Tag: Medium

The Beauty of Love and Creativity

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A Book Review

The most important items at that moment. Intersections by Jack Herlocker is my favorite, though.

There’s nothing quite like reading a book that makes you laugh, reflect, wonder about what it’s like to find the VERY person with whom you connect on a level no one else gets, and sink into poetic goodness, too! Intersections: Stories, Chats, Truths, and Verses, by Jack Herlocker, has all of this and more! Jack and I met on Medium (maybe 9 or 10 years ago?), where we dove right into each other’s work.

He’s always been such a cool cat who doted on his wife, shared stories about his life in the military, being married and then divorced, and married again, and also about his career in IT and as a technical writer, etc.

When I found out he had published a book by familiarizing myself with his Substack bio, I jumped at the opportunity to get it, and I was not disappointed. I knew I wouldn’t be. There’s something in this book for everyone.

The review for it on Amazon is below:

“A Quick Read That Has Lasting Effects

I had not been surprised when I beamed with elation and excitement upon the first few pages of Jack’s book. It’s classic Jack with a bit of humor, sadness, truth, and peace sprinkled throughout each page.

You’ll laugh out loud (I did so many times) from the section, “Chats with Deb”, be inspired by his short fiction, moved by his poetry, and locked in while reading the creative non-fiction. Jack is, as God would have it, a Jack of All Trades.

He doesn’t skimp on creativity, metaphorical blends, easy-to-digest scenarios, and entertainment. Reading this book made me remember how much I loved interacting with his work on Medium, and now, I get to do so again on Substack.

If you’re looking for a fun-filled quick read that will put you in a good mood, “Intersections” is truly the book you’ll want to get. It did not disappoint, and I knew it would not.”

For light-hearted reading with a splash of humor and reflection, this is the book for you. I know one day soon, I will pick it up again, and I’m certain I’ll find something new upon the next reading of it. It’s the kind of book one would never tire of reading, especially during these God-forsaken times in which we currently live.

Sister Death and the Tragedies of This World

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I posted my last piece on Medium for the time being. I am sharing that same piece here as well.

Every day, there is a new form of pain to sort through

Sister Death Intro via Netflix. Photo Credit by Tremaine L. Loadholt

I want to say I am moving through every day without problems. I want to say I am moving through every day without pain. I want to say . . . I am moving through every day without leaning into the fears that stare at me at every turn. The truth is . . . I am hanging on by a string.

Every day, there is a new form of pain to sort through. As soon as I have made my way past that form of pain, there is one waiting just at the edge of my uneven breaths for me to fight as well.

I am not alone in this. I know. The world is steadily crumbling around us and fire and brimstone are piquing at their hottest points. When human beings choose between whom they can lend their empathy to, the world is already at its end.

I do not condone any form of violence taking place at home (in the US) or abroad. I also hate that our tax dollars are being used to fund what I believe is a nonsensical massacre at large, with no apparent end in sight, and authoritative figures bent on greed and boosted by their egos will be our downfall.

Numbers have never been my favorite thing to assess.

I am thumbing through and clicking on so many news sites and platforms of educated people honed in on what’s happening. However, I am also questioning many trusted sources, too.

When I read phrases like, “What we know,” I am moved to pause. Do we really know this? How do we know this? Who found out the information and when? Who have we paid for the facts and why? When will this senseless bloodshed end?

Below are a few key points taken from NBC News:

What we know

Israeli officials sent tanks and infantry into Gaza overnight, where they remained Saturday. Officials said that with the air and ground campaign, the “ground shook in Gaza.”

Most communication in Gaza has been knocked out, and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said it is “facing a total collapse with unimaginable consequences for more than 2 million civilians.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that a long and difficult war awaits.

More than 7,000 people, including women and children, have died in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. In Israel, about 1,400 people have died.

At least 229 people were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack — including infants and young children.

NBC News’ Richard Engel, Raf Sanchez, Kelly Cobiella, Josh Lederman, Matt Bradley, Ellison Barber, Meagan Fitzgerald, Jay Gray, Hala Gorani, Chantal Da Silva and Alexander Smith are reporting from the region.

When we assess the numbers, what more does Israel want? How much more can the US benefit from the atrocities occurring? Because be very aware, the head officials are benefiting from this.

When I read the following from CBS News:

Hundreds of demonstrators from a Jewish activist group made their way into Grand Central Terminal’s main concourse and staged a sit-in during rush hour.

The group, Jewish Voice for Peace, demanded a ceasefire in Gaza on a day Israeli military forces increased incursions.

