Carly Simon - You Belong With Me - Live Today Show 10/28/2009

One of my all time favorite songs!
Carly Simon is a musical icon. She has a beautifully flawless talent to put pen to paper and create magic.
I tend to resits change...and was bracing when I heard there was a remake...but when I knew musician John Forte' was adding his talents, I knew there would be nothing to worry about.
And I suppose I should collect the lesson that ...change is guaranteed.. and can be very good!
I hope you enjoy this video as much as I have.

In The Key Of Me:

my desire for youis insatiable
i come to you humble & hurt
laying my soul at your feet
pouring teaspoons of life down my throat,
you leave my spirit quenched

if i told you - i love you,
would the sound be like every woman's song,
would you play me the same way,
moving my hips to the same beat,
filling my climaxes that sing in the same key

would you shatter the promises never having a chance to live
or gently embrace my wings
that never had a chance to fly

my tongue tracing your pulse to the peak of unforgettable memories
your body feels poetic as thighs touch, lips meet, & whispers capture shadows,
dancing in the candle's light


bind my hands with french-twist kisses
you blindfold my eyes so i can see
the need in you~illuminating~stimulating the love the woman in me


if i tell you, how much i need you,
would you dip my spirit in honey,
drench my thoughts in dreams,
caress my journey to completion

as i try to become part of you
if i collect all my 'ifs' & submit them to the man in you
would you place them in pretty packages
taking me from this land of madness,
this abyss of confusion
would you bring me into a corner of your world
where i can sleep with fists unclenched
where i can trust the noises in the night

the life in me gives birth to the beauty we create
where we harmonize on the beat,
release in the blue note of ecstasy
this is my song for you~
~in the key of me...

PictureCredit:

E Lynn Harris: We will Miss You. We Love You.

Today I heard the sad news that phenomenal author Mr. E. Lynn Harris has passed away.
So many wonderful souls seem to be making a pilgrimage to Heaven these days, it is hard for the mind and emotions to keep up.

With each passing, it forces me to reflect. Sometimes I do not want to reflect. I want to find joy in my daily routine.
Made it to work on time- check; paid my bills on sorta kinda time - check … but when someone who has inspired you passes. We have to reflect. Take stock in our lives. What are we doing with our time, and are we making a difference… do we want to make a difference? Goals. Dreams. Saying good-bye always turns to self reflection.

E. Lynn Harris passed away. To be honest, my mind and heart is still dizzy thinking of Michael Jackson. However, it was just yesterday, I thought of Mr. Harris. I was in my own private Heaven aka Borders Books, and I saw a huge display of his newest book “Basketball Jones”, and though of the last time I saw him at a book reading.

A friend of mine asked me about E. Lynn and his work. And then it occurred to me. I have read E. Lynn’s work over the years. But what I gravitated to was HIM. How I loved to be able to catch him at a book reading. He was so charming. Candid. Honest. Funny. E. Lynn’s energy is the type of energy you just want around. Like if he is in the same house with you, you just feel at peace; no need to be in the same room.

I adore knowledge of self. And he was a rock star of know exactly who he was.

Missing E. Lynn is different than missing Michael. Grief and sadness is not measured in “more or less” increments. We miss or we don’t. We love or we don’t. We never shared a home, but we shared this life, and it just felt nice knowing that he was there. Knowing he was on a book tour meant, he would be passing by eventually, and I would sit shoulder to shoulder with others to listen and freeze during question time. Some people just have that abundance of JOY that makes this life feel good. Mr. E. Lynn Harris had an abundance of this light… of this joy…. And he will be deeply… deeply missed.

Michael Joseph Jackson - Live in Peace:

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

As I write this I find myself angry with Michael Jackson.


Michael Jackson singing has defined snapshots of my life like a photo album. As lead singer of the Jackson 5, my Saturday mornings were made perfect by Sugar Corn Pops, learning about Conjunction Junction, and watching the Jackson 5 cartoon show.


As a teen age girl, it was my best friend Tracey who adored Michael Jackson. Her room was plastered with his pictures. My room was plastered with Prince. Mike was in a yellow cardigan, with a wholesome smile; Prince was in a bikini standing in the shower. I laugh thinking how our choices in men would follow us into adulthood. But Tracey possessed all things Michael. Notebooks, posters, magazines, whatever propaganda she could get her hands on with his smiling face she was soon to be in possession of.




And it is because of her love for all things Michael that I was able to see him perform. The day Tracey’s mother gave birth to her little brother; her Step-father stopped by the hospital, and then took us to see the Jacksons! This was during the time of “Can You Feel It”, which soon became on of my favorite songs.


