Sunny/The Amorous Insomniac

Dear Sunny, this one’s for YOU.  i know, we haven’t technically met yet, but i love you.

==================

U come to me in the darkest hour, when the tide is low and the stars fade into the night.  Even though you hide your face in the shadow of the moon, the fire that burns within your heart can be seen from any vantage point.

i couldn’t ignore you if i tried

and it’s hard for me to close my eyes

but it feels good to know that you actually care

pulled me out of the water, brought me up for some air

You’re my sunrise and my blue sky, two things i can’t live without.  But even they need their solitude.  i’ll give it, gladly.  Just don’t take me for granted…

For my Mom on her Birthday

Every mother loves her child

even though she may not know it

Due to hurt and abuse

her heart’s been left bruised

and she finds it hard to show it

How often we perpetuate

get caught up in the cycle of hate

but you turned the tide

put your hurt aside

poured out all you had

World’s Greatest Mom AND Dad

Of course, you made mistakes

tumultuous times made our earth shake

but all in all

if I should ever fall

I know that you’ll be there when I call

The lessons you taught are invaluable

Your pure heart is worth more than gold

No one’s perfect,

but you come close

because you see  your faults

put evil to a halt

indeed,  a rare trait

so I dedicate

my life to you

strive to always stay TRUE….

(There’s more, but it’s not coming right now…)

Poetry for the Gemini

The Yin to my Yang, Miss Essence Marie Mercer, was born on this day in 1979, exactly 24 days before me.  I was actually supposed to be born on the 7th of June, but since my grandmother was out of town, my Mom refused to have me on that day.  I guess she did Kegels or something until my grandma arrived on June 30th, then she let me loose.

Anyway, Essence is sort of like my twin, even though our personalities are like night and day.  I think we balance each other out – she’s taught me to be more assertive and less fearful, while she’s learned to be a little more sensitive and quiet from me lol.

Big shout outs to ALL the Geminis in my life.  You guys are one of my favorite signs, despite the negative things people like to say about you.  Life would be soooo boring if you weren’t around, I swear…

————————————————————————————————

You’re two-faced, they might say

switch like night turns to day

———-

shooting star, here one minute

then the next, you’ve ascended

———-

out of sight, you have flown

left your light, in my bones

———-

see down deep, into my cells

what others miss, you know well

———-

and you’ve taught me to be

like the air, fast and free

———-

Gemini, my best friend

loyal ’til the very end

———-

sure you’re quick to change your mind

but a deeper love, I’ll never find

———-

swear I won’t hold too tight

when you’re ready to take flight

———-

I’ll just sit back and smile

not gonna be in denial

———-

cuz I’m sure of ONE thing

you’ll be back, after while…

————————————————————————————————

Some great Gemini people:

2Pac, Biggie, Frank Lloyd Wright, Prince, Gauguin, El Debarge, Kanye, Lauryn Hill, Marilyn Monroe, JFK, Maxwell, Miles Davis, Lenny Kravitz, Morgan Freeman, Allen Iverson, Johnny Depp…

**Wow… it’s a trip, because I just discovered Diego Velázquez, a Spanish painter, was born on this day.  I was thumbing through a book of “the World’s Greatest Art”  a few weeks ago and I came across this painting by Velazquez.

Then, while I was in Seattle I got inspired by the works of Dali (my sisters have a bunch of books of his work) and when I returned home I watched a documentary on him in which he referred to Velazquez as one of the only “intelligent” painters.  He said painters are usually a little stupid (he excluded himself from that, as well lol.)

This painting tripped me out, cuz the copy that I saw was a little darker and he looked like a American dude with an afro.  Dressed up as a conquistador.  It’s beautiful, though.  *Synchronicity.*

Black MY-story.

It’s February, the month we set aside to celebrate Black History.  But for me, every month is Black History Month.

I can’t believe racism still exists.  And how someone ever came up with the idea that fairer-skinned people were superior to darker people is beyond me.  I will NEVER understand.  I just hope things continue to change and that eventually people rid themselves of this way of thinking altogether.  For the elders, who still carry the pain and feelings of inferiority, I hope you can overcome these issues and see the truth – that you are gods and goddesses, and descendants of royalty.  For that matter, we are ALL descendants of royalty, because we all came from Africa, the cradle of civilization.

You hear that, my “Aryan” brother?  If you’re still in denial, now is the time for you to snap out of it.  The dominant view among scientists is the “Out of Africa” or recent African origin hypothesis, which argues that H. sapiens arose in Africa and migrated out of the continent around 50-100,000 years ago.  Btw, do you even know where the term “Aryan” comes from?  Iran.  ” The word Aryan originally described an spiritually enlightened Zoroastrian monk.  Iranian Kings considered themselves elevated, close to God; therefore, “Aryan.” “

So if you call yourself that, and believe you’re superior to all non-”white” people, including those from the Middle East, you might want to stop using the term.  (Watch this YouTube/slideshow: watch?v=o0TQ1gj8GQo)

Anyway, I just wanted to devote a blog to acknowledge the month and to spread some love.  There’s no way in the world I could fit everything I want to say into this… That would be impossible.  I just want to pay my respects to the forefathers/mothers, starting with the Africans that were taken away from their homeland and brought to the West to endure a life of slavery and oppression.  They’re the ones who built this country, along with their children, and their children’s children.  A month and a few measly programs in the On Demand Black History section just does not cut it, people.  Sorry.

