PoeticHermit85's Xanga

Finally

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:16:54 GMT

"When you come to the end of the rop, tie a knot and hang on." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Hello,

I haven't written in a very long time, but I figured an update would be worthy. I have begun my first edit on my compilation. I'm hoping this will be done by mid-August. If you'd like me to send you a copy, hit me up. It is basically my favorite set of poetry. If you sift through my last 40 or so notes here you'll see which ones I'm referring to.

My summer has been going well, I am working, hanging out a lot, playing volleyball and rugby avidly and waiting for classes to start in the fall.

Hopefully I'll see you around.

-Peace and Justice.

Voices From A Broken System

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:19:25 GMT

"MLK, Renaissance, and Cass Tech all lead the way to higher education in Detroit, but they should be the models for our K-12 system, not only the lucky ones who get in. Let us give everyone a chance." ~ Me

Hello All,

So today I was part of an event on campus put together by Change for Change, and it was a great forum which focused on issues that the Detroit Public Schools are facing themselves with, and what is being done to change it, and how we can help.

Educated in Detroit - 2/19/2008

On the corner of Woodward and Grand Boulevard you see the edge of an institution,
Four blocks east we got polluted streets and confusion,
Four blocks south you see the heart of a solution,
Four blocks on the west souls on the brink of survival,
Yet we only need to go four blocks north to see some strategic revival.

In all directions from the old Labor State Building and Wayne State,
You see broken neighborhoods,
You see the river front and Hart Plaza,
We have the Henry Ford Hospital,
And then there is Ferndale,
This system needs to be connected,
Resurrected and protected.

I am witness to the greatness this city produces,
I am witness to all the ill this city reproduces.
We must be beacons of light,
We need to lead the fight,
Protect ourselves and do what is right.

So, we may be at a disadvantage in the inner city schools,
But I say, let us try harder to make them better,
Let us gather the voices and represent them,
Let us raise the children and show them why an education is important.
We need to believe in the system at hand,
We need to improve the system at hand,
We need to improve the demand,
We need to devise a plan,
Full of motivation,
Filled with compassion,
To produce a reaction,
We must instill hope.

Socio changes and economic deprivations,
Dollars funding the wrong agenda,
We must reach our goals.
We must touch the hearts and explain the arts,
We must volunteer and be sincere,
We need to make a change, for a change,
We need to lift off the hand that is holding us down,
So we can lift up the children and give them crowns.

Detroit has the structure to rise up again,
Knowledge is power,
Tell all your friends,
Knowledge is power,
Seek Knowledge.
_________________

I can't wait for Alternative Spring Break Detroit!

Much love,
ModernJourney

Fertile Ground

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:08:54 GMT

"What will humanity do if I don't help?" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sup,

I entered this in to this years MLK contest and I got 2nd place, to my man Jason Davis. It is kind of long, but awesome, so here you go:

40 Years - We Shall Overcome

There is a concept of fertile ground that needs to be nurtured and taken care of, but in order for movements and revolutions to sprout, we must keep a fertile mind. There is a strength in love and support that helps us grow. You see it in a mother’s eye, you hear it in a leader’s voice, and we must find it within ourselves.

Imagine today, some 40 years ago. This moment that we are recognizing would be barricaded by the law, yet today we are free.

Imagine this moment, 40 years ago many of us wouldn’t be standing here together, we may have been on opposite ends of the spectrum, yet today we are friends.

Imagine this moment, 40 years ago. In this beloved country of ours, our parents and some of you were standing in these institutions, for the same auspicious cause.

40 years ago, we saw TV images and photos of hatred. Many of you lived through moments I pray to never find myself in.

Today we stand here in the same movement, passed down by generations, teaching resistance and getting rid of impotence.

We stand here today for a reason that now defines us. We are here because of the triumphs and tribulations of a movement.

Today, we have fertile minds that sometimes rewind, only to remind us of the pain. To help us remember that there is far more to gain. We must be our own heroes, our own MLKs, bringing sunshine on rainy days, leaving stains in my memory of men and women with brave ways. I collect these thoughts to portray the beautiful array of freedom, to help dismay the public of our country’s treason. There simply is no reason that hatred is in season. It’s time to go hunting for injustice and bring peace.

Fertility and stability shall come with passionate dreams, and boy do I have a dream. It is a dream we all share, a dream that is close to all of us. It is our duty to fulfill his dream and carry out a scheme to overcome. We will break the silence, and we shall overcome.

Today, this movement still exists, in each and every one of us. It exists in the very reason we are gathered here, to remember and never forget a leader, and all those who followed him.

It was only 40 years ago that this world changed. With his departure he left a legacy that lives in each of us. We carry this change by making the decision to accept what is right and forbid what is wrong and to remember how he was strong.

