Saturday, April 30, 2016

Poetry Month bids farewell...

Happy Saturday. I have totally fallen off the wagon for Poetry Month. Sigh. I do hope the poetry I did share you did enjoy. I encourage you all to take time to read poetry as much as you can. It is a balm for the soul to me and inspires my imagination.

Here are few of my poems. I like to write short, free form poetry.

7:20
Fluffy fast moving gray clouds
pale streaks of blue
hint of purple streaking through
twilight time


My Sweet

Sweet little boy
with warm hand
curly full hair
lean on my shoulder
feel the sweet love
between mommy and son

Lorrie and Joyce (for my aunts who passed away)
Clouds form in a shape
of an illuminated door
I see two little girls
hand in hand
they turn in unison
and look back
wave goodbye for now

Wishing you all a wonderful poetry filled Saturday. Come back tomorrow for May Day here.

Shellsigna

Monday, April 25, 2016

Happy Birthday Ella

In honor of Ella Fitzgerald's birthday, I am sharing this dreamy romantic song called "Moonlight Serenade". Close your eyes and enjoy.





Shellsigna

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Shakespeare 400

Today is the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. Could he had imagined those plays he wrote for his company would one day encircle the whole world and be performed from one end of the world to the other? Translated into different languages and spawn other plays and movies based on his plays? That schools of drama and english would exist to only study and perform his work?

I like to believe William was a regular guy with an amazing talent. (There is a whole school of thought that William Shakespeare never existed and is a pen name for other people.) I'm not here for that. I believe William Shakespeare lived and breathed just like I am now. He wrote from his heart, his imagination and his inspiration.

As one of my english teachers said, Shakespeare wrote the Soap Operas of his time. I always loved Shakespeare and believe his work is for everybody not the select few. I think the best way to get to know Will is to read his sonnets. Everything he wrote in the sonnets echo in his plays. Yes, everything. Love, Death, Passion, Love, Lust, Sex, Betrayal, Revenge, Heartache.

Here are two other Shakespeare posts I did last year reading Juliet's speech and And the year before.

Enjoy. Have a great weekend everyone.



Shellsigna

Friday, April 22, 2016

Prince and The Full Moon

Happy Full Moon Friday, my friends. The Full Moon swam into our energy early this morning after midnight. That deep scorpio energy is swirling around us today. It is fitting that we have deep intense passionate Scorpio energy today as we mourn the passing of Prince.

I was a teenager at the height of Purple Rain. I didn't really get into Prince until much later. When I was a sophomore at Howard University, my bestie at the time, who was a deep Prince Fan took me to see his in Concert when he came to DC. I can tell you seeing him in person was electrifying!

There are so many great songs for me: 17 days, Mountains, Kiss, Seven, Take me with U, Anotherloverholeinyohead, Scandalous, The Arms of Orion, My name is Prince, 7, The Morning Papers....I'm going to stop right here.

If I keep writing, it's going to make me sad. I have solace because I know the music will live on. Just like I found Jimi Hendrix, decades after his death. There will be generations after that will find Prince's music.

Prince had a strong spiritual belief that ran through his music. I know he is in a beautiful place right now. I Know he want us to celebrate his life and listen to the music. To remember he's not gone, his music is still here for all of us.

Remember, the energy of the Full Moon will last for another day. So enjoy the moon's energy. Think and feel all the people who have touched your life in a positive way. Say thank you to that person(s) or if they are in spirit, say thank you anyway. I feel they can hear you. Know that we are born for a reason, part of that is to love and inspire each other.


Someone tweeted this video out then I found a longer version. Enjoy. This will make you smile.





Shellsigna

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Found Poetry

Happy Wednesday, my friends. Last week was busy with finishing my taxes, getting Jake registered for Kindergarten and other family things to do which is why I missed a whole week here.

I am sharing one of my favorite ways of writing poetry. It is called found poetry. Basically, you piece together poetry from anywhere you like: books, movies, plays, lyrics, signs, prayers, etc. It is also a great exercise when you get stuck with your writing and need to prime the well.This found poem comes from one of my favorite books: Persuasion by Jane Austen. It is called I wish. Hope you all enjoy.




I wish (words by Jane Austen, word arrangement by Michelle Swan Graham)

I wish you be
Blessed with a second spring of youth and beauty
Be of Good Heart
Elegance, sweetness and beauty always
good companions in your life
Compliments from former foes
Let the sweets begin
Feel unshackled and free
Revel in joy,senseless joy
May you know overpowering happiness

Shellsigna

Monday, April 18, 2016

Samuel Taylor Coleridge and I

I feel a particular kinship with the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. One of my besties, Neo, has been transfixed by his poem The Ancient Mariner since I met him. Little did I know, years later I would setting on my own ocean voyage with Neo and Samuel. About two years ago, I had the pleasure and the challenge to direct Neo in a faithful adaptation of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Even now, when I watch movies or tv, I find allusions to this unique long poem.

