Power of Poetry (P.O.P.)
About
The Website
The Power of Poetry (POP) with The Mahogany Poet website was created to highlight poetry, yes! But more to the point, words. Words are powerful! The way that we use words is powerful. The mere fact that our young people seem to be losing a love for reading is disheartening to me. The knowledge that they don’t care for writing is also discouraging. And I wonder is it due to a lack of exposure? After all, aren’t we products of what we know? Of what we are exposed to? Being a part of a culture that had to fight for the ability to read and now thinks that it is not valued is mind-boggling and depressing. This website hopes to reignite a fire and passion for words through reading.
Rhyme is one way to accomplish this. All (or most 99.5%) of my poems are in rhyme. It comes easy to me. I love the rhythmic flow. Probably because I love music and lyrics. Plus, I hope to draw all audiences to the website - teens to older adults. While I have a children’s book series in the works, it will probably be 2025 before The Mahogany Roots Elementary gang make their way to the stage.
This website will introduce the Power of Poetry through written poems, YouTube videos that explore the meaning of some of the poems and allow a space for me to share my work with all of you! Scary, right? But I have lived five decades. I have done scary. When you are not alone, it is so doable. The poems will explain.
This platform walks you through my Christian faith journey. I am still walking, and stumbling, and learning. But I am also at a place where I can lead, and help, and let others know that you are doing just fine, and you will be alright. That is the Power of Us All. If we set our sights on the right things – the places we can go and the things that we can achieve are boundless. Through this website, we hope that lights are lit, flames are reignited, and that we all glow through the darkness and help each other find our way as we feel lost on this journey from time to time. Joy awaits us.
About the Author
One of the most difficult things for me to do in life is to talk about me. But here goes. I was raised in Sumter County, Alabama in a small town called York. At 18-years-old, I left to attend The University of Alabama where I received the first of three degrees. Long story short, I have been a registered nurse since 1994 and a nurse faculty since 2011. I am the head of a nursing program in Livingston, Alabama that is growing and thriving. I have a 21-year-old son who will graduate from The University of Alabama at Huntsville next May and a 19-year-old daughter who attends The University of West Alabama. I have been married to their father since May 23, 2002.
My passion for writing poems developed in high school, writing sappy love poems for my friends and poems that spoke to the issues of the time. It was a hobby. The hobby became more of an interest in college but was quickly demolished after a Creative Writing course in college made me question my ability, more importantly, the ability to touch others. What’s the point of writing if no one can be helped? Isn’t that the point of living? To help our fellow man. At any rate, I dropped the English minor thoughts and focused on a career in bedside nursing where I could live a life of service and helping others. I had NO IDEA what lay ahead. Through POP with The Mahogany Poet, you will learn more about me. Don’t get too excited. My story, while interesting, is not tragic or made for TV, then again…I will let you be the judge. Through my poetry I share life lessons – formative lessons. I speak about things that have shaped me, molded me, and helped me to develop over time. Newsflash: I am still developing. Life evolves you.
I could make videos about all the poems and read them to you. But I want you to read them for yourself. I feel that each time you read my poem, or someone else’s, you will find a different meaning or a deeper meaning. Find a quiet space. Read with a group of friends and open up a conversation. Don’t be afraid to reflect on who you are and how the world around you is shaping you. Moreover, how are you shaping those in the world around you? What is your impact? Do you have any POP?