Seeker Magazine

Latorial Faison

To One Million Black Men | Deliverance | After You've Been . . .
Be Strong (In Remembrance of Columbine) | Wake Up . . .

I'm a native of Virginia and an English major who holds degrees from the University of VA and VA TECH. I'm married to my high school sweetheart, CPT Carl Faison. We have two sons, Carl & Kendall. I love to play scrabble, bowl, read a good book and write poetry. I'm currently an Online English Instructor, a part-time Writing Instructor at Johnson C. Smith University and a stay-at-home mom. I am Editor & Writer at my own poetry site, Poetically Speaking.

I've always loved and enjoyed reading. My love for writing stems from that. Words are powerful especially when they express those meanings and ideas that can't be spoken. I've written poetry since adolescence; however, my writing has evolved into a need to say what's on my mind, whether it be a message to someone I love or an analysis on any given situation. Since becoming more serious about my writing, I've written tributes for people I know and love. I've written event poetry "To One Million Black Men" in honor of the success of the Million Man March. I've written on the tragedy of the Columbine High School Massacre in "Be Strong." Whatever feeling I'm having loneliness, chaotic, confused, loved, saved, sympathetic or free . . . whatever the feeling . . . poetry is my highway of expression.

Poetry is my escape to freedom. When I'm writing poetry I feel that I'm in tune with my true self. It allows me to identify with feelings I never knew I possessed. Poetry transcends me. It transcends time, space and sometimes understanding. With Poetically Speaking, my new poetry site, my intention is to poetically speak to the masses on love, life and spirituality. If poetry can's speak to the heart, mind, body and soul, then what good does it do? Anybody can scribble some words down on a pad, but when those words carry a message along with the spirit of the writer, then words have become something beautiful, something meaningful, something so deep it can't be touched, something to cherish. Words have then become poetry. I write poetry to express things that I could never fix my lips to utter during casual conversation. I'm quite talkative; anyone who knows me could tell you that. I think I unconsciously reserve the beauty, the essence of my life's message, for poetically speaking. I believe there's something profound in being able to touch hearts, stimulate minds and bodies as well as bathe the soul. That's poetry.

To One Million Black Men
on that blessed day you came from far and wide
the strength of a million black men standing side by side
after years of waiting for the first to become last
you sought atonement for your present and your past
on that day you were made stronger for your plight
of leading our people, our nations back to the light
one million black men who came to recognize
that in life one must fall before he can rise
black men who had been down for so very long
who had grown bitter and angry for the white man's wrong
but on that day you were reunited and dedicated
to be everything that our Mighty God anticipated
you pledged responsibility, peace and brotherhood without strife
and I looked on at a million black men with new hope and new life

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Deliverance
when narrow minds ride
on trains of thought
what misery becomes us
what pain is sought
for all of time is there to heal
bruises stretched from reel to reel
we see the treachery that often lies
in the midst of dark, shadowed evil eyes
but all the day we cannot stare
into the hollows of hatred there
we come, we go . . . we revisit again
only to find the truth within
that man and woman have fallen in
that diabolical abyss of awful sin
so we rise and see each day afresh
to rest only in the peace of faithfulness
when hallowed minds ride
on trains of thought
What deliverance becomes us
what grace is sought.

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After You've Been . . .
You gently bathe my heart in love
when I hear you utter these sweet words
can my seemingly satisfied soul live again
after you've been . . .

You intoxicate my streams of passion
as I feel an agonizing heat from your passing
Freud's philosophy cannot explain
this sultry, but sensual joy you bring

You are the essence of my life's beauty
as you yearn to fulfill a delicate duty
of being my very on clandestine keepsake
resounding echoes of the love we make

You . . . in the absence of a titillating touch
come to me . . . faintly . . . revealing much
of the ties that bind us through and through
giving testimony to a love exceedingly true

You sacredly adorn these weary walls with joy
radiating silent smiles, my anguish to destroy
one precarious look, one gratifying glance
sets my fiery spirit in motion to qualify the romance

You give new meaning to love's immortal law
loving me incessantly, forgiving without a flaw
can my seemingly satisfied soul live again
after you've been . . .

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Be Strong
(In Remembrance of Columbine)
Have you ever been afraid
afraid of saying too much
or too little too late
born to an era of delusion
living in a world of confusion
fighting the philosophy of evolution
because we come from power
power to live in perilous times
power to saturate minds
of men, women, boys and girls
He created a world
a world of love, not hate
thin lines to cross on dates
its fate, its destiny, its power
for the hour has come
they say
to love and let go
to live and let die
to see fear in every eye
is power.
Be the right one
the one to be done
to stop calling it fun
let the raging run
with their ghastly guns
into the shining sun
of forceful fire from
whence they've come
where they've only just begun
to reap the ripened revenge
of fading eye lashes
final-stage heat rashes
teeth gnashing
as their bodies are singed
to soot . . . and ashes
away . . . into forever
where they will never
master-mind crime
or misuse power
another day, another hour.
Their ends have come
vengeance is done
recaptured by the One
to whom it belongs
He who rights wrongs
places priceless feelings in songs
gives us faith and courage
to go on . . . and on
we're never alone
for He's on His throne
calling them home
don't be alarmed
they are free from harm
telling us to be strong
to grow on
to live on
weathering this storm
in the perfect peace
of His loving arms.
be strong.

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Wake Up . . .
When we fail to see the danger in their eyes
we lose all chances to compromise
about something as precious as the life that God gave us
He made us.
When we ignore the sting of brutal hands
our beautiful faces cannot withstand
the abuse that we continually confuse with love.
He sends tenderness from above.
When we accept apologies from sick minds
we're only wasting our precious time
and saying to the giver "I'm here for you" to defeat.
The LORD will bring peace.
When we go and come back again
we forget the meaning of a true friend
and we forget the true meaning of love -- it does not bring pain
But, God's love remains the same.
When our bodies have been defeated
and our self-esteem accounts have been depleted
we must return to that source of strength while we can
Give your life to God, not man.
When we have this type of strife
we must fight hard and hold on for dear life
because sick minds kill while we sleep
But God, His promises - He keeps.

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(Copyright 2001 - All Rights Reserved by Latorial Faison - No reproduction without express permission from the author)

You're invited to visit Poetically Speaking to read more of Latorial's writings.
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Letter to the Author:
Latorial Faison at Faisons3@aol.com