12:45 AM GRATITUDE

01) MO IS HERE!!!!!! 'Nuf said.

02) That YOU ARE PEAKING AT THE RIGHT TIME. Love ya!

03) My lime green Ipod shuffle.

04) She got the yard done so I wouldn't have to do it..... You've seen that back 40! And it's been raining, too.

05) The Red Party and my shade tree....

06) Did I say Mo was here?

07) One hot night of Poetry. For the first time in a long time I'm looking forward to it!

08) Renewing and rejuvenating.

09) ONE WEEK OF FCKING GOOD POETRY!

10) That I might actually get to meet Nikki Indigo. Girl I got a drink or two for you!

11) I'm almost through with my volunteer task. I called everyone my damn self.

12) G.O.D

13) and all that I receive from that direction.

p.s. my girls' determination and friendship. yes, we've been busy, but we get chicken today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STINK!!!

Happy birthday to my BABY SISTER....

Stars when you shine, you know how I feel....

01) My heart pounded a poem, that my lips are afraid to part for or with.. My breath has been taken away.
02) That I can always talk to you, thank G.O.D. you NEVER SLEEP!
03) My sister friends, you speak to me even when we don't share words.
04) My mom's birthday...
05) That I am a student of life, and don't allow past experiences to grade who I am TODAY.
06) Blind trust.
07) New beginnings.
08) My sister...
09) A sense of accomplishment with this Volunteer Coordinator thing.
10) I found my muse!
11) A birthday that never ends, with friends, liquor, and a lot of ass whipping! Yup 'chelle and i tagged some asses in bones and cards!
12) Staying in my lane.
13) G.O.D.

Let the Youth Speak.. and they did

brent, k.o.r.i.m., ruby and shay

young warriors....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, M. E. T.

Inheritance....
I have the shape of my mother’s eyes, height, sharp tongue
and her insatiable thirst for love
She would swear I wore his swagger,
Like a tight sweater..
That I had his tendency to be a voiceless braggart
that simple air of arrogance
Hidden behind feigned innocence…
He, both Dads look at me
And see
The only woman that loved them freely,
They would never see me…
She would say, I had the
Need to cling and love as hard as he
In relationships I hang on too long and much too tightly,
In life, I need to act slowly and not re-act so quickly
He, both Dads look at me
And see
The only woman they wanted to love them unconditionally…
But none of that matters and I’ll tell you why......


Mom..
there were never any handmade cards with scrawled writing wishing you a happy birthday. Never an opportunity for breakfast with burnt toast and runny eggs. We didn't have a lot of years together, as Great Grand said, "God loved and needed you more." I'm not sure, once I learned the true meaning of forgiveness; that I've actually forgiven anyone, including God, in my lifetime. The Creator knows I've tried. Such a brutal lesson in blind trust. No child should have to learn these lessons at such a young age... I was only five. I have made life choices based upon a five year old's pain... And some how, at times, it's managed to work. Great Grand's story telling worked out. I was a good student at her feet. I am now a published poet. A book with a bar code. My bio, is simply a reflection of my village. Three generations of strong women. In there, Our name, TAYLOR, because Taylors make their way despite and in spite. My name, the first gift you gave to me, and as time would have it, the only one that I have held onto. On another July 19, I pray that the village celebrated with you. Happy Birthday, Mom.
your eldest....

week of completion and thanks

01) See above.... my girls... and I am absolutely blessed! Yes there are a few missing.. but these are the photos I have...

02) A celebration that is lasting a month; and that she is allowing me to be there every step of the way! If I put a pic up there she would KILL ME!

03) Not giving in to bullsh...... and believe me it can be thick.

04) Lunch with a Magnolia... it was wonderful.

05) Funky Mike.. nuff said.

06) Poetry is still alive in me.

07) OUR SHOW!!!!!

08) The creator, for all that you place in my life to sustain me.... I realize I am truly in your favor.

From This Life To The Next

Happy Birthday, ELM...