40 years ago, Dr. King stood for social justice and moral freedom. Today, we are still standing. I stand here with you, under the nostalgia of ‘lights, camera, and action’, ready to fight forward and carry out his passion.

Dr. King has provided me with inspiration to stand up when others are just sitting by. Dr. King has provided me with the courage to believe in myself. Dr. King has helped me stay strong and give me insight to what is true.

Dr. King means the world to many. Dr. King means the voice of the under represented. We stand together in one voice to remember the trials of a people who carry a long rooted history in our country. It isn’t so simple to reverse the wrongs of the past, and it isn’t easy to forget either. The past will be remembered, and that is why we act, that is why we march forward, that is why we will never forget, and that is why we shall overcome.

Dr. King is my mentor, Dr. King is my voice, and he is our voice. I have made Dr. Kings dream my own to live out, so we can all live in it, I hope you do the same.
__________________________

Peace out,
ModernJourney

It's Too Late to Apologize

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:17:36 GMT

"Domestic violence causes far more pain than the visible marks of bruises and scars." ~ Dianne Feinstein

Hi all,

I'm sorry that it has been 10 days without an update. I wanted to post this piece for a while, but never had the time, and I didn't feel it had the caliber either. I feel it is powerful, but isn't complete. I'll let you decide.

Empty Space - 1/10/2008

It's too late to hate,
I'm one step passed 'had enough',
It's like nothing resonates in his head when I say 'stop'.
He says 'I love you' and it frustrates me beyond belief.
Those deadly words have bruised me, they've scarred me.

Part of me feels torn, and the other feels nothing,
There is an empty space that eats me up inside,
The warmth of his body cuts me cold,
But I can't seem to let go.

It's too late to hate,
I'm one step passed 'I'm done with this'.
He doesn't seem to care and promises he'll stop,
I don't trust him anymore and the look on his face hurts me so much,
As his hand connects with my face,
This empty space engulfs in flames and destroys a memory bank of pictures in frames.
'I've had enough, I'm done with this'.

It's too late to hate,
I'm one step passed 'I'm leaving'.
NO man will ever raise their hand against me,
This beauty is profound and I'm a woman on a mission,
To help with getting past the remission,
Barren trees and dried up leafs,
I can only love when it's in season,
I'm single for a reason,
Maybe it's cyclical in this empty space,
The void between love and hate,
Maybe you can relate,
But in some way this was my fate,
I'm here to give a voice,
To tell you there is a choice,
To be bold and brave,
And not living in a grave,
To stand up and fight,
And give the abused their right,
To take this empty space,
Give it up with haste.

It's too late to hate,
I'm one step passed 'I'm going to make a difference'.
This new reality is of the essence,
It is the only thing that makes sense,
I am finally reasoning for myself,
Finally respecting myself.

This empty space mutates and isolates,
When all I really need is someone who can relate,
We all carry these empty spaces,
Lets shatter these vases,
That are holding flowers blooming with sensation.

It's too late to hate,
I'm one step passed 'living my life right'.
I got past the empty spaces,
I've filled them with smiling faces and happy occasions,
Thank you for the courage,
Thank you for the support,
Thank you for helping me find my own worth,
It's too late to hate,
And I'm one step passed 'forgetting him'.
__________________

I hope to update soon. Let me know what you thought, or how it could be more powerful.

Peace out,
ModernJourney

Freedom

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:31:06 GMT

"A right delayed is a right denied" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hi,

Today was an amazing day. I congratulate all of the individuals who attended and helped construct such an amazing program: Freedom March/MLK. It was definitely touching and emotional to see everyone come together and share their stories and hear different perspectives, and hold hands, and sing, as one. We all have dreams, and I'm glad this one came true.

There is an MLK planning committee on campus and they put together a writing contest with the LYCEUM, so this is what I initially came up with, surrounded by the theme 'What will happen to humanity if I don't help?', but I didn't like it as a whole product, so in a couple of posts (4 more till present day) you'll see what I submitted to the committee.

Take Action - 12/7/2007

Lights, camera, take action,
Let me tell you life's most persistent question,
It came from a man known as MLK,
It started off with what are you doing for others today?
He taught us that all of us are brothers,
That we should care for one another,
He said 'What will happen to humanity if I don't help?
What will happen to the civil rights movement if I don't participate?
What will happen to my nation if I don't vote?
What will happen to the sick if I don't visit them?'

That is why he was a Dr. and a King,
A man so benevolent could only bring,
A movement together,
Against the weather,
For a nation to see,
Piecing closely a community,
We shall overcome any strife in this life,
And take action because now is the time,
To rid humanity of crime,
We shall overcome,
And keep humanity in line,
He said it the best,
'Let freedom ring',
And they knew how to sing,
'We shall overcome'.

