotte, Columbia, Atlanta, Montgomery, Birmingham, Nashville, Memphis, Jackson and New Orleans shows it is easier to put a man into space
Than to change attitudes, customs, end Jim Crow and discrimination among the human race
Less courageous friends and parents cry as they witness the sacrifice of the freedom riders going merry

Freedom Rides: Why I Got on The Bus (Poetry Booklet)

Delivery of the booklet PDF is by Email

"Singing sustains and energizes us through danger and fear. Through long days and longer nights; through cold, hard winters; and hot, fierce summers, "freedom songs" nurture us, protect us, and keep us sane. They are the expression of our ideology, and the songs we sing together are the pledge of trust and committment that we make to each other."

Samples of Poems Extracted from "Nelson Mandela’s Poetic Biography: How to Live Before You Die - Experience Leadership Academy, Best Business Quotes and Freedom Struggle"

2012-11-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

Robben Island: Invictus / Unconquered

I am Rolihlahla Mandela
I am Nelson Mandela
I am the First Accused
I am ready to die for my people’s freedom and rights
Though my body may be locked in this cell, by these walls,
My mind roams free all over South Africa
These walls and this prison cannot contain the people’s ideas
Freedom beckons them.
I am Rolihlahla Mandela
I am Nelson Mandela
I told P.W. Botha and F. W. de Klerk that my people yearned to be free
I negotiated with them behind the walls of Robben Island
Even though I had my hands tied behind my back, even though the arduous work load would become unbearable, I did not lose hope
Breaking rocks days in and days out was not a picnic

======================

Book Review

Tables of Content
1, Purest Form of Gold: A Long Journey to Freedom Day
2. What is like to be Free? Nelson Mandela’s Freedom
3, Awupatha: We Shall Not Be Dominated
4. Robben Island
5. Life Celebration
6. Tribute to all the Comrades:
Mandela Pays Tribute to the Martyrs of the Struggle
7. Rolihlahla, the “Troublemaker” for the Right Cause
8. Robben Island: Thrown into the Heart of Darkness
9. Robben Island: From Darkness to Light
10. Men Made of Gold: My Respect and Tribute
11. God Bless Africa!
12. Apartheid: The Idiocy of It All
13. Bullies’ Indignities: Down with all Bullies
14. Time to Breathe Fresh

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Bullies’ Indignities: Down with all Bullies

Think again if you thought bullies had a tough skin. They are paper mache
Like cheetahs that stalk their prey, soon they give up the chase
And when confronted by alpha lions or even hyenas, they leave their kill or target
Like hyenas and vultures, bullies are opportunistic scavengers
Bullies do not have the stomach to fight a protracted fight because they know they are wrong. Sooner or later, they will crack under the pressure and spotlight
Bullies have a brittle but fragile exterior. They lack the moral standards
They are show horses. Clydesdale horses they are not!
Bullies are boys or girls in transition. They are spoiled brats who need discipline and guidance
Put them in front of natural hardships. They’ll crumble like sheets of paper
The natural men live in harmony with their surroundings. They share, support, mentor, and nurture the young minds
True men have natural obligations and bring honor to their birthplace
They build stuff with their hands and mind. They hunt, build a fire, roast a pig or a goat, eat the ears of corns from their garden
True men sit around under the stars to tell tales, boast about their conquests and prowess. Long live the natural men and women among us!

Top Black Women in American History and Culture: From Harriet Tubman, Oprah Winfrey to Rosa Parks and Michelle Obama...

2012-02-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

Black Women in American History and Culture

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE - Educator and activist mobilized thousands of black women as leader and founder of the National Association of Colored Women and National Council of Negro Women. She helped establish Bethune-Cookman College.
DR. MAE JEMISON – NASA astronaut and the first black woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992.
ROSA PARKS – African American Civil Rights activist called the mother of the modern day civil rights movement.
SHIRLEY CHISHOLM – In 1968 she became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress representing New York’s 12th Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983.
HARRIET TUBMAN - Escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist. She led hun-dreds of enslaved people to freedom along the route of the Underground Railroad, and was known as the Moses of her people.
WILMA RUDOLPH – The first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Olympic games. Named Associated Press Woman Athlete of the year twice.
ALTHEA GIBSON – Tennis champion and the first African-American invited to play at Wimbledon and the first to win a Grand Slam title in 1957 and again in 1958.
OPRAH WINFREY – Businesswoman, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthro-pist, hailed by Life Magazine as the most influential woman of her generation. In 2005 Business Week named her the greatest black philanthropist in American history.
ELLA FITZGERALD - "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was arguably the finest female jazz singer of all time having sold over 40 million albums and winning 13 Grammy awards.
MAYA ANGELOU – Civil rights activist, poet, teacher and prize winning autobiograph-ical novelist. One of only two poets asked to read at a Presidential inauguration
Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of Medgar Evers, Civil Rights Leader and Icon, shot almost 5 decades ago in Mississippi. She wants us not to forget Medgar Evers who paved the way for Martin Luther King and others to fight for equal rights
Michelle Obama, Wife of President Barack Obama, The First African-American First Lady

Inspired by Rosa Parks's Courage and Sitting on the Bus: How to Find Inspiration For Our Hard Times

2012-01-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

Purchase this book for far less, $9.99 at Amazon /Kindle Direct Publishing

Inspired by Rosa Parks's Courage and Sitting on the Bus (v.4) is an inspirational book of poetry that compels us to look back and forward to find signs of inspiration in our lives and current difficult times. This book of poetry has 100 new and selected poems published solely for your edification and uplifting. Find more at http://poetrybusinessblog.blogspot.com

Rosa Parks's Courage and Sitting on the Bus is an inspirational book of poetry that compels us to look back and forward to find signs of inspiration in our lives and current difficult times. This book of poetry has new and selected poems published solely for your edification and uplifting. Find more at http://poetrybusinessblog.blogspot.com

Nelson Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela aka 'Madiba or Tata: Nelson Mandela's Poetry, Poems, Quotes, and Prose

2011-12-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

Book Review

Tables of Content
1, Purest Form of Gold: A Long Journey to Freedom Day
2. What is like to be Free? Nelson Mandela’s Freedom
3, Awupatha: We Shall Not Be Dominated
4. Robben Island
5. Life Celebration
6. Tribute to all the Comrades:
Mandela Pays Tribute to the Martyrs of the Struggle
7. Rolihlahla, the “Troublemaker” for the Right Cause
8. Robben Island: Thrown into the Heart of Darkness
9. Robben Island: From Darkness to Light
10. Men Made of Gold: My Respect and Tribute
11. God Bless Africa!
12. Apartheid: The Idiocy of It All
13. Bullies’ Indignities: Down with all Bullies
14. Time to Breathe Fresh

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Extracts and Passages of the Oprah Winfrey's Eulogy for Rosa Parks

2011-12-15T07:48:00.001-08:00

Oprah Winfrey's Eulogy For Rosa Parks

Oprah Winfrey's Eulogy for Rosa Parks

Reverend Braxton, family, friends, admirers, and this amazing choir:

I -- I feel it an honor to be here to come and say a final goodbye. I grew up in the South, and Rosa Parks was a hero to me long before I recognized and understood the power and impact that her life embodied. I remember my father telling me about this colored woman who had refused to give up her seat. And in my child's mind, I thought, "She must be really big." I thought she must be at least a hundred feet tall. I imagined her being stalwart and strong and carrying a shield to hold back the white folks. And then I grew up and had the esteemed honor of meeting her. And wasn't that a surprise. Here was this petite, almost delicate lady who was the personification of grace and goodness. And I thanked her then. I said, "Thank you," for myself and for every colored girl, every colored boy, who didn't have heroes who were celebrated. I thanked her then.

And after our first meeting I realized that God uses good people to do great things. And I'm here today to say a final thank you, Sister Rosa, for being a great woman who used your life to serve, to serve us all. That day that you refused to give up your seat on the bus, you, Sister Rosa, changed the trajectory of my life and the lives of so many other people in the world. I would not be standing here today nor standing where I stand every day had she not chosen to sit down. I know that. I know that. I know that. I know that, and I honor that. Had she not chosen to say we shall not -- we shall not be moved.

So I thank you again, Sister Rosa, for not only confronting the one white man who[se] seat you took, not only confronting the bus driver, not only for confronting the law, but for confronting history, a history that for 400 years said that you were not even worthy of a glance, certainly no consideration. I thank you for not moving.

And in that moment when you resolved to stay in that seat, you reclaimed your humanity and you gave us all back a piece of our own. I thank you for that. I thank you for acting without concern. I often thought about what that took, knowing the climate of the times and what could have happened to you, what it took to stay seated. You acted without concern for yourself and made life better for us all. We shall not be moved. I marvel at your will. I celebrate your strength to this day. And I am forever grateful, Sister Rosa, for your courage, your conviction. I owe you to succeed. I will not be moved.

Oprah Winfrey's Eulogy For Rosa Parks

Nelson Mandela Inspired by Invictus (Unconquered) , Poem by William Ernest Henley

2011-11-27T11:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a copy of the poem that inspired Nelson Mandela during his imprisonment at Robben Island for 18 years. It was written by William Earnest Henley from his hospital bed. Our research showed that the poem provided Nelson Mandela with the much needed hope he needed. He knew that he would be free some day the same way that William E. Henley triumphed over the amputation of his leg.

What a lot of people have not realized is that Nelson Mandela and his prison mates used their captivity to educate themselves. Many of them obtained many advanced degrees in captivity. In particular, Nelson Mandela enjoyed literature, the study of English, the classics. He was used to participating in a seasonal play. He practiced his thespian skills. In the movie Invictus, encouraging his team, Nelson Mandela hand-wrote it for the captain of the rugby team.

INVICTUS (Latin for Unconquered or Awupatha)
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

==============

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Steve Jobs' Poetic Biography, Business Principles, Acumen and Decisions, How to Live Before You Die, and Reality Distortion Theory Field

2011-11-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

The world has lost a great mind, a wonderful innovator, a competitor for sure, but a great pitchman!

Steve Jobs left us with some great gadgets such as the iphone, ipod, and iPad. But his life and example are full of lessons, words of wisdom for the business people and contemporary entrepreneurs.

Purchase a copy of this ebook from Amazon/Kindle: Steve Jobs'Poetic Biogrpahy, Business Principles and Decisions: How to Live before You die.

Purchase a copy of "Steve Jobs' Poetic Biography, Business Principles and Decisions: How to live before You die...."