So when I heard the buzz that something could be wrong with Michael. I didn’t’ know what to make of it. I work at a newspaper, and as I left I asked one of the editors “what in the world is going on” and she confirmed that the rumors were indeed true. Something was wrong with Michael. By the time I drove home the story had been confirmed by one radio station after another that Michael Jackson…the King of Pop – was dead at the age of 50.


I found myself more wrapped up in keeping friend Tracey updated with the details as they poured in, as my mind was still in ‘work’ mode.


It would take days for this tragedy to sink in and pierce my heart. Days of watching the world weep on television. Days of hearing the media find the most subliminal way to get their dirt into the story. Days of seeing every music video and news piece air in heavy rotation.


And I tweet. I talk. And when I feel I chose to avoid.


Why do I care he passed away? He would never know my name. We would never chat on the phone. Our kids would never play together. And still, his passing has impacted me and my emotions as deeply as a family member. And to be honest, this impact has surprised and confused me, and gives me a tremendous amount of empathy for those that did know him personally.


The day after Michael’s passing, I was listening to the radio. Donnie Simpson was interviewing Usher. In the middle of Usher responding to a question, he lost all composure and wept heavily. He wept as a man with a hurt over losing a dear friend. Immediately after the interview I heard “Looking Through the Window” which is definitely one of my top favorite songs. This one two- punch was all I needed to lose possession of my tears. Alone in my car, I wept for the first time over Michael. Not a cute composed cry. A Halle Berry winning the Oscar ugly cry.


Mike’s passing is more than an entertainer dying. He was the soundtrack to every moment in my life. Upon any song with his, and I can tell you how life was from childhood to adulthood. Without evening knowing it, he was some sort of anchor in my life. This is probably the source of my anger.


I want to write “he wasn’t supposed to die yet”. But I do believe that our Creator has a reason for all. I feel that Michael was still on his journey. And in this phase of life he was suppose to collect his lessons and move on, survive, and one day share the wisdom collected. It is near impossible to accept that this is the way Mike’s life was supposed to end. I suppose it would be more accurate to say hurt and frustration instead of anger. My confession is I was not ready for Michael to pass.


The soul lives on. I believe this completely. Michael Jackson has known fame, fortune, chaos, confusion, and love….and now peace. I do not care for the phrase “Rest in Peace”. I believe our souls soar in abundance when we pass from here. So with that, I will make one request: Live in Peace! Michael Jackson, Live in Peace!

Note: Here are some blogs from writers who I admire, I am going to read their Michael pieces, but needed to write before I read. I know I am going to like them a lot, and wanted to share, as I'm sure you will also. Peace & Love...

• * Bassey Ikpi Facebook Fan page.
• * Kim Wayans: http://kimwayans.com/blog/

How would you defne Personal Freedom (Twitter Tues)

This week’s “IF” Question was:
IF you were to define what true personal freedom is, what would you say?

This answer can be taken in a variety of ways and from a variety of perceptions. The answer would be equally deep from a woman trapped in a relationship she doesn’t want to be in; or from a Free Spirit who is confined with responsibilities and obligations.

I can’t help but think of the two American journalists Euna Lee, Laura Ling who were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in a North Korea prison. As I write this I am choosing to be very optimistic, that these two ladies will be released expeditiously. But the time they have already served, must feel like an eternity. To be imprisoned unjustly should in itself be a crime. While North Korea is finding comfort in making a joke of what we call exaggeration, the prison system in the United States has this weight in common as well, as not every soul in prison has committed a crime. To rip away someone’s ability to step into the sun and jump in the rain is a torturous act.

What is personal freedom? It is being allowed to be you without judgment and confinement; to be able to love and laugh out loud. To be able to love whomever we choose without it becoming a political platform. Personal freedom is the freedom to be the person you are, and for that to be joyfully embraced.

As always, the replies that came back from the Twitter Fam was on point and optimistic:

PoeticMind True personal freedom is being fearless of the unlimited opportunities and potentials.

mysskay When your life reflects your passions, when your time is spent with ppl and on things you love and you're not bound by fear.

MichaelDreyer Having resources to do what you want when you want. Read More.

ReinaMarielena Hi! Personal freedom=being in the will of God.

Sugarloaf48 Personal freedom is often times finding that putting ur best foot fwd is stepping out on the ft you recently brk

sambrooklyn The ability to think, act, speak, and live the way you choose without judgment or consequence. He abiltt to just "do you".

