Music!

I have added a playlist to my blog of (some of) the songs I like to listen to when I have writer's block. You won't find anything recent though; most of this music is older than me or came out when I was fairly young. They set a certain tone for my spirit, and I felt that these 20 songs in particular captures the overall messages of my posts. Below I've selected a few that have a particular special meaning to me:

1. Drive by The Cars and Night Time is the Right Time by Ray Charles
I added these two songs because of my Grandpa (RIP). He passed away in 2011; he was one of the most important people in my life. Ray Charles was one of his favorite artists, but this song in particular reminds me of him. The other one just makes me think of my Grandpa. We traveled with him a lot growing up, so this song makes me think of those memories. Love you and miss you, Dad! 

2. Sweetest Thing by Lauryn Hill
Oh my God, what song by Ms. Lauryn Hill isn't my favorite?! My mother played her album all the time when I was a kid. This song in particular is what I think of when I think of love. It's a poem in itself; she's a talented writer! Not to mention that this was also in my favorite movie, Love Jones!

3. Lifetime by Maxwell
Maxwell is another artist my mother played a lot when I was growing up. I love all of his music as well! This one song, though, represents a pivotal event in my life and the inspiration behind some of my poetry. Thank you for introducing this song to me.

4. Heroes by David Bowie
I first heard this song in the movie Perks of Being A Wallflower, and I had the same reaction they had when they first heard it: what is this awesome song?! It is the perfect song for so many different occasions. I feel infinite when I listen to it.

5. Closer by Goapele 
I can't believe I forgot to add this song! This one means so much to me. Seniors in my high school are given what's called Senior Signing Day, where all the seniors announce where they will be heading for college. For weeks I could not find a song that resonated with me. I like all kinds of music (clearly) and if I could have I would've had like a mash-up of as many songs as I could. But I heard this song for the first time in a long time and thought, this is so perfect. I was graduating high school and going to a four-year college; things were really happening, this was a major step in my life! This song will always remind me of that day.

I hope you enjoy these songs!

5AM Jazz Musings

this morning
i fell asleep to melancholy jazz.

the darkness in my room overcame me.
ever since i was a little girl 
i've been afraid of the dark. 

but the humming from my radio
cradled me, lulled me to sleep

until the sounds became 
so hypnotizing/so numbing 

that they melted into my thoughts
that manifested into dreams.

and i dreamed of being loved,
of gentle kisses on collarbones and foreheads.

i dreamed of poetry's and jazz's romance,
of their manifested languages lying in my arms, I'm kissing
its eyelids like it had done to me once.

when i woke up the music had stopped
and the first thing i saw was your picture on my wall,
your eyes staring so intently at me.

i used to love him. 

Homeless

she wanders down the middle of the one-way
too disoriented to pay attention to traffic
                                   yet focused
feet bare and covered in sporadic spots of blood
half           scattered black dress
like her broken heart

rain pours but she is unbothered
even if she cannot see
her heart knows where to go
they say, carry ya drunk tail home, girl
                                   she's too involved to notice

she begins to hum a series of anharmonic tunes
her arms and legs eventually joining in on this
uncoordinated          dance
is this good enough for you yet, love?
she calls to no one
she's not even sure if it's the rain or her own tears now
                                  she never wanted to play the fool

but he found her in an alley
licking her wounds from a previous beating
and nursed her good enough to love her
          good enough to love me?

now she can't find her way home
it was the last place he held her
                                and said, I love you.