The Great Duality

Happy Saturday to you! Here's your Saturday Post!

I dreamt this week that I was surrounded by deep water, but my living situation was a high hill with many buildings (think Minas Tirith in the Pacific). My view was sometimes from under the water, and sometimes from a middle place looking down. Family and certain friends were there, and I was teaching. I'm not yet at an age when grandchildren run about my legs, but I feel like it is always going to come down to that balance of duality; not undecided, but with singularity of purpose.

This fountain in me seems full
Grace
Truth
Christian
Pharisee
Family
Business
Pme
Qme

This journey is me feels forked
Heaven
Hell
Acceptance
Rejection
Paul
Peter
Joy
Dejection

I seek purification within and without
Heart
Life
Maturity
Childishness
Wings
Weights
Love
Indifference

I run this race to win
Get up
Go on
Learn
Unlearn
Build up
Take down
Win
Burn

The natural tendency is to choose one side
But I have
Can't you see
Hidden
In plain sight
Complicated
Simplicity
My shadows
Prove a light

When I lived on the East Coast, I told my older brother I was vacillating between staying and moving back to CA. He told me, "once you make the decision you'll have peace". It took about a year before I moved back, but from the point of choice, both options worked toward my goal. I was so scared for so long that people would beat me down for saying out loud the things I say, as if it were about me. I've been told this week, "Do you have any idea how strong you are; and how intimidating that is?" Would it were not so.

I'm human; cuts hurt. I am a phoenix too; only in Christ. I've been given a "talent", and I am duty-bound NOT to bury it, but to make it bear fruit. I was told by a pastor in Virginia, "you have kingdoms in you..." and that is one of the things that have driven me to write poetry, stories, emails, blog posts, dreams... It makes room, like an overfull vessel being emptied (and the relief is sublime).

It is not about me, no matter how I benefit.

With words, song and prayer
TiMo V

Pme & Qme

In honor of Seddy Bear Day, and because I couldn't send birthday flowers...

Shout in the cafeteria
All eyes on me
All I knew to be
Pme
In spotlight
Brighter
Than that shining on me
Painful even
She didn't see me
I was too busy
Being on display

Then Qme
A new me
Came up to the fore
Never before
And she found me
Refreshingly
Genuine
As did I
Authenticated through art
My self expression
Helped her express
Hi my name is
Let's befriend

And then the adventures
Academic and rebellious
God in the face of thesis
Linguistic
And inappropriate
God in the midst of trauma
Holding hearts
Lifting hands
My sister girl
My hashtag
Chocolate don't play
Today is her day

Don't think I'd be me
Had God not seen
To match our residencies
Many words past and present
Future poetry
Our friendship
Strong like oak
Meek like palm
And I celebrate on
Honored by her virtual presence
Let alone her in truth

Dartmouth, Burlington, Seven Mile, Arlington, Virginia, Plainfield - I've seen states (and states) with my friend Sarah. All I can do today is celebrate her honesty, her perseverance, her spirit, her comedy, her boldness, her bravery, her heart, her taste in food, in cars, in friends... It takes a strong woman to admit to being afraid, and wrong, and unafraid, and right. I've seen her do these things - and dance with random dudes at the karaoke bar in Burlington. I've defended her, been corrected by her, ran from what she faced boldly, and held the full weight of her praise. This one is a beautiful soul, and she calls me friend. Thank you God, for blessing me with such a diamond as her.

With words, song & prayer, TiMo

‪#‎UDPPbook‬ ‪#‎booklaunchparty‬ ‪#‎workthatwork‬ ‪#‎HVP‬ ‪#‎AWordWithYouPress‬
Book Launch Press Release - http://t.co/183kOoLHe2

2011 Remindering

Inspired by Miri G, and dedicated to her, because sometimes you just have to take a moment and play hide and seek with the words inside you.

Miri is one of the many brilliantes I met at my Goddard Spring Residency in 2011. She is part of the group of people in my life that, like me, share a love of letter writing. This art is something that is falling away, in light of the ease and speed of the digital communication all around us. Miri is one who writes longhand cursive with clipped curves, and excited punctuation. I truly enjoy not only what she writes, but the physical expression of her mind on paper. Each curve and line is a hug (she also doodles in the corners, so I get the fun aspect of her art imagery and art text). It is a long slow process, and I love it. Found this in my archives and thought I'd remind her... 

For Dearie Miri

As if a wind blew softly

and a leaf on the wind landed 

dancing

on the still water surface of my heart

I guess I heard the ping in you

I see you know this

The gentle ripple of love in my “good morning' to your story

to your poetry

to your words

to your own internal phoenix fire

resting patiently under the still water surface

of you

How quiet it is

how expectant

pregnant with a destiny that is

on the surface

unknown

but underneath,

fully engaged

With words, song and prayer,
TiMo

dry souls

Welcome back! Here is this Saturday's post!