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If you like Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, you will also like this ebook, "Steve Jobs’ Poetic Biography, Business Principles and Decisions: How to Live Before Dying, Acumen, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship"

"Steve Jobs’ Poetic Biography, Business Principles and Decisions: How to Live Before Dying, Acumen, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship" is a book based on the public life and business acumen of the Apple Co-founder and icon. Through his product design, focus, and presentations, Steve Jobs had a profound impact not only on the Tech industry but also on many other fields such as marketing, showmanship, product design, architecture, poetry, spirituality, and entrepreneurship. This book is designed to help the young entrepreneurs and students of business understand what is important to consumers and related consumer experience

A New Poem on Occupy Wall Street by Drew Dellinger

2011-10-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

Occupy Wall Street
by Drew Dellinger

We need global
citizens for some sit-ins
again.
I say we all meet
on Wall Street
and lock down--
lock the whole block down!

I take exception to the rule
of the greedy and the cruel.

This fall, school’s in session
and the lesson is Wall Street.
It’s time for action
and your name’s on the call sheet.
It’s time we all meet
and name what it is:
the game has been rigged
to enrich corporate
business interests that sent this economy spinning.
Charlie Sheen is not the only clueless dude that thinks he’s winning.

See, the one percent done spent all the rent.
And now the rent’s due, so we’re coming to a tent near you.

We’re the like-minded ninety-nine percent
standing up to corruption with loving dissent.

We stand for justice,
and the future,
and all of humanity.
Embracing all people.
Yes, even Sean Hannity.

The message is simple:
greed, injustice, and eco-destruction have to go.
Pay attention corporate media. We’ll try to say it slow.

It’s time to
rock the nation,
rock this occupation.

It’s time for people to peacefully fight back.
Tell Congress and the media we’re taking the mic back.

Tell the jaded it’s that long-awaited revolution.
Put away the pepper spray and re-read the Constitution.
These cops are paid to go crazy, yo.
But we’re peaceful.
Don’t tase me, bro.

We came to incite insight,
unite and discuss this.
We came to hang, and to bang the drums of justice.

Let’s occupy
with our love and our light.

Let’s occupy
the earth and the sky,
and live with all beings
as a planet-wide tribe.

Occupy the divine mind residing inside.

See, I’m the type writer
that’s known to light fires
and prone to inspire
the moment’s own higher desire.

‘Cause history knows it’s the time
for resisting the team at the scene of the crime.

Tell your friends I’ll meet ‘em there at Freedom Square.
They can’t stop us, from Seattle to Chiapas.
It’s our mission to envision
what comes after the catastrophe.
How do we move past
the capitalist disaster?

Our communities need us.
We are all leaders.

How could we ask for anything less than the future?

--Drew Dellinger

LupeFiasco.com (Lupe Fiasco) Sent 50 Tents to OccupyWallStreet and Wrote Poem

2011-10-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Poem by Lupe Fiasco:

Hey Moneyman by Lupe Fiasco

Hey Moneyman the crowd is outside. The past, the future and the now is outside. The teachers and cooks and the drop-outs too. Word on the street is they looking for you…

Hey Moneyman they saying whats the score? And how much blood have you spilled on the butcher shop floor? Those numbers keep running but what they running into? The crowd is outside and they asking of you…

Hey Moneyman Moneyman the mayors' on the phone. He says he wants to know if all those people went home. Those momma's and poppa's and students and cooks. Those teachers and preachers, one second I'll look…

Hey Moneyman Moneyman the tents are still up, the songs are still singing and the coffee's in cups. The nights due to fall and the sun's going down but its still a whole mess of good folks hanging round...

They eyes are wide and their voices are loud. Its white and black and colorless proud. The signs are big and the smiles are bright. By heaven I reckon its gone be one hell of a night!

Hey Moneyman poor Moneyman you should slip out the back. Cuz the forces of greed are under attack. No bombs or bullets or rocks or guns. Just hashtag's and voices at the tops of their lungs!

And Moneyman Moneyman I wont need a ride. But if you need me…

You can find me outside.

By Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco

========================

Welcome to the Poetry of Occupy Wall Street! Welcome to the financial capital of the United States of America and the World!

Purchase a PDF copy of "The Wall Street's Human Microphone Waves" Poetry and Song Lyrics Book for $5.00 now

Since Sept. 17,2011, large groups of demonstrators have been protesting against what they perceive to be the overt shameless corporate American greed. They are fed up by the rapaciousness of Wall Street, inattention and ungratefulness of the large banks that received large sums of money under the TARP that bailed them out of economic, financial crises during the early days of the recession only to turn back and hit the same tax payers with bank fees and sorts of money schemes. What is worse is that the bank presidents and higher officials are rewarded for their work with large bonuses ranging in the millions of dollars.

What is Occupy Wall Street all about?

“#OCCUPYWALLSTREET is a people powered movement for democracy that began in America on September 17 with an encampment in the financial district of New York City
Inspired by the Egyptian Tahrir Square uprising and the Spanish acampadas, we vow to end the monied corruption of our democracy.”

========

Here is a sample of this poetry book:

This poem was written by the author of "...Soaring on Wings Like Eagles..," "Freedom Rides to sweet Magnolia..,"

A Dream Deferred
Debt is slavery!
Its yoke the 99% is ready to break once for all
People not Profits! Down with Corporate Greed!
Remember the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP)!
Listen to the voice of the people on the streets
Why have you refused to help us
It is your turn to step up to the plate
Bankers, pay back your debt to the tax payers
And to the millions of families who do not want to be foreclosed on
Homelessness is inhumane
Joblessness can lead to all kinds of vices and temptations
Let us reclaim our voice and ‘hood from Wall Street to Detroit,
From the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to India
These hill-side shantytowns are no better than the ghettos
Of Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago
The wilderness is reclaiming the land; inhabitants are fleeing the physical degradation
They are making their last stand against economic injustice
The 99% has had enough. Main Street is asking Wall Street to repay its debts
Who is out there to listen to their cry of agony and humiliation?
We are getting on the economic freedom rides
Help us get free from debt, foreclosure. Give hope to our young and educated children
Help us! Help! Help! We are drowning in the filth on the streets!
Won’t you come down from your highrise to witness the misery we are vegetating in?
We are cold and hungry. Do not let the human voice¸ the human microphone disappear

========

Purchase a copy of Laurent Dubois Descartes's "The Wall Street's Human Microphone Waves" from Amazon Kindle right here, right now.

Purchase a copy of Laurent Dubois Descartes's The Wall Street's Human Microphone Waves from Barnes and Noble as a nook ebook

Purchase a PDF copy of "The Wall Street's Human Microphone Waves" Poetry and Song Lyrics Book for $5.00 now

Since Sept. 17,2011, large groups of demonstrators have been protesting against what they perceive to be the overt shameless corporate American greed. They are fed up by the rapaciousness of Wall Street, inattention and ungratefulness of the large banks that received large sums of money under the TARP that bailed them out of economic, financial crises during the early days of the recession only to turn back and hit the same tax payers with bank fees and sorts of money schemes. What is worse is that the bank presidents and higher officials are rewarded for their work with large bonuses ranging in the millions of dollars.

What is Occupy Wall Street all about?

“#OCCUPYWALLSTREET is a people powered movement for democracy that began in America on September 17 with an encampment in the financial district of New York City
Inspired by the Egyptian Tahrir Square uprising and the Spanish acampadas, we vow to end the monied corruption of our democracy.”

Having spent more than 23 days on the pavement of Wall Street, the protesters are organizing themselves to finally deliver a message to the financial world.

Protesters appear to come from all economic groups, religious, ethnic backgrounds. They are organizing themselves in general assemblies. Unable to use a microphone or bullhorns, they form what is called "waves of human microphone" which repeats what the speaker says to the rest of the assembled crowd.

Thus far, the movement has a website, www.occupywallstreet.org. It is seeking donations from volunteers. The donations can be in foods to feed the people who have been sleeping on the streets. Early scuffles with the police have not deterred them. Neither have the changing environmental elements. Just like the protesters of Tahrir Square and the Spanish acampadas, they are willing to brave the elements and police to effect change in the financial life of this country. In other words, they want to stop the monied corruption to repeat their own words.

Purchase a PDF copy of "The Wall Street's Human Microphone Waves" Poetry and Song Lyrics Book for $5.00 now

=================
Here is a sample of this poetry book:

This poem was written by the author of "...Soaring on Wings Like Eagles..," "Freedom Rides to sweet Magnolia..,"

A Dream Deferred
Debt is slavery!
Its yoke the 99% is ready to break once for all
People not Profits! Down with Corporate Greed!
Remember the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP)!
Listen to the voice of the people on the streets
Why have you refused to help us
It is your turn to step up to the plate
Bankers, pay back your debt to the tax payers
And to the millions of families who do not want to be foreclosed on
Homelessness is inhumane
Joblessness can lead to all kinds of vices and temptations
Let us reclaim our voice and ‘hood from Wall Street to Detroit,
From the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to India
These hill-side shantytowns are no better than the ghettos
Of Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago
The wilderness is reclaiming the land; inhabitants are fleeing the physical degradation
They are making their last stand against economic injustice
The 99% has had enough. Main Street is asking Wall Street to repay its debts
Who is out there to listen to their cry of agony and humiliation?
We are getting on the economic freedom rides
Help us get free from debt, foreclosure. Give hope to our young and educated children
Help us! Help! Help! We are drowning in the filth on the streets!
Won’t you come down from your highrise to witness the misery we are vegetating in?
We are cold and hungry. Do not let the human voice¸ the human microphone disappear

Waves of the Human Microphone: OWS - The Poetry@Occupy Wall Street, Songs, and Lyrics of Occupy Wall Street Movement

2011-10-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Poetry of Occupy Wall Street! Welcome to the financial capital of the United States of America and the World!

Purchase a copy of Laurent Dubois Descartes's "The Wall Street's Human Microphone Waves" from Amazon Kindle right here, right now.

Purchase a copy of Laurent Dubois Descartes's The Wall Street's Human Microphone Waves from Barnes and Noble as a nook ebook

Purchase a PDF copy of "The Wall Street's Human Microphone Waves" Poetry and Song Lyrics Book for $5.00 now

Since Sept. 17,2011, large groups of demonstrators have been protesting against what they perceive to be the overt shameless corporate American greed. They are fed up by the rapaciousness of Wall Street, inattention and ungratefulness of the large banks that received large sums of money under the TARP that bailed them out of economic, financial crises during the early days of the recession only to turn back and hit the same tax payers with bank fees and sorts of money schemes. What is worse is that the bank presidents and higher officials are rewarded for their work with large bonuses ranging in the millions of dollars.

What is Occupy Wall Street all about?

“#OCCUPYWALLSTREET is a people powered movement for democracy that began in America on September 17 with an encampment in the financial district of New York City
Inspired by the Egyptian Tahrir Square uprising and the Spanish acampadas, we vow to end the monied corruption of our democracy.”

Having spent more than 23 days on the pavement of Wall Street, the protesters are organizing themselves to finally deliver a message to the financial world.

Protesters appear to come from all economic groups, religious, ethnic backgrounds. They are organizing themselves in general assemblies. Unable to use a microphone or bullhorns, they form what is called "waves of human microphone" which repeats what the speaker says to the rest of the assembled crowd.

