This.

#cantgetenough

I've realized over the past year that this show, and the NY version of it is my favorite. Everytime I watch it I'm motivated to write and bake and promote my skills and try my hardest to succeed so I can buy any of these houses. I can't get enough of this show.

What Is Your Life's Blueprint?

What Is Your Life's Blueprint?
Six months before he was assassinated, King spoke to a group of students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia on October 26, 1967.

I want to ask you a question, and that is: What is your life's blueprint?

Whenever a building is constructed, you usually have an architect who draws a blueprint, and that blueprint serves as the pattern, as the guide, and a building is not well erected without a good, solid blueprint.

Now each of you is in the process of building the structure of your lives, and the question is whether you have a proper, a solid and a sound blueprint.

I want to suggest some of the things that should begin your life's blueprint. Number one in your life's blueprint, should be a deep belief in your own dignity, your worth and your own somebodiness. Don't allow anybody to make you fell that you're nobody. Always feel that you count. Always feel that you have worth, and always feel that your life has ultimate significance.

Secondly, in your life's blueprint you must have as the basic principle the determination to achieve excellence in your various fields of endeavor. You're going to be deciding as the days, as the years unfold what you will do in life — what your life's work will be. Set out to do it well.

And I say to you, my young friends, doors are opening to you--doors of opportunities that were not open to your mothers and your fathers — and the great challenge facing you is to be ready to face these doors as they open.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great essayist, said in a lecture in 1871, "If a man can write a better book or preach a better sermon or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, even if he builds his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door."

This hasn't always been true — but it will become increasingly true, and so I would urge you to study hard, to burn the midnight oil; I would say to you, don't drop out of school. I understand all the sociological reasons, but I urge you that in spite of your economic plight, in spite of the situation that you're forced to live in — stay in school.

And when you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. don't just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn't do it any better.

If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. If you can't be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. Be be the best little shrub on the side of the hill.

Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.

— From the estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


I 'Googled' and found this after hearing a quote that Dr Martin Luther King Jr's son used (during his contribution to Michael Jackson's tribute today) about being the best you can be at whatever it is that you decide to be. He said that if you wanted to be a street sweeper, than be the best street sweeper you can be if that is your goal. I'm going to send this to my nephew, who is beginning high school in the Fall, to encourage him to be the best he can be at whatever he chooses to be.

Thank you! (still under construction)

it
‘s
been such a long time,
thank you.
i forgot my worth.
how did you know
your smile
your kiss
on the back of my neck
my shoulders
&
Slowly
down
my
spine
was what I needed
when
I needed it?
who am I
to be treated so tenderly?
Thank you
it’s been such a long time.
I forgot my worth
how did you know
your voice
on the other end of the phone
just to say the simplest of words;
“I dreamed of you last night. Good morning beautiful,”
Was what gave me a reason
To get out of bed ?

it
‘s
been such a long time,
thank you.
i forgot my worth.
Yesterday
You took me to a place that was
filled with beautiful people
but your eyes never left mine.
And
who am I
to be treated so well?
It’s been such a long time.
I forgot my worth.
Thank you
For
Reminding
Me.

THE EFFECTS OF him

1962.
him;
don't forget the bottles of muscatel
clanking empty
in yards of broken champagne flute glasses
and lost memories of celebratory toasts;
empty.
slobbering stammering and stuttering a language
;
the C' word.
in a pitch low enough
that only other alcoholics can interpret.
in a pitch high enough
that only other dogs can hear.

brought into this world in handcuffs,
still I stutter;
a life in restraints.
shy by history.

(begins with a C')
him;
This giant of a man.
At five feet seven.
Back in the 50's (he,
who has been found drunk,in ditches in Memphis)
1969
Don't bother mom;
She's busy doing twice what you're too drunk to do once.
work.
love.
And he may hurt me even more when she ain't around.
I'm no fool.
I'll be quiet
(no, not me. Him. Begins with a C')
You see, there is history in these handcuffs.
There is pain.
the truth.
there is blood,
but there are no screams-that's for sissies.

let's not forget the small green bottles hidden in pockets of suits and winter coats at Deliverence Evangelical Church, New York, New York
:
the back turned slightly.
the contents quickly swallowed while mom obliviously praises God.
but I'm praising God too,
with one eye
and I see everything he did.
But God is omnipotent.
Praise Him!
the clapping which was not for support.
( God,please get me out of the audience )
The "C word.
We laugh
We cry
We're in the audience

But sis has a different interpretation of what we're both observing
/ I must have done something wrong.
apparently I must have asked to be born
to whom I was born/
before I was born
(God, remove my restraints)
Now,
Learning everything
by Listening to big bunches of nothing
From enemies who are close friends of each other
In time of need going their separate ways after bartime,
But sister, playing with dolls in the living room says to me
'leave my daddy alone.'
while the back of my neck is pressed down to keep my back bent over the ironing board
as the other hand holds a thick black leather belt to slam against my naked ass while the supremes song, 'where did our love go?' is playing on the radio,
the beat-down is only interrupted by the announcement that Martin Luther King Jr was just shot..
The effects of him. of him and those damn bottles...
&
if he stood still for a minute and listened
& watched
&cared,
he could have heard the slow seeping out of what ever volume of love my little heart contained.
I petitioned.
I begged for compassion.
In between slaps and scalding hot baths.
In between humiliation,
emasculation
and degradation.

Cirrhosis;
that's it.
The effects of him.
slap 1 across the face back hand
slap 2 across the face
slap 3 a bath in scalding water. Steam rising off the ankles.
slep 4
slap 5 you damn sissy
slap 6 damn mama's boy
slap 7
slap 8 Shut up! Don't be a sissy!
Slap 9 back hand slap
Be a man!

10 years old....
Applause.
And.
Curtains.
End scene...

I was brought into this world in handcuffs 1962 1972 1982 1992 1996 may he rest in peace 2000 2001 2002 2003 handcuffs still on
(where's the key?)
2004

handcuffs off

beautiful things- rough draft

instead
of being pulled
down
by
the weight of pollution
jobs
bills
lies
other issues-
close the door.
turn off the lights
don’t look out the window

remember when we were startled
away
from what made our hearts break
b4?
a kiss from u
is a thousand tiny suns going off
on each strand of hair
each limb
a-
gain
what made us new

make us new again
lets talk about think about
beautiful things
beautiful thoughts
u
thoughts me
us & we
lets talk about think about
what i find in u
and u
in me
close the door
&
Talk about
Think about

Those tiny suns


by Alieux

Soultight

While there are those
who,
without thinking,
will gladly lift both hands
to help someone in need,
there are those
who
will bearly
lift a finger

(the middle one)




&
those are the relatives.


By Alieux