Speaking of which, there are a few of those programs I enjoyed.  Clips from TVOne’s Unsung: Zapp and Roger are available, and very interesting, especially if you love Zapp like I do.  Did you know that the Troutmans started a construction company to build houses for low-income families in Ohio?  Watch the show if you can…

You can also check out my YouTube channel for a playlist I put together for the month, or visit my MySpace blog to read a poem I wrote around this time two years back.  Things in Oakland were real hot at the time, so that was part of my reason for writing it, but it was also written to pay homage to a people and a culture that breathes life into me…

Poetry on Myspace

YouTube Playlist

Big ups to my Jamaicans!!  (I’m part Jamaican in my mind, FYI.)  Please read the following article about slavery in Jamaica.  It makes me have a little hate in my heart when I read it, but it’s still good to know.

Slavery in Jamaica

Por mi Essencia… y Geminis todos…

June 7, 1809

Dear Addy,

Greetings in the name of JAH! Rastafari…

I came to your house on the night of the sixth, just as I said I would.  I knocked on the door and rang your phone, but you did not answer.  I had a small gift for you, and this poem that I wrote in celebration of the day of your birth.  You are my warrior, my Sista Queens, and you’ve taught me what it means to be a strong woman.  When I said to shut your mouth because somebody might come along and give you the business, I had momentarily forgotten with whom I was speaking.  Because you are a soldier, and even a 7ft, 300lb man would become fearful if you were to unleash the dragon in their presence.

So, this was written for you.  I hope you grow to be the person you’ve always wanted to be, and I believe in you and everything you do.  (Except for that mean s** – you gotta stop that.)

Yours and only Yours,

Tulip Chappell-Brando

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

if i ever got an oscar

you’re one of the first that i’d thank

’cause you were the first one to get there

the last time my ship sank
++++++++++
can’t forget what you taught

or who you almost fought

vigilantly watching over me

devoted as one could be
++++++++++
i swear, i almost died

laughed so hard that i cried

when you said what you said

can i get in your head?
++++++++++
and see what goes on inside there

free of every restraint

explore light years of deep thought

venture to outer-space
+++++++++
find the place

stars are born

and where ideas are formed

no man has ever been this way

anything but cliche
+++++++++
never met someone like you

anomalous, yes, it’s true

and no one else can make me

do the things that you do
+++++++++++
you are out of this world

not your ordinary girl

rough and rugged, like a mountain

lustrous as a black pearl

A little thing I wrote for all the chauvanist & sexist m.f.ers out there…

I’m lucky to have the best male friends and family members in the world.  They never treat me differently because I just so happened to be born with a vagina. 

But other girls around the world are not so fortunate.  I cannot stand to see oppressed people, and it REALLY rubs me the wrong way when I see a woman treated as a tool, and not as an individual who is perfectly capable of making her own choices and decisions.  If she wasn’t meant to think for herself, then why was she born with a brain??  Maybe God gave it to her so she could fill it with recipes and house-cleaning techniques and fairy tales that never come true.

Some women may be into that life.  But not me.  I was born to change the world, not to change diapers, ya dig?

So this poem is for the ladies.  Whether you’re wearing a burqa or nothing at all, you’re not free until you start thinking for yourself.  Stop using sex as a weapon.  Anyone who uses their sexuality to achieve is taking the easy way out.  Try using your mind for a change – it will get you much more respect.  (Not trying to be judgemental – just keeping it really real.)

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

She’s prisoner in his jail

In a portable cell

Tangled up in black curtains

Captive behind her veil

She’s all broken inside

Clothes too scanty to hide

Exposing most of her skin

Distracting from what’s within

Freedom is her birthright

Good for more than one night

She has a purpose to fulfill

and she can’t do it sitting still

Stuck in front of the mirror

When she cries, you don’t hear her

Love her so selfishly

What she wants, you can’t see

True, a woman is the Mother

Nurturer, and a lover

But there’s more to her life

Than being “Mommy” or “Wife”

Everyone needs the time

To develop their mind

How will I change the world?

Where does my power lie??

.:Work together:.

.:Make it better:.

.:Be good friends:.

.:Make amends:.

.:Live as equals:.

.:Re-write the sequel:.

.:Man or Woman:.

.:We’re all just PEOPLE:.

A poem for the Taurus.

Written especially for my sister Sasha (b. May 9).  But I had all my Taureans in mind.  That’s one of my favorite signs, because most of the ones I know are so honest, and sweet, and smart, and loving and intelligent.  Geniuses in fact.  Their element is Earth, so they tend to be down-to-earth.   But stubborn like a bull.  I love ‘em!