Thus far, the movement has a website, www.occupywallstreet.org. It is seeking donations from volunteers. The donations can be in foods to feed the people who have been sleeping on the streets. Early scuffles with the police have not deterred them. Neither have the changing environmental elements. Just like the protesters of Tahrir Square and the Spanish acampadas, they are willing to brave the elements and police to effect change in the financial life of this country. In other words, they want to stop the monied corruption to repeat their own words.

Purchase a PDF copy of "The Wall Street's Human Microphone Waves" Poetry and Song Lyrics Book for $5.00 now

New Book of Poetry, Reviews, and Essays: "Top Secret Sexual Guidance and...for Married Couples, Divorced Parents, and Singles: One Hundred Popular Sex Twists and Turns and Decoding Intense Sex Dreams"

2011-08-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

You can buy a copy of this book 'Top Secret Sexual Guidance and Fertility Tips for Married Couples, Divorced Parents, and Singles: One Hundred Sexual Twists and Turns and Decoding Intense Sex Dreams' at Barnes and Noble as a Nook book.

This is a hot book, sort of a la Zane erotica series, but the only difference is that it is a book of poems, reviews, and short essays on important subjects and topics ranging from dating, mail brides, lonely American and Canadian men and women, falling in love after divorce, the dos and dont's of dating, the new dating scene, whether it is appropriate to hire a dating coach, where to go to meet single parents, the lows of divorce court, infidelity, dumb cheating with smartphones, fertility issues, getting caught sexting while married or in a relationship, narcissism to social media preaching and building instant gratification and a me-generation etc.

Ruth Anne Lovemore and Christopher Luis Charlemagne have done a good job addressing the above mentioned topics and much more in this new book. Using their combined fields of work, psychology, psychiatry, therapy, ABS or behavior management, these two authors got tired or listening to the stories of their close friends and family members who had to go through divorce, separation and heartache. They decide to help them decipher and come to terms with the various facts of their particular cases and move on with their shattered lives. Miss Lovemore and Mr. Charlemagne present and synthesize real stories of real people who want to seek love in the wrong places and from the wrong kind of people.

The authors write about subjects such as how to make a baby, fertility issues, natural fruits and foods that boost sexual drive and may lead to pregnancy. They also show the importance of prayers and connectedness in their quest and pregnancy adventures.

This is a great read for anybody who has ever fallen in love, gotten out of love, or is thinking about dating again or getting married some day.

You will learn things that are not taught in college, business schools and universities. The authors themselves do not rely solely on their Western or pedagogic, didactic knowledge to write this book and make their recommendations. They use the school of hard knocks too.

You can buy a copy of this book 'Top Secret Sexual Guidance and Fertility Tips for Married Couples, Divorced Parents, and Singles: One Hundred Sexual Twists and Turns and Decoding Intense Sex Dreams' at Barnes and Noble as a Nook book.

Poet Laureate Philip Levine's Sample Poems: The Poet Who Influenced and Mentored Many Central Valley Poets

2011-08-18T00:24:00.000-07:00

The New World by Philip Levine

A man roams the streets with a basket
of freestone peaches hollering, "Peaches,
peaches, yellow freestone peaches for sale."

My grandfather in his prime could outshout
the Tigers of Wrath or the factory whistles
along the river. Hamtramck hungered

for yellow freestone peaches, downriver
wakened from a dream of work, Zug Island danced
into the bright day glad to be alive.

Full-figured women in their negligees
streamed into the streets from the dark doorways
to demand in Polish or Armenian

the ripened offerings of this new world.
Josef Prisckulnick out of Dubrovitsa
to Detroit by way of Ellis Island

raised himself regally to his full height
of five feet two and transacted until
the fruit was gone into those eager hands.

Thus would there be a letter sent across
an ocean and a continent, and thus
would Sadie waken to the news of wealth

without limit in the bright and distant land,
and thus bags were packed and she set sail
for America. Some of this is true.

The women were gaunt. All day the kids dug
in the back lots searching for anything.
The place was Russia with another name.

Joe was five feet two. Dubrovitsa burned
to gray ashes the west wind carried off,
then Rovno went, then the Dnieper turned to dust.

We sat around the table telling lies
while the late light filled an empty glass.
Bread, onions, the smell of burning butter,

small white potatoes we shared with no one
because the hour was wrong, the guest was late,
and this was Michigan in 1928.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Detroit Grease Shop Poem by Philip Levine

Four bright steel crosses,
universal joints, plucked
out of the burlap sack --
"the heart of the drive train,"
the book says. Stars
on Lemon's wooden palm,
stars that must be capped,
rolled, and anointed,
that have their orders
and their commands as he
has his.

Under the blue
hesitant light another day
at Automotive
in the city of dreams.
We're all here to count
and be counted, Lemon,
Rosie, Eugene, Luis,
and me, too young to know
this is for keeps, pinning
on my apron, rolling up
my sleeves.

The roof leaks
from yesterday's rain,
the waters gather above us
waiting for one mistake.
When a drop falls on Lemon's
corded arm, he looks at it
as though it were something
rare or mysterious
like a drop of water or
a single lucid meteor
fallen slowly from
nowhere and burning on
his skin like a tear.

Philip Levine, Former Fresno State Professor, Named U.S Poet Laureate

2011-08-10T22:54:00.001-07:00

Mr. Levine, all of your former students are rejoicing with you! It is time that the country and the world find your works! All along, we have known what kind of work you have produced! Now the secret is out! Enjoy it to the fullest!

In 1995, Philip Levine earned a Pulitzer price for this poem, "The Simple Truth," which was based on his life experiences in Fresno. It includes the portrait of a Polish woman who used to sell produce at the corner of Fruit and Ashlan. It has been reported that the ex-Fresno State student started writing poetry as a teenager in Detroit.
"Levine began writing as a teenager in Detroit. He was inspired by poems about real life in cities and life on the battlefield during World War II.

Levine taught at Fresno State for years. He had many students there. He also taught at other prestigious universities all around the country. Philip Levine taught at Columbia, Brown and New York University. We are saying congratulations to him!

Who said that Fresno could not nurture somebody who would go on to impact the whole country and the world? Besides producing all kinds of fruit and being recognized as the fruit basket of the world, Fresno also grows great poetry. It inspires people to write poems. (Just take a look at the bottom of this page to see some of the Fresno-inspired poetry)

Philip Levine writes about the working class in his poetry. He writes about what he knows. Detroit. Born of Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Levine saw men and women giving their sweat to be able to eat.

Levine's goal is to engage the mass by taking poetry to them, "I want to bring poetry to people who have no idea how relevant poetry is to their lives,"

What does Professor Levine intend to do with the prize and the attention he is getting on a global basis now?

He jokes that he is going to use his bully pulpit or the spotlight to bring attention to other poets who are not known by poetry readers and the rest of the world!

That is the sign of true altruism. He is thinking about helping others, just like he has done with so many former students at Fresno State, Columbia and anywhere else. He also wants to bring attention to the plight of the working class, the kind of people who people his books of poetry.

Keep writing poetry, Mr. Levine! The U.S. and the rest of the world need to hear from you!

Haitian Books of Hope: The Backbone of Haitian Faith and Resilience: Singing, Praising, and Worshipping, and Dancing...

2011-06-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a review of this book: "Allelluia Haitian Chants of Hope and Faith: Praise to Thee, O Lord, King of Eternal Glory... is a listing of the most requested songs or hymns on ChandesperansOnline.com. It is the web site users' and authors' selections of their favorite hymns from the famous Chants d'esperance Francais et Creoles Haitiens. The authors of this release grew up singing these songs in the church and parochial schools they attended. They are songs such as "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" -"Quel Ami Fidele et Tendre Nous Avons en Jesus-Christ," "Quel Repos, Quel Repos" - "It is Well, It is Well...," etc. This book is a personal affair for the authors as they share their love of singing in French and Haitian creole..."

Sing along with Haitian Children! Canten con los chicos Haitianos. This compilation is for those who want to sing along with Haitian Children at christian venues, outreach mission trips, schools, churches and elsewhere. Some of the songs are short choruses...

Start playing some of these choruses on your guitar or piano and the Haitian children will follow you. They will sing with you. All throughout the country, these songs are are sung in most churches or revival centers.

These are songs I used to sing with the children of my Sunday school class. L'ecole du Dimanche or Sunday school can be a lot of fun with the right selection of songs.

Just in case you are interested in having more songs, here is a new book of choruses, short Haitian hymns, Lullaby and Play songs published on this link:

http://urbanbookspublishing.blogspot.com/search/label/praise%20songs

Ala Ou Gran! Ala Ou Gran! How great thou art! How great thou art! Popular Haitian Children’s Choruses, Lullaby, Haitian Creole and French Church Hymns, and Other Play Songs

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/68875

You can purchase this book from Barnes and Noble's PubIt now

You can buy this book at Amazon Kindle Store now

Canten con los Chicos Haitianos! Sing along with Haitian Children by getting a copy of this new 10-song CD for your youth group, sunday school and church activities.

Haitian Children's Choruses, Church Songs and Bonus Pack CD

Product ID: 3064
Product Name: Haitian Chants of Hope

Buy Now From CCNow

or

Product ID: 3068
Product Name: Most Popular Haitian Children's Choruses, Church and Play Songs

Buy Now From CCNow

or

Canten con los Chicos Haitianos! Sing along with Haitian Children by getting a copy of this new 10-song CD for your youth group, sunday school and church activities.

Excerpts from Nelson Mandela's Book of Quotations: "Nelson Mandela by Himself: Mandela"

2011-06-14T02:43:00.000-07:00

Words resonate and have impact on others long after we are gone. Nelson Mandela teaches us to pay attention to our words and to refrain from using them lightly.