Happy Birthday Korim!!!!

there's this man I know,
and he makes me want to be a better woman;
makes me want to be the queen he needs
so that we came claim our earthly and heavenly kingdoms;
makes me want to live up to the idea of being the half, of his whole;
his rib, my soul;
his smile, my voice;
his ideas, my mission;
his love, my passion;
because i am...
incomplete.
simply a fragment of the woman I am to be,
without him.
his breaths, the morning sun that sustain me.
and every time i look into his eyes,
i am reminded.
see, there's this man i know,
and he makes me..
well, he just makes me want to be!

happy birthday to my finally legal (in some states!), baby boy husband...

thanks all the time

01) watching a beautiful young couple begin their lives together..
02) being asked to be a part of that beginning
03) despite my discomfort making decisions that are in my best interest.
04) late night im conversations... keep your head up
05) finding love in those beautiful brown eyes...
06) spending time with a sister friend who makes me truly feel alive...
07) poetry tag at a wedding reception.. Neo is still very much alive
08) beautiful gifts from another sister friend who I value deeply
09) two months of exercising...
10) cold turkey by anthony david....
11) i got a poem in me!
12) realizing the value in our differences and being okay... really
13) 30 dollars! ha..



thanks Nikki..

Weddings and Friends

This past weekend, I had an opportunity to attend a wedding. I generally don't go to weddings, opting to purchase a gift and send well wishes. Often, not making a judgment, I've peeped their relationship and observed what they "claim to have versus that which can be TRULY seen." Now I'm not saying that they don't love each other, but I am saying that marriage is not always a logical step. And most people look at it as just another step.
NOT in the case of these two..... to say they love one another is an insulting understatement. They embody the essence of what it truly means to love someone unconditionally. In addition, to say they are the air the other breathes, is not only accurate, but a thing of beauty to witness. You may never hear me say this, but I will write it... I regret little in my life, however... she makes me regret that I never truly thought of having a child. Especially a daughter. On Saturday, I felt like the crazy auntie she calls me.... And I was tearfully happy for her and all the possibilities their future brings... It is wide open. And I truly thank them for allowing me to be a small part of the beginning of the rest of their lives. But even more for the friendship which allow me to not only witness, but to be a part of it all.... And to not only pray for, but strive to have and keep that type of love in my life....

new thanks

God thank you for the following people in no particular order or perhaps the order in which you placed them in my lives and the orderly direction in which I am guided by you through their presence:
ELM /boy child/turtle
Langston/and the Francis Clan/the memory of Elton Francis yes, he's that swift!
Funky Mike Whalen/and his beautiful girlfriend
MO and all that she brings
Hustle/June/thier boy child
Angel
Ebony/Flow
Tee/Relentle/and crew
Poet in Law (jo VZ)/miss sometimey/Jono + Brent
LaLove and the lovettes
K.A.
Michelle/Spring/their beautiful crew
Element
Sarah/her youngster
Trey/Rocky
Jai/Brandy
Ang E
Shameless
Ron/Shelia/Shannon
Copa
the teachers
the sahara and all that graced it's door, mic and dance floor
antonio's and all that graced it's door and mic
the studio and all that graced it's door, mic and dance floor
Kileen Crew
Austin Slam
Dallas Slam
SA Slam
Corpus Slam
FW Slam
Vocab/Skuddar
Deshia/G
EVERY FEATURE THAT HAS BLESSED THE NEO-SOUL MIC...

anyone else.. charge it to my head and not my heart...

some one wrote something similar to this, i misquote purposely: we are one pen in which ink flows freely, we chose to write what God wants you to see, therefore we are many colors, but one message... I pray that message is love, understanding, growth, and faith that we can truly transcend all that can be considered an obstacle.... truly.. you make me better...

as always: my village, my foundation.. and my beautiful sisters, handsome brothers and the rest of the fam...

happy and grate....

weekly i dwindle my many blessings to 13 and perhaps a bonus or two of not too personal thanks for his grace. this week, i have only one.....

