ladon " A moment in Time "

If I take you by the hand
would you smile for me.

If I tell you that your pretty
would you believe me.

If time stood still would you
accept my proposal to dance into
the nights dawn.

If I pull you close, can I brush
my fingers across your cheek.
I can gaze into your eyes and never grow tired.

If you could spare me the time to show you that a man can treat
you the way a woman is supposed to be.
Never letting time pass without stealing a kiss,
a glance, or even a touch of god's perfection.
If only you believe me when I say your
beautiful , sexy, a Woman...

Believing in someone even when they may not believe in themselves....

This is something I wrote about an athlete that went to the high school where I taught.  He was a talented kid with a bright future and I knew from different people in his life about the things that he was going through personally and how they were adversely affecting his journey in life.  I saw him one day after he had graduated and for some reason this writing came to mind right away.  It took me a short period of time to write it because if I had had the chance to actually talk to him at that moment I may have been able to express the things that I hoped would happen positively in his life....but I didn't get that chance so I wrote it and years later I have no idea where he is or what has become of his life but maybe at some point he will see this and know that there were many people who believed in his potential...even when he may not have and hopefully somewhere now he is living that potential in some way..So my message to Devin (written in 2006)

Devin...I saw you the other day
and wish I could have removed the sadness from my throat
long enough to tell you it was good to see you are doing ok
but
I just waved in silence
and 
it only seems like yesterday
when we were watching the world trying to hold this young soldier
tucked safely under our wings...
yet it didn't matter how hard we tried
your journey needed to be baptized and testified
like prophets
like runaways turned prodigal sons
like in the strength of your stride 
you couldn't hide the fact that you were a form of God's prize
and you ran
ran for all the those whose life shackles were too tight for them to have a chance
to fight for their way through these struggles...
you didn't need to be identified by all the stereotypes of being a young black male
all you were given was the torch for the world's stifled voices
just 
choices
and you had to always feel the pressure  in all the opportunities  to embrace life's gains
yet you ran like God had called you to take his reigns
and 
we would watch
fingers crossed
hope waiting to leave our lips
your passion carrying life through our veins
at all those friday night games
our love for your light
praying that with all the pain and misfortunes handed your way
our faith in you would make things right
and 
yet still as I think about you wandering those street corners
painful reminders of your need to fight held tight around your neck
and 
skin with tattooes of all the wounds that you have allowed to heal your heart...
I wish I could take away those impressions of life's unfair deeds
that brought you from running freely to weakened knees and false starts
and place on your feet new shoes that our ancestors could have used
when their skin was the palate for the abused
and I would have told you to run for them..
for young brothas that never had any direction
be their protection so they can look at you and realize
that they don't have to empower the prison and bars
of a past thats seen them exploited with anger, oppression and dope...
run with their pain and broken spirits so they can be re-educated in hope...
Run with reassurance that no obstacle in this life can change the destiny
and 
reason you have been placed on this earth...
hold onto the passion that keeps you moving
and 
know that is what gives you worth...

If this doesn't inspire teachers...

I am not sure if many of you are aware of who Dalton Sherman is, but he is a 10 year old 5th grader from the Charles Rice Learning Center in Dallas, Texas.  He has become a motivational speaker that has traveled across the country, been of 60 minutes, Oprah and Ellen.  I wanted to post this video of his speech because as someone who has been in the teaching profession for quite some time I can appreciate this.  I hope

 anyone who watches, especially teachers (who may at times find themselves questioning the value they have to offfer), enjoys and maybe finds more empowerment because of what this little man says.

Favorite Color...Brave New Voices

by Ladon - " You "

I lost my heart time and time again...

I miss the touch of your skin

Your kiss secured my thoughts.

You are my everything

the breathe that I take

with you gone I suffocate

slowly dying inside, life absent from my soul.

You occupy my thoughts every second of everyday.

I just want to see you and talk. 

Love isn't lost, every moment wasn't a lie.

I just want to be in your arms.