It also led me to the Instagram page of the Jewish Voice for Peace to watch a clip of their demonstration while they were all either being handcuffed or handcuffed. The chant, “What do we want?” “Ceasefire!” “When do we want it?” “NOW!” will stay with me for many weeks to come, perhaps months — maybe years.

Police officers arrested 200 protestors for this cause. 200!!! For what? Freedom of Speech? This doesn’t exist anymore and really, maybe it never did.

As all numbers relating to this event continue to spike, I blink my eyes, and the Democratic Republic of Congo is dealing with its plight. Death seems to be what’s on the menu of late. And it’s only going to get worse before an inkling of betterment arrives.

Balance during these times is crucial to my health.

To tune out the world around me, I am reading. I am writing. I have begun a new shift at work, which allows me more time in the morning to meditate, cook a hearty breakfast, and go for longer walks by myself or with Jernee. I am finding things to keep my mind busy and preoccupied with peace.

There has to be balance.

Currently, I am reading, Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary by Jasmine Guy. When I am done with it, I will begin, In Search of a Salve: Memoir of a Sex Addict by K. E. Garland. After those two, I will begin POISE: Facing Cancer with Grace and Resilience by Gail Boenning.

Earlier today, I watched Sister Death on Netflix, and the similarities between this movie shook me versus the constant turmoil in the world today.

Sister Narcisa felt the torture and pain that layered the halls of the convent from buried secrets from the other sisters years before her arrival. Raping, pillaging, and the deaths of women and children occurred during a war that befell their country’s doorstep rise to the surface in her presence.

After a miraculous childhood, Narcisa becomes a novice and starts teaching girls in a former convent haunted by a disturbing presence. — Netflix

The ending left me with my mouth agape and my heart aching for what Sister Narcisa had to experience to uncover the truth. What will we have to do to uncover the truths of this shaken-up world?

There is a time for reflection and a time for truth-seeking. There is a time for peace and a time for meditation. There is a time for love and a time for allyship and solidarity. Could it be we’re all see-sawing through every event of such times cyclically without our knowledge?

It certainly feels like it.

Originally published in soliloque via Medium.

One Year Later, I Must Move On

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I am sharing this final newsletter from A Cornered Gurl via Medium.

I love this space, and it will always have my heart, but I have to let some things go.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

I don’t want to be that editor who shuts down their publication without sending a proper goodbye and explanation… So, here we are.

And here is not where I want to be, but here is where I have to be.

Some of you may know, that I was promoted at work this past March, and with that promotion, came assignments and responsibilities that eat up my time, and sometimes my sanity.

As much as I would love to continue to don a superhero cape and keep the midnight oil burning for A Cornered Gurl, ultimately, I cannot.

I can no longer work full-time, take care of a senior dog, coordinate event planning details for our company Engagement Team, and breathe without feeling like I will pass out.

It is a lot! Recognizing this and knowing the depth of what it takes to accurately review, edit, schedule, publish, and interact with various writers is a surefire epiphany.

One year later, I am at an impasse, but I know my path — I am of sound mind and body, and I say to all of you, it is time.

You Have Given Me Love, So I Give Love To You

I love this space and it will always have my heart, but I have to let some things go. Checking my list of duties and commitments, I have to select things that will break my heart to see them reach their end, but will eventually benefit me in the long run.

Thank you for trusting me with your words. Thank you for trusting me with your heart. Thank you for allowing me to welcome you into this safe space one more time.

I want you to know I have given this so much thought and consideration — devoted days, weeks, and many hours to this decision. It is not a pretty thing to witness oneself fight their own shadow about their dreams.

I am not acting in haste. It is a practice of mine to only draw a conclusion regarding major life changes when I have sat with the idea of those changes for a long time.

I am at peace with this. My mind is at ease.

You Work Will Have A Forever Home

If you have granted me the opportunity to publish your work, it will remain here forever unless you choose to remove it and publish it to your profile or send it to another publication you believe suits the content.

As I did once before, I will leave ACG up for future readers to peruse the words shared here and the interactions, too.

Should you choose to let them stay here, this is their forever home. And I welcome their planted presence as I did upon publishing them.

Will I Still Be Around On Medium

I am toying with the idea of also jumping ship regarding Medium as a whole. I have not yet come to a conclusion on this subject.

I do know I do not have the time to publish my own work nearly as much as I used to.

I also do not have the time to read the work of other writers as much as I used to or would like to.

Medium is ingrained in my heart, but it does not make me emotional anymore at the thought of calling it quits here.

