Saturday, March 31, 2007

My Original Poetry - From VJBS Archives

Just Gotta Have a man! - A spoken word piece
...So Speak it With Rhythm;-)

Girl,
Why you always acting like you just gotta have a man?!!!
What is it about you that says alone you can't stand?
I mean,
don't get me wrong...
Right now I'm single too and sometimes I feel a little lonely,
But I know I loooove me some me.
And when I find that special one,
I'll make him my one and only.

But until then,
I refuse to run behind,
someone not even worth my time,
tryin' to use me or take what's mine,
and think it's his God-given right
...just cause God made him fine.

Believe me, what I have is awesome,
and definitely worth preserving.
Not to be given away so easily
to someone so undeserving.

So whatcha think 'bout what you got?
Is it worth a dozen roses, or a single forget-me-not?
And tell me, what values are you really teaching your daughter?
You're not taking care of yourself and your house ain't in order.

She's learning from you
and at the same time raising herself
And you want to know what HER problem is?
H#!!

Ok, so why is it okay
that he hit you last night?
Eye still black. Lip "swole" up!
But I guess that's just alright,
huh?

Why is it okay
that you're alone this holiday,
while your man is having the time of his life
celebrating at home with his kids and...his wife?

Why is it okay
for him to hurt your kids and treat them bad?
And you wondering why they're making bad grades in school
and always looking sad.
whew!

And last, but not least...
Why is it okay
for him to talk to you like a child?
For him to belittle you and call you names
and wonder why you don't smile.
humh!

But you should be smiling
and you could be smiling!
Drop that &^(%##!!,
pick up the phone and start dialing...

Your loved ones, your friends,
the ones you trust to be there thru thick & thin.
You want a new life?
You want to be happy?
Then this is where you must begin.



Think support system, think sympathetic ears.
Who will listen and won't laugh at my tears?
Who will allow me to speak it out loud and release my fears?



And please take some time between this one and the next.
Every guy I hear you mention, you're calling him your ex.
Spend some time with you just getting to know yourself.
You've got to be confident and comfortable in your own shell.

Find a hobby.
Do you even know what it is you like to do?
Oh, I get it.
It's been so long that you've forgotten what pleases you.

Ok, so join a book club.
Take down a book from the ole dusty shelf.
Get back to loving your kids,
and honey get back to loving yourself!

Occupy your mind.
Fill your thoughts with sunshine.
Invite your kids to share with you their hopes and dreams,
and how they spend their time.

Plant a flower garden.
Dig in the soil and the dirt.
You know there are many hidden treasures
here on God's green earth.

Find someone or something else to give life and light to
besides that guy who so "thoughtfully" hurt you.
Drop them bags like Erykah told you to.
Be true to yourself and simply do you.

But forgive him
and all his deeds just the same,
So you can take back your power and
reclaim your true name.
QUEEN!
Stop being his victim of shame.

And don't forget, exercise is always good,
especially if you'd like to shed a few pounds.
Try Yoga classes to relieve the stress.
You'll start to have more ups than downs.

Now,
You've worked on your mental
and you've worked on your physical,
so complete your circle, sis,
and work on your spiritual.

Before you know it,
you'll feel like a different person.
Oh, you'll still be you,
but just a better version.

Then...
You'll be ready for a partner.
Not just a man or any man,
but someone you can actually start to:
Share your dreams with,
watch TV and laugh with,
comfort and make love to,
or simply relax and chill with.

Let down your guard and cry on,
someone you can depend on,
to see you through the tough times
or guide you through a storm.

And sweetie,
the men you will then attract
will make them sorry Kats look so slack.
Cause they will be kind, and gentle, and sweet.
And you won't have to ask them to watch your back.

So what about me?
I know so much, where's my guy?
Well I'm truly not a hypocrite,
so I will not lie.

Right now I'm still working on me.
Trying to be the best me I can be.
Not yet done with my metamorphosis,
But he should be along shortly is my guess;-)

So again I ask you...
Girl,
Why you always acting like you just gotta have a man?
What is it about yourself that you just can't stand?
I mean,
don't get me wrong...
Right now I'm single and sometimes feel a a wee bit lonely,
But I know I looooove me some Vee.
And when I find that special one,
I'll make him my one and only.

How's that for some Jowaje Philosophy?

Peace,
love,
Light,
& Self Respect My Beautiful Sisters,

Vee
posted by Vee Jefferson @ Monday, June 23, 2008



The Afro!



