Today I Will Be Changing Design of Blog

Hello everyone. You are not seeing things. Yes, my blog is going through a metamorphosis today.

I just wanted to let you all know I will be changing the layout of my blog today. My website is about to debut and I want my blog to be cohesive with it, so with that, some changes are on the horizon. So please bare with me as I tinker, change, modify and rearrange my blog. Hopefully, I'll be done by tonight, maybe tomorrow. I just pray, I don't end up right where I started. Which has happened before, scared to let go of the old. So keep your fingers crossed for me.

P.S.

All the post will be just as before, so please feel free to browse around and make comments on post.

Don't forget to check out Spotlight Poetry Contest. Please, stop and let our wonderful poets know what a great job we did.

See ya on the flip side. :-)

Spotlight Poetry Contest Day 2

It's day 2 and there is still time to submit your poetry to the Poetry Spotlight and Contest. Also, if you haven't checked out Part 1 of my interview with Nikki Giovanni, please feel free to do so. Part 2 will post this Monday, July 11th, so stay tuned for that. You don't want to miss what she has to say about rapper Tupac Shakur, The Virginia Tech shooting and the poems she wrote for the memorial. 


Now, today I have two poets in the spotlight to add, which automatically places them into the contest. I really enjoyed their poems and I'm sure you will too. This contest has poetry for everyone's taste and preferences, so I'm very pleased and delighted with the submissions.


So, without further adieu, please shower these poets with some love and support, welcome Kimeko Farrar and Cindy Schuerr.


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Kimeko Farrar is a writer, poet, spoken word artist, and fiction author. She specializes in her own genre of suspense flash fiction. Samples of her literary work can be viewed on her blog at Chick Under Construction.

She has also shared the stage with renowned poets Tasha Jones, Urban Light and Jay White. She is a contributing author for charity anthology, "Oil and Water...  and Other Things that Don't Mix", published December 2010, titles included "Tomboys and Peach Chiffon" (short story) and "Reconciliation Procrastination (poem). She is also a contributing writer for the blog, Oil and Water Don't Mix. Twice featured in Morning Erection's Poetic License section during National Poetry Month 2011 for "Sunday Morning" and "Baby Queen". Segments of "The Revolution Ain't on Blu-ray" spoken word performance used in 2011 episode of Beacon's TV (Huntsville, Al). Seasoned host of a variety of functions including open mics, book releases, cd releases as well as motivational and diversity seminars.

To subscribe to Kimeko's You Tube Channel

Follow Kimeko on Twitter
Her Facebook Page
Blog Chick Under Construction
Email Kimeko for Speaking Engagements

Look at Me by Kimeko Farrar

In motion

The span of my hips

The curve of my thighs

The arch of my back

The flesh of my calves

Evoke emotion

He notices

Eyes of sparkling espresso

Heart shaped lips and midnight blue curls

A bended wrist upon my chin

A mind in contemplation

Visually infatuated

He listens

To the whisper of my giggle

The sweetness of my cry

The intensity of my moan

The octave of my song 

Time is borrowed from reality

Roles are played

Be a freak in the bed but a lady in the street

Cook and clean and only be seen

Never whine, complain, nag or ask for anything

I’m superwoman without appearing to be

Waiting on the prize I exhaust myself

I reach out to him for help, out of character

I ask for his words of comfort with modest expectation

I forget something important, he is bothered by it

I de-cape to be regular and vulnerable but he says I’ve changed

Truths are revealed

Perfection estranged

The pedestal on which I'm perched is cracked and leaning

Its strength is temporary and cannot sustain the fullness of who I really am

Aspirations, hesitations, and trepidations spill over and expose themselves

I was perfectly made and beautifully flawed when we met

I didn’t pray for him to save me but to know me deeply

And he would have 

If he had done more than just look at me

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Cindy Schuerr, originally from Chicago, Illinois makes her home in the small town of Princeville, IL. She is a lover of books and her desire to write started as a young girl. Cynthia enjoys writing fiction and poetry. She has a short story published in the anthology “12 Days 2009” and is a regular contributor at Chicks in Lit. She is currently writing a trilogy called A Sentimental Journey. Her blog The Heart of Writing, is where you can find bits and pieces of what defines her.