From the book shown above, he is a sample of his quotations

“South Africa is producing determined young people whose level of awareness is remarkably high.”
— Nelson Mandela, 8 July 1985
“The display of leadership by our youth today gives me a comfort that not all is lost.”
— Nelson Mandela, 9 July 2008
“Our children have borne the brunt of apartheid’s ravaging deprivation.”
— Nelson Mandela, 25 May 1996
“The fight against apartheid liberated all South Africans.”
— Nelson Mandela, 23 February 1996
“We have fought for peace and reconciliation, for social justice, for all men, women and children.”
— Nelson Mandela, 1 December 2004
“It is ordinary people – men and women, boys and girls – that make the world a special place.”
— Nelson Mandela, 9 July 2008
“The past is a rich resource on which we can draw in order to make decisions for the future.”
— Nelson Mandela, 25 February 1990
“We are in struggle because we value life and love all humanity.”
— Nelson Mandela, 2 July 1990
“Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success.”
— Nelson Mandela, 17 December 2009
“Our clean flowing rivers must be known by my grandchildren’s grandchildren.”
— Nelson Mandela, 16 November 2000
“In time, we must bestow on South Africa the greatest gift – a more humane society.”
— Nelson Mandela, 1 September 1997
“It would be an exaggeration to say I never become depressed.”
— Nelson Mandela, 1993
“There’s nothing as bad as a leader making a demand which you know can never succeed.”
— Nelson Mandela, December 1992
“Our love for children is undiminished.”
— Nelson Mandela, 1 December 2004
“My wish is that South Africans never give up on the belief in goodness.”
— Nelson Mandela, 10 May 2004
“The freedom we enjoy is a richly textured gift handcrafted by ordinary folk.”
— Nelson Mandela, 11 July 1996
“Will we be remembered as the generation that turned our backs in a moment of a global crisis?”
— Nelson Mandela, 11 June 2005
“When people are determined they can overcome anything.”
— Nelson Mandela,14 November 2006
“When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.”
— Nelson Mandela, 1994
“We tried in our simple way to lead our life in a manner that may make a difference.”
— Nelson Mandela, 8 June 2002
“A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy.”
— Nelson Mandela, 14 February 1994
“I had no specific belief except that our cause was just, was very strong. ”
— Nelson Mandela, 11 February 1994
“I never think of the time I have lost. I just carry out a programme because it’s there.”
— Nelson Mandela, 3 May 1993
“Difficulties break some men but make others.”
— Nelson Mandela, 1 February 1975
“Many people in this country have paid the price before me and many will pay the price after me.”
— Nelson Mandela, November 1962
“The real meaning of the spoken word has to be demonstrated by practical deeds.”
— Nelson Mandela, 7 June 1990
“I have never regarded any man as my superior, either in my life outside or inside prison.”
— Nelson Mandela, 12 July 1976
“In the life of any individual, family, community or society, memory is of fundamental importance.”
— Nelson Mandela, 2005
“I accepted that if you have a problem, you must face it and not gloss over it.”
— Nelson Mandela, 29 December 1992
“I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.”
— Nelson Mandela, 1975
“The dream of every family is to be able to live together happily in a quiet and peaceful home.”
— Nelson Mandela, 1 June 1970
“You sharpen your ideas by reducing yourself to the level of the people you are with.”
— Nelson Mandela, 13 August 2005
“It is never my custom to use words lightly. If twenty-seven years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die.”
— Nelson Mandela, Closing Address 13th International Aids Conference, Durban, South Africa, 14 July 2000.

Embedded and Anchored in Him (Poem in English and Haitian Creole)

2011-06-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

Embedded and Anchored in Him

The best is yet to come
For those who seek his face
The season of abundant blessings has begun
For those who take Him at his word
The season of healing is upon us
And those who believe in Him
The best is yet to come
For those who worship Him
Healing, peace, prosperity, triumph
Over evil and eternal glory will be our rewards

The best is yet to come
For those who put their faith in Him
The best is yet to come
For those who are weary but have not abandoned the long race
For those who have it all but are restless
The best is yet to come
For those are diligently seeking the riches from above
For those who are looking for reconciliation with our fellow men
They will not go without for God keeps his promises
He is the same yesterday, today, and for ever

Virtual healing, blessing at a distance, and protection are a few of our gains
The best is yet to come
For those who trust Him and walk by faith
The best is yet to come
For those who want to tell others about their spiritual journey
And the blessings that await them
Take Him at his word, obey Him always
For He never forsakes his children and his ways are not ours
For ever, he reigns in sovereign control of our lives
The best is yet to come for those who know how to wait on the Lord

Kreyòl Version

Nou Plante, Nou Chita Kè Pòpòz Nan Li

Pi bon bagay la gen pou-l rive
Pou moun sa yo k-ap chache figi-l
Sezon anpil benediksyon yo gen tan kòmanse
Pou moun sa yo ki pran pawòl li oseriye
Sezon gerizon yo deja rive sou nou
Epi sou moun ki kwè nan li
Pi bon bagay la gen pou-l rive
Pou moun ki adore-l
Gerizon, lapè, pwosperite, viktwa sou lemal,
Ak laglwa etènel pral vin rekonpans nou

Pi bon bagay la gen pou-l rive
Pou moun ki mete konfyans yo nan li
Pi bon bagay la gen pou-l rive
Pou moun ki bouke anpil men ki pa pèdi gwo konkou a
Pou moun ki rich anpil men ki pa gen repo nanm yo
Pi bon bagay la gen pou-l rive
Pou moun k-ap chache richès ki soti anwo
Pou moun k-ap chache rekonsilyasyon avèk tout fanm ak gason
Yo p-ap janm manke anyen paske Bondye kenbe pwomès li
Li se menm Bondye ayè, jodi-a epi pou toutan

Gerizon delwen, benediksyon ki soti byen lwen
Epi pwoteksyon se kèk nan bagay nou va genyen
Pi bon bagay la gen pou-l rive
Pou moun ki kwè-l epi ki mache palafwa
Pi bon bagay la gen pou-l rive
Pou moun ki pale ak lòt moun sou vwayaj espirityèl yo
Epi benediksyon k-ap tann yo
Nou mèt pran pawòl li oserye, toujou obeyi-l
Li pa janm abandone pitit li yo. Jan-l aji se pa konsa-n aji
Li regne pou tout letènite epi li pran tout kontwòl lavi nou
Pi bon bagay la gen pou-l rive
Pou moun k-ap tann leseyè san yo pa bay tèt yo pwoblèm

French Notes and Textbook for English Speakers: Follow with Free Podcast: http://frenchlessonpodcast.libsyn.com

2011-05-10T00:44:00.000-07:00

French Notes and Textbook for English Speakers

Get a copy of "French Notes and Textbook for English Speakers" Now from Kindle Digital Publishing

French Textbook and Notes for English Speakers: Salut! Bonjour, Bonsoir, Merci, Au revoir! was written to help you conquer your fear of one of the most beautiful languages of the world. It is designed to meet your travel and education needs. It provides you with the right set of vocabulary, pronunciation, and explanations you need to fully study Moliere's language. This textbook comes equipped with a corresponding podcast and a related blog that provide you with ongoing support pertaining to pronunciation and explanations of cultural facts, artifacts, and more difficult verb patterns. In this book, you will find cultural notes, rules of thumb to avoid major faux-pas, and lots of exercises to help you have mastery over key language nuances, patterns, structure, and phraseology. Get additional information at http://frenchlessonpodcast.libsyn.com and http://labaguettefrenchlesson.blogspot.com

Get a copy of "French Notes and Textbook for English Speakers" Now from Kindle Digital Publishing

French Notes and Textbook for English Speakers: Follow with Free Podcast: http://frenchlessonpodcast.libsyn.com

2011-04-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

French Notes and Textbook for English Speakers

Get a copy of "French Notes and Textbook for English Speakers" Now from Kindle Digital Publishing

Rosa Parks's Poem by Carole Boston Weatherford, ""December 1st, 1955: Before Rosa Altered History."

2011-03-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

`For Southern belles who scour shops for ball gowns, not mirrored in bridge and garden club circles, the holidays are a blur of invitations. The women flock to Montgomery Fair for alterations, tucks here, gussets there and deep hems. Not even mannequins are a perfect size eight. In the whites-only fitting room, Rosa `Yes, Ma'ams' each gloved lady, then returns to the Singer, dizzy from the social whirl she tastes vicariously through customers bidding her to drape flawed figures with chiffon. Yards of silk, satin, velvet slide between needle and treadle. Beads and sequins, like missed chances, slip through her fingers. Thirty days till New Year's Eve, then five months before cotillion. For a few weeks, empty racks and room to breathe, no giggling debutantes, no gossipy matrons with coffee-stained teeth, cigarette breath and syrupy drawls. Tired of Miss Ann, Rosa anticipates quitting time, the glow of Christmas lights and the long ride home. She removes her thimble, knowing that a hoop skirt can pass through the eye of a needle easier than a colored seamstress can hold a seat on a city bus.'

Nelson Mandela's Most Famous Quotes

2011-03-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of some of the most famous quotes by Nelson Mandela:

Nelson Mandela's Quotes:

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.

If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people, I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if it needs be it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself... Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.

After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.

If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness.

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.

I learned that courage was not the abscence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.

In my country we go to prison first and then become President.

I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.

There is nothing like returning to a place that reminds unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.

Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.

Only free men can negotiate; prisoners cannot enter into contracts. Your freedom and mine cannot be separated.

There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.

How can I be expected to believe that this same racial discrimination which has been the cause of so much injustice and suffering right through the years, should now operate here to give me a fair and open trial?....consider myself neither morally nor legally obliged to obey laws made by a Parliament in which I am not represented. That the will of the people is the basis of the authority of government, is a principle universally acknowledged as sacred throughout the civilized world.

I cannot conceive of Israel withdrawing if Arab states do not recognize Israel, within secure borders.

I have never cared very much for personal prizes. A man does not become a freedom fighter in the hope of winning awards, but when I was notified that I had won the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Mr de Klerk, I was deeply moved. The Nobel Peace Prize had a special meaning to me because of its involvement with South African history.... The award was a tribute to all South Africans and especially to those who fought in the struggle; I would accept it on their behalf.

We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.

When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.

Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that a son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.

That was one of the things that worried me - to be raised to the position of a semi-god - because then you are no longer a human being. I wanted to be known as Mandela, a man with weaknesses, some of which are fundamental, and a man who is committed, but never the less, sometimes he fails to live up to expectations.

When I think about the past, the types of things they did, I feel angry, but then again that is my feeling. The brain always dominates, says, as I have pointed out, you have a limited time to stay on Earth. You must try and use that period to transform your country into what you desire it to be.

The curious beauty of African music is that it uplifts even as it tells a sad tale. You may be poor, you may have only a ramshackle house, you may have lost your job, but that song gives you hope. African music is often about the aspirations of the African people, and it can ignite the political resolve of those who might otherwise be indifferent to politics.

We all felt on top of the world. It was a justification for the sacrifices which had been made by our people since the arrival of whites in this country in 1652.

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.

As a leader...I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my own opinion. Oftentimes, my own opinion will simply represent a consensus of what I heard in the discussion. I always remember the axiom: a leader...is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.

Money won't create success, the freedom to make it will.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Civil Rights Movement Snapshots: Tribute to Cong. Hero John Lewis, Time Capsules, Faces, Freedom Rides, Freedom March, Sitting-ins, and Freedom Songs

2011-02-28T18:36:00.000-08:00

Black History Month: Haitian Poetry For Hard Times

2011-02-24T01:57:00.000-08:00

Soot and Blood
by JJC
2010

Walking among the dead and the living is not normal

But that is the new life after this vast devastation

Dead bodies litter the streets of Carrefour, Grand Rue

Cite Soleil, Champs de Mars, Nazon, Bourdon and Delmas

The earth shakes and cracks. Homes collapse in the streets

With bare hands, parents are digging their children out of the rubbles

Kids are digging their parents out of this large-scale chaos

Crying and yelling and mourning amidst the dust of the city

The cathedral and the National Palace are in ruins

The streets are filled with traffic. Life is lived in the streets

We sleep and eat on the streets. We hope and cry. We become dazed

A cloud of dust fills the sky. What we knew is no more everywhere we look

people covered in soot and blood and with broken limbs wander

through the street, cry for help

Wails come from beneath huge piles of concrete mixed with steel bars.