To me
The Afro signifies power and strength.
With just a hint of militancy, it whispers to those who are listening, "I am free! And I am free to be me."

It's naturally regal edginess personifies the struggle of a people to first understand, then overcome and overstand.
But not only to overstand what's right in front of us and what should be apparent, but also the lessons of the ancestors...
the lessons of the past.
To overstand the oppression and the fight.
To overstand the self-doubt and self-hatred that has been buried deep within our subconscious minds.
To move ahead to self-acceptance and appreciation, and to self-love.

To me,
The Afro represents determination, perseverance, and the ability
To rise again and remember who we are,
and what we are.

To me,
The Afro is symbolic of a people digging up their rightful crowns and
hanging them where they belong.
Need I explain that one?
No, because I'm sure you know.
On some level, you already know.

So this week, I'm wearing a big Afro wig.
And even though I'm loving my short naps,
and absolutely was delighted with my bald head,
and will probably do the big chop once more before I let it grow much longer...
I look forward to the day when my Afro is as big and woolly as it is in my pictures.

The day when I
can pick up My crown
and wear It with honor, humility and grace.

February is Black History month, but I say let's celebrate it all year long!

Vee

(btw, this was challenge 6 in the Miss Nappturality Contest. I won this one;-)

Originally written by Vee Jefferson on Saturday, February 09, 2008, for the Miss Nappturality Contest.






I Need This Day

I'm not answering the phone today.
I will not answer the door.
I need this day to myself.
So tomorrow I can soar.

I want to reminisce on 2007.
Sort through the lessons and file them on the shelf.
I want to meditate and recreate.
I want to reconnect with my inner-self .

I need healing energy for the coming new year,
to energize and renew my body, my mind, and my spirit.
No one else's woe can help me today,
Cause when I hear, I have to live it.

And I don't mind, not usually.
Hey, you got a problem, you can use me.
But not today, cause today's my day.
My baby's upstairs,
Zion and Sampson are around,
And my Mighty Master's beside me.


He needs this time alone with me
to work on me and mine.
I am a recluse for just this day,
But tomorrow I will shine.







And once I'm
brightly shining,
I'll have so many rays to share.
So please, let me be for just...this...day,
and tomorrow I'll be there.

Peace, Love, & Light,
Vee
-original poem written by Vee May 3, 2003
-edited today!
-current mood - Reflective


-listening to:
India Arie's Private Party..!........


posted by Vee Jefferson @ Sunday, December 30, 2007





Couldn't Sleep...
... written on 10/02/02 @ 0625

As I lay my head sideways upon his chest,
nestled safely in the warmth and strength of his bosom,
salty tears snake across my face
-slithering, burning, searing my sensitive flesh.

I sob, I dab, I wipe.
My finger, the pillow case, the sheets.
But my muffled sniffling is in vain!
I don't want him to know I'm crying.
Oh but he does know.

He sees the dark cloud encircling me even in this darkness.
He senses my sorrow in the air.
He saw me pray.
He feels it in the nonrhythmic rhythm of my breathing
-and the uncontrolled twitching of my body.
Thought I was being quiet,
yet he hears me even in this silence.

He holds me, caresses me.
Not exactly sure what to do,
but instinctively does what I need him to.

He holds me, squeezes me, caresses me
'til my breathing once again matches his.
Never once uttering a word.
Never once searching for the tears,
he gave me peace, reassurance, and serenity.
He gave me him.
He gave me love!

Job well done,
he rolls over but continues to give reassuring pats.
He lays his leg next to mine, touching
'til he slumbers off to sleep.

I need to write this down!
If I get up will I wake him?

I'm thinking about you Momma,
remembering this night three years ago.
Remembering my thoughts, my feelings, your words, your face, your eyes.
Watching you.
So strong.
Praying for you to softly slumber off to sleep,but secretly wishing you could stay with me.
Momma I love you,
but maybe now I can fall asleep too.

posted by Vee Jefferson @ Sunday, October 07, 2007




A Day in My Life

Thursday, September 06, 2007
Spoken Word Piece by Vee


I love him
I love him
I love him all the time,
but I like him when he's...

...asleep!

He's beautiful
He's beautiful
He's oh so beautiful to me all the time,
but he's absolutely gorgeous when he's...

...asleep!

yeah, I'm talking bout my baby,
my baby boy,
my little prince,
my inspiration,
my muse,
and the biggest pain in the a$$ I've ever seen in my life!

He's the smartest, sweetest, wittiest, funniest little dude I've ever met.
Got reasoning and deduction skills a lot of grown folks don't even possess.
And did I mention he's the biggest pain in the a$$ I've ever seen in my life?

