“The glaring light of the desert sun exposed a person's true face. I could no longer run or hide or pretend to be anything other than what I was.”― Summer Shultz, from Stuck Wide Open https://videopress.com/v/6IkN2hSi?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Sharing nature photos makes me as happy as being in nature. OK, not exactly, but I do enjoy it and it …
Tag: art
The Giver by James Baldwin (audio poem)
James Arthur Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924 in New York City’s Harlem. Baldwin had a difficult upbringing, which included an evangelical preacher stepfather who struggled financially and who demanded rigorous religious behavior from his nine children. Baldwin’s personal challenges are reflected in his writings, especially in Go Tell It on the Mountain. Baldwin was …
“What do Women Want?” (poet spotlight)
With my writer brain occupied with polishing a manuscript, it seems the perfect time to feature award-winning American poet, Kim Addonizio and her bold and unapologetic poem, "What do Women Want?" 💃🏻 This poem contains one bad word and lots of sass. 🙈 Enjoy! “What Do Women Want?” by Kim Addonizio I want a red …
Little Secret
This poem, "Little Secret," is from my second poetry collection, Being a Woman - Becoming, illustrated by artist Sammi Lee. This version has been modified from my original poem, including additional lines added at the end. This is my empowered collection written with young adults in mind, however, this poem and the others contained in …
Vintage Strength
Fierce winds suddenly rise and threaten to destroy everything. She is stretched and tested by the pushing, pulling, howling, and screaming. The weathered door whistles and bends causing her to tremble and quake. Run She does not. Collapse She does not. Bravely, She braces the splintered door when gales whip and shake. Give up She …
Property Dispute
Words, annoying when first heard, took a lifetime to reveal their worth. You are no one's property, is what she said, after seeing a possessive slogan, claiming that I was property of my first boyfriend, proudly displayed on my just made pin, attached to my shirt. Rolling eyes at the stern one who was not …
Living Green and Dancing with Love
Tasting fresh basil straight from the garden is a mouth-awakening delight. Traces of soil and sun, with a hint of spice, released with each bite. More flavorful is our rooted plant than from its cousin, sold in the market down the road - the plant with lighter green leaves under fluorescent lights. The one that …
A Hopeful and Musical Reflection
The framed featured photograph of the Twin Towers (above) had a place of prominence in my current office for over eight years. Hanging on the wall directly across from my office door and to the right of my computer, I have gazed at this photo countless times for a total of seventeen years. Even though …
Turquoise, Chili Peppers, and Meow Wolf
A long weekend with Sammi Lee now complete – a weekend that will forever standout as a special memory. I loved finding her at the airport – a tabletop transformed into a productive space; a beautiful woman immersed in a world where she creates. I loved flying with her to a place we'd never been, …
Being a Woman – Forthcoming
Separated by state borders when the pandemic hijacked our lives - my view is of saguaro cacti, her view is of tall pines. Poems, illustrations, and shared files would bring us together and shorten the miles. A mother-daughter collaboration that began with lines I wrote in the fall of 2019, after a teenage memory was …
My Inspired Life 