We can only do so when we help,
No good will come out of doing nothing,
So do something,
Take action now,
So we can survive,
So our children can live fruitful lives,
For tomorrow to be filled with peace,
What will humanity do if I don't help?
Idly dissipate?
What will humanity do if I do help?
A world of a difference.

Seek change,
Mold the world,
And smile.
_______________

I didn't feel worthy of this piece to be entered into the competition. Last year I just felt my piece was a lot more powerful, but I guess today I finally came up with something and I put it in, so hopefully it puts me on the map. I don't want to go to sleep because I know today will end, and it has been such a great day.

Peace,
ModernJourney.

Command and Conquer

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:54:54 GMT

"What will happen to humanity if I don't help" ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Hey,

What a first week of classes, it feels like Monday was a long time ago. I'm just a couple months behind on the poetry. I wrote this piece for our Global Fest on our campus.

Unite or Divide - 10/29/2007

There is more that unites us than divides us,
But isn’t the opposite also true?
Digame,
Are you an optimist or a pessimist?
Do you pollute or salute minds?
Do you unite or divide crowds?
Do you bridge or destroy lives?
Do you heal or infect?
Do you create or dissect?
Do you hate or care?
Do you take or share?
Are you unjust or fair?

I can display this smile with you,
Bring happiness to a few,
Or I can do what is corrupt,
And try to cover it up,
So much goes wrong in this world,
Is there a cure?
We celebrate our strengths,
While others capitalize on our weaknesses.
The wounds we face are a disgrace,
There are those who live to divide us,
And others who die to unite us.
So live with hope,
Live with prosperity,
Live knowing that the world is good.
The next time you can choose to unite or divide, remember:
There is more that unites us than divides us.

We each carry our own flag of colors,
Our own set of cultures,
Let’s represent what makes us unique,
This global variety,
This world of differences…is what oddly enough unites us,
Greed, money, and power create divisions and incisions,
That blur our vision and mission,
Creates tension,
Causing apprehension,
We need an intervention consisting of connection,
Unity or division?
Both lead to a sense of pride,
A commonality in differences,
One pride used for good,
The other only because they could.
You need a balance of unity and division to create precision,
So let there be hating and caring,
Let there be taking and sharing,
Because collectively there can be more that unites us than divides us.

If and only if we truly perceive it to be,
So be an optimist,
Convince a pessimist,
And help change the world.
_______________________

Peace Out,
ModernJourney

Remember It

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 23:04:49 GMT

"All my life I've looked at words as though I were seeing them for the first time." ~ Ernest Hemingway

Sup,

This one is out of the ordinary, but that is why I like it. Half of the fun is in the presentation of this piece. Get ready for a laugh, or a barf...or both. Oh, and my mom got mad when she read this.

The First Time - 9/27/2007

There was this one time,
The first time,
I got to tell you about it,
It all revolves around some good shit that went down.

My ode to you,
I still haven’t forgotten the first time I ever…
You know…did it.
You know what I’m talking about, yeah you too…you wish you knew!
Feverish forehead, beaded up with sweat,
I lean in, no regrets,
I hope it feels alright,
I hope it doesn’t hurt,
What if…what if it just comes out so fast?
Forming a fist, I clench my teeth, I bite my lip,
This sensation runs through me for the first time.

Wild and unforgiving, back and forth, intensity,
How much longer can I last?
Push and release,
Breathless,
My face is red,
The first time I ever did it,
It was perfect.

Let me take you back to the beginning:
The silky lavender scent of candles filled the room along with depictions of shadows,
Paintings on the wall, I remember it all,
I loosened my belt and let my pants just slide down,
Ready, finally for the first time in my life,
I never felt such satisfaction,
I told myself: you’re the man, you’re gonna do this, make Muhi proud!

Oh boy was I nervous.
I wasn’t sure I was ready,
I double guessed myself,
But then I remembered everyone talking about how amazing it is,
How nice it feels just to come to completion.

There was no backing out now.
I just needed to put it in the hole and let her have it.
Oh. Ohhh, yeah. Ohh, Oh OH yeah! YES!
I had to bite my lip to keep quiet,
Almost there,
It was time to seal the deal.

Feverish forehead, beaded with sweat,
I remember the first time I pulled my pants down,
In a hurry,
Sat on the porcelain throne,
And there was no time in between the moment I sat,
And that I shat,
I took the biggest,
Stinkiest shit you could ever imagine,
All at the age of three and a half,
Potty-training in session, I was a toilets worst nightmare,
Beans and rice, lentils and applesauce,
Everything that came in, went out…furiously.