Join Cindy's Facebook Page
Cindy's Twitter Profile
Chicks in Lit
The Heart of Writing

Challenges by Cindy Schuerr

When challenged with adversity

Strength becomes our friend

For without it, we will surely see

The beginning to an end

End of what? You may ask

Let me tell you, now

Our bubbly spirit, loving heart

And all else that may follow

We are not, meant to be

The beaded shell they see

A shine that comes from the glow within

Is what is meant to be

When in doubt of this truth

Look into your heart

You will see the answers there

Indeed, you are very smart

So, be strong even though

Life seems sometimes hard

You have all you need to know

You are who you are

Stay tuned....cause we aren't done yet. I have more poets to come and open their hearts to you. So check back and stay tuned.

The link for the contest is Spotlight Poetry Contest and you can post the banner as well, which I have also included. It's not too late to enter your poetry. So go ahead and do it today, slots are filling up quick.

Don't forget to let the poets know what you thought about their wonderful poems today. You can also check yesterday's post for Day 1 of the Spotlight Poetry Contest and the poets that were spotlighted as well.

Nikki Giovanni Poetry Spotlight, Day 1 of Contest

What a glorious day. I hope you are all feeling as wonderful as I am today. I was giddy with excitement all yesterday because I had to go through all the submissions for the Poetry Spotlight and Contest and I had to choose another one of my favorite Nikki Giovanni poems as well. Also, if you haven't checked out Part 1 of my interview with Nikki Giovanni, please feel free to do so.


One of my favorite Nikki Giovanni poems is entitled, "A Poem for Flora." I like this poem because it rememinds me of how as children, we find people we want to be like because they inspire us or because they are familiar to us. I remember growing up, I wanted to be a mother, but I wanted to be the kind of mother Clair Huxtable was on the Cosby Show. However, you realize once you're grown, you can never be like anyone else but yourself. But when you're a child, anything that looks like you, sounds like you and is in the company of greatness, you don't mind aspiring to and that's why I chose this poem.


Also, we have our first two new poets to spotlight today. I was so pleased to choose them today. So after reading my favorite poem, scroll and keep reading and show these two new poets some love and attention, welcome Laura Williams and Gary Moon.


It is not too late to enter your own poetry submission, just go to the tab at the top of the page that says Spotlight Poetry Submission for more details on how to enter.
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Poem for Flora by Nikki Giovanni


when she was little
and colored and ugly with short
straightened hair
and a very pretty smile
she went to Sunday school to hear
'bout nebuchadnezzar the king
of the jews


and she would listen

shadrach, meshach and abednego in the fire


and she would learn
how god was neither north
nor south east or west
with no color but all
she remembered was that
Sheba was Black and comely


and she would think


i want to be
like that.
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Laura Williams is from Neath in the United Kingdom, she is a writer, trapped in an English teacher’s body. She is also a blogger, a reader, book reviewer, a coffee-drinker and compulsive notebook buyer. Seriously, she says, "it’s bordering on a fetish at this point… I have lots of poems tucked away in these notebooks, but I’ve never shown any to anyone or entered one into a competition before. Poetry is a personal thing. Bad poetry is both personal and embarrassing! I’m hoping this isn’t bad poetry. I’m hoping lots. If you’re interested in hearing more of my babble, check out my shiny blog, "Scattered Figments."


Laura's Twitter
Laura's Blog, Scattered Figments

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Sun Melted By Laura Williams 

Fat and creamy she melts, 
Like delicious butter
In the heat. 

A stubborn protest,
A placard of freckles,
She’s happy only in the sun. 

She wants to bottle 
A perfume of pollen
And sun baked skin.

Life is best when 
Crisp, yellow grass moves
In. Slow. Motion.



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Gary Moon also hails from the United Kingdom. He is a poet and writer. He says, "a glass of Ardbeg, a book and some music constitute a great evening for me." Gary also has his own poetry blog called, The Parrish Lantern, where he displays his poetry and writes book reviews.

