#MayMoms - Matriarch: Sojourner Truth. Why? Because in 1851 she poised herself in full height at a podium during a Women‘s Convention and permeated the air with the question, “Ain‘t I a Woman?” Because she advocated the abolition of slavery and championed civil and women‘s rights to a nation not ready to accord such basic human principles to all of its citizens/inhabitants/peoples.👇🏽

#MayMoms - Mom in Title: I didn‘t know for awhile that this book was considered a part of Maya Angelou‘s autobiographical series. It makes sense though that it would be since it brings her narrative full circle. Back to the one who gave her life, not created her life, but carried her living self safely inside at the beginning. Though that mother abandons her children (relocates them far from her to live thousands of miles away in another state👇🏽

#MayMoms - Iconic: So many strong and brilliant women from which to choose. An awesome prompt. We need at least 365 days of recognition for female iconoclasm and reformation to political, social and patriarchal structure)!
I landed upon Angela Davis. Definitely iconic! I don‘t know if she mothered a child. I do know that she mothered a movement or at least fanned the flames, nursed it to fruition!👇🏽

Good ol‘ Will came through as he always does. He delivered on my expectation that he and his lovely sonnets could alter my mood and influence my perspective of the day. I didn‘t necessarily require an uplift…more of a new vision. It can be a challenge to a pleasant disposition when warm, bright blue, sunny skies alter to cold, windy, grey overcast skies and snow begins to collect on the delicate stems of your newly planted spring flowers.👇🏽

It‘s 33°F outside. Not that that is shocking news, but three days ago it was 86°F. Yesterday, the weather created a laidback day of reading which felt hypnotic, because my days have been busy and hectic lately, and the feathery snowfall was easy with a slow tempo.
I read a lot, but finished nothing. Hopefully, I‘ll be a more productive reader today. Maybe William Shakespeare and his sonnets can help me out with that goal.
??

#MayMoms - Groovy: I couldn‘t wait to get to today‘s prompt because ‘groovy‘ is a captivating, super dope word. It drips the vibe of sunshine, frenetic energy and hip/trendy intensity. There was a giddiness in finding (the) someone or some book to fit the description. Actually I had someone in mind the entire time. Author…Alice Walker.👇🏽

#ThoughtfulThursday Thank you for thinking of me, Samantha ( @Yuki_Onna ) and Missy ( @Bklover )!💕

💠 Tagged

💠 A physical book

💠 I don‘t rate poetry collections by allocating stars. Even if there is only one noteworthy poem speaking to me in the book then I feel like the entire thing was worth the journey to that lovely discovery.

💠 No. I usually write notes on a separate piece of paper and slide it in the back of the book.

Tag: You

#MayMoms - Lonely:
I guess that every mom is a lonely mom at some time or another. When a child no longer desires to hold your hand while crossing the street. When children choose the company of their friends in place of the company of their mother. When a child opts to attend out-of-state college a thousand miles away from home. When a child declares the discovery of her/his lifetime partner and now the newfound keeper of all👇🏽

#MayMoms - Writer: She was the first thought to come to mind after I read the prompt for today. Perhaps because she is one of my favorite writers. Perhaps because her writing abilities can be described as quite brilliant. She demanded an examination of cultural, political and social rhetoric. Perhaps because she was bold and frank in her writings of the 60s and 70s.👇🏽

#MayMoms- Single: Just one of many tough obstacles to single parenting, a mom‘s evening out with girlfriends…reluctancy to participate, after all, who is going to care for baby?
After being convinced that everything will be fine, it goes wrong in the most devastating way. The worst fear for any parent. A different level of fear without a partner to shoulder the burden and pain, when the struggles of motherhood are solitary in their resolution.

#MayMoms - Courageous: Ellen Ripley was a badass Mom. She risked her life to pluck Newt (a child not of her own blood, but you could tell that a mother‘s heart was gearing up) from the Xenomorph Hive. I remember thinking, “When I have some babies, I‘m gonna protect them from the world & any alien attacks just like her. Straight up courage & bravery.” I‘ve got everything except a BIG gun!🥴

Photo Art Credit: Twisted Art For Twisted Minds - Tumblr

#MayMoms - Mother‘s Day! Happy Mother‘s Day to all who mother in any capacity!💕

Lines from above:
To her whose heart is my heart‘s quiet home.
To my first Love, my Mother.
I learnt love.
Whose service is my special dignity.
And she my lodestar while I go and come.
And so because you love me, and because I love you, Mother, I have woven a wreath of rhymes wherewith to crown your honoured name.
👇🏽

#MayMoms - Memorable: This is Raksha, Mowgli‘s wolf mom. She raises him in the jungle. She calls him one of her own. She claims him sibling to her cubs. She exhibits the greatest wisdom in not differentiating between them. The same love. The same loyalty. The same devotion. The same protection. The same kindness. The same generosity. The same everything. She sees herself as his mother. She sees him as her cub. She sees them together as family.