Oh it was great,
The first time,
The independence I felt after,
All by myself, no tag teaming,
I ran back to my mom and said,
“I did poopy!”
All by myself, so proud,
I couldn’t wipe that smile of my face,
Let alone the shit off my ass crack,
The first time,
They always say you’ll remember it.
________________________

Well there you have it, the big nasty. I hope you enjoyed it...back to the normal stuff for next time, I promise.

Peace,
ModernJourney

So Close

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:17:27 GMT

"Justice is somewhere between sad poems and 40 oz of gasoline crashing through windows..." ~ Amir Sulaiman

Hey,

Almost to the finish line:

The Line Between - 8/22/2007

There is plain strain,
In the fracture of toughness.
I walk the line between poetic correctness and political corruptness,
She was the reason my heart yearned to get better,
But then my parents said never,
And it was forbidden then forever.

My days turned cold,
My nights turned sad,
In darkness there is no light,
I walked through the rain,
And my veins soaked with sorrow,
I just wanted to release the pain,
But life means more to me than razor blades and stains,
I need to heal,
Help me feel,
Real.

I'm barely breathing with a heart that is weakening,
Salt is just for the seasoning,
There is no reasoning,
I can't seem to explain,
Why I'm going insane,
There is too much pain,
With far more to gain,
I say let us end this game,
Put an end to my shame,
I want to rewrite my name,
I have no one to blame,
So don't point to my fame,
I just want to hide,
It feels like something inside of me died,
I have no more tears to help me decide,
I've made my mind,
I'm so close, yet so far,
My life isn't ready for this, I'm just at par.

I will live my life on the line between,
When the sun sets and the moon rises,
These are more than just astronomical surprises,
The line between the fall and winter,
When leafs crack and snowflakes linger,
The line between the words in your story,
When you smile and I share your glory,
The line between friendship and parenting,
Caring for the well-being.

I will live my life on the line,
No more looking for sorrow,
I will cheer for tomorrow,
I waited to feel real,
And now I have healed,
You have helped me feel,
This cyclical reel,
Portraying the darkest and the brightest,
Projecting the inferior and the finest,
Let it play through the ups and downs,
So you know to carry on and never frown.
_______________________

Peace,
ModernJourney

StarLight

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 21:21:24 GMT

"Starlight star bright, The first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight." ~ Mother Goose

Hey,

So I hope everyone has had a good break so far, happy holidays to all. I've been enjoying the company of my family so it is all good.

I didn't do as great as I thought I would in my classes, so I guess I need to make that final end of the semester plea that professors hate. Think it is worth it? I figure I don't have anything to lose.

On with the show:

Bright Lights - 8/7/2007

Count the stars, I dare you,
Focus on the twinkle,
Help it rekindle and mingle,
Link up to life's constellation,
Connect the dots,
Transformation,
Permutation,
And revitalization.

Bright lights casting shadows,
Mimicking strength and sorrows,
Looking forward to more tomorrows,
I paint moonshine and galaxies,
Of a ModernJourney into twilight,
A transcending flight,
Taking me unto StarLight,
So bright,
I'm hoping for a wish tonight,
To come true,
And come through,
So that I can be with you.

StarLight and bright lights,
Twinkling all through the night,
Ancient glowing secrets of dust,
That won't corrode or turn to rust,
Bonds so true that reach to the sky,
Brightness with the hues so high,
Containing wisdom of life so tried.

Constellations and webs,
Weaved with power,
To make sacrifices for a significant Hour,
Forcefields of radiance,
Standing high on towers,
Extending down through rain showers,
Mercy is granted,
So now we are blessed,
Bright lights sending the very best.
__________________

Be careful what you wish for,
ModernJourney

Make Poverty History

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:37:46 GMT

"They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor." ~ Tupac Shakur

Hey,

Sorry I haven't posted, I've had finals this week, and got one more tomorrow. I put this piece together for an open mic that Amnesty International did earlier this semester.

Eradication of Poverty - 8/1/2007

Blasphemy, in retrospect, is worth a chuckle,
It's funny how we can spend billions on war,
But have no money for the poor,
Poverty will never cease until you can feel this breeze,
I send the brisk winds of hope to your door,
Through prayers at night,
Under the stars there is a light,
A reflection,
Connection,
Some direction,
And perception,
Serving to eradicate poverty,
Give meaning to your property,
Holding a philosophy upside down,
Shaking the money out of Uncle Sam's deep pockets,
Instead of buying rockets,
Or making music about 'Pop, Lock it, Drop it',
Why don't we budget for our future,
Lets take out the sutures and heal,
Now tell me for real,
How can we move forward with this appeal?
Let us create some resistance,
Let us get some verbal consistence,
In this instance,
Let us pull together,
Fight the weather,
Sail against the storm,
And make poverty history.
________________

Happy Eid and Holiday break to everyone,
ModernJourney