Gary's Blog, The Parrish Lantern
Parrish Lantern on Twitter

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Sunstruck by Gary Moon

you gave me my wings
Tho clipped & torn,
crow tattered rags, where
bright peacock feathers
had been. All gaudy display
now muted distrust,
of a world which I'd hid from
with thee

I shook doubt from these stumps
like clay from my boot, with
foolish pride this icarus flew
Do I need to go on, you
knew the tale.....
You were the sun
I fell
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Thank you for joining us for the Poetry Spotlight. Give a warm welcome and tons of support to our two poets today. They deserve it for their lovely poems. I enjoyed reading them and I hope you did too. Since these two poems are being spotlighted, that means they are automatically entered into the Spotlight Poetry Contest and can win the prize available of $50.00. But it's up to "YOU" the reader to vote for the winner at the end of the month. I will not be choosing the winner, I am leaving that up to the followers of this blog, YOU! So stay tuned and keep up with the poets being displayed the entire month of July. It's also not to late to submit your poems so please do that today. It's free exposure and a chance to win a great prize.


Again, congrats to Laura and Gary and thank you for your contribution. Wishing you the very best of luck in winning.

Renowned Poet Nikki Giovanni Interview Part 1

Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Her legacy spans over thirty years as she is one of the most widely-read American poets. Giovanni remains as determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality. Ms. Giovanni reflects on African American identity and culture in her collections of work, such as Black Feeling, Black Talk and Black Feeling, Black Talk, Black Judgement. Always insisting on presenting the truth as she sees it, she has maintained a prominent place as a strong voice on social issues and experiences. Her emphasis is on the empowerment of the individual, on how one can make a difference not just in oneself but through others, through love and not hate, through touch and feeling.


On June 7, 1943, Yolanda Cornelia "Nikki" GIOVANNI was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. She grew up in Lincoln Heights, an all-black suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. She and her sister spent their summers with their grandparents in Knoxville, and she graduated with honors from Fisk University, her grandfather's alma mater, in 1968. She published her first book of poetry, Black Feeling Black Talk, in 1968, and within the next year published a second book, thus launching her career as a writer.


Giovanni's honors and awards have been abundant throughout her career. The recipient of some twenty-five honorary degrees and over thirty awards. She is an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and has received Life Membership and Scroll from The National Council of Negro Women. She has received the keys to more than two dozen cities. A scientist who admires her work even named a new species of bat he discovered for her! She is the author of some 30 books for both adults and children, Nikki Giovanni is a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
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Interview

Good Afternoon Ms. Giovanni. Thank you for participating in this interview today. It is an honor and a privilege. 

Ms. Giovanni: Thank you.

Well, I’m a southern girl in Alabama, what has growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee taught you that no other place has?

Ms. Giovanni: Well, you only grow up in one place. (laughs) Being a Tennessean by birth, I think that, especially from the hills, I think that it would have been a different experience had I been born, for example in Memphis instead of Knoxville. Because Memphis is on the Mississippi river and Knoxville is in the Appalachian hills. So I come from a storytelling tradition instead of a blues tradition for example.

One of my favorite collections of yours is the 100 Best African American Poems with cd.


Ms. Giovanni: Thank you.


Can you tell me how this project came about? And how was it working with such talented artists as Sonia Sanchez, Ruby Dee and Novella Nelson to name a few?

Ms. Giovanni: Ruby Dee and Novella Nelson are my sorority sisters which you may or may not know.  I have known them forever, so I invited them down to do a reading with me, and they agreed to come. Which was very nice. The book came to me. Every twenty years or so, the publishers do a book on the best African American short stories, best African American poems;  so I was invited to do it.

Was there a live audience during recording?

Ms. Giovanni: No, no we did it in the studio, so there were just about 20 people in the studio.

Since you combine music with poetry, does music stem from poetry or poetry from music? 


Ms. Giovanni: Well, they probably, (laughs) that the chicken or the egg, they probably both came out, humans probably  imitated the sounds that they heard, which came out of  music and it got refined into words. And that’s what you get.

Is there a distinct difference between being a spoken word artist and a poet?

Ms. Giovanni: I think that spoken word is the next step. Because you frequently cannot read spoken word and get what the author intended. The way that you have to hear it, so I think it’s just another step.

What has influenced your poetry the most? 


