Category: Black Excellence

poachers & the first home

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Two poems shared on Substack notes

poachers

I’m so tired of loose
lips sinking ships—of
human cannons
shooting us with
lies, and creating a
mass of loblollies
with the full intent to
bury us alive.

we’re more than
flesh & bone, we’re
heart & mind, and
they must’ve forgotten
we can fight when a corner
is the place they
push us in.

a faulty administration is
running a nation,
betting with money
from people who’ve
poured their last into
a country they once
loved.

they have no clue of
what they’re doing,
yet they do, and
we’re the ones dying
a long death.
but, we’re the ones
fighting to stay
alive, too.

the first home

a short workweek
ahead for me—taking
pto for a trip
back to a place that
hasn’t been home in
21 years, but it’s still
home.

I’ve been eyeballing
the weather, got my
hawk’s view on 10,
monitoring changes to be
sure travel plans won’t
meet their demise.
I need to get away.

my mother will be in
tow—my nerves will work
overtime to keep her
anxieties at bay.
I’m craving fresh seafood,
familial hugs, and time spent
with people close to
my heart.

a quick mini
vacation to recharge
my energy—strengthen my
bones. prayerfully, none of
them will break from the
weight of the pain
that the first home
can bring.

Scattered Words: Hardcover $26.00 USD|Scattered Words: eBook $11.00 USD|Scattered Words: Amazon

I Care for Myself Because I Love Myself

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An Audre Lorde Quote

Shared in Spoken Black Girl Magazine

Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare. —Audre Lorde

Scattered Words: Hardcover $26.00 USD|Scattered Words: eBook $11.00 USD|Scattered Words: Amazon

Scattered Words Is On Amazon and Goodreads!

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Grief hasn’t made me hollow; it’s helping me grow.

Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt, next to a painting of The Little Monster by K. L. Laettner, on one of my bookshelves. Photo by Tremaine L. Loadholt

I did not think this would happen as quickly as it did, but here we are… Global distribution of Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt has been approved and is now available to purchase on Amazon and for review on Goodreads!

I had prepared myself for a long wait; however, I did not have to wait incredibly long to see the book I produced from pain, sorrow, grief, and joy for my beloved Jernee Timid.

About the book:

In Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt, the author wants you, the reader, to experience Jernee in totality and understand why she has lost the greatest companion she has ever known. If you have ever grieved the loss of a pet, many of these poems will not only resonate with you, they will set up holding spaces in your mind, crawl into your heart, and retreat only when they have been commanded to do so.

You will laugh, cry, nod in agreement, and reminisce about your furry family member(s) and how they have become your strength. Grief is not linear, and every creeping moment it decides to invade your heart, there is a poem in this book to greet it.

In Scattered Words…, Tremaine celebrated, lamented, grieved, loved, and released Jernee Timid Loadholt. Every day, she will probably do these things again—not necessarily in that order.

If you have never met a dog who had the uncanny ability to be more memorable than some of the people you know, with this book of poems, you will have your chance.

The photography is in color and cartoonized. The font is big enough for those of us with visual impairments and aging eyes to see. The cover is a hard one… I want this book to stand the test of time and any possible minor damage that could occur to it. It is 8.5 x 11, durable, engaging, and one you can share with your friends, family, children, grandchildren, and students.

Thank you so much for your undying support. However you wish to purchase it, if ever you wish to purchase it, I am forever grateful.

Scattered Words: Hardcover $26.00 USD|Scattered Words: eBook $11.00 USD|Scattered Words: Amazon

How Do You Talk To God?

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A Book Review

When We Talk To God: Prayers & Poems for Black Women by Sharifa Stevens. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

You know the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? So, I’m judging, but positively, though. When We Walk To God: Prayers & Poems for Black Women by Sharifa Stevens is the book I didn’t know I needed. The cover is a perfect gateway to phenomenal content.