I do believe it is my privilege to say what I want to say about him,
as long as I do what I'm supposed to do for him. To love, to nourish, and to nurture him.

You see, I love him more than words can explain.
I live for him, and I'd die for him.
I'd punch a monster in his eye for him.

I mean, he's my baby!
my heart,
my amazing and splendid gift from God.
And oh yeah, in case I didn't mention, the biggest pain in the a$$ I've ever seen in my life?

You see, only a person who really loves someone can get away with saying something as crude as this and still have people understand how big the love is.

But make no mistake about it.
I'm the only one who can say it.
"See, I's the one that birthed that baby!"

I was the one who was up all night,
sleep deprived, crazy, and looking a fright.
I was the one there with the runny noses,
the scrapes and bruises, the fevers,
the painful tooth buds,
and the nurses with the needles.

H#!!, I breast fed him so long he was walking 'round talkin' bout,
"I want some momma nuke!"
couldn't say momma milk in the beginning,
so momma nuke just kinda stuck.

See, during the hours while he's awake,
I'm constantly talking and explaining,
correcting and persuading,

pleading and begging,
bargaining and threatening.

yelling and fussing,
spanking and sometimes even cussing...

...then embarrassed when I take him to his doctor's appointment,
we're sitting out in the lobby, he picks up a half dragon,
half donkey character from the movie Shrek
and says, "What the h#!! is this?!"

Uhh, my bad!
And no, I didn't spank him for that.
I quickly, but politely answered him, "That's a dronkey baby,"
so as to not give him the chance to ask that question again.

But on a more positive note,
I'm also singing and dancing
playing and laughing

story-telling and teaching
imagining and make-believing,

ABCing and 123ing,
I'm telling you, it can be quite overwhelming.

But when he slows down long enough to fall asleep,
and I can really see this little person whom I've co-created,
...actually see the work I've done,

I can see his beauty,
I can see his blessings,
I can see his purity and innocence,
And I can see his love, all magnified to the brillionth, billionth power.

And I think about all the sh*! we've been through on just that day alone.
Nothing seems as big or as bad as it did earlier.
I find my patience gets a little longer everyday.
I find that I'm not as quickly irritated as I was the day before.
And most importantly, I find myself realizing that I'm getting a little better at this motherhood thing every day that Jordan schools me.

And I look at him,
mouth slightly ajar,
light snore echoing in the background.
I see his chest rise and fall in perfect synchronicity.
I look at his belly button in awe of how it all began.
I marvel at this picture of pure perfection.
I see all that beauty and I realize...

Yeah, I love him all the time,
and like him when he's asleep,
but what I really and truly adore most is the moment he first opens his eyes in the morning.

And I say,
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you for my baby!

But ooooh sh*!,
here we go again!

--Vee Jefferson

posted by Vee Jefferson @ Thursday, September 06, 2007




Friends

can't turn a seasonal friend into a forever friend.
can't turn a forever friend into a seasonal friend.
whether it's a season...or the whole life long,
won't know the difference until you realize that the season has come and gone.

some blessings take a life time to earn.
some lessons take only a season to learn.
so I welcome each into my life.
and if the season does change, I stop for a minute and cry if I must cry;

all the while, remembering it was knowledge and wisdom that I yearned.
and while my world continues to turn
I'm going to be my best me,
while discovering and becoming who it is I'm supposed to be

I couldn't stand 24 hours of daylight?
I definitely couldn't stand 24 hours of night?
but they each have their purpose,
offering growth and understanding.
working together to make sure everything's balanced just right.

If only I could send the overstanding I have now to me back then.
I would stop and tell my two best friends
who have remained true through thick and thin
how happy I was that we were making this life long mend
cause our forevers were starting then,
And a little birdie told me it would never end.


Gail and Coretta, I Love You guys!


Labels: poetry
posted by Vee Jefferson @ Sunday, May 20, 2007





Definitely a piece of art that can stand alone.
I started to post it simply for you to use your imagination and come up with your own story, or poem, or

epiphany! But then it wouldn't fit into a blog, now would it?



Eerily romantic, and hauntingly captivating, I call this piece The Tree of Life with roots and hidden fruit. Wonder what the artist calls it.


It is so...so...
thought provoking.
Emotion evoking.

It's vintage with a hint of new age.
The sky is the limit,
the whole world their stage.

A soft kiss
A warm, but strong embrace
Bodies - still, silent movie
No name, no face.

