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“Do All Trees Sway in the Wind?” An Ode to my Grandmother

I went to visit my grandmother yesterday and I took a belated birthday gift to her. 74. Amazing. I call her my tree, and she calls me her acorn. I tell you, all my life I have been making clever connections as to why I would be her acorn. I have heard funny stories of her that remind me of my own rebellious nature. I have ticked her off enough to feel her tough love. I have always wondered so much about her: her strength and where it comes from, how she always keeps it real no matter what, and whether I, too will be handed down the ability to not stress the small stuff and continue to take in all good things that maintain gratitude.

My tree, her roots dig deep into the soil.

Within the strength of her branches:

Memories,

Maternal empathy,

Wisdom,

Heartache,

Strength, she has never had any other choice but to be rooted in strength.

My tree, 

In her eyes I see many things,

Stories untold,

I see power. I see –

An undeniable appreciation 

For life,

I see many nights that she most likely did weep,

But the best of trees stand tall 

And don’t let the winds of a storm uproot them.

Had a dream last night

That she and I wept together

After she told me her own 

Hurts and mistakes of the past, and I thanked her for she had healed me.

And while that conversation need not ever truly take place,

Within that dream, she helped to solidify 

Depths 

And years 

And generations of healing, respect, and understanding.

I will always take pictures of captivating trees wherever I go. But, the most amazing one – well, just take a look:

Pecans, Strawberries & Watermelon Seeds- Winston Teeny Bopper

I have just recently returned to using Instagram as social media was previously one of my biggest triggers. I am affirming my purpose as a writer, and there are always going to be moments of questioning self. Even if it’s just to gauge your message. 

I just so happened to join a small group of poets who are immensely talented. Yes, me quirky Jessica trying to be a little more social and confidently goal driven. 

(Fun fact, if you don’t know what to say during certain moments and conversations, it may be best to sit still, and every moment isn’t the moment to act. )

This group has been sharing poetry prompts and inspirational chats  in a way to keep us all motivated to keep writing during national poetry month.

Disclaimer, I kind of sort of always correlate my hometown with negative experiences, as if there’s not one positive to good ole Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 

Any location is what you make it, I’ve learned, because I have run from state to state habitually instead of facing my problems. 

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a journalist.  I wanted to write about social causes and feed my humanitarian spirit. It was just something that I knew since age 11. I always knew I was a writer.

I want to pay homage to this group and to the immense talent that I’ve seen within it. Naturally, after several odd and impulsive regurgitations of blabbering messages and a few moments of “unsending,” I felt the need to revisit the topic of things I love about my hometown. Rather than allow a forced and reckless ego driven spew of “wanna be gangster chick,” or whatever that was… I actually do have some good things to say.

James White , my late paternal grandfather

Stingy old man?

Living in the south but occasionally questioning motives of church offerings 

Collections of cars

Rings on each finger

Wads of cash secured by rubber bands.

School bells rings. “I wonder what Papa is driving today.”

It wasn’t so much a flashy one but rather a deeper message:

Work hard.

Seed.

Honor roll. 

Award.

Award.

Award.

Papa’s proud.

Seed.

McDonalds. Chicken nuggets. With the dark meat, too.

Sweet & sour sauce.

Dr. Pepper.

Fries.

Better make sure they’re fresh.

Speak up for what you want.

Seed.

Lectures about jail, drugs, boys, but what young teen retains all that!!? Warnings of what takes place at wild parties. Eh, I was already doing the worst. 

North Carolina School of the Arts – 

Dressing rooms. 

Seed.

Beautiful campus, worlds of art.

Seed. Seed.

And then we went from house to house and I saw him cleaning, scrubbing, telling me the value of work ethic.

“Are these all his houses?”

Seed. 

Stubborn old man, refusing to walk with a cane. 

Save money. 

Seed.

But look at what you can instantly get with it!

Shallow absorption.

I joined the Navy, just like him,

But what a wonder it would have been if I simply understood

Why he taught me to hide a little money in my socks, and tell no one about it.

Intentional

The top video shows imagery with effects and the words to the poem “Intentional,” which can also be found below. The second video I just wanted to share as it was a beautiful cloud gazing day form my patio yesterday.

Thank you for viewing this blog post. Admittedly I have been a bit “scatterbrained” lately, but I am working hard to narrow my focus as it pertains to my daily functioning.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the works and posts of so many wonderful people. It is my intention to get back into browsing the blogs and amazing works of art and poetry and inspiration that have helped me keep my love for writing alive.

Easter inspired piece – Please enjoy.


Press play on the video below.

Easter inspired piece with a heavy emphasis on gratitude and healing.

This morning I woke up a bit out of sorts and a little trapped in my head, which is a frequent occurrence for me. A combination of sunlight, coping skills, a church sermon, nature, and of course my purpose as a mother and my gratitude for life inspired this piece.

Thank you for viewing.

How the first week of National Poetry Month went – Enjoy this selection of poems!

Here I have some pieces that I created to kick off National Poetry month. Some of these poems were inspired by prompts created by well known poets and poetry organizations from Instagram in which I will ensure to give credit to and mention upon their permission and discretion. I will also return to this blog post to update any information as needed.

This post serves not only to keep poetry inspiration thriving but as a reminder to myself of why I am still on my current path.

“All my life I had to write…”

Quite a few of these I have yet to title. Enjoy, and as always, thank you for viewing.










“A North Carolina Spring – in 2023”

(Video below, before poem)


Video for “A North Carolina Spring – in 2023”

Me and my friends,

I see we been through enough fire.

We rewriting stories

Full of intention and desire.

This world is full of f****d up people.

But – if you look hard enough,

Perhaps give a squinter or two,

If you pay attention to the inner,

Perhaps even the little you,

When you stomach a few minutes of the news,

A lot of scary sh*t is happening.

But – when you take a walk on a sunny day

Just before high temps hit

In the very indecisive weather of a North Carolina spring,

And you catch a nice gust of wind

On a deep inhale,

Taking a moment

With absolutely nowhere to rush off to,

No busy agenda, no deadline,

No expectation to meet,

No woes to cast,

No ex to ruminate about…

Tracking?

No validation seeking,

Cuz didn’t they see that post I made? Why didn’t anyone like it? How many views do I have on that?

Perspective:

This world is full of people.

A lot is happening.

The pace is fast.

Me and my friends,

I see we been through enough fire

To blossom into a phoenix,

Rebirth of perspective.

We wear 2023 with tension, disappointment, and uncertainty.

We have been tired for years, some for decades, seeing the pursuit no longer include happiness.

We want life.

Do we want life?

May we stop passing down

Fear,

Whether it’s fear of success

Or a phobia of bees,

May we stop passing down

Negative responses to uncertainty.

Me and my friends,

I see we been through enough fire

To fill our steps with faith in God,

Knowing we don’t have to be perfect at this,

Knowing that at times it looks a little odd.

Gotta stop passing down inconsistency and self doubt,

Me and my friends,

I think we figured it out.

Me and my friends,

I see we been through enough fire,

We gunna enjoy the journey

And you can come along and vibe too,

We tend to forget that happiness is first internal.

Happiness begins with you.

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