Monday, December 29, 2014

Poem: In Preparation


In Preparation

By: Joi Maree Brown

Goodbye was never said
To confirm our end

Only the ticking of time's ending drawing near to our final seconds together

We questioned not

Because we understood
The reason

That forever was never meant for us

Just the moments that we created with each other
And the lessons we learned 
That prepared us for 

The love destined for us to have 
With others

And not each other

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Poem: Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning

By: Joi Maree Brown

Early sounds of laughter filled with joy
Surprised faces of little girls and boys
Admiration of Fathers and Mothers
As they watch their young open their gifts

Waffles
Eggs
Bacon
And grits

Breakfast is served
Prayer is said
Followed by
Amen

Songs of the season in recognition of this day
Play on the background

Moments captured by photographed
To be placed in memory's album

On this early
Christmas morning

Monday, December 22, 2014

Poem: The I That I Am

The I That I Am

By: Joi Maree Brown

I rise when uplifted
I fall when I break
I cry when I am hurt
I laugh when I am tickled

I live life
One day at a time

I plan for tomorrow
Even though into it I am not sure if I'll arrive

I thank my past
For delivering me to my present

I am thankful just to be
Anything else added I count it as a blessing

At times
I judge others
Although it's wrong

I criticize others
But hate when they criticize me

I am not perfect
So don't expect me to be

I am me
Not you nor they

And me
Is who I can only be

I despise liars
I really do
Although at times
I have been guilty of being one too

I like to help others
Without receiving a reward
My joy is in giving
And am content if my name to it is written as unknown

At times
I act on my heart
Instead of thinking with my mind

Which has cause me to get
Hurt
More than a few times

I love myself
Though it took some time
I truly do love me whether or not someone else does

I am becoming
As I have already been
Better than my yesterdays
A day away from my greatness

I am I

Monday, December 8, 2014

Poem: No Return Home Yet

No Return Home Yet

By: Joi Maree Brown

I want to go home
But it hasn't called me to come back

Been walking the same path
Back and forth
Forth and back

Looking
And
Searching

For the reason
Of the meaning
Of the purpose
Of why I first left

But it doesn't seem my way of thinking was correct at the time
When I made the choice to go

My way never seems to go right

I should have listened to that soft voice of reason
When it told me to be still
But instead I rebelled and moved

Now I'm stuck in the middle of the circle
I formed in my travels

And must stop and be still
And pray

As I am ready to now listen to God's Voice
And abide by His instructions

If it is not too late

For with His lead
Home won't seem so far away to return to

Monday, November 24, 2014

Poem: If Love Won't Hurt

If Love Won't Hurt

By: Joi Maree Brown

I would dive into its sea
If its waves don't throw me into the depth of its darkness 

I would eat of its fruit
If its sweet taste doesn't poison me

I would receive it without question
I would embrace it without hesitation
I would kiss it without worry
I would welcome it without reservation

I would love
Love
If I was promised it would not again break my heart

So I don't hate it in return

Monday, November 17, 2014

Poem: Overflow

Overflow

By: Joi Maree Brown

Our cup runneth over
When our faith is increased
Once our patience of waiting
Has been calmed by peace

We are blessed
Abundantly
Once out of our way we move
And allow God to take in our lives His rightful place

We receive confirmation
Of the fairness of favor
Bestowed upon us by
His perfect grace

And rewarded
Of our obedience to Him
With an overflowing of our cup
Its contents unable to be contained

What a blessing it is to receive

Monday, November 3, 2014

Poem: Only Love Left

Only Love Left

By: Joi Maree Flowers

I found out what love was
By extracting everything that it wasn't

The bad
The ugly
The pain
The hurt
The lust
The lies

Until all that was left
Was love

And it was everything I imagined it to be
Plus so much more

Beautiful
Happy
And
Peaceful

Mine

Monday, October 27, 2014

Poem: Purpose

Purpose

By: Joi Maree Flowers

I have held the hands of mine enemies in the circle of unity

I have looked into those
Green eyes of jealousy

But none have dare moved me
To fear them

But instead
Pushed me to become

Better than their views of me
The greatness of my destiny

My Purpose

Monday, October 20, 2014

Poem: To Pride I Say Goodbye

To Pride I Say Goodbye

By: Joi Maree Flowers

Dear pride,

You have held me back for far too long

From moving forward when I chose to embark on something new

From speaking up for myself when my voice needed to be heard

From apologizing for those things of wrong that were indeed my fault

From telling love that I loved it back after it told me first

Pride,
You made me believe your way was right

I gave you more attention than I should

I relied on you because you manipulated my conscience to believe that you were of some good