This is a necessary book for Women of Color. How we talk to God is, as I’ve witnessed and experienced, extremely different from how other women talk to God. I connected with this book in a way that has brought me unmitigated peace and comfort, and I’m happy to express that.

Here’s the review I shared on Amazon and Goodreads:

Talking To God Is a Form of Art

At least, this is what I gleaned from the prayers, poems, and notes shared by the indomitable Sharifa Stevens.

There are books that sneak in when you weren’t expecting to be fulfilled or touched by spirits and there are books that pull you from dark places and remind you of your worth… “When We Talk To God: Prayers & Poems for Black Women” encompasses both of those descriptions.

There are pieces within this offering that read like sermons. Some feel like testimonies. And others swim across the page, reaching out at just the right moment to grab ahold of the reader and remind them that they are and will forever be God’s child.

I am a sinner, yet I love. I am a sinner, yet I feel. I am a sinner, yet I have solid friendships. I am a sinner… I am a sinner… I am a sinner… Yet, God will never stop loving me.

In the midst of the turmoil and chaos of this wretched world, I cracked open the spine of this gift and found solace.

“When We Talk To God…” offers hope, reflection, strength, encouragement, and the reality that I am not alone on this tedious journey of life, and I am blessed to be able to say that I read it.

And I will, without a doubt, read it again and again, and maybe a few more times for sustainability.

There’s a prayer in this book for you, Black woman. There’s a prayer in this book for you.

When I find a book that makes me feel good about myself and less alone, as well as hone in on biblical scriptures that can motivate, encourage, strengthen, and engage my mind, I am completely satisfied.

And, I am.

Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt is available now! Have you gotten your copy? Hardcover|eBook

Mythomania & What Was I Thinking?

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Two poems shared via Substack notes

Mythomania

Back when I didn’t
overthink things, I
loved a woman who
lied so much,
mythomania could
have been her
middle name.

We were never going
to make it.
I made up stories
for entertainment;
she made up stories
to cover her ass.

Eventually, one of us
was going to break,
and one of us did.

Baby Tre in a fighter pose. I have no clue who took this photo, perhaps one of the hospital nurses or a family member? April 17, 1980.

What Was I Thinking?

I must’ve known the
world would be a
battlefield.

At a few hours old,
I’d already prepared
myself to fight;
hands squared into
position of
protection.

What was I thinking
as I dreamed
alongside a mother
who pushed me into
being?

Could I have been
dreaming of ways to
right wrongs without
a working definition
of them?

Did I know about all
of the nastiness
dripping from the
hearts of men, and
how that coldness
would shift God’s
creations—morph
them into living
devils?

Many ages passed
me by, and now, I
find myself standing
atiptoe, waiting for
change that doesn’t
look like it’s going
to come.

Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt is available now! Have you gotten your copy? Hardcover|eBook

Dissecting “pulse”. Exploring My Words

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Courtesy of our own WordPress Barry White, Nigel Byng

Image created by Nigel Byng at Helping You To Succeed

I concluded my thoughts on this poem by silently recognizing how powerful human connection can be amidst a crisis. Tre wrote in free verse and used such vivid imagery that I was allowed to experience the urgency of a singular moment. And it felt all too real, as these are experiences that I, too, have had. I reflected on the impact of compassion and courage that most of us demonstrate in our daily lives, and I realized that I have allowed many opportunities to be the hero to pass by. —Nigel Byng

My writing about a dream I had turned into someone’s amazing perception of it, and not only did Nigel dissect this poem thoroughly and give it a new life with his words, but he also read it aloud.

pulse is a piece that came to me in late summer of last year, after I had what I would consider a bad dream. It garnered a decent amount of discussion from readers who felt something while reading my words. I am delighted to share what Nigel had to say about it, and also his velvety voice, too.

Exploring Poetry – A weekly reading series – Ep 4: Pulse by Tremaine Loadholt

Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt is available now! Have you gotten your copy? Hardcover|eBook