#MayMoms - Readers: I wonder if my Mom read to me. I really don‘t have a memory of it. As a reader myself, it is almost a base level response to this inquiry to say, “Surely, she must have read to me.” But my Mom is not a reader. My childhood home filled with books because I pleaded for their presence as a child in love with literature. I brought Scholastic Book Order Forms home. I asked for a library card. I spent my allowance in the bookstore.⬇️

#PoetryMatters
#Poetry

Because I could not stop at two, but I promise not to advance further to four. Three selections of his work. His genius is before us!

#PoetryMatters
#Poetry

Further evidence, not to convince you, just to stand by the claim that he was gifted to the world.

#PoetryMatters
#Poetry

There are so many words that could be said about this poet and his body of work. Words that have been said by so many others. I don‘t think that I have anything new to contribute suffice to say he is a favorite. He was prolific. He was a master of the art form. His poems can truly be described as beautiful writing. You know how some music is beautiful, but then some music is really beautiful. His poetry is REALLY beautiful!

#PoetryMatters
#Poetry

This is a poem of hoped for NEW joy as soon as the present circumstances are over. A manifested accumulation of joy when ordinary folks turn their faces toward the sun and choose to see the possibility of a brighter state on the horizon. Ordinary folks who despite it all remain hope-filled people. These words say dream and then dream some more and always Dream in Living Color!👇🏽

#PoetryMatters
#Poetry

Sometimes it‘s not the entire poem that makes the breakthrough experience. Sometimes it‘s a single word or the right grouping of words into one mesmerizing sentence or a thought provoking question of questions.

“What did I know, what did I know of love‘s austere and lonely offices?”

I‘ve been asking myself that question since the dawn of this day. I hope that I‘ve said all the Thank-you‘s required of me in their due time

#PoetryMatters - Peace:

I hope that you decide to read the poem in its entirety. Some words deserve that request from one reader to another. I hope that it‘s length and it‘s categorization as poetry is not a deterrent for non-poetry readers. Yes, some will say that it is meant to be read at Christmas time, but it seems that there is a need for the true meaning and spirit of Christmas each and every day of existence in this place.👇🏽

#ThinkPositiveBePositive
Thanks for the tag, Sherri ( @Eggs )!💕

It is a duty as a parent to believe that the future state of our world can still be bright and beautiful. It is a responsibility as a cohabitant of this place to choose to contribute to a positive outlook and a caring management. It‘s certainly a dynamic of faith to have hope in God‘s plan of redemption and recovery.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

#PoetryMatters
#Poetry

These are cute little editions of poetry sections from various poets that I probably have already in solo collections or anthologies, but I bought them anyway… just because.

#PoetryMatters
#Poetry

In the quest to get a little more poetry exposure, I‘ve been listening to poetry podcasts and subscribing to Poem-A-Day digital poetry series. It‘s an exciting and fun thing to do for the introduction to so many unknown-to-me poets. This is how I found my way to this poet and this poem. And now I‘m down the rabbit hole after her work.

Photo Credit: National Geographic Kids
Application: AdobeSpark

This choice actually happened before the last choice but it was sold out in the bookstore. Today I was happy to see that the stock had been replenished and now, tonight, Ocean Vuong and I shall become acquainted. He is described as one who allows “his personal suffering to connect him to every other fallen, broken, wounded member of our world.” That should mean that he grooves in a way that I can appreciate.
We‘ll see…

#PoetryMatters
#Poetry

It‘s a different kind of poetry, the poetry of slam and spoken word disciplines. It‘s demanding and raw. It‘s urgent and upfront. It‘s abrupt and in your face. It asks for nothing politely. Not even your attention or your time or your willingness to listen. It‘s full throttle, getting to max acceleration as you try to buckle your seatbelt and adjust your positioning, opinions, responses and word choices, as you try to assimilate and hold on.👇🏽

It starts here. A nod to poetry in the month of April. I was planning to start light with moments of gaiety and then go deep, but this book called out. These words cut to the chase immediately. Two poems read and there has already been an alteration to thinking. Was I expecting cheerful amusements after reading the title? Did I catch the meaning behind the redacted eyes of an uplifted child on the cover?