They become prisoners, trapped in their own homes which also become tombs for many

Yet, the ingredients for success and a new beginning lie there in

===============================

Poem is based on the 7.0 quake that hit Haiti. Read more about it here

Egyptians Now Know Joy and Jubilation Nelson Mandela and South Africans Experienced After Apartheid

2011-02-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

Dance! The people of Egypt are dancing all throughout the night. They are waving their flag with pride. They are happy to be Egyptians again. Hosni Mubarak has fled. Nelson Mandela is happy that he showed the world how to fight and use non-violent means to foster change in an unjust society!

Revolutions happen when the lowest groups rise and change things at the top. Countries such as Haiti, France, Russia, Egypt, and Tunisia and many others have known and gone through real revolutions.

The Egyptian revolution is largely facilitated by the emerging power of Social networks which allow many groups of people to meet up and organize themselves. Wael Ghonim, a Google Executive on leave, has known and witnessed the power of the Social networks. Imprisoned and released, he came back to energize the crows massed at Tahir Square. Twitter, Skype, Facebook, and Google allowed communications when the Eyptian government ended Internet connections.

Nelson Mandela Back Home in Stable Conditions: Man of Change, Witness and Participant in Modern History

2011-01-30T04:36:00.000-08:00

Nelson Mandela is doing well. He has been back home in stable conditions. The architect and giant of South Africa freedom went in for a check up. Since that day, there have been lots of speculation about his overall health. Frail in body, but strong in spirit, the former leader of the new South Africa is not ready to give up his fight to live among us and continue to inspire children as well as adults. It was interesting to see how children were affected by the news of his hospitalization. They went in to take a look at the respected old man.

Who would not want to get old this way? Nelson Mandela is their grandfather. He is our grandfather, an old man of wisdom who has seen the ravages of prejudice, hatred, and lack of empathy. But he was not willing to be only a witness to history. With his perseverance and belief in the equality of all men, he caused it to occur even to the detriments of his personal life and marriage. He offered himself as a sacrifice to the whole nation and the world.

Long live, Nelson Mandela! May you find new strengths to continue your journey of inspiration! Now that you have done all you could for us, we want to remember and support you with our well wishes, prayers, and gratitude!

You have shown the world that love conquers all and that a true hero can come in all kinds of circumstances. You rose above everything else!

New Book of Poetry: New Chants D'esperance - Soaring on Wings Like Eagles

2010-11-12T06:28:00.000-08:00

Buy this book from AmazonKindle as an ebook now

Get an automatic discount when you use Paypal!

Listen To This Free Sample:

Congratulations to Peruvian Writer Mario Vargas Llosa for Winning 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature

2010-10-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

The Swedish Academy has awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Literature to Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa. He was as surprised as everybody else by this award. He said that each book has been an adventure, a journey, "
Each book, for me, has been an adventure, a period of time dedicated to study, to document certain facts, to traveling and also to fantasize and to invent.

In general, a writer would like to think that the best book that he has written is the book that he is writing, and the next book will be even better. Maybe if this is not true, it is very useful to keep the illusion alive."

This is what has been written about him:

"The author of more than 30 novels, plays and works of nonfiction, he is known for his expansive language, his alertness to the profound and the profane, and his fierce and dark disdain for tyranny. His books are not without magical touches, but he is more grounded, more a "realist" than fellow Nobel laureate and South American Gabriel Garcia Marquez."

"Vargas Llosa has written more than 30 novels, plays and essays, including "Conversation in the Cathedral" and "The Green House." In 1995, he was awarded the Cervantes Prize, the Spanish-speaking world's most distinguished literary honor.

His international breakthrough came with the 1960s novel "The Time of The Hero," which builds on his experiences from the Peruvian military academy Leoncio Prado. The book was considered controversial in his homeland and a thousand copies were burnt publicly by officers from the academy."

Mr. Llosa joins a great group of nobelists from the Spanish-speaking world:

"Vargas Llosa, whose acclaimed novels include "The Feast of the Goat," is the first Spanish-speaking writer to be honored since Mexican Octavio Paz, in 1990. Among other Latin American authors who are Nobelists: Colombian Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Chilean Pablo Neruda."

Nelson Mandela's Crispy Prose and Invitation to Travel to South Africa

2010-10-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Message from Nelson Mandela { "I believe that South Africa is the most beautiful place on earth. Admittedly, I am biased, but when you combine the natural beauty of South Africa with the friendliness and cultural diversity of our people, and the fact that the region is a haven for Africa's most splendid wildlife, then I think even the most scrupulous critic would agree that we have been blessed with a truly wonderful land. I would like to extend a personal invitation to you to come and see for yourself the splendour of South Africa. I know that my people will be delighted to welcome you and I think you will be enchanted by their warmth and hospitality. I am equally sure that you will enjoy our culture, our cuisine and the warmth of our people." } Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa, 1994-1999

Poetic Appreciation of John Lennon's Music and Lyrics

2010-10-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

artist: John Lennon lyrics
title: Oh Yoko!
album: Imagine

in the middle of the night
in the middle of the night i call
your name
oh yoko, oh yoko, my love will
turn you on
in the middle of the bath
in the middle of the bath i call
your name
oh yoko, oh yoko, my love will
turn you on
my love will turn you on
in the middle of a shave
in the middle of a shave i call your name
oh yoko, oh yoko, my love will
turn you on
in the middle of a dream
in the middle of a dream i call
your name
oh yoko, oh yoko, my love will
turn you on
my love will turn you on
in the middle of a cloud
in the middle of a cloud i call
your name
oh yoko, oh yoko, my love will
turn you on
my love will turn you on
oh yoko, oh yoko, my love will
turn you on
my love will turn you on

================
artist: John Lennon lyrics
title: Imagine
albums: Imagine, Shaved Fish, Live In New York City, Imagine (Original Soundtrack), Anthology - Ascot (CD1)

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

==============
artist: John Lennon lyrics

title: Love

albums: John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band, Anthology - Ascot (CD1), Acoustic

Love is real, real is love

Love is feeling, feeling love

Love is wanting to be loved

Love is touch, touch is love

Love is reaching, reaching love

Love is asking to be loved

Love is you

You and me

Love is knowing

we can be

Love is free, free is love

Love is living, living love

Love is needed to be loved

=========================

artist: John Lennon lyrics

title: Working Class Hero

albums: John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band, Anthology - Ascot (CD1), Acoustic

As soon as your born they make you feel small

by giving you no time instead of it all

Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all

Working Class Hero is something to be

Working Class Hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school

They hate you if you're clever and despise a fool

Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules

Working Class Hero is something to be

Working Class Hero is something to be

When they've tortured and scared you for 20 odd years

then they expect you to pick a career

When you can't really function you're so full of fear

Working Class Hero is something to be

Working Class Hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religon, sex and T.V.

and you think you're so clever and classless and free

but you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see

Working Class Hero is something to be

Working Class Hero is something to be

There's room at the top I'm telling you still

but first you must learn how to smile as you kill

if you want to be like the folks on the hill

Working Class Hero is something to be

Yes, A Working Class Hero is something to be

If you want to be a hero well just follow me

If you want to be a hero well just follow me

==============

artist: John Lennon lyrics

title: Remember

albums: John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band, Anthology - Ascot (CD1)

Remember when you were young

how the hero was never hung

always got away

Remember the man

used to leave you empty handed

Always, always let you down

If you ever change your mind

about leaving it all behind

Remember, Remember Today

Don't you worry

'Bout what you've done

Don't feel sorry

'bout the way it's gone

Remember

When you were small

How people seemed so tall

Always had their way

Remember your ma and pa

Just wishing for movie stardom

Always, Always playing a part

If you ever feel sad

And the whole world is driving you mad

Remember, Remember Today

===============

artist: John Lennon lyrics
title: Oh My Love
albums: Imagine, Anthology - Ascot (CD1)

oh my love for the first time in
my life
my eyes are wide open
oh my lover for the first time in
my life
my eyes can see
i see the wind, oh i see the
trees
everything is clear in my heart
i see the clouds, oh i see the
sky
everything is clear in our world
oh my love for the first time in
my life
my mind is wide open
oh my lover for the first time in
my life
my mind can feel
i feel sorrow, oh i feel dreams
everything is clear in my heart
everything is clear in our world
i feel life, oh i feel love

==============

artist: John Lennon lyrics
title: Jealous Guy
albums: Imagine, Imagine (Original Soundtrack), Anthology - Ascot (CD1)

i was dreaming of a past
and my heart was beating fast
i began to lose control
i began to lose control
i didn't mean to hurt
i'm sorry that i made you cry
i didn't mean to hurt you
i'm just a jealous guy
i was feeling inscure
you might not love me anymore
i was shivering inside
i was shivering inside
i was trying to catch your eyes
thought that you was trying to
hide
i was swallowing my pain
i was swallowing my pain

Oh Death, What is Your Victory over Haiti Worth?

2010-01-22T02:25:00.000-08:00

Death, What Are You Worth?
by JJC(nothingbutshopping@gmail.com)

Why did you decide to visit Haiti?

Why did you decide to fly over Port au Prince, Grand Goave, and Petit Goave?

Why did you send your angel of death to Carrefour?

Why did you claim the young, the innocents and educated few of Haiti?

Why did you cause so much pain in so many families?

Why did you uncover and reveal our poverty to the world?

Why? Why? Why? I am asking

Why so many bodies? Why did you claim so many children? Why?

What is the true value of your victory in such a poor country?

Why do you shed so much blood in so few seconds?

You shook our soul and buried our brightest and young as well as old

Death, angel of death, can you give me an answer?

Why do you fill up our morgues and cemeteries?

Why do you bury us under tons of rubbles?

Death, your victory is insignificant

You only cause our collective souls to galvanize

You can not stop the solidarity of our fellow men and women

You can not stop the Haitian survivors to dig for their loved ones

With their bare hands and amidst all the chaos that surrounds them

Death, you can not stop the resolution and determination

Of the International Community

Death, you show your true face. We know you by your work

The rebuilding and the flight to the future you can not stop

Hiatians can be twisted by the tectonic plates, but they will not give up

In the end, all of them will triumph over your temporary gain

Find Out How You Can Help Haiti Rebuild!

Obon Odori by Diana Martinez

2010-01-22T02:21:00.000-08:00

Obon Odori
by Diana Martinez

She holds the brightly colored fan
The silvery white cranes
spread between her fingers.
The long brown wooden ribs
attached to the paper,
as if it were webbing,
Holds it all together.

