“Diminished”

Chyrel J. Jackson

I’m definitely checking you out. Just watching,

saying very little, mostly observing the shift in paradigm of your complicated mindset.

Trying to figure out exactly where it all

went so wrong.

When did I fall from the center of your universe?

          Was it all of a sudden that my value declined, lessened, decreased; just simply

          diminished?

Yes I’m still quietly and silently observing you,

and I have reached a few conclusions of my own.

Your shift in mindset is not of my lacking.

You see, your waning interest has everything to

          do with your less than impressive place in my world.

You simply are not as significant to me as you once were.

          There is definitely a change in paradigm.

Lately, I have discovered the change is mine.

                                               

cjj

“Moments”

Lyris D. Wallace

 Moments happen

Brief and fragile

          Time moving

          Time standing still

Not realizing until it’s gone

If only we could go back.

If we could capture it in our hands,

          Holding it like a cherished treasure.

In a moment, we are changed

In a moment life is given and taken away

We gather our moments in our minds,

          picking and choosing,

          sorting and collecting,

          reliving, time and again,

We, ourselves, are but moments;

          A collection of moments

          Defining who we are.

In a moment, we love and are loved.

And in a moment, we are memories in

Someone else’s collection.

                   LDW

“The Kiss”

Chyrel J. Jackson

It began with a mutual

magnetic attraction.

Two impeccable silhouettes

standing in the distance.

The intense gaze of the eyes.

An uncontested closeness of shared space,

And within one anticipated moment,

it happened.

A sweet, impassioned kiss.

                                                                    
                                                           cjj

                

                   "Sista's Serenade"

                                       Lyris D. Wallace

Girl,

what you been doin’?

You been livin’

          and life done caught you off guard.

I heard you been talkin’,

          talkin’ to da preacher man,

          talkin’ to yo friend down da hall.

You even been talkin to dat ole man on da corna.

Did dey tell you anything you wanna hear?

What you wanna know, sista girl?

          Will the snow fall tomorrow?

What you wanna know?

          How the rain fell in Spain?

Listen girl,

          ain’t no streets called easy.

          No sun-drenched paths leading to

          brighter tomorrows.

Ain’t no prince charmin’s

coming down no yellow brick roads.

It just AIN’T.

You gotta get yo head togetha.

          Today ain’t yesterday,

          and yesterday ain’t tomorrow.

We livin’ for TODAY,

          And TODAY is all it IS.

You reflect back too long,

You find yoself lost in what WAS.

Ain’t no, wish I could ‘eves

          or if onlys.

All it is,

          is what it is.

                   You dig what I’m sayin’?

 10:34am

                    LDW ©