Category: Micropoetry

better at home & we all feel, and he didn’t + Jill Scott

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Two poems shared on Substack notes

Homemade salad: diced chicken tenders, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, & Colby Jack cheese. I drizzled the ranch dressing onto the salad after I took the photo. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

better at home

fresh fruits and veggies
diced chicken tenders with cheese
creamy ranch dressing

AI-Generated Image: A Black man dressed handsomely in a jean jacket, cream-colored shirt, and jeans, standing on a porch in front of a door. He has a pensive look on his face.

we all feel, and he didn’t

he was too
equanimous. you
maybe thinking,
“that’s not a good thing?”
and I’m obligated to tell you
that I needed someone who
would explode with anger if
the world caved in on him…
eventually.

I needed to know that he could cry,
would cry if his heart
were crushed with grief.
but he didn’t know
tears—he hadn’t been open
enough to let them cleanse him,
and I couldn’t continue to love a
man who wouldn’t emote.

I understand strength, the rearing
of holding back emotion when you
can release it was
always weakness to me.
I wanted to know that
if I broke down, he could break down
with me, and we’d lift each other up.

but in a world that
tells a man to be
stone in order to be
loved, he couldn’t
hear my cries.

Jill Scott—Pressha

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

Collaborating with David at The Skeptic’s Kaddish Again

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Rengaying through this tumultuous life

David, at The Skeptic’s Kaddish, and I have collaborated once more using the Rengay form of poetry. It is always a pleasure working with a talented writer such as him, and I was happy to take part in this ongoing series once again. A snippet of the poem is below.

db-razor at my neck
each scrape both threat and comfort—
smooth with tiny bumps
tll-      risky weather won’t stop me
      money doesn’t grow on trees
db-bank notification—
I pretend not to see it
until tomorrow
tll-worry doesn’t rest
I’m in a headlock
adulting is trash

You can read the poem in its entirety by clicking on the link below. Thank you again, David! It’s always a blast!

Rollercoaster ride; Adulting, or: A rengay

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

Art is Poetry and Poetry is Art

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A Book Review

Haiku and Tanka: Lull, Harmony, and Power of Japanese Art by Hikari & Gabriela Marie Milton. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

As a lover of Haiku and Tanka, it was quite the no-brainer that I would purchase this book. From Literary Revelations, the creatively astute publishing house of Gabriela Marie Milton and team, Haiku and Tanka: Lull, Harmony, and Power of Japanese Art titillates and transports the reader to a place of ecstasy, renewal of self, and undeniable peace.

The artwork, produced by Hikari, their Resident Artist, is visually hypnotizing and allows one to enjoy the beauty accompanying every poem. Her art and words, alongside those of Gabriela’s, shine perfectly on every page. This is a masterful duo, and I am truly happy I dove headfirst into its brilliance.

Below is the review I shared on Amazon and Goodreads:

Refreshingly Inspirational

This is how I would describe Haiku and Tanka: Lull, Harmony, and Power in Japanese Art. Every page is a walk along a path guided by impressive imagery expressed in words and tremendous watercolor/painted art that stands out, and is more than luring to the curious eye.

Both Tanka and Haiku read as if they were calculated and meticulously matched with every photo, as well as marked for exemplary collaboration. Hikari and Gabriela did an outstanding job with their verses, and it is evident that care and craftsmanship were at the top of their list regarding creating this masterpiece.

A few lines that stood out to me from several pieces are:

“wounded eyes weep,” page 16.
“tease me
the silence in my voice
flickers in your eyes,” page 28
“like a sublime
and beautiful crown,” page 36
“Yearns for burning love,” page 36
“yet your song grazes my shoulder
brushes softly past my soul,” page 56…

To say that this book of measured and timeless verses is an excellent show of poetry in form is a bold understatement. It is two massively creative worlds morphing into one–a hybrid of synchronized verbal harmony.

I am glad this offering was shared with us, and I look forward to experiencing many more collaborations by Hikari and Gabriela Marie Milton.

Where the world of visual art and Japanese syllabic poetry meet, there is a place for the reader’s eyes and the writer’s heart, and I am so glad I got a chance to rest there.

Take my word, you’ll find a place of solace between these pages. You sincerely will.

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

the best choice for me

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a senryu

AI-Generated Image: 3 furry puppies ranging in color markings of white, brown, black, & tan. Two are standing, and one is lying down. All three have Teddy Bear-shaped facial cuts with perfectly groomed furry bodies. The background is subtle with beige and tan as the colors that are peeking through.

researching love locks
rescue baby or breeder
who will be my match

Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book & Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback (only) yet?

I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discuss recent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.

Your Voices Have Been Heard

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Thank you for helping me choose a name for Zumi’s toy sea turtle

Zumi’s New Friend photo collage. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

Many of you participated in choosing a “C” name for Zumi’s new friend, a beautiful toy sea turtle, gifted to us by one of my friends. From the previous post that brought on this one, the names were: Cricket, Charlley, and Coral.

I shared the post with at least ten of my closest friends and acquaintances. They chimed in with their selections, and we have named this little beauty.

saddled sea turtle
with most voted for “C” name
fits it perfectly

And the name that received the most votes is… *vigorous drumroll*

Charlley!

Honestly, I am incredibly happy that this is the name most people wanted for our new little addition. Charlley was riding high initially, ahead by 4 votes, but Coral picked up massive speed from many of my friends. Cricket only had three votes by Saturday night, so it never had a chance. The end results: Charlley: 7 votes, Coral: 6 votes, and Cricket: 3 votes.

Thank you to everyone who took an interest in participating in our little fun experiment! I appreciate your presence here, and I am grateful to be able to share the little things in my life that bring me a spot of joy with all of you.

Peace and blessings.

Happy Sunday, beautiful people!

Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book & Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback (only) yet?

I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discuss recent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.

cold-turkeying a love & As Christmas Comes To an End

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Two poems shared on Substack notes

AI-Generated Image: A Black woman with locs, wearing glasses, sitting on her bed, writing in a journal. 

cold-turkeying a love

I’m cold-turkeying a love I should have
left when I first realized it was time
to leave before I become
cold-hearted.

As Christmas Comes To an End

I am locked into Broncos and Chiefs,
and Prime was glitching earlier, no
rhyme or reason to the delay, but I
remain tuned in; first quarter took a while
To warm up — old Buick, winter weather…
breathe, you’ll get it.

My cousin’s text message breaks my
attention, and I see the preview for a
photo and a video, and instantly, I’m
reminded of how much fun we used to
have as children — “Popcorn Loving”
our way down the block.

New Edition was a drug of choice.
7 and 9-year-olds shouldn’t know anything
about crushes, but we were latchkey kids, raising
ourselves from the hours of 3 PM to 8 PM.
We were curious, and curiosity was meant
to kill us, but it didn’t.
We survived the block.

And even though we’re so far removed
from the neighborhood that reared us through
grade school, pieces of it still breathe life
into us.

Christmas is ending, and I remember the
past while braving my present.
What does the future have for me to live
through next?

I guess… we’ll have
to see.

Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book & Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback (only) yet?

I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discuss recent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.