Her nimble fingers
spinning the fan into the air,
small feet tapping
to the beat of the Roiko drums.
Her tightly wrapped kimono spacing her steps.
The red paper lanterns boxing the wind.

For the Obon Odori, she would forget farm work for a day,
forget the dark wash
soaking in the round wooden tub,
nor would she be concerned about the money
she would spend
eating sweet mochi
in pastel paper cups.

The Obon Odori
festival for the dead
would end
the summer of rehearsals in the hall,
of dropping the fans,
trying to keep time with the children,
sweat dropping off the faces as they practiced.

The older women seemed oblivious
to the movement of the children,
They were caught up in their own music,
wrapped up in their memories of practice,
Arms swaying graciously in time,
with drums beating,
faces with no expression.

Late Summer Nights by Diana Martinez

2010-01-22T02:19:00.000-08:00

Late Summer Nights.
by Diana Martinez

The late summer wind would
rattle the wooden doors
Latch hook over the steel eye,
keeping the strangers out as well.
The worn wooden screen
at uneven tilt showing the crookedness
of its frame, allowing the flies
to filter in.

We would run back and forth between the outside,
slamming the door behind us
with mud covering our legs and feet.
Hot summer day with the dust flying in swirls.
Laughing and playing in between the white sheets on the lines
we would leave handprints unknowingly.

Mom would just fold the sheets anyway with
the smell of the outside crisply tucked in each fold.
Mom would work long hours in the summer
at the packing house with boxes on long conveyor belts.
Picking large white nectarines with pink stones for their seeds,
yellow peaches, soft to the touch with peach fuzz,
and deep purple plums
whose tartness would never cease.
Finally at the end of summer, deep violet grapes
that hid black widows in their clumps.
She slid them into the wooden boxes.
Mom said I could never work there as I talked too much
and would give her a bad name.
But my older sister would soon go.
She always did what I could not do.

Morning Glories by Diana Martinez

2010-01-22T02:15:00.000-08:00

Morning Glories
by Diana Martinez

The purple morning glories with its yellow star
Climbed the black wire fence.
The black wire fence that was dumped
in the alley way where my father found it
and nailed it to front of the house.
It was framed by the thick green leaves
and purplish flowers that closed at night.

Each night, the fragrance of the morning glories would come and scent the air.
It wasn't sweet like the star jasmine on the other side of the house.
Or as lovely as the white delicate magnolia blossoms
whose petals would brown at the slightest touch .

But the morning glories did their own dance.
It would twist itself to sleep, closing its soft purple petals
Into a tight spiral, keeping out the night.
Before I could wake the next morning
and see them unfurl their purple petals,
they would open
as if they were never closed.

On the Occasion of the 7.0 Haiti Quake (1-12-2010): Resilience

2010-01-16T23:03:00.000-08:00

The Haitian Grandmother
jjc
(Find out more about the 2010 Haiti Quake's Devastation by clicking here

Dizzy and covered with dirt and sweat,
The Haitian grandmother does not give up
Au contraire, she is thinking about her next move
She wants to dig with her bare hands
She wants to cry, but there is no time
There is so much work to be done
Her neighbors are still entombed in their own homes

The Haitian grandmother is thinking about her grandchildren
Some of them are beneath her feet
She has to summon her courage to cry for help and rescue
Other grandkids are far away.
The Haitian grandma is like a bamboo flattened by the monsoons
She is like a coconut tree whose trunk is bent by the hurricane forces
She gets twisted by life's ups and lows,
Yet she recovers and is full of joy again
Haiti's history flashes back in her memory
The Haitian grandma survived Papa Doc, Baby Doc and the Tonton Macoutes
She survived the Zenglendo and the fast and furious gang members

Surrounded by devastation, the Haitian grandma will rise again
She will look for her family members just like a mother hen, her chicks
Scared by the nearby hawks of tumultuos weather patterns
A witness to history, she is the queen of the Haitian household
Her gaze will motivate all of us to focus on the future and rebuilding.

The Descent by Diana Martinez

2010-01-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

The descent
by Diana Martinez

The descent into madness
always began with the frying
of doughnuts.

Classical music would resonate in the air
with the banging of kettle drums;
the sharp staccato of violin strings.

The descent would come
in the darkness of the morning hours
long before the sun would rise.

He would sit in his chair,
holding his head in his hands.
His eyes would be swollen and red from the weeping.

As small children,we would get up
to sneak around the wall to see him.
This man whose hands held the belt
that beat upon his eldest son.

The death threats that he made that
he failed to make them come to pass.
My brother curled up on the ground in fetal position.
This man who would flail his son's body
on the ground.

We watched as small children, not able to move to protect,
not able to do anything except watch.
This man whose hands made the sweet doughnuts
and cooked pot roast in the chef's pan.

He would soon leave our home as he did each winter.
Mother would sign the papers .
We knew he was gone for a season.

The winters were warmer then.
This man would come back in the spring
calmer-no longer weeping.

Father would be able to laugh with us again.
We would climb on to his lap to watch old movies on the black and white tv.
The descent into madness stopped for this season.

Notes:
Diana Martinez is a Central Valley poet. She also runs a poetry group.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you want to see your works on this blog, submit your poems to nothingbutshopping at gmail.com

Hard Times Poetry Wanted: Submit your poems to help our Readers Cope with Hard times

2010-01-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

Are you a poet whose work is never published? It does not matter if you are a published poet.

We want to invite you to submit your hard times poetry to be published on this blog.

Submit to nothingbutshopping at gmail.com

First Book of Poetry of Hope in Hard Times Published Here

Listen To This Free Sample:

Reflection and Meditation Poem for Hard Times

2010-01-07T22:20:00.000-08:00

Life's a Dot
by JJC

I only barely exist between the day I was born
And the time, hour, minute or second I will die
How much I have achieved depends
On how I sum up all the little parts and moments
How many times have I forgotten to enjoy life's small things?
Life is only a dot. A line would be too long

I did not know when I was born
Nor will I know when I die
In this vacuum, all men and women equally co-exist
We count time by the number of breaths we take
By the uplifting moments, failure as well as success
One day, we are happy. The next day, our hearts sink

On this beautiful morning, I see the hawk diving for a squirrel
It resurfaces with empty beaks. Life is about triumphs and setbacks
On a cold bench, I sit down to enjoy the timid sunshine on a crispy Winter day
The stomping feet of children, joggers, and runners can be heard at the park
The hawk is calmly perched now. A photographer approaches with a camera
We are all interdependent species. Yet, we live as if there is no tomorrow

(Poem written to sympathize with the sudden illness of a co-worker and after enjoying Woodwark Park or the Great Outdoors. I was looking at Children's Hospital Central California's building..)

Poetry Lost a Good Friend, a Benefactor in Ruth Lilly

2010-01-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

Here is how Poetryfoundation.org staff put it. The organization is stable for some time. It would not hurt to have a new benefactor. This way, more poetry can be published. More young poets can be discovered, nurtured and sent into the world to help others.

"The Poetry Foundation is grateful for Ruth Lilly’s extraordinary generosity and kindness. The staff and trustees of the Poetry Foundation are greatly saddened by Ms. Lilly’s death and extend their condolences to her family. Thanks to Ms. Lilly’s munificence, the programs of the Poetry Foundation bring poems to 19 million Americans who would not otherwise read or hear them. From the annual $100,000 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize honoring a contemporary poet’s lifetime accomplishment, to five Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships that go to aspiring poets, to ensuring Poetry magazine continues publishing in perpetuity, to a host of new programs and prizes established by the Poetry Foundation since receiving the bequest, Ruth Lilly’s legacy will allow millions of readers to discover the great magic of poetry for generations to come.

“Poetry has no greater friend than Ruth Lilly,” said Poetry Foundation John Barr. “Her historic gift is notable not only for its size—that part of her largesse is known to every corner of the poetry world—but also because it was made with no conditions or restrictions of any kind as to how it should be used for the benefit of poetry. In that, it was the purest expression of her love for the art that meant so much to her as poet herself, and as benefactor.”

The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine and one of the largest literary organizations in the world, exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs......"

Poetry Like Fire: The Pursuit of What Matters by JJC

2009-12-06T04:19:00.000-08:00

The Pursuit of What Matters
by JJC

Day in and day out, we strive to keep up with our families and friends
We want the big car, the suburban home and lifestyle, the new gadgets
What has life come to mean these days?
Despite our affluence, our moods are darkened.
We worry about everything as if we could change something
Core values are long abandoned. Mistrust is everywhere.
We compete against others and ourselves. Happiness is hard to come
We seem to forget that people's ability to act on behalf of
What matters to them is fundamental to happiness

It is time to get out of this false sense of comfort and security
It is time to explore our environments and appreciate the small things
That are keen on bringing the most joy to us
It is time to fall in love once again with our childhood games and stories
It is time to realize that happiness is not a given. It is a goal that can set us free
But pursuing what truly matters is worth the effort

Healing Art Touch: Touch Me Here, Do Not Touch Me There

2009-07-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

Healing Art Touch: Touch Me Here, Do Not Touch Me There

Touch is connecting

Touch is bonding. It is healing and communicative

Even newborns can relate to it

Touch is an essential form of human communication

We touch to support and comfort

We poke; we nudge; we hug; we grip elbows

We tap knees and pat others' back

We fling our arms around others

We give bear hugs

Friends, acquaintances, and colleagues giggle, dole out hugs

Give shoulder rubs and high fives

"Keep your hands to yourselves" cry the corporate lawyers and HR managers.

It is just a reminder of what the kindergarten teacher taught years ago

When is touching appropriate in our world these days?

When is it a friendly sign of affection at school, church or at the workplace?

HR managers cringe it may interpreted as a sexual come on.

Yet, the psychologist agrees touch is a great way to express empathy, sympathy.

We embrace those who are grieving the loss of their loved ones

We back slap a player on the gridiron and baseball field

Keep your hands off; keep them to yourself!

In politics and at the workplace, keep your hands off of pretty interns,

pregnant women and your boss

How long will it take you to understand and appreciate all the huggings

going on in the next cubicle? How long will it take you to fall for

all the arm pattings, shoulder squeezing and stroking going on around us?

Are you petrified yet? Then just remain frozen by inaction.

Our actions reverberate and touch others whether we want it or not

We are interdependent in this global village

New Book on Rosa Parks: "Witnessing Rosa Parks on the Bus"

2009-06-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

Overview of the book: "Witnessing Rosa Parks on the Bus"

Rosa Parks pioneered change and leadership. She sat on the bus so men and women could fight for their dignity and their human rights. This book is a tribute to this amazing civil rights leader and many others. It is a flashback, a focus on all the men and women who marched and stood up so we can now enjoy the fruits of freedom. Barack Obama championed what Martin Luther King promised in his famous speech "I Have a Dream."