When I was reading poetry to share with all of you. I found this gem. It is a fragment. His most famous fragment is Kubla Khan. When I read this, I could see and hear echoes of words and flavor of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. As we are getting close to the Full Pink Moon on this Friday. This poem seems appropriate. Enjoy.



Fragment 6: The Moon, how definite its orb! by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The Moon, how definite its orb!
Yet gaze again, and with a steady gaze—
'Tis there indeed,—but where is it not?—
It is suffused o'er all the sapphire Heaven,
Trees, herbage, snake-like stream, unwrinkled Lake,
Whose very murmur does of it partake
And low and close the broad smooth mountain
Is more a thing of Heaven than when
Distinct by one dim shade and yet undivided from the universal cloud
In which it towers, finite in height.


Shellsigna

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Blessing the boats by Lucille Clifton

Happy Saturday. Saturdays usually find me and Jake having a whole free day figuring out what to do. Some days, we stay in with bad and cold weather. Other days, find us out and about. Life is always an adventure with a four year old.

Today, I took time out to post on Saturday. I rarely post on Saturdays, I don't know why. Like a blog is 9-5, weekday thing. Heck, I don't even work a traditional nine to five anymore.



I'm sharing this Saturday with you via this lovely poem by Lucille Clifton

Blessing the boats by Lucille Clifton
may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this to that



Shellsigna

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Happy Birthday, Bette!

On this day, April 5, in 1908, Bette Davis was born. When I was a kid watching old movies with my mom, I remember being spellbound with Bette. The only classic movie star to rival my affection for Bette is Judy Garland.


I adored the fact that she could play bad girls and nice girls with equal grace, complexity, and power.

She had her own style. Though today, we value a more naturalistic style of acting. Her performances still stand the test of time because she is authentic.

These are my two favorite quotes by Bette:
Acting should be bigger than life. Scripts should be bigger than life. It should ALL be bigger than life.
This has always been a motto of mine: Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.


These are a few of my favorite Bette films: Marked Woman, Dangerous, The Letter, Dark Victory, It's Love I'm after, All This and Heaven Too, Now Voyager, The Great Lie, The Man who came to Dinner and The Winter Meeting.


Happy Birthday, Bette. Thank you for all the great films and roles you have left behind.
Shellsigna

Monday, April 4, 2016

Sonnet by Alice Dunbar-Nelson


Happy Monday, my friends. Here is a wonderful poem by poet, diarist, and essayist Alice Dunbar-Nelson. After reading a few of her poems, I was intrigued enough by Alice to get a book on her diaries. I am looking forward to reading it. I will let you all know my thoughts on it.



Sonnet by Alice Dunbar-Nelson
I had not thought of violets late,
The wild, shy kind that spring beneath your feet
In wistful April days, when lovers mate
And wander through the fields in raptures sweet.
The thought of violets meant florists' shops,
And bows and pins, and perfumed papers fine;
And garish lights, and mincing little fops
And cabarets and soaps, and deadening wines.
So far from sweet real things my thoughts had strayed,
I had forgot wide fields; and clear brown streams;
The perfect loveliness that God has made,—
Wild violets shy and Heaven-mounting dreams.
And now—unwittingly, you've made me dream
Of violets, and my soul's forgotten gleam.
Shellsigna

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Dream thought #81: Kindness



Kind hearts are the gardens;
kind thoughts are the roots;
kind words are the flowers;
kind deeds are the fruits."
- English Proverb
Shellsigna

Friday, April 1, 2016

Happy Poetry Month

Happy Friday, my friends. It is April 1st. I love when April comes along because Spring is starting in earnest now. It's also Poetry Month! Because who doesn't love Poetry? If you hate poetry, then join me this month. I am going to share all kinds of poetry: formal, blank verse, free verse,haiku.

To kick off Poetry Month is Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American woman, to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Her poetry is full of powerful imagery. I love how she tells stories through her poetry.

A great example is one of her famous poems: Sadie and Maud. Enjoy.

Sadie and Maud by Gwendolyn Brooks

Maud went to college.
Sadie stayed home.
Sadie scraped life
With a fine toothed comb.

She didn't leave a tangle in
Her comb found every strand.
Sadie was one of the livingest chicks
In all the land.

Sadie bore two babies
Under her maiden name.
Maud and Ma and Papa
Nearly died of shame.

When Sadie said her last so-long
Her girls struck out from home.
(Sadie left as heritage
Her fine-toothed comb.)

Maud, who went to college,
Is a thin brown mouse.
She is living all alone
In this old house.

Shellsigna

Wordless Wednesday: Spring