I know it isn't easy giving up your heart.

I want to prove that I am the one at the right time.

I know these are just words that has no life.

My words are an extension of my life essence

it carries meaning beyond actions or gifts.

You are my love, the twinkle in my eyes.

I was afraid and held myself to be someone different.

I know I didn't secure your emotions

Simple notions wasn't enough.

I was caught up with self worthlessness

I didn't deserve to be happy

I didn't deserve to be love

I didn't deserve you.

Change in season brings new hope a new love

my heart open to your gifts.

Guiltless, smiles of enjoyment to be within your presence

I cherish it, desire it, relentless persuit

for what I deserve

Love, Happiness, Life.

Brown Skin

Dear God it's me please don't forget
I haven't seen your heaven yet
please don't be mad don't look away
you burned my skin the other day..
you're not perfect this I know
I have the scars that say its so
I steal the towels when they don't see
and wash real hard..still black I be
The things they say
I've caused this hate
rethink this life you did create
My eyes they burn
from tears at night
cause I'm only 6 and cannot fight...
I've prayed to you from on my knees
I'm scared to swing like them on trees
God please you see its not your fault
you had some fun but I got caught...
If you get some time drop by one day
and take this painful skin away...
****
Carefully placed between my hands
those were the words I held onto every night at the age of six
when I was left thinking that all of the tricks
that life had to offer had been played on me,
heart held out for the world to see
that through all the flaws and imperfections
I was this little evolving source of light and reflections,
a series of directions without growth or assistance
just one more step closer to existence
and
on those days when I don't have the fight
to move my pen on this page
I know its the rage of that little wounded child
still reminding me of how deep the pain was at age 6
that age of breakin shit
the kicks and bruises, silent screams and fear of nooses
and
I now know that it wasn't my skin that God had burned
but a soul that felt it had earned its sole role as a minority
a lesser piece of the whole
some fucked up role that I was told when I was still life's mold
just six years old....
and as the seeds in my heart began to grow
I forgot which revolution it was beating for
and I wondered if the world would ever cry
for other young brothas like me hiding a soul that died
because they were lied to about the hope they had always prayed for..
I wondered if I could ever find the words to teach the growth
that tries to rise from society's spoon fed bull shit and lies
and 
if I am ever blessed to be the proud father of a son
everyday I would pick him up in my arms
and 
talk to him about the man he can become
teach him about the run
free him to the chase life takes after
show him how to live in the hopes and laughter
the things that make this grind worth pressing towards
and
when he reaches the age of 6
I will hold open his hands and walk him through
all the doors I still lack the courage to go thru
so he will understand this new truth..
My flesh and blood, my souls begin
your skin's not burned, you have not sinned
lift those eyes and dry your face
raise your voice and make your place..
don't live in silence let them see
they put you down still black you be..
take this pen, unclench your fist
mow your 6 become this wish
that others force through parted lips
stand up
be strong
evolve
exist
this skin that God now trusts you with
should hold no pain
it was his gift~

Power In Words

One of the reasons I decided to create this blog is because there were several periods of time during my teaching career that I chose to let some of my students read some the writings that I had done.  Because I have always used my writing as a form of therapy I was hesitant at first to do so but what I soon found out was that as I shared with students, they began to share some of their writing with me.  At times it was students that were not necessarily the best in my class or maybe even had issues with discipline.  Once I read what was really going on with them and the power with which they expressed that through their poetry it gave me a whole new perspective on what this younger generation is going through.  It is that voice that is not spoken but is written that I would like to work with youth on creating and expressing.  Hopefully this blog can be a start.  I am posting this video of a guy named Daniel Beaty who performed a poem on Def Poetry Jam in one of the later seasons called Knock Knock...take a look..it is powerful stuff..I had to watch it a couple of times..Enjoy~