I have devoted nearly ten years to this platform. I have been here for the many changes that occurred in the past, and I do not know if I have it in me to continue on for the many changes to come.

The jury is still deliberating on that.

Please Keep In Touch

If you want to, and your bones tell you to pursue this task, you can keep in touch with me, should you notice I have gone quiet on Medium.

I will keep ACG’s Instagram page, but make some changes so that it reflects more of who I am as a person and not an editor. You may keep up with me there.

I will always have my website, which includes my blog and other points of contact there. It is also dubbed A Cornered Gurl.

This Is, “See You Around, Not Goodbye”

I would say, “Goodbye and God Bless,” but this is not goodbye. This is simply, “See You Around.” It just will not be here in A Cornered Gurl.

At the publishing of this letter, submissions will be closed.

Please know you are and will forever be thought of, admired, respected, and uplifted.

I wish you well. It has been my pleasure.

*Sidenote: I am NOT leaving WordPress. This is my home. This is for Medium only. ❤️💜💙

Peace and blessings.

Originally shared as the final newsletter in A Cornered Gurl via Medium.

“Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind”

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A free verse poem

Bath Bombs Photo Credit Tremaine L. Loadholt

the love wrapped up in someone
has fought its way out — eager to
greet the world and shower us
with bath bombs.

how kind must a heart be
to devote its time to creating
gifts with essential oils and other
ingredients melded together to
share with hundreds?

me and my mom walk past my
neighbor’s door and we spot them
instantly.
at first, I decline— with sensitive skin,
it’s hard to try new things and not
know what the body will do 
afterward.

but my mom jumps at the
opportunity to scoop up
two of the balls and grazes
her nose up against each — inhaling
their scents.

I smile at her childlike behavior
knowing an enjoyable night
will occur.

a little envious and curious, too, 
I found myself back at my neighbor’s
door to collect my own bomb.
a white concoction with blue & pink
swirls greeted me.

I had to take it home.

that same night, I drowned my limbs
in the oily inviting fragrances and lost
myself in their mix. 
the next night, I chose another.

I left a “Thank You” note for 
my neighbor as time and patience
have to be two things with which
she’s been blessed.

trying to find my place in a 
new community with new people
around me hasn’t been hard 
at all — my apartment building
is full of welcoming arms and
smiling faces.

these days, this is heaven-sent.

I will try the other bath bomb
this weekend — built-up stress will
need a passageway out of my system,
and a deep cleansing accompanied
by it will be a much-needed welcome
reprieve.

when love is patient and love is kind,
I remember.
wouldn’t you?

Originally published in soliloque via Medium.

For This Gay Couple: Love Is a Modern-Day Couch With Multicolored Throw Pillows

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Senryu 8 Parts

Chic: Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

Darnell had confessed
the move strangled his whole heart
Tai broke all the rules

two men never loved
as hard and as heavy, but
joke’s on everyone

the walls had their smell
the floors held their footprints; life
had turned on its head

a modern-day couch
with multicolored pillows
stood between love birds

who would get the couch
who should get the couch and why
did they deserve it

Darnell paid for it
Tai took care of it and with
destroyed love, comes hate

condo keys returned
an empty living room groans
Darnell and Tai sob

for this gay couple
the couch meant more; it was love
and love built them up

condo keys returned
an empty living room groans
Darnell and Tai sob

Originally published in Prism & Pen via Medium

8 Months and Counting

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A free verse poem

Locs wash & interlocking day, ©2023 August 19. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

From the beginning, I’ve been happy about 
the choice I made to loc my hair, and I still am.

The journey is an interesting one, 
and I am learning more about 
myself and my hair with each passing day.

The beauty of going natural is 
watching various changes with the roots 
of my head and the blooming of my hair itself; 
it’s a wonder to witness.

How can something typically seen 
as dead be so alive?
As my cousin interlocked my hair and 
found difficult locs with which to fight, 
I smiled recognizing not only am I stubborn, 
but my hair is, too.

4 hours and 35 minutes later, I walked away 
with a clean head and a new style.

I cannot believe December of last year was
 the start of something special — 
the start of a new me — a changing me.

8 months later, the growth is on track 
with how I envisioned it would 
be around this time of year.

I am still eager to see what my hair will do, 
yet I am patient, too.
A blessed head knows its place 
and remains there.
I know myself more since I am following 
a path that allowed me to shift 
my life slightly — progress is our lane.

And the paths to the destination 
set for me are purposed for my excellence.
I am healing in a way that words 
cannot accurately describe.

And it all started with a
single strand of hair.

Originally published in A Cornered Gurl via Medium.