Wading in the deep end…
#PoetryMatters

#ThinkPositiveBePositive
Thanks for the tag, Lisa ( @TheSpineView )!💕

It‘s always good to see a smile on Eeyore‘s face. When Eeyore is Googled there is an opportunity to choose optimism or pessimism… looking either for bright yellow sunny days or dismal grey rainy days. I happen to like rainy days every now and then, but today the vibe is sunshine and lots of it.
Maybe Coldplay states it best👇🏽

#NewYearWhoDis2022
#NYWD22

Yay! It‘s here!
This is so wonderfully and lovingly wrapped that I almost don‘t want to unwrap it. However, the suspense is killing me, because I really cannot remember which book I selected as the gift. Thank you, Alyisha, for the awesome opportunity to participate in the coolest swap of book ideas and reading moments.

Now to get on with the surprise…
🤗

#MarvelousMarch Readathon
I couldn‘t pass up this readathon when I saw the field of daffodils in the invite post! The timing is good. We decided to celebrate St. Patrick‘s Day this weekend so there‘ll be lots of crockpot cooking which leaves loads of time for reading. Who knows what shenanigans I‘ll be up to later on, my brother is insisting that I try Irish Whiskey.☘️🥃😳

The book might seem like it was selected because of the green cover,👇🏽

What words to say after reading this book (pushing 2nd person narration way out of mind)? Only lovely thoughts remain after that action. But really what is there to say after experiencing this book? It is the kind of writing that compels me to look up to the heavens and inquire ‘How does anyone write like this?‘ ‘What gift of gifts was bestowed upon this writer?‘ ‘How does language do what language did here, in the pages of this book?‘👇🏽

I am not surprised that this book was selected by my irl Bookclub. We read at least 3-4 WWII stories every year. This book hits the flip side, too, because we seem to really like stories about the rescuing of orphaned children.
This is my planned reading for the weekend.
Snow is expected.🌨

#AuthorAMonth - February- Maya Angelou:
This poem is represented best in the incredibly beautiful tagged book. The union of artistry on behalf of the poet and the painter is glorious. Today, the attention is given to the poem, but if you are given the opportunity, do spend time with the book, the artwork of Sir Edward Burne-Jones, is breathtaking.👇🏽

I started watching this last night on PBS, but my mind kept drifting. I was about to give up this time with Hercule Poirot when I remembered that Sharon ( @sharread ) read many Agatha Christie mysteries and seemed to have a fondness for this author. I enjoy Agatha Christie‘s books as well so today for the readathon in honor of the memory of Sharon, this is a shared liking.

#Sharreadathon - February 20th thru February 27th

#RememberSharon

A lighted candle in honor of the memory of Sharon ( @sharread ).
You will be missed.
Your light will shine here always.🕯
Rest In Peace! Soar on angel wings!🤍

#ThinkPositiveBePositive

Just because…
I was on the Internet this morning doing not much of anything, and I came across this quote by Walt Whitman. Certainly, somehow, it was directed.☺️
I thought of YOU. Each of you in my Litsy Family. Each of you that makes every day of my life a better day. Thank you!
Thank you for so much sunshine and warm affection!☀️💛

I think that yellow might be my favorite color again…

What a very touching way to remember and honor Sharon, our Litsy family member, who recently passed away. I did not know her well, but what she gave generously to this community will be missed.
Sharon had given 5 Stars to The Book Thief and described it as beautiful writing that captured her heart.
I read this book in her memory ( @sharread ).
Rest In Peace! Soar on angel wings!🤍

#Sharreadathon

This is simply beautiful. I am refusing more than a few pages at a time so that I can sit quietly with the contemplation of its possibility. Sometimes I am amazed at phenomenal artistry or my sheer luck at witnessing it‘s existence.

2nd Person Point of View is a distraction. It requires a diligent effort to hold onto to the rhythm and flow of narration, but I won‘t let this story getaway.

Now it‘s time to cheer for the Rams in the Super Bowl🏈

I like the cover. Because of the title and the cover, I don‘t want to know too much before I start reading. I‘m curious enough. I brought it home, but not because of the front cover. One of the sentences on the back is what really got me… “a story that pulls the reader close.” Yeah, that‘s what I was in search of, something to provide some type of near proximity to someone else.

Reading this when the day settles into night.