That new, fresh in love kinda poem

DEEPLY
 
IT HAS TAKEN ME SOME TIME TO FIND THE WORDS TO WRITE YOU THE PERFECT POEM
BECAUSE
I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES WORDS CAN FALL
SHORT
OF THEIR INTENTIONS
AND
I WANTED TO FILL THIS POEM WITH
PERFECTION
SO THAT EACH LETTER WOULD BE PLACED TOGETHER ON THIS PAGE
AS FIRMLY AS
THE PIECES OF MY HEART THAT YOU HAVE CAUGHT
AND
PUT BACK TOGETHER…
I WANTED TO FIND WORDS
BIG ENOUGH TO CAPTURE EACH END OF YOUR SMILE
AND
WRAP THEM AROUND YOU DURING ALL THE TIMES YOU MIGHT FEEL THAT THIS TIME LOVE MIGHT LET YOU DOWN… 
I WANTED TO RIP UP THIS PAGE INTO TINY PIECES
JUST
TO SHOW YOU THAT NO MATTER HOW I PUT MY FEELINGS FOR YOU
BACK TOGETHER
THEY WOULD ALWAYS TURN OUT AS PASSIONATELY AS I LOVE YOU..
AND
I JUST FIND COMFORT IN THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE OPENLY HATED THE NOTEBOOK
I WILL ONE DAY WRITE ABOUT THE NIGHT YOU ALMOST CRIED
DURING THAT MOVIE IN A
‘NOTEBOOK’ YOU MADE THAT WOULD ONE DAY SHOW A NEW LIFE
HOW INCREDIBLE A LOVE STORY CAN BE…
I LOVE THAT YOU CRINGE AT THE THOUGHT OF ONE TREE HILL
AND 
YET
ONE OF THE BEST MOMENTS WE HAVE HAD WAS THIS WEEKEND SITTING UNDER ONE TREE ON A SLIGHT HILL IN CENTRAL PARKJ LOL
AND 
DON’T HATE CAUSE I HAVE TWISTED WORDS TOGETHER WITH A CHEESE SO GOOD
THEY SHOULD BE CALLED VELVEETA
BECAUSE I WOULD TWIST JUST ABOUT ANYTHING FOR THE VERB…THE ADJECTIVE
THE RUN-ON SENTENCE OR FRAGMENT TO GIVE YOU AN
IDEA
OF JUST HOW
MANY WORDS MY HEART BEATS IN A DAY FOR YOU…
AND 
I WANTED TO WRITE YOU THIS POEM
BECAUSE I CAN OVERCOME MY INSECURITIES WITHIN THESE LINES
AND REPLACE THEM AGAINST THE LINES OF YOUR BODY EVEY TIME I HOLD
YOU
TIGHTLY AGAINST ME
HOPING THAT IF YOU LISTEN CLOSELY ENOUGH YOU CAN HEAR
MY NEXT PROMISE THAT I WILL HOLD YOUR LOVE SAFELY
AND 
WRAP ITS DETAIILS AROUND MY FINGERS
AS YOU WRAP YOUR HAIR AROUND YOURS SOMETIMES..
I WANT TO TELL THE WHOLE WORLD THAT I AM WORKING ON THE PERFECT
POEM….
AND HOW EACH DAY THAT I WRITE HER…I FALL MORE IN LOVE…

What One Voice and WVR is about...

 In 2002 Russell Simmons created a HBO series sensation called Def Poetry Jam. It created a platform for writers across all ethnic background and ages to walk onto a stage and bring to life the art of spoken word poetry.  The series had a total of 6 successful seasons and then Russell Simmons, Stan Lathan and Kamilah Forbes created a different series similar to Def Poetry Jam called Brave New Voices.  This series focused on the talent of youth in spoken word poetry and poetry slam competitions. This blog spot is dedicated to gathering and providing a spotlight for high school aged youth in the Northern Virginia area to share, discuss and create a spoken word forum with the goal of eventually creating a slam team from this area. Words, Voices and Redemption is not about negativity or vulgarity in any way shape or form.  It is strictly a forum for positivity, talent, love and an appreciation for the art of creative writing and poetry. With that being said Welcome.....