StateOfMariland Twitter: my voice @ TheWorld as a sovereign entity: the state of MariLand the essence of true personal freedom.

From the book: IF...Questions for the Soul.

In My Life Time - by Ras Baraka & Michelle Bond

In my life time
I witnessed children’s hopes dismissed by
low expectations and their pain nurtured by hood dreams.
I watched from crowded by lonely corners…

I watch from corners filled with lonely dreams.
My tears name every bullet,
dilute every blood stain…still in my life time,
this time of life – hope still remains…

Hope still remains in laughter falling from project windows,
children splashing through puddles with wet socks and forgotten yesterdays.

Dancing a today tune all over their tomorrows,
desperately waiting for someone to show them the quickest way to the rest of the world…

Desperately wanting a world that will not let them rest.
Optimistically reaching for a tomorrow that rejects them.
Running to their futures with battered souls and bruised spirits.
They chant ancient chants, waiting to hear that they matter,
They chant ancient chants, wanting to hear that we care…

They run in circles that grow larger
Getting uniformed and erratic.
Trying to drown out the silence of neglect,
showing themselves to the world as they are.
We frown, we cry, we half smile in amazement.
We watch as they wait no longer and we see them in all their terribleness…Mr. President,
...Yes?

They no longer need to wait
As they carry their baggage over the bridge of One Day
And step from the world of can’t into a life of can.

Greatness waits for them,
As they lasso dreams into reality
One time, one life, one world
They are ready!

(My 1st collaboration piece,with the wonderfully talented Mr. Ras Baraka)

How Would You Define "Soul Mate"? (Twitter Tues)

This week’s question was:
IF you were to define the term "soul mate." how would you do it?

I use to think that Soul Mate meant “the one and only love of your life.” I use to think that once you found your soul mate it was instantly destined for you two to be together forever and ever…and ever.

A part of me still clings to this theory, as I am a hopeless romantic.
I found someone who was my best friend. We were totally attracted to each other mentally, physically and spiritually.
And still we could not…can not make “it” work.
This man stands out from the rest, as he is the only one who makes me laugh tears. He challenges me mentally as we debate. He is THE most attractive man I have laid my eyes upon. And one of the best musicians I have ever known…or heard of.
And still we could not…can not make “it” work.

I am open to the theory that we may have more than one Soul Mate. I am open to the logic of loving more than one person deeply.

To me, to define the term “soul mate” I would simply say: The soul(s) that connects with your soul.

I am encouraged that many of the Twitter replies were very sweet and optimistic:

Marcia_Sinclair Soul mate = BFF

ReinaMarielena Soul mate=best friend. No need to pretend with this person and loves you flaws and all.

jonubian I just want tenderness, kindness, thoughtfulness, and intelligence. Nothing else really matters.

SpeaksBeliefs who is your soul mate? / the one love who is your peace / in midst of chaos /// #haiku

tamtamdoll Sum1 u can C urself floatn thru eternity with

StateOfMariland "soul mate": the 1 u can be ur real self with.. inspiration for india.arie's song "he heals me"

ctyler1420 My "soul mate" is the one who I can fall into her eyes and bathe in the love that's there.

iamkksolovely Soulmate = someone that helps me be the best I can and loves me during the process.

KingMars_worded the individual that would never hold u up from making progress.The one who would understand u completely.Despite differences

Questions from the book: If...Questions for the Soul.

TWITTER TUESDAY: IF...Questions for the SOUL:

This week’s “IF” question was:

IF you were to write your own epitaph today, what would it say?


It’s been a very interesting past few days where death and the meaning of life are concerned. After 19 years I wrote about my brother Geno’s death, and while it was cathartic, it was very meaningful to receive such compassion and support from those who read the article.

Yesterday, Mike Tyson’s 4 year old daughter
Exodus passed away from a tragic accident at home. To compare the life of a 4 year old to a 31 year old is not so much about the comparison as the impact.
Do we mourn deeper over who we had the most memories with, or who we had the most hope for?

Whom is the epitaph for?

I am of the belief that we are as Wayne Dyer says “Souls living a human experience.” I believe that once we leave here, our souls live on. I do not pretend to have all the answers…or any answers, but I do feel very certain about this.
The epitaph is not for the Soul that has moved on. It’s for us who are left behind still working and exploring our own journey.

To date- this is my favorite Twitter Tuesday “If Question”! The responses that came back are snarky, deep, funny and meaningful. Love ‘em!

If, I were to write my own epitaph today, it would say:
She lives in the soul of the butterfly. Namaste.


