July Poet of the Month LaTonya M. Griffin
Composition (Symphony)
Your voice is like music that was especially composed for my ears
The intonation reverberates within me and has settled in my soul
I have decided that I can listen to you speak for the remainder of my days
I hear your baritone even when you’re not around
That laugh makes my heart flutter
Your calm is familiar territory for my soul
It has soothed me for many life times and this one will be no exception
That peace is much better than any artificial high you could manufacture
It’s that original ooo wee
That call off from work and roll ova for some more bomb diggity
The complex simplicity mixes with all that authenticity to make it just right
If I were to compose a symphony, it would be based on the bass that always comforts me
That boom clat does something to my make up, it has my ancestors excited
That high hat does a little dance on my ear drums every time you say, ‘’Baby’’
You have a way of making my knees weak when you speak and even when you don’t
That extra track to the sound track of my existence has proven to be my favorite song
That smooth baritone is like the dun cha duncha dunch of my favorite House song
Makes me sway my hips and break out in an old school groove
The low mumbling in my ear makes my back arch ever so slightly
You are just the right key for me
It’s like Ella, Anita, and Jill……just Croooooooning
It’s like closing my eyes, takin in Night in Tanizia while on the riverbank wrapped in July’s sweet evening breeze
YOU……….ARE……THE ACCOMPANIMENT………..TO……….MY……….LIFE’S………..SONG
Beautiful Girl
Beautiful girl, you are strong
You posses the strength of many women before you
You represent the triumph of struggles passed
You embody the dream of unaware Goddesses of your lineage
Smile because you are here
Beautiful girl, you are smart
You possess the intelligence of Queens
You represent the quiet rule that sat beside the acknowledged
You embody the faith that our sisters carried
Smile because you are able
Beautiful girl, you are awesome
You posess what it takes to birth a nation
You represent all that is life as we know it
You embody the fortitude to sustain a lineage
Smile because you are love
Allow life to caress your soul
All experiences to enrich your life
Allow love to keep you grounded
Allow kindness to radiae your being
Allow positivity to become your character
Soul Tie
In my soul lies a soul tie
That is an indescribable hurt
A hurt so deep, dark, and decades old that it is undescribable
I’m tied not to a man, but, to an experience
My soul lies between present day and yesterdays
No body presently on earth can understand the wo-man
That I am today nor my tomorrow SHE
I have not been completely
Manifested, oh, but that day that I am…..mmm mmm mmm
In my soul lies a soul tie
That is bound to a people
A people that helped create my lineage
A culture that woven ever so intricately in my tapestry
I have a hunger pang not for food of the earth
But, for food of the soul, simply put knowledge
A deep down hankering to get the un-get-able
A want, need and desire to quench the fire of unfaithfulness
To understand the who, what, when, and why of everything
In my soul lies a soul tie
That shows up in my undertone
In my bone structure and in my mane
I have a crest that suggests Gaelic beginnings, but, my coils scream Mother Africa
I have a deep seeded need to have peace, be peaceful, and create peace
Cosmic dissonance disturbs my core
My being simply cant take it
I ache for the injustices of this world to cease
Crimes against humanity, whether political or otherwise, must cease
The intentional killing of each other, whether physical or spiritual, has no place here
In my soul lies a soul tie
That manifests in my love for people
A strong need to break every chain, keep a strong presence, and fight for freedom
A civilization so rooted in excellence that it continues to be hated and copied
In my soul lies a soul tie
That can’t embrace anger or hate
It makes me want to defend the defenseless
Mistrust makes my eyes water and my stomach hurt
In her soul lies
The fruit of a nation
In her soul lies
The blueprint of the world
In her soul lies
The awesomeness of humanity
When you make her soul cry
You are destroying life
When you make her should cry
You are putting fire to creation
When you make her soul cry
You are killing the future of mankind
In her soul lies
The light of a nation
In her soul lies
The flame of existence
In her soul lies
The love of a people
Thinker/Writer (Think-HER/Writ-HER)
When you are dealing with a think-her
Be care-ful
Be mind-ful
Be good to her
Understand that she’s sweet and brooding
Know that she’s kind and cunning
When you are dealing with a think-her
Understand that she feels with all senses
Understand that she thinks with her soul
Understand that she loves with her mind
When you are dealing with a think-her
Please believe every word that you speak hits fertile ground ;
Be care-ful, that seed may take root
Please know that every action fosters an equal and opposite re-action
It just might surprise you
Please understand that she thinks before she speaks not because she’s slow, but, because she is
tactful.
When you’re dealing with a writ-her
Be understanding; she lives in many worlds and identifies with a lot
Be open minded; her conversation is alive and colorful, yet, solid and profound
Be patient; she has a lot to say and if she’s sharing it with you, you’re important.
When you’re dealing with a writ-her
Understand that you could become the subject; not in the Royal Kingdom sense, but, in the immortalized written, spoken-word, two-snaps, hot-mic, next up in the cypher sense
Understand that what you do, how you groove, and how you handle her will be forever etched
in lead
Understand that your image, as she sees you, will become colorful verbiage, dressed in punctuation, bathed in synonyms, pronouns, and adverbs, styled to perfection for the literary
elite.