But no more will I salute you

Since revealed of your true intentions

Against me
Rather for me

And no more will I be an ally
To your ways

So to you
Dear pride,

I bid you

Adieu

Monday, October 13, 2014

Poem: Quickly Gone

Quickly Gone

By: Joi Maree Flowers

His vision was beautiful
However it wasn't one she shared with him
So she released his hand
And walked away

Before again he could call her name
Before again he could call her name

She didn't look back
Because it would only bring her back
So she quickened her pace
So he couldn't catch up to her race

Before he could touch her in the same manner of same
Before he could touch her in the way that would fall her back into his grace

She knew her decision was right
Although she felt to him she'd wronged
By quickly going
Until she was gone

As if it was never love
As if it was never love

But it was destined
For them to not be
To end before
It began

Before their life became a mistake
Before this exit became one too late to make

Photo courtesy of www.unexpressedthoughts.com

Monday, October 6, 2014

Poem: Nothingness

Nothingness

By: Joi Maree Flowers

Numb of love
Existing in life
Deprived of will power
A few reasons as to why

Rejection
Neglected
Forgotten
Shunned

By peers and enemies
Those names who have stopped calling hers

Left alone in darkness
Entrapped between four walls

Aging without growing
Blank pages of a story

Enough of nothing
Less of something

When the purpose of being
Should alone fill her cup to full

Yet her well is dry
And their is no reserved supply

She could be more
If only she desired to be

Better than her limitations
Greater than her agony

If only she saw herself
As being

More than the taunts
Of those haunted voices

A greater purpose
A greater power

She could rise into her light
To become

Something more
Than her black of

Nothing

Photo courtesy of blogbigtime.com

Friday, October 3, 2014

Poem: Say Those Words

Say Those Words

By: Joi Maree Flowers

Say you love me

After all its been 3 years
And more than enough time has passed
Where I am due to hear from your mouth those words
To know if what I feel is reciprocated

Say I'm your forever

After all time is continuously moving
And we have not parted down opposite paths yet
Where I am due to know if our journey will be shortened or lengthened
To know if what is now will last

Say I'm your Queen

After all I have been reigning along side you
And there has not been any objections to my position of power
Where I am due to know if this kingdom will stand
To know if our foundation will strengthen or collapse

Say that you love me

Or otherwise I'll cry

Monday, September 29, 2014

Poem: Only To Love

Only To Love

By: Joi Maree Flowers

I rose only to fall in love with you

Not to dance
Not to sing
Not to play
Not to be made an option for another's eye

But only to love you

Nothing more
Nothing less

But even this simple task
Has become hard to complete

As you excuse yourself from my calling
Whenever I speak your name

Is love so feared
That it would cause you to run away

Is love so bad
That you dare not befriend it

Awakened to receive you
Yet it remains abandoned

Shall I too abandon you
Shall I fear you also

When the day comes that sense is made of me
And you run to greet me

Will your name have been replaced
Because you waited to see me too late

This I do not know
But I hope it isn't the case

But the longer you wait
Lesser of me will lie in wait

So will you choose
To catch me today

Or again leave me in waiting

For my patience grows impatient
And my wait time becomes shortened

As I grow tired
And sleep nears closer to rest me

So will you choose
To catch me today

Or let me again close my eyes to darkness

And be awakened
By the kiss of another

Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com

Monday, September 22, 2014

Poem: Whisper

Whisper

By: Joi Maree Flowers

Waiting for the thunder to roar
Or the fire to ignite

An act of a miracle
Or a flash of lightning's strike

To be a sign
Of God's presence

In the midst
Of where we are at the moment we seek His instructions

But it is not in those moments
And not because of those happenings

That his nearness will be confirmed

But in the stillness of silence
When we least expect His presence

Like a cool breeze
On a Summer's night

That a soft voice
Will speak into our ears

In the tone of a whisper

And it will be

God
There

Shoulder to shoulder with us
Reminding us that

He was with us
And had always been

Closer than we thought

But we were too busy
Waiting on the loudness of His arrival

Not realizing all along

He was with us
By our side

Every step of our journey

Monday, September 15, 2014

Poem: Payback

Payback

By: Joi Maree Flowers

Still on her it lingered
The scent of sweat and regret
Of temptation's victory
A mix of musk, lavender, and guilt

The dark line crossed
Forbidden terrority entered

Last night
After hours
Into the unknown garden of lustful desire
They crept

Captivated by eyes
Introduced by smiles
Entertained by dance
Embraced by empty shot glasses

Finding their way to a hotel nearby
Room 189
Outside it hung a
"Do not disturb" sign

Loud moans
Grabbed waists
Penetrated anger
Released grudges

They swam in the waters of vengeful pleasures

After the moment which lasted a few hours passed
And he left her where they both laid
Without a word said