01) G.O.D. good orderly direction

I am not the most religious person, but i work at a deeper level of spirituality. i have accepted guidance and have begun to reap rewards of such. thanks for matching my sincerity. i truly apologize for my actions and deeds which may have damaged you and your spirit. and yes, despite, everything, i am happy for you BOTH and am here for you whenever, whatever. that love does not always match intensities and despite what i give, NO ONE will ever take away my ability to love unconditionally. it, the act of love, is a gift from g.o.d., one we share with another... for those who believe that love is gone when one relationship diminishes, continue to look forward, it only gets better, g.o.d. always has something better in store for us! for my friendships with my girls e, a, t, and mo... hahaha EATMO.. okay, okay i crack myself up... i truly am happy that g.o.d saw it fit to place you in my lives, the divine looks after babies and fools and i must be the oldest foolish baby i know, thanks for being reminders of his grace! for my b.. langston, we may not see eye to eye, we may go toe to toe, but we always fit... from this one to the next, and if i can't meet you there, know i tried to learn to live not just wanting a difference, but making a difference... i guess i am just grateful to be alive, truly alive with purposeful vision..... no blinders....

bonus....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TREY!!!!

Mike in June!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FUNKY MIKE!!!!

YOU ARE THE MOST HANDSOME NERD I KNOW,

AN EXTRAORDINARY POET,

AND A MUCH WANTED AND NEEDED FRIEND!!!!!!!!

june and you

01) i am truly happy in my own skin.
02) three beautiful days with you, feels like the beginning.
03) poets
04) ideas
05) life, every breath, every step
06) where are you from? an inside poet team joke, but funny none the less.
07) seeing the fire in her eye, watching her emerge as a leader... i am proud of you, good writing for a damn good starter poem
08) my friends children..... they remind me..
09) the boxing gym with my skinny ass friends....
10) results, my arms are cutting up..
11) dinner... and the fact that you loved it
12) him.. my B- Langston... that's it.
13) g.o.d.


bonus: ANGEL... glad to have you back home homie i missed you!@!@

Last one in May....

01) for smiles that are big and wide, but don't come that often
02) because i can continue to dream
03) for being able to see and live past your pain
04) for continued growth
05) for pimping myspace...
06) for the words that continue to sustain me, like "our father....", "thy will be done.."
07) my two.. i miss you like pluckers without fried pickles!
08) for occupying my mind without occupying my time...
09) for mucinex!
10) a team that's bigger than their expectations
11) three couches, a pillow, and a blanket...
12) mom, grand and great grand... your urgings to be bigger and better despite and in spite...
13) for good orderly direction, and prayers in simple things like:
"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light." amen...
Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965
(German medical Missionary, Theologian, Musician and Philosopher. 1952 Nobel Peace Prize)

good and grate full

01) assistant coaching one of the hottest teams in the land.
02) my girl 26 (that's doubling the talent of thir13teen) winning! slam champ 2007!!!!!!
03) that you made it back safe and your Boo's with you.. I WILL MEET HIM ONE DAY! Yay for New England!!!!
04) one hell of a show
05) moving forward even if it's baby steps.
06) having Mo Beezy edit me for the anthology...
07) one of my bestest friends moving back to Texas!!!!! we're gonna tear I35 up!
08) new beginnings....
09) recognizing beauty.. even when it's sometimes and not all the times..
10) copa's dad!!!!
11) learning to let go without fear.... (i'm still trying. but soon the ing will be umph)
12) friendships... i miss you two, but there is strength in just knowing we all have lives that are being fulfilled... pluckers next week to catch up!!!! right?
13) losing weight... to gain so much more.....

bonus: G.O.D. the divine's presence in knowing there is hope for babies and fools....

thanks and full!

01) for the time we've shared.
02) for sore arms and legs and thighs and stuff
03) for a new business partner and one hell of a show
04) for my sister and her courage.
05) for my girls.. i miss u two! no chicken in three weeks!
06) for last week's neo.. i needed it.
07) for you allowing me to borrow "spring"
08) for talking to langston this morning!
09) for my mo and my anthology selection. I am being published!!!!!
10) for the color red.
11) for the color green.
12) for the chance to learn to love, all over again.
13) for G.O.D.

bonus: for the poets who will carry the torch into the new year. you may not realize it, but you're already more than half way there! good luck, leave your spit and sweat on the stage for all to hear and feel....

