"Mother To Son" Poem by Langston Hughes: HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY TO ALL MOTHERS EVERYWHERE

"Mother To Son" Poem by Langston Hughes

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.



MOTHER'S DAY Scriptures:

Exodus 20:12
12) Honour thy Father and thy Mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Proverbs 31
".....28) Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her."

2 Timothy 1:5
"5) When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also."

Isaiah 49 14-16
"14) But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
15) Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
16) Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. "

Proverbs 22:6
"6) Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Titus 2:3-5
"3) The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4) That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5) To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. "


Sources: Poem Hunter.com, Yahoo, Youtube

Maya Angelou Is Not Dead! So Stop The Rumors

(Rumors about famed Poet Maya Angelou's death are not true. People please stop and focus on something like Health Care Insurance Reform. Watch below as Ms. Angelou addresses this foolishness.)





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Sources: USA Today, Wikipedia, Times Live, TMZ, Google Maps

Carl Sandburg's "Chicago"

Chicago

Hog Butcher for the World,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,
Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the Big Shoulders:

They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I have seen your painted women under the gas lamps luring the farm boys.

And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again.

And they tell me you are brutal and my reply is: On the faces of women and children I have seen the marks of wanton hunger.

And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them:
Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning.

Flinging magnetic curses amid the toil of piling job on job, here is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities;
Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning as a savage pitted against the wilderness,
Bareheaded,
Shoveling,
Wrecking,
Planning,
Building, breaking, rebuilding,

Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with white teeth,
Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young man laughs,
Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has never lost a battle,
Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse, and under his ribs the heart of the people Laughing!

Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth, half-naked, sweating, proud to be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation.

By Carl Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967)


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Sources: Poetry Foundation, Poetry Magazine, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Google Maps

President & Michelle Obama Host Renaissance Celebration Of The Spoken Word

"We're here to celebrate the power of words" was the statement uttered by President Obama himself a best-selling author, during last night's Spoken Word/ Poetry Jam event held at the White House. A statement also used to describe the diverse, multi-cultural gathering of Fine Arts professionals invited to perform.

The event was in fact a Poetry Jam not a Poetry Slam. Poetry Slams are competitions at which poets read or recite original work (or, more rarely, that of others). Poetry Jams are simply affairs (public/ private) where Poets and Writers read or speak excerpts from either original works or that of other creative, skilled spoken word Connoisseurs.

After explaining to the audience how "words help us appreciate beauty, understand pain and inspire us to action", he then introduced First Lady Michelle Obama as his Poet.
Included in the audience was the president's mother-in-law, Mrs. Marian Robinson.

The first White House Poetry Jam in history took place in the residence's East Room.

A 1920's Harlem Renaissance atmosphere appeared to be the theme as Poets and playwrights, actors and musicians filled the room, showcasing their talents in the form of Music and Poetry.

From actor James Earl Jones reading "Othello" excerpts to musicians Esperanza Spalding (Gershwin Prize recipient for Lifetime Achievement awarded by the Library of Congress) and pianist Eric Lewis (a.k.a. ELEW) performing "Love Letters", the energy and artistic camaraderie was unmistakable.

White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers and television talk show mogul Oprah Winfrey are huge fans of Lewis' compositions.

Per Ms. Rogers the purpose of last night's special event was to expose all Americans to other backgrounds by their brilliant works.

Also invited to attend the Poetry Jam was Director Spike Lee, Television Broadcaster George Stephanopoulos, Tony-award winning creator of salsa/hip-hop-inspired musical "In the Heights" Lin-Manuel Miranda, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon Essayist Ayelet Waldman, Poetry slam champion Mayda del Valle, who hails from the First Lady's native Southside Chicago, Poet Joshua Brandon Bennett and Youth Speaks Hawaii slam poet Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio.

During the gathering Michelle Obama commented, "I have wanted to do this from day one."
"The notion of standing in this room and hearing some Poetry."

Since President Obama's inauguration the White House has previously hosted Fergie, Stevie Wonder, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Earth Wind & Fire, Tony Bennett, Pulitzer-Prize winning Poet from Northern Ireland Paul Muldoon, Sheryl Crow and Alicia Keys.




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Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Washington Post, Politico, NY Times, The Root, ABC's New York News, Reuters, Daily Beast, Honolulu Advertiser, Youtube, Google Maps