Ms. Giovanni: I love, I’m a big fan of history, I think that a lot of the history has influenced me.

Being a poet is not always financially rewarding, what do you say to those poets as a successful business woman and owner of your own publishing company to poets who are trying to get published in today’s market?

Ms. Giovanni: You have the internet, you can do a lot on your own, you can blog, you can set up publishing in a way that was a lot easier than when we were coming up.  I would say if you’re interested in writing, you should write.

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Please stay tuned for the continuation of my interviews with Nikki Giovanni for the entire month of July. Check back to see what she has to say about President Obama, Fredrick Douglass, parental loss, Tupac Shakur and more. 


We will discuss Ms. Giovanni's poems tomorrow along with the debut of one of our up and coming poets. The poet appearing tomorrow will automatically be entered into the Spotlight Poetry contest. So please stop by to offer he or she some poet love and support, plus you the reader will have to vote on which poet receives the prize and becomes our July Spotlight Poet of the Month. There is still time to enter the poetry contest, just click on the Spotlight Poetry Contest tab at the top of the page.


So stay tuned. And please leave a comment, question or thought about a particular poem or experience. You never know who may be reading them (*wink, wink*) 


Stay tuned.
Blessings!


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One of My Favorite Nikki Giovanni Poems

Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why)

I was born in the congo
I walked to the fertile crescent and built
    the sphinx
I designed a pyramid so tough that a star
    that only glows every one hundred years falls
    into the center giving divine perfect light
I am bad
I sat on the throne
    drinking nectar with allah
I got hot and sent an ice age to europe
    to cool my thirst
My oldest daughter is nefertiti
    the tears from my birth pains
    created the nile
I am a beautiful woman
I gazed on the forest and burned
    out the sahara desert
    with a packet of goat's meat
    and a change of clothes
I crossed it in two hours
I am a gazelle so swift
    so swift you can't catch me
    For a birthday present when he was three
I gave my son hannibal an elephant
    He gave me rome for mother's day
My strength flows ever on
My son noah built new/ark and
I stood proudly at the helm
    as we sailed on a soft summer day
I turned myself into myself and was
    jesus
    men intone my loving name
    All praises All praises
I am the one who would save
I sowed diamonds in my back yard
My bowels deliver uranium
    the filings from my fingernails are
    semi-precious jewels
    On a trip north
I caught a cold and blew
My nose giving oil to the arab world
I am so hip even my errors are correct
I sailed west to reach east and had to round off
    the earth as I went
    The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid
    across three continents
I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal
I cannot be comprehended except by my permission
I mean...I...can fly
    like a bird in the sky...


~ Nikki Giovanni

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Do you have a favorite Nikki Giovanni poem? What is it and why is it your favorite?

Poetry Spotlight and Contest

It's July! Time for fireworks, grilling and fun in the sun. I don't know if you remember a few weeks back, I said I would spotlight poetry for the entire month of July in honor of one of my favorite poets, the talented and gifted, Nikki Giovanni. I did an interview with Ms. Giovanni a few weeks ago, but decided to wait and post it and just dedicate the entire month to her and all the poets in the world. So beginning on July 5th, I will post one segment of my interview with Nikki Giovanni once a week. The rest of the week, I will highlight my favorite Nikki Giovanni poems as well as spotlight some new rising and upcoming poets. 

Submission and Contest


If you would like to be considered in the spotlight, please go to The Spotlight Poetry Contest and follow the guidelines. At the end of the spotlight, I will ask my readers, (yes that's you) to vote on your favorite poem highlighted during the month. The winner will receive $50. This contest is open internationally. However, if the winner lives within the U.S, they will receive $50, if the winner lives internationally, they will receive $50 towards purchases at The Book Depository. 


So I hope you will stay tuned to the upcoming interview with the renowned Nikki Giovanni, our featured poets and check back frequently to see who the lucky winner will be. Plus, I need your help voting for the winner come July 30th, July 31st and August 1st. So please spread the word and enter today. 


Poetry submissions begin July 1, 2011 and end July 24, 2011. Voting begins July 30, 2011 and ends August 1, 2011 at midnight.


Have a blessed, safe and happy Fourth of July!