She was left alone to cope
With the mistake that was made
But indulged in intentionally

She
Scorned by the hurt her lover placed within her
But calling the name of a woman other than her

He
Awakened from the blindness of the deceit of his wife
Who entertained the face of lust many a nights

Both
Deciding that on this night
Payback would be their choice of strike

Suspects of revenge
Victims of pain

Given of themselves freely to the ways of convenience
In hopes of making their others of love hurt like they
Because love fucked them both over
Like a trick who got served but didn't pay

The hurt they received and hoped to returned
Left them without a win to brag about
Only into the same category of deceiver did they fall also into
As their significant others

Payback
Paid them back
With wages of burdens
Too heavy to carry

No better than their loves
No better persons themselves

Equally responsible for their wrongs
Equally the suspects they vowed to themselves pay back
Also

Photo courtesy of http://www.singleblackmale.org/

Friday, September 12, 2014

Poem: Inquired Minds

Inquired Minds

By: Joi Maree Flowers

When asked to retell
We are prompted to remember
Those things wished to be forgotten

But inquired minds
Will always remind

And there is no escape door to exit
Or no wall which behind it to hide

It's inevitable
That the past will be revisited
Without our planning to do so

But it doesn't have to be relived

As we are no longer who we were
But are who we are
Now

And we can not be judged
Or held accountable
For days which we forgave and were forgiven

And we can not be cast
Back into the darkness
Of times for which we found a way out of

Because inquired minds
Enjoy listening to the stories of closed books

Monday, September 8, 2014

Poem: A Blessing It Is

A Blessing It Is

By: Joi Maree Flowers

Such a blessing it is to be
Alive
And
Able

To be summoned again at dawns rising
To awake
And rise

Not held by sleep's drift
Into death's slumber

Such a blessing it is to be
Needed
And wanted

To complete an assignment by God
For his will
And purpose

As destiny would have it
Written before our knowing

Such a blessing it is to be
Seen
And received

As a blessing to someone in need
To aid
And help

As one neighbor
To another

Such a blessing it is to be
Chosen
And loved

By our Father above
To be given time
To continue in this life

To continue to live our purpose
Because it is not yet our time to die

Amen

Friday, September 5, 2014

Poem: Last To Be First

Last To Be First

By: Joi Maree Flowers

I was the one to love you first
But was last to receive it in return

For our luster lost it's shine
Before we could record the length of spent time

I was first to feel your wrath
Although I wasn't the enemy

Caught in your battle of whether or not
If to be with you I was worthy

Unmentioned in your play's leading role
The forgotten character of your story

I was the light you never saw
Only the darkness to remind you of your self misery

So why stay for the reason only of convenience
So why force each day if over is our season

We loved when it was fresh and new
But could not love enough to last for forever

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Poem: As I Am

As I Am

By: Joi Maree Flowers

I am stronger than my weaknesses
Higher than my lows
Content on my being
And held captive not by my woes

I am originated from the Creator's design
Chiseled by His perfect hand
To look not like those around me
And dare not be reconstructed by the hands of man

I am the seed planted into the earth's soil
Nurtured by the water of prayer
And the radiance of hope's light
Blooming into the beautiful flower welcomed by the kiss of Spring's cool air

I am she who will conquer
I am she who will stand
Even if the only voice that acknowledges me is silent
And no applause comes from so-called supportive hands

I am the blues in the midnight hour
The tears that fill the rising river
The loneliness of rejected lust
That finds a smile upon dawn's enter

I am the girl who was
The woman that became
Never to before be the same
For change is what brought me to this day

I am who I am
Flawed and stained
Strengthened by my faults
Beautified by my name

Friday, August 29, 2014

Poem: Hallelujah

Hallelujah

By: Joi Maree Flowers

Hallelujah
Hallelujah

I praise His name

The name spoken in prayer
Sung in song
Shouted out loud

Jesus

Such a precious name

The name I carry with me
The name I'm shielded by
The name that saved me

Jesus

Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Amen

Monday, August 25, 2014

Poem: If You Will, Forgive Me

If You Will, Forgive Me

By: Joi Maree Flowers

For the days my presence was absent
For the schedule that never held a time slot for you to fit into
For the thoughts of you that went ignored
When an extended hand should have reached for you
Or a phone call should have been made
For the next times that turned into next times

For my ears that didn't listen
Because my mouth was quick to voice its opinion

For my eyes that only saw the outer
Because the inner I cared not to be introduced to

For my voice that should have spoken up and out
But instead let fear win the victory to silence it

For the brick wall that was built
That should have never separated us

For the loneliness you had to settle into
Because my company never joined you

For these and many more things

I apologize

And ask that you find it in your heart
And soul to forgive me

If you will