Some replies that came back from Twitter Friends...


matthewmilam Here lies a crazy motherfucka.

kojobaffoe He was a man, no more ordinary nor extra-ordinary than the next man.
13ft I'm still not convinced there's an afterlife.

Sugarloaf48 I didn't toot my own horn while I was here, so don't listen for it, now...I am following a different horn, now...Bye

LarryFlick "He always tried his best. He got it right a little more than half the time."

SpeaksBeliefs He wasn't a perfect man, but he loved & this guided all actions.

naturallyalise Can't no epitaph hold Alise, she lived!"

KCPL "We told him not to." Lmao

jonubian Epitaph: She lived her life fighting for freedom, not because of hate- but because of love.

StateOfMariland Gonna think on that epitaph... of course, it could just say she was a sweet potato surprise..lol

racheltrue 'Still needed to lose those pesky extra 10+ lbs, will be missed.” Wow, sorry, I can't answer this seriously, will examine why…

DiggsWayne My epitaph to be spoken as my ashes are spread: "Good boys go to heaven...Bad boys go everywhere."

sambrooklyn that I was blessed and highly favored with a life full of love and splendid happiness.




From the book: If...Questions for the Soul.

Saying Good-Bye to Geno. (R.I.P. 1959-1990):

What does someone's life mean when they are flawed?

Does their life mean any less than the Honor Roll student? Are they missed as much as the celebrity who overdosed? Do we shed more tears for the Corporate Business man, with a wife, 3 kids and a dog?

If you go by the empathy level of the local news anchor, the answer would be a very strong "Maybe to Likely."

My older brother Geno was a hot mess.
Drank too much. Smoked too much weed. Lived too hard.
And he was deeply loved by all who knew him.
The flawed never get the "isn't a shame they left this world too soon" tone from any reporter.

But if you knew my brother Geno.
You would have hoped to have been his friend.
He was quiet to those he didn't know.
To witness his humor and bass of his laughter was like a ticket to the VIP seats. I cling to what echoes of his laughter I can still force my mind to replay.
My brother Geno was a funny and intelligent man.

The Son:

Geno was my parent's first born child.
He was born in England in 1959. My dad was in the US Air Force and moved back to the States a year later.
There is something so wrong, when a parent has to bury their child.
I have a great relationship with the Universe. However, I will never be able to wrap my mind around this. It's wrong and unfair to have any parent endure this levy of pain.

My Mom recalled a conversation she had with Geno shortly before his death. She feels as though "he knew." Her evidence of someone's death coming soon, was a bird had flown into the shop she and my dad owned a few days before.
This is easily debatable as superstition.

Superstitions that look like they could be true only occur in my family?

The Father:

Geno's daughter has been the light of our family since day one.
She was around 5 years old when he was murdered. I remember being at home, while my parents went to the hospital, and my niece lay asleep upstairs.
It was around midnight.
Quiet.
Still.
All of a sudden, Angel, my ex-husband's white Chow-Chow gets up and runs out the kitchen to the front door. As she darted back and forth. She was focused. And just as suddenly as she started - she stops in her tracks.
Complete abrupt halt!
Angel sat at the bottom of the steps that led to the bedrooms upstairs, and my ex-husband and I watched her head gradually move from lower left, all they way to upper right.
We never moved.
My ex-husband was sitting on the recliner with me, as he was consoling me.
We both sat in silence.
When Angel's glare reached the top of the steps, I whispered "Geno's saying good-bye to his little girl."

Dogs who show supernatural communications, only exist in my family?

The Husband:

If you read my brother's obituary. It will say he had a wife. And even though he was married. I believe we all considered my nieces mother his real true love.
We never doubted her love for him. We never doubted his love for her.
But flawed men love in a dysfunctional cadence. It's raw and passionate, but always dramatic. Many women must choose to love themselves and not bury their light in exchange for the few good days a flawed man can offer.
My brother was the perfect candidate to attempt The "Love the Good into a Man" Plan.
This plan requires the art form and skill many women poses. We feel that if our love is deep and real enough, we can heal and motivate the man into responsibility, into employment, into sobriety...you name the dysfunction, and there is a woman who will try to "Love Away" the targeted flaw.

What's not fair about this is, it never works that way. Eventually we women, figure that out, and "move on"...except..no other man will compare. And we are forced to sacrifice the insatiable, soul mate connection we have in exchange for peace and security...which can be boring.. but it's PEACE AND SECURITY!

It's just my family who has someone who falls in love with a man that is not capable of loving back in a way we deserve?

