Within Words We Are One
SAY GOODBYE TO WRITER’S BLOCK AND HELLO TO THE DEEP VOICE WITH “METHOD WRITING” Beginning on Saturday morning, March 26, Vallejo writer Charles Kruger (columnist for The Rumpus and LitSeen, theatre and book reviewer, and published poet) will be debuting an online class in “Jack …
(Covid-19) Summer by Juanita J. Martin Beaches are quiet Except the occasional Tide coming in As the sun burns its way through the atmosphere No sizzle from the grill Everyone’s inside— Dreaming of vacations they never had as pools of sweat bead guzzling water clinging …
Hair It Is By Dr. Gina Rizzo Everyone is valuable and beautiful as they are. Hair has a mind of its own. How it is born is how it’s grown. Hair is all the same. We are all working with how it came. Perms to straighten and to curl. Irons flatten and irons swirl. Shaved, bleached, and braided. Pluck it, shape it, trim it, and fade it. It grows when and where it dares, with no regard for fashion’s cares. Hair is everywhere. Way down to here and all up in there. Fry it, cut it, and hide it. Burn it, break it, and then dye it. Brushed, picked, combed, dreaded, washed, dried, threaded, and some silk bedded. Never there or was it lost? Some even pay a surgeon’s cost. Stressed if hair’s astray? But if my hair’s relaxed, I’m okay?! Wrap it, weave it, and feed it. Extend and bend, you believe it. Hair food and stylists. For perfect hair we do violence. Have too much or too little? Is anyone in the middle? Magic rubs? Okay! Give me all of them without delay. My hair floats limp as it breaks. Now here it sits in crispy flakes. If paid for hair crimes I would be rich not paying hair fines. Toasted, sprayed, flayed, and flambéed. Poor hair, we’re lucky if it stayed. Smoking from my head! You smell that burning? My hair is dead! Rollers hot, spiked, sponged, and steamed, since the Egyptians so it seemed. Greased, glossed, with shimmer, for perfection my hair must glimmer. So much hair time and money, all for wonderful hair honey! Whose business? Not mine. If up to me, natural’s always fine. Hair is hair. It’s how it is. Hair is beautiful it’s no quiz. Whatever is there what is best is to just love our hair.
Gina is a lifelong social justice activist who believes in creating a better world through better educating with the arts. She is an agented author and illustrator of children’s picture books that embrace diversity and an award-winning children’s poet living in Vallejo. After receiving her B.A. in art with a minor in humanities from San Francisco State University she earned two teaching credential and a Master of Art in Teaching from Chapman University. She taught for fifteen years and currently is a PhD candidate researching why the arts exist at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She has been published in a variety of periodicals and has four self-published children’s books under the pen names Regina Sparrow and Dr. Gina Rizzo. There are three other of her projects in the professional book publishing process. Her newest venture is designing inspirational educational posters and other educational treasures. Gina is available to illustrate, paint murals, do public readings, teach art classes, and do consulting on organization, education, and publishing. Better Learning = Better World. Visit www.DrGinaRizzo.com or email [email protected]
i am a doll dug out of a landfill by Melissa Eleftherion Body of the cave mouth Dissolution of salt Intuitive ash collects I vibrate to the speleothem the duodenum My heart holds the dirt like some sweet music i remember once a breathing green …
Cold Gin and a Pandemic by Georgina Marie A swig of fresh lime squeezed over ice San Francisco’s Junipero gin with a garnish soothes the overwhelm of more bad news and sudden heat What I learned at home today: the length of estrangement becomes short …
Wishing Well By Aqueila M. Lewis-Ross I wish you Love: We need it today more than ever As you find your way in this world You may see the change you want to see And do something to make a difference without conditions, but sometimes change is hard to do and loving is harder still But love anyway Find reasons why you should. I wish you Joy: It comes from within It comes when you make peace with who you are, why you are, and how you are right now in this moment Just think about all the things you've accomplished until now You should feel proud Don't worry, all who are here are proud of you! And know the reasons why we should I wish you Peace: Take some time now to rest before you leap While becoming a master of anything, you must practice Repetition becomes easy Even though conflict, violence, active shooters, polluters, war, and death may strike; peace sneaks in as a friend you forgot was there along. Remember when you didn't care what people thought and it was easy to compromise? Surprise! You can get back there again You're the master of your destiny You know all the reasons why you should. And I Wish You Well: Rest your head on the wishing well. Drop a lucky penny in its healing waters. Be Well! Wellness is active Be aware of your choice Be healthy Look forward to a fulfilling life. Be well! Forever changed Balanced Set your mind, body, and spirit free Lets fly and live our lives Dipped by healing waters. If you're old, you can be forever young Just count your Blessings And name them one by one. Copyright Aqueila M. Lewis-Ross, September 4, 2019
I was born in Berkeley and raised in Vallejo, CA.