Daley Ranch © Tiffany Monique
January 2014

dry souls smell like dead dreams sometimes
raisins, yes, shriveled by time
scratchy when they pass you by
jealous of your wings

dry souls hunt for your living blood
but lack the energy to do any good
they just smell of rotted fruit
curious people things

dry souls sing with fetid mouths
moments, seconds, minutes, hours
they lie constantly of their powers
chanting hateful songs

dry souls lay in wait for weakness
misrepresenting those born to meekness
within a facade they claim eliteness
hiding plagues and seeds gone wrong

dry souls have claws in their commentary
vilifying those lives not sedentary
defining disease as those not ordinary
"normal" is their land

dry souls waste away parasitically
living off the living just to die inevitably
still they clamor with whispering
chorus of the damned

With words, song & prayer,

TiMo
Here's where you can read me:
www.alwaysalreadyalright.blogspot.com 
www.pmeqme.blogspot.com

Mirrors

Good day to you! Here is this week's Saturday Post:

Mirrors

I've seen some awesome things in rear view mirrors
And I've captured my share of crystalline moments
They are snapshots
That will never come again

I glorified what was behind me
Going full speed toward tomorrow
I claimed those minuscule times and places
Captured like prisoners of war

I tried to warn myself
And now I think I'm finally listening to my own advice
Looking back is awesome
Staring back is deadly

I must remember
Mirrors show beautiful reflections
Even though what is in them
Are immortalized battles and brutalities

Along with timeless joys and beauties
Mirrors are amulets
A most powerful force
Not to be taken lightly

With words, song & prayer, TiMo
www.alwaysalreadyalright.blogspot.com
www.pmeqme.blogspot.com

Onward Looking - February 2014
© Tiffany Monique

Saturday Post 2.22.14

Sorry, no poetry or prose today. I'm distracted a bit.

I'm thinking about divas.

Read my article in the San Diego Examiner

I used to call my female friends diva (or goddess) a lot.

In 2011 my pastor in VA decided he didn't want any more to do with the word diva. I was annoyed with him at the time, but now I am beginning to see the wisdom of the slippery slope that the word is on, and his decision to step back from the slope.

I wrote about it in San Diego's Urban Arts Examiner. There are so many great singers out there, but not nearly the amount of diva's the industry in America is trying to portray.

What do you think?

With words, song & prayer,

TiMo
www.alwaysalreadyalright.blogspot.com
www.pmeqme.blogspot.com

Onward Looking
Feb 2014

Nostalgia3

Nostalgic Moments from the archives (originally posted 7.6.11) -

Those of you who have received my homemade stationary have seen this kind of stuff.

Inspired by Miri G, and dedicated to her, because sometimes you just have to take a moment and play hide and seek with the words inside you. Whether professionally or personally, it is necessary at times to simply stop and hear your own internal ripples to inspire the unfinished written works inside you to move closer to the “done” den.

I am sitting in the office in Arlington, preparing photos for a restaurant review that will be published later today. At this moment, I am listening to Proust and the Squid – The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf, narrated by Kristen Potter. Listening to this audio book and jumping about mentally I am, within a ten second loop, considering the restaurant review formation (mixing the images and text in a mental storyboard), the progress review for school (which is the main reason for listening to the Wolf audio book), the bible verses I listened to this morning, the bills that I must fill out for clientele, and my reply to my good friend Miri.

Miri is one of the many brilliantes I met at my Goddard Spring Residency. She is part of the group of people in my life that, like me, share a love of letter writing. This art is something that is falling away it seems, in light of the ease and speed of the digital communication technology all around us. I am one who appreciates being forced to slow down and take the time to taste each word in my head as I hear it, in my mouth as I imagine saying it to the letter recipient, and in my hands as I write it out. It is a long slow process, and I love it. Miri is one who writes longhand cursive with clipped curves, and excited punctuation. I truly enjoy not only what she writes, but the physical expression of her mind on paper. Each curve and line is a hug (she also doodles in the corners, so I get the fun aspect of her art imagery and art text).

“Dearie Miri” sent me a video the other day, but told me I couldn’t watch it until I received her letter, which was an accompaniment. It was an exercise in patience, and rewarded with a beautiful poem and awesome written art.

As I was writing her reply letter I began to write prose as well. The words made me feel beautiful and peaceful. Miri inspired me to inspire myself. Now I am off to write my restaurant review. 

From the last Restaurant Review for FW&D that I wrote. Isn't that smile DARLING?

But I leave you with a snippet of what I wrote to Miri:

I should be writing a Restaurant Review, but I feel stilled by the words in my heart.

As if a wind blew softly, and a leaf on the wind landed dancingly on the still water surface of my heart.

Ahhh, I heard the click in you. I see you know this image.

The gentle ripple of words in my “good morning love’ to your story…

to your poetry…

to your own internal phoenix fire resting patiently under the still water surface.

How quiet it is…

how expectant…

pregnant with a destiny that is on the surface unknown,

but underneath,


fully understood.

With words, song & prayer,
TiMo
Here's where you can read me:
www.alwaysalreadyalright.blogspot.com 
www.pmeqme.blogspot.com

Yours Truly, Summer 2011
© Tiffany Monique

Nostalgia2

Nostalgic Moments from the archives

I ain't gonna lie... I edited a TINY bit... call it, artistic license... (originally posted 7.18.11) -

I sold the bookcase I wrote about in a lost archive. It served its purpose. I am starting the mental processing that is required to leave the East Coast.

I am starting to look forward to spending time with my family, and get reacquainted with the physical location that was both my hometown and the first platform “from which to jump beyond myself”.

More than that, I am starting to look forward to the drive across country. I have never taken on such an endeavor before. Would you like to come with me? Let’s get in the car and go. We can take turns driving and be tourists in the great state of “wherever we find ourselves”.

From the road in my old Mazda 3 (2007-2013 R.I.P.)

This is not to say that I won’t make the drive without you. I've been dreaming about this drive. I am just starting the start to’s… start to pack, start to downsize, start to take stock of what will stay and what will go. I am starting to look forward to the destination, but I am also starting to look forward to the journey too.

What are you starting to...?

With words, song & prayer, TiMo
Here's where you can read me:
www.alwaysalreadyalright.blogspot.com
www.pmeqme.blogspot.com