The Brother:

I was raised with two brothers. Their name merged into one many times "Geno-and-Jr." It was very common to expect to hear their names chained together like handcuffs. They were 9-11 years older than me.
Jr and I would often bicker...a lot. Geno and I not so much.
Now that I am older. I find myself with some regrets. But I am glad to have had such a great husband at the time. To this day my ex-husband and I are friends. But it was through his friendship with my brothers, that created the bridge for me to be friends with my brothers.
My ex-husband and my brothers created a Def Comedy Jam session whenever they were together. As long as they had beer and weed. Life was good. And they spent a great deal of time...laughing.
I don't smoke and I don't drink. So if there was little reason for them to come hang with ME. But my ex-husband and my brothers. They were a riot. I acted like I was annoyed at the time with these three grown men laughing like wild kids.
The dozens, reached a whole new level with these cats.
And it is these moments that I cherish most from my marriage.

It's just me who has funny men in the family who drink & smoke weed?

The Day:

Damn. I was rolling and in that happy place... but "the day"... has me drenched with an abundance of tears offered for libations.
How do you write about someone who has died? Someone you loved. Someone you grew up with?
I can tell you that it was a Saturday afternoon.
That Geno was at the home of the killer. They were playing cards. The killer's wife had said something. Probably "You grown men need to get out my house"... but I'm just speculating on what a wife might say. Whatever she said, led to Geno teasing the killer about "who wore the pants in the family."

A fight broke out.

Geno was in shape. He didn't fight often. But always won when the occasion presented itself. He was old school, meaning if he fought you, it would be with his fists.

They fought.

It was broken up. It was Memorial Day weekend. Cookouts, kids playing outside. Sunny day. No need for a fight to bring everyone down.
It was a done deal. Over.

Geno and the killer went their sperate ways.

Hours later, Geno went across the street and on his way back his killer had a gun. It's the "hours later" part that earned the killer a "Premeditated Murder" charge. The killer was running down the street with his child and wife screaming behind him.
Kids were out and scattered.
Geno was front of his home.
Had Geno just gone into the house...everything could be different.
But he chose to not be afraid, and was trying to creep up behind him.
The details are fuzzy. As I believe there was a tussle.
The details are not fuzzy in that the killer shot my brother in the back of the head.

I find myself conflicted, as my path of life at this stage is very harmonious.
Peaceful.
Loving.
Still, the only title for this piece that came to mind was "Fuck that Nigga That Shot my Brother!"

"Oh my!" some might say....such harsh language.
Well, as a writer, I am not of the belief that words are "bad."
I feel it's our intention and energy behind the words that makes them potentially unacceptable. And the "N-word" is specific. And a matter I will dive into another day.
The truth is, I want to use pretty words. I want to feel pretty thoughts. And in most areas of my life I do.
But I haven't figured out how to make blood and death pretty.

...is it just me?

TWITTER TUESDAY: IF... Questions for the SOUL:

Twitter Tuesday "IF" QUESTION of the day: IF u were to finish the sentence 'My destiny has always been___,' how would it end?"

This question was much easier to ask, than to answer. Especially, as we live in a world where for many they only what can be seen is considered fact. Leaving little value for what is felt.

I do believe we each have a destiny.

I believe our journey is about finding our way there. Why do some people love the arts and others love numbers? Why do some love corporate jungles and others the forest?
We are drawn to who we are destined to be.

My destiny is to be creative. To put myself in a position to outreach and assist…more than likely in troubled countries such as Darfur.
To have a destiny and grow towards it is a choice. We still have to work and put ourselves in a position to align ourselves.

That tug, that inner voice…that is the invisible cord that I feel pulls us towards our life’s purpose..our destiny.

Some Twitter friends took the time to answer this question, and gave some excellent answers!

ScoopEmUp ...to live beyond my destiny.

13ft No such thing as destiny. That implies a preplanned universe = you have no choice anyway =not be able 2 deviate or think.

SundayTalkShow 2 have a talking platform, used 2 get n trouble n school 4 always talking, rents shoulda picked up on it then.
Note 2 parents: ur child my not B behaving N school but give them an outlet 2 channel that NerGy & I bet they'll improve.

ReinaMarielena destiny has always been to sing-it would end me singing at the MET & having a performing arts center for inner city youth.

DiggsWayne ...destined.

PoeticMind My destiny has always been to help others out in the medical field.

_DCKEV_ 'My destiny has always been to make sure that everyone I come across I leave a good Impression"

JeaneEBennett: To travel the world.

DCDiva28 My destiny has always been eluding me. I dream a dream and it fades before it is attained. My doing or destiny? Not sure.

From the book: IF…Questions for the Soul.