It's no one
It's everyone
It's love and life
and Divine union

Barbaric, yet gentle
Naked, but unobtrusive
The secrets to life
So simple it's Elusive

With time, will the colors eventually turn green and blue, with hues of orange, brown?
Will there be water and stars and leaves to blow in the wind and fall down?
Will there one day be birds singing and animals playing and running around?
Or will the picture always be sepia-toned with the same message playing out loud
...feel me, see me.
What do you think of when you look at me?

It's vintage with a hint of new age.
The sky is the limit,
the whole world their stage.

Barren surroundings,
yet the tree brings forth life.
But where did he come from?
From the earth or from the sky?
Did he drop down from their loins
and travel through the root cave to the light.
Or did he simply fall from a branch,
you know the one with hidden fruit and remains out of sight?

Sensual and mysterious,
It makes me curious...
Will the babe grow up,
wrap his arms about his parents making the tree ever so much stronger?
Or will he simply crawl away, find a mate,
and plant his roots even longer?

It's vintage with a hint of new age.
The sky is the limit,
the whole world their stage.

Dark and ambiguous,
It makes me curious...
How tall are the branches?
How far do they extend?
How deep are the roots?
Freeze frame deception
-so what did the artist intend?

It's sexual and erotic,
enchanting and exotic.
Profound, and yes to some profane.
But what anyway is in a name?
As Shakespeare so eloquently put it,
titled by any name, it's still the same...

True Art!


posted by Vee Jefferson @ Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Friday, March 16, 2007

Dare to Do More Than Dream

By Michele Dortch

A lot of working moms are in a rut. Every day it's the same chaotic and rushed routine — kids, job, housework, etc. Because of your life's frantic pace you eventually lose sight of where you're going...life starts to lose its zeal. Instead of pursuing worthwhile dreams, you wander through the circumstances of life. Of course, there are moments of true joy and fulfillment but you're too distracted to really appreciate these momentary treasures, let alone notice them.

Eventually, you wake up and realize that despite everything that says you should be happy (healthy kids, a beautiful home, a great job, etc.), you're miserable. Why? Because somewhere along your journey through working motherhood you let go of your dream. You stopped believing that the things you pursued with such passion before kids are actually possible now that you have kids. After all, the demands of your children, your job, and your lifestyle leave little time to focus on chasing idle dreams, right?

Here's the wake up call fellow working moms: Your Dreams Are Important. No matter how wild, audacious or bold they may be, your dreams are the key to unlocking harmony in your work/life. When you experience imbalance in your work/life it's usually because your outer world (things you have, what you do, etc.) doesn't line up with your inner world (your dreams, passion, values, etc.). So if you ever hope to truly integrate work and life, you've got to shift the balance and start dreaming.

But it takes more than just having the dream. You're got to pursue it; you've got to dare to do more than dream. Not sure how to move from dreaming to daring? Here are three simple strategies for clarifying and then acting on your dream.

STEP 1. Reaffirm your dream

For most of you, it's been a long time since you considered what you really wanted from life. Instead, you're bombarded with messages from the media, your friends, family, and boss that tell you what you should want — "thinner thighs in 7 days," "more time with your kids," "more money." These external messages never end and they're loud — much louder than your internal voice that longs to be heard. Today is the day to listen to that small inner voice and reaffirm YOUR dream.

Grab a few sheets of blank paper or your journal, and spend the next 15-20 minutes putting your dream down in writing. Make a list of everything YOU want. What would you do if you had no excuses? What makes your heart sing? What would you want, if you could have anything and you couldn't fail?

At this point, "how" you'll achieve your dream isn't as important as declaring what it is you truly want. Just write.

STEP 2. Believe in your dream

For most working moms, the one thing holding you back from achieving harmony in your work/life is believing that you can actually have it. Your beliefs can either hold you captive or free you to achieve whatever you want. Let me share a personal example to help explain this idea.

I've wanted to be a published author since I was a young girl. Faced with the decision to choose a major in college, I shared this dream with my parents. The idea was shot down (lovingly, of course) and I was instilled with the belief that authors don't make money and live miserly lives. This belief has kept me from pursuing a writing career for years. Whenever my inner voice reminds me of my dream, I come up with a million reasons why I can't go for it. To move past this, I needed to clear my beliefs about being an author.

There are many ways to get clear of past beliefs. Here's one that I like in particular. You'll need two sheets of paper to begin.