Use Paypal to buy this book right now:

Buy "Witnessing Rosa Parks on the Bus" right on this site.

The Pursuit of What Matters by JJCharles

2009-06-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Pursuit of What Matters
by JJCharles, author of various books
http://bestsellerpicks.blogspot.com

Day in and day out, we strive to keep up with our families and friends
We want the big car, the suburban home and lifestyle, the new gadgets
What has life come to mean these days?
Despite our affluence, our moods are darkened.
We worry about everything as if we could change something
Core values are long abandoned. Mistrust is everywhere.
We compete against others and ourselves. Happiness is hard to come
We seem to forget that people's ability to act on behalf of
What matters to them is fundamental to happiness

It is time to get out of this false sense of comfort and security
It is time to explore our environments and appreciate the small things
That are keen on bringing the most joy to us
It is time to fall in love once again with our childhood games and stories
It is time to realize that happiness is not a given. It is a goal that can set us free
But pursuing what truly matters is worth the effort

"Witnessing Rosa Parks on the Bus" Book Published at SmashWords.com: Get Your Copy Today and Read Free Sample!

2009-06-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

You have been reading the poems. Now you can buy the book, the e-book:

Here are some quick links you can use:

Quick links:

* Witnessing Rosa Parks on the Bus's book page:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/2183

* Javascript online reader: http://www.smashwords.com/reader/read/2183
* HTML online reader: http://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/2183

Book synopsis (provided by the author):

Determination, dedication, hard work, the "can do" American spirit, and hope of a new season of change inspired this woman to sit on the bus. Rosa Parks sat so all the others could stand up. She remained seated despite all the stares and bad comments. Today, we find a lot of Rosa Parks in all socio-economic strata. We find the hard-working men and women all over the country.

"On the Bus with Rosa Parks by and With Rita Dove" Interview

2009-04-10T11:25:00.001-07:00

Portrait of Hope and Courage: Harriet Tubman's Escape to Freedom, Underground Conductor and Heroine

2009-02-22T09:33:00.001-08:00

She is one of the women who changed modern America.

New Orleans Running of the Bulls

2009-02-22T02:37:00.000-08:00

The Running of the Bulls in New Orleans, Louisiana

In Las Vegas, we already have the Taj Mahal, Les Champs Elysees
Paris already has a replica on the famous Vegas strip
Venice, Italy, is already copied many times;
New York has the statue of Liberty
Why not the San Fermin, Pamplona, Spain-style Running of the Bulls?
After all, Ernest Hemingway brought its pleasures to us in his writings
Papa knew New Orleans would be a good fit
What's next? A replica of Brazilian or Caribbean-style carnival?
New Orleans is already famous for its Mardi Gras celebration

Every year in July, the big Easy Rollergirls become the menacing bulls
Chasing revelers dressed in white shirts and shorts or pants
with some cloth of red about their neck or waist
From one bar to the next, the pre-party is getting started with a few drinks
To cool down the nerves and the rising heat
The Rolling Elvi are leading the parade. Onlookers are asking for favors
They want to be hit by the plastic horns of the Big Easy Rollergirls
The Encierro has been going on for quite a while. Everyone is having fun

All the street's a stage at San Fermin in Nueva Orleans
Los pastores, founding fathers of the Running of the Bulls are happy
Tourists have a new appreciation for the city of fun
Between Mardi Gras and the Running of the Bulls season, they have a lot
To be thankful for. After all, New Orleans is unlike any other city in the U.S.A.
It's gumbo time. The mixture of Creole, Caribbean, Spanish, Irish, Jewish and countless others gives Nueva Orleans its potpourri flavor.
Long live New Orleans, Long Live Running of the Bulls, New Orleans style!
Let the big party get started in the French Quarter, on Bourbon Street and others!

Other resources you can browse:

Read about the Running of the bulls in New Orleans in the Atlantic Monthly

Get more information about Nolabulls and the encierro right here

PoetryBusinessblog Supports Rihanna and Stands Against Domestic Violence

2009-02-21T10:57:00.001-08:00

Just think

Could this be Rosa Parks's face?

Could this be Myrlie Evers-williams's body?

Could this be any of the famous Black pioneers

Who fought for our freedom?

There can not be any blame from any system here

Just think about the self-destruction, the drive-by shooting

The violence that exists in our home and neighborhood

Just think that this incident brings tears to Obama's eyes

Bill Cosby can not eat when he witnesses this type of self-hatred

Just think about who is going to value you first?

A chimp did not do this to this young woman's face

A lover, not a stranger, caused this much pain

Self-love and self-respect should be the names of the game

From now on. will you join hands and be a role model?

1965 Mug Shot: Freedom Riders' Twist in Time

2009-02-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

Freedom Riders

Volunteers who were willing to risk their lives to cause change
White as well as black college students participated in sit-ins and rides
They wanted to leave a legacy. They were tired of the separate bathrooms and lunch counters.
John Lewis was among them. He got stepped on, beaten, thrown into jail.
Now he rises up to represent all those who walked with him.
The cycle of hatred was broken once for all. The Greyhound buses bear testimony to these old habits.

Farewell Wall Street, Hello to the Next Financial Center

2009-02-19T17:58:00.000-08:00

Farewell Wall Street
by JJC

The world wakes up and says hello to
Hong Kong, Shangai, Lisbon, Singapore and Tokyo
After all, 17th-century Amsterdam has long given
Way to 19th-century London which ceded to
20th-century New York.
There is a shifting of the financial centers
Bust follows boom in all financial capitals
Nobody knows whom to trust any more
Rich today, but poor tomorrow
There is Madoff Ponzi scheme to deal with
The dot-com boom is followed by the real estate bust
Foreclosures destroy the American Dream
In the midst of the recession, homeowners get depressed
Nobody remembers the recent good times: easy credit, equity, remodeling etc
First came bailout, then the stimulus package arrived on the scene

Shame on The New York Post Cartoonist and Editor for Chimp Cartoon: New York Post Regrets Cartoon

2009-02-19T02:13:00.000-08:00

Department of Justice Director, Eric Holder, is asking for an end to racism and other stereotypes. The New York Post's cartoon causes many people to wonder about its motive. Now it is issuing an apology to all those it offended.

"The New York Post apologized on Thursday to those offended by an editorial cartoon that critics said was racist because it likened President Barack Obama to a chimpanzee.
The newspaper acknowledged that the cartoon published on Wednesday had drawn controversy because African-Americans and others saw it as a depiction of Obama.
"This most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologize," the paper said in an editorial on its website headlined "That Cartoon."

Odes to Myrlie Evers-Williams, Wife of Slain Civil Rights Leader, Medgar Evers

2009-02-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

The Women of NAACP: Myrlie Evers-Williams and Rosa Parks

Myrlie Evers-Williams became a young widow

who had three children to raise by herself

She heeded her late husband's last word, "take care of my children."

The assassination of Medgar Evers, a WWII veteran who wanted to see change

had a lasting impact on the Evers children, Myrlie and the rest of the country

Medgar became a sacrificial lamb, the strong and intelligent NAACP field director

Myrlie was not ready to forget the seeds her husband had planted
"Evers fought segregation of schools and public places, struggled to increase black voter registration, led business boycotts, brought attention to the murders and lynchings of Blacks, like the slaying of black teenager Emmett Till, planned protest to allow negroes access to Mississippi's public beaches...."

Myrlie raised her children and continued to work for the advancement of colored people
She became the chair of NAACP from 1995 to 1998.

She kept her promise to her husband, Medgar Evers who wanted to see change
in Jackson, Mississippi.

Through the work of many others and after many years, change has come to America

"“I am just so thankful that I have lived long enough -- and have been able to participate in -- this change," said Myrlie Evers-Williams.

Medgar Evers and Martin L. King had laid down their lives for the movement to change

During all these years, Myrlie has witnessed and kept the flames of freedom going.

Rosa Sat So We Can Now Fly

2009-02-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

Rosa Sat Poem

Rosa sat so
Martin could walk
[She was tired of giving in for far too long]
Martin walked so
[Martin walked and marched with his followers. He was a true leader]
Obama could run
[Without the works of those leaders laboring even during slavery, 1950s, 1960s
Obama would not be able to be where he is at right now]
Obama ran....so our
Children could fly
[Without the sacrifices of Medgar Evers,Emmet Till, Martin Luther King and countless others, the greatest chapter of world history and transfer of power would not be written]

Oprah Winfrey Shines in Red: The Women Who Wear Red

2009-02-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

Rosa Parks Sat on the Bus to Stand Up for All Americans

2009-02-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

(Here is a great book about this famous but humble Civil Rights Leader by Rita Dove)

CNN reports, "It was so unbelievable that this woman -- this one woman -- had the courage to take a seat and refuse to get up and give it up to a white gentleman," said Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, who watched the drama unfold as a teenager.

"By sitting down, she was standing up for all Americans."

My Heart's Delights

2009-02-09T00:06:00.000-08:00

My Heart's Delights
by JJC on Feb 3, 2009

Surrounded by tons of moving steel

Rolling every which way

on the freeway and nearby highway

Amidst all sorts of noise

And while witnessing the nakedness of trees

in the vast peach and nectarine orchards,

Little by little, I felt consumed by the beauty

of the distant snow-capped Sierra Mountain range

It was an overcast day anywhere in the Central Valley

Selma, Parlier, Reedley and the rest of the Valley floor

appeared to lie quietly in the sudden darkness for a few days

Yet, half of the far-away mountain tops was lit by sunlight

that projected its rays on specific spots in the background

The foreground of this natural painting had darker hues

On the road to Reedley, CA, I lifted my eyes and gazed once more

upon the snow-covered peaks which looked like hands raised

to praise the Most High

At that very moment, I was stirred to cry out "Rejoice in the Lord.

He will give you the delights of your heart."

His glory and grace anointed me. My cup overflowed.

I reached the abundance of his love and felt the touch of his hands

Rosa Parks's Arrest; Rosa Parks's Montgomery Ride

2009-02-07T17:30:00.001-08:00

Rosa Parks's Montgomery Ride
by JJC, Feb. 2009

Tired and hungry, Rosa only cared about catching a ride
Her job at the department store meant the world to her
But she quietly cared about how her black brothers and sisters
were being treated by the government and the Montgomery bus officials
After a long day and after witnessing all the hard news, she wanted to sit down
Rosa got on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Instead of going to the back of the bus
She sat down in a seat at the front. All hells broke loose!
Dogs could be unleashed on her frail body. She could be flushed out of the seat
with powerful water hoses besides all the stares from fellow passengers
"'Who does she think she is to brave the front seat of the bus'"
The bus driver got into her face and asked her to move.
But Rosa parks refused. The news about Rosa Parks's arrest traveled quickly
among the Black residents of Montgomery and the Black leaders had to have a plan

The event of December 1, 1955 led to the December 5, 1955 Montgomery Bus boyccott. Montgomery city officials would soon realize that if the Blacks walked to work and school instead of riding the public bus, the city would lose money.