Contributing Poet/Author:
Lang, D. L. Verses, Voices, & Visions of Vallejo: A Poetry Anthology, 2019 Poems: “Where Faeries Live”, “Ode to Doria”, “Home Is Where the Heart Is”, “Just Passing Through”, “Power Flow” Pg: 90-94
Aqueila M. Lewis-Ross is a multi-talented, award-winning Bay Area Native well-versed in singing, poetry/spoken word, and journalism. Aqueila has studied and performed throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and is a graduate of Napa Valley College and University of California, Berkeley. Her book of poetry, Stop Hurting and Dance, published by Pochino Press, is a collection of stories overcoming fear, oppression, gentrification, and police brutality; she honors what it means to live with resilience, love and prosperity. She holds the titles of Ms. Oakland Plus America 2014, SF Raw Performing Artist of the Year 2015, and was an Oakland Voices-KALW Community Journalist awardee in 2016 and Greater Bay Area Journalism Awardee in 2017.
Great Greats family hatbox rolls beneath her hands asking, do cedar balls burn daguerreotype was shocked, melted every one so recent, the southern way to tinder buildings and her carriage seemed to be of two minds homestead barn’s drip of rainwater on the pig’s folded …
“Salt Cedar” SUNRISE CHORDS RISE SEE THEM GROW JUST THERE UPON MY FENCE GLORIOUS JASMIN COVER FORMING DELICATE MOUNTAINS A VIEW OF THE ISLAND OF CORK UNJARRED MEMORIES THROUGH YOUR SCENTED FLOWER BEING THERE MY 1ST FLIGHT FROM MY DOORSTEP TO THE COCKPIT OF MY …
MASKS I had to wear a mask To protect me from you The fear of someone seeing Me imperfect, as I was, Frightened me You wore a mask, too, For what reasons I Could not tell but Most likely similar Pain or sorrow With time, I learned To believe in myself That I could brave others Knowing I was not Perfection or even close People saw me for Who I was and did not Run away or tell me To put the mask back on They just saw me And you removed Your mask as well Taking your chance With life and love and Learning to trust Now we all have to wear masks To protect others from us The world cannot risk A contagion we carry The sickness of our times Some day we will not Need to wear these masks And will see each other For who and what we are Tomorrow. Soon. Please.
I have lived in Vallejo for 20 years and participate regularly in the Benicia Outlaws Writing Group. I’m not known as a poet, mostly as a historical fiction writer (mainly LGBTQ) and host of Queer Words Podcast, conversations with queer-identified authors about their works and lives (www.queerwords.org). Your recent request for poetry during these challenging times made me think about submitting this, something I just wrote yesterday.
Bio: Wayne Goodman has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area most of his life (with too many cats). Goodman hosts Queer Words Podcast, conversations with queer-identified authors about their works and lives. When not writing or recording, he enjoys playing Gilded Age parlor music on the piano, with an emphasis on women, gay, and Black composers.
Congratulations to Poetry by the Bay host Jeremy Snyder for becoming Vallejo’s 3rd Poet Laureate. He was preceded in office by Genea Brice (2015-2017) and D.L. Lang (2017-2019). His work appears in Verses, Voices, and Visions of Vallejo, and he recently hosted the Vallejo Poetry …