On one sheet of paper describe the negative beliefs you have about a particular area of your life. Paint a vivid picture and really get into the emotions of it. Set the sheet aside.On a second sheet of paper write the beliefs you want to hold about that same area of your life. Immerse yourself in the positive, joyful feelings associated with it.Review your first sheet, and then burn it. Keep the second sheet in a place where you can read it daily, as a reminder of what you've chosen to believe.

I know it seems simple, maybe even weird, but I've tried it and it works. This exercise demonstrates a physical way to let go of negative beliefs that keep you from daring to do more than dream.

STEP 3. Take inspired action every day

To achieve your dream, you've got to do more than think about it and believe in it. You've got to act on it! Now, let's say your dream is to quit your full-time corporate job and feed your passion (and people's bellies) with your very own bakery. The leap from corporate cog to baker/business owner seems HUGE and often this is where most working moms give up. The impossibility of the dream is much too overwhelming.

The key to achieving your dream is to take "inspired action." In his book, The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth (or Anything Else) from the Inside Out, Joe Vitale describes this as "any action you take based on an inside nudge." We've all experienced it. Inspired action happens when you suddenly feel a desire to stop everything and call your child's school to make sure everything is okay. You may not have any idea why you got this inner prompting, but you know you have to do it.

If you want to achieve your work/life dream, then learn to take inspired action. Usually it means doing things differently. It means following an unexplainable hunch. It means having trust even though you don't know exactly what you're being led to do. It means taking action, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, to finally get out of your rut. You've got to move to get unstuck; you've got to take inspired action.

Dare to do more than dream. You have more control over your work/life than you think. Yes, there will be challenges to face and sometimes you'll feel like you're pursuing a hopeless dream. Yet isn't it much better to pursue your dreams (an action filled with hope, inspiration and joy) rather than complain about your circumstances (a behavior filled with negativity, despair and hopelessness)? Make a decision to do things differently. Make a decision to dare to do more than just dream about the work/life you want.

(My Dream Update: As of this writing, I am ACTIVELY pursuing my dream to be a published author and will release my first book in May 2007. Look out for it!)



By Michele Dortch of The Integrated Mother, a nationwide coaching and professional development company providing work/life solutions for working mothers, and their employers. Visit www.integratedmother.com to sign up for a free Work/Life Makeover Kit.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michele_Dortch
http://EzineArticles.com/?Dare-to-Do-More-Than-Dream&id=341383

Friday, March 09, 2007

The Secret and the Celestine Prophecy

I don't know if you've heard about the secret yet. The book, as well as the concept, has gotten the Oprah Winfrey stamp of approval. I read a blog, and of course someone was criticizing Oprah for dedicating so many shows to The Secret, but I would imagine that if this new way of thinking - well actually, it's not new at all - has touched this self-made, multi-mogul billionaire, then we should at least keep an open mind. I truly believe some people use the secret without knowing they're even using it. Maybe this is the reason Oprah was so taken with it. Could it be that Oprah was, for the first time, really and truly able to understand how she... became Oprah?

I just found out about The Secret a few days ago. And although this particular book was unknown to me, I've always known the secret. But like a lot of other people, I didn't practice it everyday, all day. It's so easy to get disconnected from ourselves and revert to the humanistic ways of thinking. But just recently I'd been thinking about a book that I'd read three times. Yes, I said three times. It was the Celestine Prophecy. I was thinking I should read it again, because it made me feel so good, and when I consciously used the practices described in the book, my world felt light, bright, and so much more fulfilling.

So anyway, a couple of days after thinking about the book, I turned to my HBO on demand movie channel and what did I see? The Celestine Prophecy movie. Of course I watched it. It was the very last night that it was going to air. I was amazed. And with this I decided that I really should read the book again and start practicing the teachings.

The very next night, a friend called and said he had a present for me. You want to guess what it was?

It was The Secret!

I loved it! It was everything I already knew to be true, but amplified to the 20th power. Ask, see it, believe it, say thank you for already having it, and you shall receive it. What a wonderful concept! But wait, isn't this concept in the Bible? Don't the people of the church teach us about faith? Let's see, how's the verse go? If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.


So, my personal goal is to practice the principles on a daily basis and to stay connected and positive at all times - not just some or most of the time. And when negativity tries to sneak in, I'll actively replace those thought with their positive counter thoughts.

So stay tuned to see how it all turns out...

For more information on what the secret is or how you can get a copy of the book or DVD, visit www.thesecret.tv.
Also check out the Celestine Prophecy while you're at it.

But for now, you can enjoy these beautiful affirmations from the creators of The Secret.


Click play now!