Black and White civil rights leaders gave as many rides as they could in their own private cars. But the majority of passengers walked many miles for many weeks.

"If Black people could not sit wherever they wanted, then they would refuse to take the buses."

That peaceful protest was very successful. Driving While Black, Martin L. King was arrested by local police who said he was speeding.

Car pools were organized by black as well as white leaders. The boycott lasted over a year.

Finally, the Supreme Court of the United States proclaimed that laws separating whites and blacks on the Montgomery buses had to end.

Witnessing Rosa Parks on the Bus

2009-02-07T16:28:00.000-08:00

Rosa Parks Sat on the Bus After a Long Journey

Martin Luther King was a student of Henry David Thoreau
who protested slavery and other unjust laws
Nobody thought that the Morehouse College student
would become a civil rights leader
Nobody thought much about Rosa Parks either
A seamstress who rode the public bus to and from her job
at a department store
Martin L. King embraced non-violence championed by Mahatma Gandhi
Rosa has long been a member of her local chapter of NAACP
Rosa refused to give up her seat. She was tired of giving in
She stared down the bus driver and the other passengers
All of them wanted her out of the prime seat. None of them was defending her
Change was about to come in the 1950s and 1960s.
Who would have thought that this single act would be
the start of the modern civil rights movement?
Everyone counts. Rosa sat so we can stand up together

Rev. Joseph Lowery's Great Benediction Could Pass For Obama's Inaugural Poem

2009-01-30T00:51:00.000-08:00

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou, who has brought us thus far along the way, thou, who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee.

Shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand true to thee, oh God, and true to our native land.

We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this day.

We pray now, oh Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration.

He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national, and indeed the global, fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hands, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations.

Our faith does not shrink though pressed by the flood of mortal ills.

For we know that, Lord, you are able and you're willing to work through faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds, and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor, of the least of these, and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of these.

We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that yes we can work together to achieve a more perfect union.

And while we have sown the seeds of greed — the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.

And as we leave this mountain top, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.

Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little angelic Sasha and Malia.

We go now to walk together as children, pledging that we won't get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone.

With your hands of power and your heart of love, help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nations shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid, when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.

Elizabeth Alexander's Inaugural Poem for President Barack Obama

2009-01-30T00:47:00.000-08:00

Praise song for the day.

Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching
each others' eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is
noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of
our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a
hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of
repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons
on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.

A farmer considers the changing sky. A teacher says, "Take out your
pencils. Begin."

We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or
declaimed; words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and
then others who said, "I need to see what's on the other side; I know
there's something better down the road."

We need to find a place where we are safe; we walk into that which we
cannot yet see.

Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the
dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the
bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the
glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for
every hand-lettered sign, the figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by "Love thy neighbor as thy self." Others by "First do no
harm," or "Take no more than you need."

What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial,
national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need
to preempt grievance.

In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any
sentence begun.

On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking
forward in that light.

How will "Praise Song for the Day" Poem by Elizabeth Alexander Go Down in History

2009-01-25T04:30:00.000-08:00

According to a guest writer on Mike Chasar's Popular Culture and Poetry, the poem did not resonate with the crowd and the world. Many viewers and poetry lovers made their own opinions of the poem too.

Check the review of the poem at Praise Song for the Day

Names of Change: Oprah Shines in Red; Muhamad Ali and Lonnie on Inauguration Day

2009-01-25T04:09:00.000-08:00

New Names of Change In America: Michelle Obama Designer, Jason Wu; Colin Powell and E. Wiezel , Elizabeth Alexander, Obama Roots in Africa, Asia Etc.

2009-01-25T03:38:00.000-08:00

Read Elizabeth Alexander's Inaugural Poem right here: http://poetrybusiness.blogspot.com

Welcome to Rosa Parks Poetry of Hope PoetryBusinessblog! Rosa Parks's Arrest

2009-01-25T01:57:00.000-08:00

Rosa Parks's Montgomery Ride

Tired and hungry, Rosa only cared about catching a ride
Her job at the department store meant the world to her
But she quietly cared about how her black brothers and sisters
were being treated by the government and the Montgomery bus officials
After a long day and after witnessing all the hard news, she wanted to sit down
Rosa got on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Instead of going to the back of the bus
She sat down in a seat at the front. All hells broke loose!
Dogs could be unleashed on her frail body. She could be flushed out of the seat
with powerful water hoses besides all the stares from fellow passengers
"'Who does she think she is to brave the front seat of the bus'"
The bus driver got into her face and asked her to move.
But Rosa parks refused. The news about Rosa Parks's arrest traveled quickly
among the Black residents of Montgomery and the Black leaders had to have a plan

The event of December 1, 1955 led to the December 5, 1955 Montgomery Bus boyccott. Montgomery city officials would soon realize that if the Blacks walked to work and school instead of riding the public bus, the city would lose money.

Black and White civil rights leaders gave as many rides as they could in their own private cars. But the majority of passengers walked many miles for many weeks.

"If Black people could not sit wherever they wanted, then they would refuse to take the buses."

That peaceful protest was very successful. Driving While Black, Martin L. King was arrested by local police who said he was speeding.

Car pools were organized by black as well as white leaders. The boycott lasted over a year.

Finally, the Supreme Court of the United States proclaimed that laws separating whites and blacks on the Montgomery buses had to end.
=============================================

Please go to Poetrybusinessblog now to find all the poems you can read.

See More of Michelle Obama's Gowns and Dresses and Hollywood Stars' wardrobe:
http://videpinions.blogspot.com

Get more balls and hot fashion at http://podshoppingblog.com/moviechannel/oscarnom.html

Hot First Lady Fashion and The Michelle Obama Balls Gowns and Dresses: http://podshoppingblog.com/fhm.html

Who is 'On the Bus with Rosa Parks' Author, Rita Dove?

2008-11-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

Rita Dove (b. 1952) was encouraged by her parents to read widely from a young age and she explored all that the local library in Akron, Ohio, had to offer. Dove went on to study English at Miami University, Ohio, was a Fulbright Scholar at Tübingen in Germany, before joining the renowned University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her glittering academic career was soon matched by her growing reputation as a poet, her first collection, The Yellow House on the Corner, appearing in 1980. Seven years later her third book, Thomas and Beulah, based on her grandparents' lives, won the Pulitzer Prize. In 1993 Dove became the American Poet Laureate, making her both the youngest recipient of this honour and the first African American. Her many other awards include over twenty honorary doctorates, the National Humanities Medal from President Clinton and, in 2006, the Commonwealth Award of Distinguished Service. She currently holds the chair of Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia and was recently elected Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.

Dove is an inspirational figure for African-Americans and for women, and her own work reflects these two important facets of her life, featuring many iconic names including Billie Holiday, Rosa Parks and Hattie McDaniel. However, Dove is as much interested in what she has termed "the underside of history" exploring the quiet lives of those who, like Thomas and Beulah, are omitted from the official record. Be they famous or humble, Dove's sensual technique collapses the barriers of history to bring the reader into intimate contact with her subjects. Celebration becomes the best form of protest, whether it's the soldiers returning from the Western Front who play their music "right up white-faced 5th Avenue" ('The Return of Lieutenant James Reese Europe') or Dove herself dancing so ecstatically in 'American Smooth' she and her partner take off for a moment from the earth. Ultimately though, like her dancing body, Dove's poetry isn't restricted by notions of race or gender.

The critic Helen Vendler has said of Dove's poems that they "fall on the ears with solace". This is partly due to Dove's musical instinct (she played the cello from a young age) which underpins her immaculate sense of phrasing. Whatever form she is working in, her poetry lives up to her own high ideals: "I believe that language sings."

Celebrating Rosa Parks's Courage and Self-Determination as Captured by Rita Dove

2008-02-22T00:55:00.000-08:00

Rosa
by Rita Dove
from "on the bus with Rosa Parks" book

How she sat there,
the time right inside a place
so wrong it was ready.

That trim name with
its dream of a bench
to rest on. Her sensible coat.

Doing nothing was the doing:
the clean flame of her gaze
carved by a camera flash.

How she stood up
when they bent down to retrieve
her purse. That courtesy.

Nelson Mandela's Poetic Biography, Best Quotes, Meditative and Smiling Pictures

2001-04-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Purchase a PDF copy of this ebook now

Purchase a copy of 'Nelson Mandela's Poetic Biography: How to Live Before You Die - Experience Leadership Academy, Best Business Quotes and Freedom Struggle' from Amazon Kindle now

Purchase a copy of this book "Nelson Mandela's Poetic Biography: How to Live Before You Die, Experience Leadership Academy, Best Business Quotes and Freedom Struggle right here

Purchase a PDF copy of this ebook now

Purchase a copy of "Nelson Mandela's Poetic Biography: How To Live Before You Die - Experience Leadership Academy, Best Business Quotes and Freedom Struggle" from Barnes and Noble now

Purchase a copy of this book "Nelson Mandela's Poetic Biography: How to Live Before You Die, Experience Leadership Academy, Best Business Quotes and Freedom Struggle right here

Purchase a copy of 'Nelson Mandela's Poetic Biography: How to Live Before You Die - Experience Leadership Academy, Best Business Quotes and Freedom Struggle' from Amazon Kindle now

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
Nelson Mandela

After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
Nelson Mandela

Communists have always played an active role in the fight by colonial countries for their freedom, because the short-term objects of Communism would always correspond with the long-term objects of freedom movements.
Nelson Mandela

Does anybody really think that they didn't get what they had because they didn't have the talent or the strength or the endurance or the commitment?
Nelson Mandela

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela

For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
Nelson Mandela

I cannot conceive of Israel withdrawing if Arab states do not recognize Israel, within secure borders.
Nelson Mandela

I detest racialism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man.
Nelson Mandela

I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.
Nelson Mandela

I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.
Nelson Mandela

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
Nelson Mandela

If the United States of America or Britain is having elections, they don't ask for observers from Africa or from Asia. But when we have elections, they want observers.
Nelson Mandela

If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness.
Nelson Mandela

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.
Nelson Mandela

If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.
Nelson Mandela

In my country we go to prison first and then become President.
Nelson Mandela

It always seems impossible until its done.
Nelson Mandela

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.
Nelson Mandela

Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement.
Nelson Mandela

Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.
Nelson Mandela

Money won't create success, the freedom to make it will.
Nelson Mandela

Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.
Nelson Mandela

Only free men can negotiate; prisoners cannot enter into contracts. Your freedom and mine cannot be separated.
Nelson Mandela

There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.
Nelson Mandela

There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.
Nelson Mandela

There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.
Nelson Mandela

There is no such thing as part freedom.
Nelson Mandela

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.
Nelson Mandela

We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.
Nelson Mandela

When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.
Nelson Mandela