So shout-outs to my Grandpa – my heart, Sasha, Ty-Ty and all my other Taurean peoples, including El Hajj Malik El Shabazz a.k.a. Malcolm X…I love you!!!

*clearing throat*  ahem….

Not everyone is aware

of the value of Earth

might take a botanist

to understand its real worth

But without it, we’d die

Tell me – who could survive?

From whence would a tree grow?

Where would seedlings be sown?

You’re the ox

and the soil

and the farmer that toils

planting concepts sublime

in our hearts and our minds

Food for thought

for have-nots

malnutritioned minds

leave naivete behind

Abstruse to others

but like a lightbulb for me

never looked at it that way

until you made me see

There’s much more to this life

must break through the veneer

and get down to the root of it

where everything is made clear

In this Tropic of Cancer

I got lost in the sea

‘tll you brought me your island

a firm place for my feet…

Poetry for the Aries, particularly KMC.

Aries Ver. 4.16 (L. Chappell, 2009)

Born in the time of fire

but you feel like a breeze

blowing straight through my spirit

chills me down to my knees

You’re as fierce as a tiger

in the face of enemies

but as docile as a dolphin

when you love somebody

If I’m ever in trouble

you’ll be there, on the double

Here’s my hand, take the lead

You’re my savior, indeed

Aries, never second guess

the power you possess

strength to conquer the Moon

and put Venus to the test

‘Cause you’re the star of the story

I love so well

You’re the star of the story

I’ll always tell…

*jacked this offa Raphael Saadiq’ s Twitter

Lyrics:

These lyrics are from George Benson’s version that he did on the album “Give Me the Night”

“Star of a Story” by Rod Temperton

Angel, come to me, let me be
Part of all the love you are
‘Cause angel, we can fly, you and I
Ride a rainbow to the stars

(chorus:)
So hold me all through the night
Stay till the day is bright
And angel, don’t ever break the spell
‘Cause you’re the star of the story I’ll always tell (I love so well)

Angel, used to say, yesterday
Love was only in a dream
But angel, (guess) I was wrong all along
Just took you to make me see

Poetry for the Libra

.:FOR CASSIE MAE:.

Mother Goddess, Maya Devi

on a divine assignment to levy
an army of angels
a brigade of light beams
twinkling in the night sky
ILLUMINATION SUPREME

Venus met with Mercury
created 5 suns and moons
that sojourned in the belly
inlaying in her womb
amethyst, pearl and opal
roses waiting to bloom
one glance brings me elation
erasing all of my gloom

You’re the ultimate architect
true example for me
A seasoned horticulturist
what a Mother should be.

Happy Birthday!

————————————————————————————–

I just wrote this little poem for my Granny’s b-day (on the 11th), but it’s for ALL the Libras I know.  There’s a male/female version…enjoy!

BIRTHDAY SHOUT-OUTS TO MOMMY CAIN, CASSIE MAE, VICTORIA, GABRIELLE, AISHA, K.J. and everyone else born @ this time.  The old souls.

You’d have to weigh her with

a thousand and one gold bars

in order to balance

out the scales

if ever you went on a quest

to find another one like her

despite your efforts

you’d surely fail

holds the wisdom of ancients

in the palm of her hand

through arduous situations

has the strength to withstand

‘Cause her heart is an ocean

a sea of love that expands

spreading out to Four Corners

flowing thru no Man’s Land

.:Open mind:.

.:like the endless sky:.

.:move aside:.

.:she needs room to fly:.

.:for she’s a free spirit:.

.:graceful as a gazelle:.

.:countenance of a goddess:.

.:smooth as silk:.

.:TOUGH AS NAILS:.

————————————————————————————–

(for the menfolk)

You’d have to weigh him with

a thousand and one gold bars

in order to balance

out the scales

if ever you went on a quest

to find another one like him

despite your efforts

you’d surely fail

holds the wisdom of ancients

in the palm of his hand

through arduous situations

has the strength to withstand

‘Cause his heart is an ocean

a sea of love that expands

spreading out to Four Corners

flowing thru No Man’s Land

.:Open mind:.

.:like the endless sky:.

.:move aside:.

.:he needs room to fly:.

.:for he’s a free spirit:.

.:graceful as a gazelle:.

.:countenance of an angel:.

.:smooth as silk:.

.:TOUGH AS NAILS:.

What are we living for??

As time passes
I sit and wait
Idling awhile
Drifting further away
From this place we call “Reality”
My heart-home in the Bay
Watching everybody sleep walk
Day and night, night and day
Routines, habits
Need a change
Vicious cycles
I try to break
It’s not easy
But it’s sure worth the pain
I’d rather die than continue
To live this life in vain
Hope I bring something to the table
Cuz I’m willing and able
To change the direction of the wheel
So that broken spirits can somehow be healed

Including mine…