before I can relievemyself of last night’sdinner, three sneezesescape. burdened by late Spring’spresence, I dread theoutside world. I can smell thepollen’s attack–waitingfor my changing bodyto greet the air. it will not be agreat day for breathing.
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before I can relieve myself of last night’s dinner, three sneezes escape.
burdened by late Spring’s presence, I dread the outside world.
I can smell the pollen’s attack–waiting for my changing body to greet the air.
Black ExcellenceCommunityCreative WritingFriendshipLGBTQLifeLoveMicropoetryOne-LinersPhotographyPoetryWomen#BlackExcellenceblack womenGraduateMasters DegreeOne-Lined Poems
3 One-Lined Poems You trudged through anxiety-filled days—devoting yourself to digesting medical information—success shook your hand. The weeks dragged on sometimes, leaving you breathless, broken, and bothered; every struggle equaled an A. Master of biomedical knowledge, defender of the body, the link to what lives inside of us—I can’t wait for you to become a … Read more The Graduate’s Graduate
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3 One-Lined Poems
One of my young ones—my neighbor—my friend—my boo, Nikayla. Photo Collage Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
You trudged through anxiety-filled days—devoting yourself to digesting medical information—success shook your hand.
The weeks dragged on sometimes, leaving you breathless, broken, and bothered; every struggle equaled an A.
Master of biomedical knowledge, defender of the body, the link to what lives inside of us—I can’t wait for you to become a healer.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I have two young women who live in my hall in my apartment building, and they have become such big parts of my life. Nikayla, the oldest, graduated from Wake Forest Baptist University with a Master’s in Biomedical Science yesterday, and to say that I am proud of her would be a massive understatement.
One day, she will have the credentials, “M.D.” behind her name.
Nicholas… I’ve known and loved him for twenty-seven years. I adore that my friends know how to cheer me up. I am sure he could sense how down I’ve been of late, and twenty minutes ago, he sent me the above video. The way my heart perked up and how I started dancing around my … Read more Music Is a Healer
Nicholas… I’ve known and loved him for twenty-seven years.
I adore that my friends know how to cheer me up. I am sure he could sense how down I’ve been of late, and twenty minutes ago, he sent me the above video.
The way my heart perked up and how I started dancing around my apartment should be a C R I M E!
I hope you have friends who know exactly what you need to hear and see when you feel like you can’t hear or see anything.
A Lamentation of things past Grief is laying claim to its resting place—twisting and turning me out of my skin. I do not know the woman I see in the mirror. She can no longer survive everything. She begs me to notice her, too—to know that her heart can’t take another breaking. I’m listening… I … Read more The Story of Tears
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A Lamentation of things past
Grief is laying claim to its resting place—twisting and turning me out of my skin.
I do not know the woman I see in the mirror. She can no longer survive everything.
She begs me to notice her, too—to know that her heart can’t take another breaking.
I’m listening… I hear her. I’m listening… I feel her.
Black ExcellenceCommunityCreative WritingCultureFamilyFoodHolidaysLifePhotographyPoetryWritingLoveMother's DayMothers Day 2026
For every mother, mothering when all else fails, and life doesn’t give you the flowers you deserve. a job that pays withkisses, hugs, arguments, giggles, spring cleaning, cooking, exhaustion, notenough help, cat naps, no privacy, forever bonds,teething, terrible twos, teenage antics, too muchnoise, and drama-filled twenties.yet, you’ve never wantedto be unemployed. there is no way we couldever thank you … Read more Mother
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For every mother, mothering when all else fails, and life doesn’t give you the flowers you deserve.
A photo collage of the mother who mothered me, and is still trying her best to do so to this day. In the photo of her and the baby, she is holding my baby cousin Caison, a few weeks after his birth (he is almost nine years old now). My mother’s name is Angela; everyone calls her Angie or “Lil Red Louise.”
a job that pays with kisses, hugs, arguments, giggles, spring cleaning, cooking, exhaustion, not enough help, cat naps, no privacy, forever bonds, teething, terrible twos, teenage antics, too much noise, and drama-filled twenties. yet, you’ve never wanted to be unemployed.
there is no way we could ever thank you enough for life, unconditional love, and safety.
you are the first person who protected us from the world with your body as an enclosure for our growth. we basked in your presence unknowingly yet knowingly.
our first home—our way of breathing and forming into being. how you manage to stay afloat when storms and rocky waters tipped the boat of life; I will never understand.
I am not fit to walk in the shoes you’ve run in for decades, but I can love you.
I can appreciate you. I can show you how impactful your life has been for mine.
and I pray that whatever I do, it gives you unspeakable joy for an often thankless job that you’ve never grown tired of working.
She wanted fresh seafood (we’re from Savannah, Georgia, it’s a staple), so I took her to one of her favorite spots in Greensboro, NC, yesterday. They’re doing it right there. Trust me, folks. We love them! Saturday, May 09, 2026. Photo Collage Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
To those of you mothering when your breaths are uncontrolled, the nights are long, and the days grow shorter. Thank you. To those of you mothering when it was not your intention—someone dropped the ball, could not care for their own, and you stepped up and have done so for eons. Thank you. To mothers mothering even in loss and anguish, your mothering heart still exists. I see you. Thank you. To the mothers who toil, test, testify, and trust all will be well as they lean on their strength in God… thank you. Your prayers are probably what saved me. I see all of you. Happy Mother’s Day!
I’ll return soon. I’ve not been feeling like myself of late—I wish I could verbalize the issue or pinpoint the problem, but I just don’t have any “Get up and Go” in me outside of work. I intend to conserve my mental energy as much as I can. I’ll return to my regular blogging and … Read more Breaking Before I Break
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I’ll return soon.
Deb’s World (I snatched this up from there)
I’ve not been feeling like myself of late—I wish I could verbalize the issue or pinpoint the problem, but I just don’t have any “Get up and Go” in me outside of work. I intend to conserve my mental energy as much as I can. I’ll return to my regular blogging and creative activities on Saturday, May 09, 2026.
I hope all of you enjoy the rest of this week. Take good care of yourselves.
A Halle Berry Quote Let me tell you something – being thought of as a beautiful woman has spared me nothing in life. No heartache, no trouble. Love has been difficult. Beauty is essentially meaningless and it is always transitory. —Halle Berry
Let me tell you something – being thought of as a beautiful woman has spared me nothing in life. No heartache, no trouble. Love has been difficult. Beauty is essentially meaningless and it is always transitory. —Halle Berry
energy drainers, vampires ofthis world will take all of Y O Uif you don’t guard what you have. armor up,protect what’s vital, and hide the sustenance of youfrom seekers of death. their pitiful existence has noreign in your life–prove itto them.
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energy drainers, vampires of this world will take all of Y O U if you don’t guard what you have.
armor up, protect what’s vital, and hide the sustenance of you from seekers of death.
their pitiful existence has no reign in your life–prove it to them.
