Untitled/unfinished

i dont have much to write. simply to say that metaphors touch my heart. like the way my nephew does. when he smiles and shows
his cute baby teeth. he has a gap on his two front teeth that resemble his fathers, my brother, my blood.
His two dimples. A gift from my brother and I. We each gave him ours to fill him with the love we never had.
He smiles. And smiles. Not a care in the world. A love so strong that I begin to wonder if that love always existed but kept inside this little boy until we were ready to embrace. He moves me.
verbs move me. acting.walking.writing.talking. they move me to choose my decisions. i choose. i act. i think. i'm happy. I choose my nephew. I choose love.
With courage,
RPoet

untitled

Why is it so hard to be happy?
I cannot simmer in the feeling of bliss for too long.
It just doesn't seem to come naturally to me.
But don't we all deserve to be happy?
Yes, we do.
We all do.

I worry that it is always so temporary so I try to rush through it.
I don't want to get too comfortable.

I deserve to have all the blessings I asked for
As friends that know me really well ya'll know I can be very hard on myself.

I just can't do it. BE happy.
I get so uncomfortable and dismissive
I am really the twin of debbie the downer
Always bringing myself down when folks who love me try to bring me up

I must remember I'm worthy!

with courage,
RPoet

poetry in motion/daydream:sleepless in philly

insomnia is like the annoying relative
you are desperate to get rid of
but you can't because they are kin
i try to sleep
but she keeps waking me
telling me to finish my work
so that i can dream better
my body is heavy like stone
but my eyes are wide and open
as if i just ingested a shot of caffeine
when all i have is the anxiety to complete
the task at hand
i'm up so late even the crickets went to sleep
it's time to put this work to rest
i can't spend another night sleepless...

have the courage to dream
have the courage to live your dream...

with much respect,
RPoet

Complex identities

I was named girl
I became woman
And now I am object.


With courage,
RPoet

poetry in motion: seeds of life

the seeds of life


i water the plants in hopes that they will grow
into beautiful petals of love, faith, and fearlessness
the sun begins to rise
the union of light, water, and soil help
cultivate the beauty that is change
as i plant the seeds of courage
the sun begins to shine its brightest
high noon sets on the garden of life

with courage,
RPoet

Poetry In Motion Series: I AM

On February 29, 2008, my dearest friend Laura lost her sister Kimberlly to breast cancer. I was blessed to know and spend time with Kim before her cancer returned (more aggressively in December 2007) and I learned we had a lot in common. One thing I admired of this strong, beautiful warrior was her willingness to love and forgive. I learned a lot about love and forgiveness from her. As a survivor of abuse, she never let it bring her down. She continued to smile and love her family, friends, and folks she did not even know with a warmth that I cannot describe.

I often think about Kim. I think of women like Kim dealing, suffering, and dying from breast cancer. Unfortunately, African American women have a higher risk of dying from a more aggressive and deadly form of breast cancer than white and other non white women. In fact the breast cancer death rate for women of color is 37% higher than it is for white women. I think about ALL of this. But we can help support women of color affected by breast cancer.

This poem is inspired by Kim and women of color all around the world affected by this deadly disease...


I Am
I am strong and beautiful
I wonder if we will ever find a cure
I hear the bells of freedom
I see hope on the horizon
I want to help others
I am strong and beautiful
I pretend that I am a bird soaring to new heights
I feel the power of the divine
I touch the wings of forgiveness
I worry that more of our sisters will die
I cry for our sisters we have lost
I am, we are strong and beautiful
I understand that pink isn’t always so pretty
I say let’s fight this disease together
I dream we will find a cure one day
I try to keep the faith
I hope we can help all women of color dealing and suffering from the deadly “pink” disease
I am, we are, strong and beautiful.
Let’s fight for a cure!

With courage,
Rebel P.


Some Helpful Resources:
Pink Isn't Always Pretty, Inc: www.pinkisntalwayspretty.org
Facing Our Risk Empowered:www.facingourrisk.org
African American Breast Cancer Alliance: http://aabcainc.org/
Army of Women: http://www.armyofwomen.org/
Pro Mujer:www.promujer.org
Women Caring For Women: http://www.latinabca.org/WomenCaringforWomen.asp
Latinas Contra Cancer: http://www.latinascontracancer.org/about/index.html

Poetry In Motion: Haiku #1

Haiku#1 (my version)

 

I look forward to 

a revolution that is 

inspired by blacks 

with courage,

RPoet

Poetry in Motion: Ode to Autumn

As we approach the autumnal equinox, we must celebrate the end of summer and welcome a new phase. Change is inevitable. The seasons teach me never to take for granted the consistency that is change. The words below came to me one morning on my way to work. Ofcourse, my poetry (or writing for that matter) always seems unfinished. But I wanted to share any way. I almost allowed  the fear of judgment cloud my thoughts making me unable to share my words below. Luckily, I let courage take over my thoughts and the fear (now) seems to hold less and less importance.