immortal

Harlem’s Photograph
(or why I look at you that way)

every glance a photograph,
last time I and you.
looking and seeing, seeing and re-seeing
trying to get to the truth of you.
I peel layers in search of your essential being
one moment, immortalized,
passionately upon my soul
I am left bewildered, in wonderment
with the awe of you.
silently, inwardly, I cry
I am transfixed, paralyzed by your charm
you continue to baffle me….
my eyes thrown back in thought
I allow the memories of my gaze
to experience the most profound
sense of ecstasy I have ever encountered.
divine intimations of love
and impassioned sensuality of emotion
blend, meld and merge,
overwhelming me when I look at you,
when your eyes meet mine.
you, you have become my muse
every glance a photograph,
last time I and you
colorful words stain my journal
to create my heart’s desire
my heart beat etches sketches of divine manifestations
which seemingly escape my dreams
fall upon your lips
and become my reality
and I, well,
I shade the outline of the obscure,
walk in your footsteps
which lead to the shadows of my mind
and meet you there….
we hold hands and dance
to the melody that stills murmuring beats
and amplifies our silence.
damn, where did you come from?
your essence, basic black and white
embossed upon my psyche
captured in sculpture
the shape of my heart
frozen in time,
yet continues to beat to the rhythm of your smiles
in your absence, it echoes the beat of the rhythm of your smiles
your voice my harmony
you, a song I continue to sing
you, a poem I continue to recite
you my mantra,
a soothing incantation
you leave me breathlessly spellbound
every glance a photograph
last time, I and you
I taste your kisses in the breeze
and smell you in my dreams
I savor your essence on my palate
you a fine wine,
intoxicating.
may I sip your spirit?
as I know no other way to show my love,
my unyielding adoration toward you.
every glance a photograph
last time, I and you
one moment immortalized upon my soul
I see you in love
I see you, love.
my fingertips trace faded silhouettes
which once captured you
my arms caress the waning imprint
of what was once you
heart heavy as I miss,
and long for Harlem’s loss
my eyes will forever drink her beauty
she burned in my memory for eternity
arresting the motion of undulated grace
my admiration
an original, one of a kind
every glance a picture perfect photograph
last time, I and you…

kdtaylor, 2007

section 8 coffee publications

all rights reserved

A Love Letter

I cannot apologize for the deep desire I have for you, nor can I deny the tumultuous yearn my body, heart and mind experience when we are apart. I need to feel the essence of you, sip the waters that lie just outside your soul so that I may taste the beauty that lies within your spirit. Make love to you as suspended in time, weightless, without gravity holding us to that which cannot be seen, without boundaries so that you know there is nothing I will not do to please you, endless passion, dream like, clinging to the complexity of imperfection because my mortality cannot accept your perfection. You are that which fits, makes me whole, and when given the occasion to commune with the epitome of my heart's desire, I cannot contain myself. No, I do not wish to contain myself. I want to kiss you lovingly and passionately so that I may taste that from which you came, HEAVEN. I want to hear the wings of a thousand angels fluttering, sustaining my heartbeat, providing my life's joy a single wish. To make love to you. I want my lips and tongue to ignite the warmth in the depth of your core so that only I can play the music in which your heart beats, causing your emotions to dance with the fervor of unbridled passion. Beat with me, beat for me. Move with me. Move for me. You sway and allow my life to merge with your soul, momentarily so that I can become whole. Because being human, in my frailties, making love to you, may be my only real chance to experience the personification of adoration.

AT LAST

Last night was the welcome home our venue needed... A hella band! Hella poets! Hella fun. Really. I danced with chairs, Heinekens, rails, chicken wings w/ hot sauce and self, before stealing Chelle's Jazz Man. Even tried to start a bootleg line dance in the corner. Cut Creator looked great! Happy and Proud of what he put together... And Hustle.. I could see his mind spinning. Hella things to come. Damn.. It was the time I needed. Chilled in the corner with Eb and Yun. Watched B not be able to contain himself when "Teena Marie" took the stage. Words really can't describe the feeling, but it was definitely much needed enjoyment and a funky good time. Good to see old faces, new faces, and share with that time, even sparingly with the old crew.. It was def a Neo Soul remember when...
THAT'S IT!