Fun, witty, clever, energetic, bold, daring, engaging, smart, opinionated, intelligent…and at least one was just plain nice. Just a few words to describe the four main characters in this book…along with septuagenarian. That‘s right! Doing the damn thing in their seventies! There was late night escapades, globe-trotting, grave un-digging by flashlights or torchlight or some such thing & a surprising amount of wine & beer consumption in mid-day!👇🏽

#Two4Tuesday
Thanks for the tag, Lisa ( @TheSpineView )💕

💗 Books always any day and every day! However, I love to gaze upon flowers. They definitely brighten every space.

💗 The tagged book is the loveliest of stories about two lonely people finding their way to love. It was such a surprise read for me because it came as a recommendation from a dear friend to try a genre of literature that I had never really considered. I cherish this story!

#ThinPositiveBePositive
Thank you for the tags: @Andrew65 @eanderson @TheSpineView @Eggs @EadieB ?

The local meteorologist has promised the return of warmth to my state today. He seems to have made good on his promise as a most wonderful 34°F is expected as the high temp. Already the sun is shining brightly and it feels like kinder feelings are in the air.

Enjoy Sunday everyone!

At the table with Mom on an unexpected day off from work. Yay, me! And maybe, yay, you, too!☺️ Tons of snow on the ground. Snow is still falling. It‘s an all day affair. I am trying to delay the action of shoveling for as long as possible so I invited Mom to the table for a hot beverage. She elected tea. I think it feels like a hot cocoa kind of day.👇🏽

Poetic by the shape and sound of the sentence thus becoming lyrical by construct. I fell in step quite easily with the rhythm of this work simply because I like fragmented thoughts and wildly creative sentence structure causing words to leap and tumble across the page. I like abstraction of thinking that somehow converges clearly on a universal truth or acknowledgment of a common happiness, pain or examination of existence.👇🏽

#WondrousWednesday
Thanks for the tag @TheRiehlDeal 💕

❄️ I feel like I could hang out with Chef Lillian (tagged book) for long periods of time & be quite happy. Not only would she probably be cooking wonderful meals (a very nice bestie benefit is a friend who throws down in the kitchen🤗), but she was all about good vibes amongst people.

❄️ Rozelle Quinn! It would be impossible to call her friend.

❄️ Friday Eve…the new name for Thursday!😂

#NewYearsWhoDis 2022
#NYWD22

Reading your recommendation, Kay ( @kaysworld1 ), between locations while performing Daughter-Uber services for Mom. She always seems to return to the car just as I am reading the loveliest and most delicate of sentences, telling me the next destination when I need a quiet moment. This has a kind of melancholy that fills you with tender reflection. I‘m really enjoying it so far. Thank you for sharing it with me.

#NonFiction2022 Bingo Board: Box - I‘m a Dream:

Freedom for the slave must have seemed the elusive dream. To charter your own course across the hills & valleys of any chosen landscape, to walk unshackled, to talk unhindered, to think out loud & entertain the musings of a carefree created life, to fear not another man‘s control, anger, cruelty and whims must have felt a thing unattainable, a slippery reality beyond reach of brown-hued hands.👇🏽

#Two4Tuesday
Thanks for the tag, Lisa!💕

❄️ No, I don‘t read ebooks on my phone.

❄️ I do purchase ebooks, but I‘m not very attentive to reading them. I always have a print book with me. When I do reach for an ebook, it is usually on my Kindle Fire. I was a fan of my Nook for a very long time. I miss that device. I am curious about the Kindle Paperwhite, because supposedly the reading experience is glare-free. That‘s helpful.

Tag: @janeycanuck

Frederick Douglass has made many quote-worthy statements and I often come across the well-known one regarding literacy, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” I can‘t imagine a life without the joy of knowing how to read and the happiness of pursuing literature. However, today, my attention was drawn by this quote, “My hopes were never brighter than now.”👇🏽

1st Book 2022: I return to no excuses. There simply aren‘t any. It takes me awhile. That‘s it! That‘s the answer. Not the reading of the book. The selection of the book, yes…so many days pass by, still I remain undecided. Then once the choice is made, there continues to be an issue with the motivation to read the book. It was simpler here because the cover art drew attention, the interaction between the sisters commanded feelings of affection,👇🏽

#LittleChristmasSwap
Yay! For this wonderful gift today! Thank you, Jessica! You selected the very book that I was hoping for and am so happy to receive. It‘s also fitting for the direction that I want to go regarding reading this year, more non-fiction, memoir and biography.

And the sweet surprise of so many hazelnut chocolates to try…oh, the joy!🤗

Many thanks to you, Amy, for hosting such a lovely swap. The timing of opening day is perfect❣️