I really love autumn..

Enjoy!


Ode to Autumn

The sun is lighting my bedroom sheets and tickling my eyes
As I rise, I rise, with excitement
My room is filled with colors of the rainbow and my mind is tickled by the fantasies of endless joy
I listen to the birds on my window pane singing melodies meant for me
God's creation is united by a love so powerful that even the trees are crying with excitement
as the winds bring the tunes of love
and the trees sway from left to right, up and down, in circles
the leaves begin to change colors before they
say goodbye to the roots that have nurtured them for so long
fall is on its way
summer and I must go our separate ways
as the possibility of change is inevitable..
God's love is morphing
into oranges, yellows, reds
we welcome a new phase in our life..
we welcome.......change.

Poetry (thoughts) in Motion

My acts of self-love
are tools of resistance
used to counter
hegemonic ways
that beauty is constructed
this act of love is no
small action
it is monumental,
significant,
and necessary.

With Courage,
Rebel P.

wake up call

today, i have become my alter ego negative nancy

she is not who you want to meet

she worries every minute of every day

she drives her friends and loved ones crazy

nancy is not able to see

nancy is not able to feel

nancy is not able to love

she is consumed by fear

false evidence appearing real

for nancy fear is as real as it feels

but this feeling while temporary

can have the power to keep me in this place

but i will not allow it

i cannot allow it

nancy is not going to get the best of me

this is why i sent her home

a few hours ago

once she realized that i was willing to walk through the fear

she was ready to pack her bags

fear did not seem so bad once i walked through it

if you ever feel your negative nancy, negative nick or negative _____

let them know you are ready to confront your fear and walk through it..

ask yourself: why do i feel this way? what am i scared of?

in a blank sheet of paper list the fears that come to mind (always work in the NOW)

do not worry about the order of fears

read them aloud

think about the ways you would like to confront at least one of your fears

then commit yourself to doing them

throw the list out.

i continue to remind myself that we have the power to control our thoughts and behaviors

and the power to confront our fears.

With Courage,

Rebel

Poetry in Motion Series

Welcome to the Poetry in Motion Series!!

Since I was a little girl, my mami taught me to read and write at the tender age of 3. As my first teacher, she taught me the love of reading and writing. I read every book she brought from her native country, Dominican Republic. So she introduced me to the library at the age of 4 while my brother started kindergarten my mami and I would spend hours in the library. I reflect on that period in my life as one of the best memories of my childhood. Today, I can't live without my books and I am nothing without my writings. I write everywhere. I write on little notebooks, scrap paper, the walls (yes, I have been known to tag up a wall once or twice), my 40+ journals I own, and ofcourse on midnight (my laptop). And actually there is a place that I can't help but write in..that is my blackberry..The poetry in motion series is inspired by the poems and thoughts I write on the go..

Empty
in an empty place i lie
unfamiliar to this world i
was born and raised in
surrounded by long time strangers
who i call kin, friend, ally
they do not know me
i do not know me
i'm sinking
deeper and deeper
into an abyss
that is shrinking
my soul is withering away
i am not dying
it is worst
i am alone

Untitled/unfinished

i'm immersed into the mysteries of solitude
in search of the truth of my sadness
wondering if it is at all possible to seek joy
melancholic rage leads me to...
this emptiness
that seeps into my skin..
like the vampire that sucks the blood,
the life out of me

Metamorphosis

i think it is time
to [i must] crack open
the cocoon
to become
the butterfly
that i always dreamed of
called transformation

first day: wishing

a simple negrita

wishing to be heard

she screams

she yells

she moves

she dances

no sign of life out there

a lonely negrita

wishing to be seen

she moves

she grooves

she talks

she listens

but still no sign of life out there

a daring negrita

she walks

she talks

she moves

but still no sign of life out there

she knows that if there were life out there

they will know

that she is no simple negrita

but a rebel negrita...

who is in fact human.