* Nothing in life is accidental or coincidental *
moni (c) 1998

1) JUST A LITTLE HISTORY ON HOW & WHY MONI'S TOP 10 WAS CREATED - In the beginning POEMS OF THE WEEK was created to feature our poets and spotlight their poems so all the world could enjoy. And, all was fine in the Land of the Poets. Then, I started receiving fan email from members about how much they were enjoying how I featured the poets by giving clues or trivia questions. Members began emailing me birthday wishes, fun stuff about themselves, websites to checkout, and prayer requests. So I said to myself, "Self, why enjoy all this information by yourself? Why not share it with your family so all can enjoy!!"

Recently, I randomly surveyed some of the members for their "HONEST FEEDBACK" about moni's top 10. Here's what I asked: "I need your help. I'm trying to get some feedback from members to see if they like the format I've been using for moni's top 10. I'm not sure if everyone understands or even likes my dry sense of humor. Please tell me what you think."

NOW, FOR THE HONEST FEEDBACK I RECEIVED

From TW: I have to say that Moni's top 10 is very lengthy*no disrepect*. It has some good stuff in it, but some of it I don't get it. Not that I don't understand it, it's just that I wondering what does it have to do with poetry. I know you're trying to give the 411 on things, but make some of it pertain to poetry, K. You know I have much love and respect for ya.

From VeraCity: I happen to like the way that you have the top 10 set up. Sometimes, a sistah duzn't have the time to read through all of the thingeys, so every now and then I may peruse over the substitles to see what interests me. And I kinda like your dry jokes!

From JL: I think your sense of humour is great....but that could be because I share it! I think the format is just fine....but a little more structure could help. Maybe a heading here or there, nothing major.

From AH: I saw the thing you put in your top ten about my birthday. . . (didn't quite know you were going to do that). boy was I surprised . . . but glad too!!

From DW: I really enjoyed Ur Top 10 this morning, it added to the positive feelings I have for 1999+....

From SH: hee hee. . . I have read your weekly newsletters. I think they are informative and your flow helps us in the niche feel as if we are family (as much as the web and our personal contact will allow, anyway). This is a pretty cool thing and no easy feat. No complaints here.

From AK: I love your format. It flows very well. It's like a summation of all the goings on both on the niche and in the community. It's cool the way it's formatted with areas of interest in the beginning and the poets of the week toward the end. That way it keeps everyone reading. Also, I love your poems at the end to sum up the week for the niche family. I say keep it just as it is.

To sum things up, moni's top 10 has now evolved into the Poets Niche Newsletter. I read through lots of miscellaneous stuff, as well as tons of email from other members, to keep everyone up-to-date on important events (birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, arrival of a new bundle of joy, job promotions, college updates, prayer requests, etc.), happening in the lives of our members.

I'm always keeping my eyes and ears open for helpful poetry hints. If you have any information you'd like to share with the group regarding poetry or non-poetry issues, please send it to me and I'll eventually post it.

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2) MONI DOES IMPROMPTU RADIO INTERVIEW TO PROMOTE THE POETS NICHE -
On January 5, 1999, I had my first radio interview on Q93 here in New Orleans. A friend of mine (CJ Morgan, New Orleans' top deejay) called me in between commercials and asked me to share with his audience information about Poets Niche. With only 19 seconds to go, moni was on the air LIVE!!! (Somewhere between 16 seconds and 0, I lost consciousness). I tried REALLY, REALLY HARD not to embarrass y'all (although I did forget my name for a second until I heard CJ say it). His co-anchor, Monica Pierre (NOW Y'ALL KNOW I LIKEDDDD HER, cause of that Monica thang), chimed in and made me feel very comfortable. Those TWO MINUTES felt like a week, but I must say I recovered quite nicely. So what happened next? I became an INFOMERCIAL QUEEN, telling folks how much fun we're having and how they can become a member.

From just two minutes of BABBLING, 14 people called to find out more about the Poets Niche. Of those 14 calls, 2 joined. SAY HELLO, if you haven't already, to poet and songwriter, Tina Marie Clark, (lryicist@bellsouth.net); and performance poet, Monique Nichole Fradieu (definitivediva@yahoo.com). Monique will be performing on January 16th at the Community Bookstore (and I'll definitely be there checkin' my gurl out).

In the meantime, here's what Monica Pierre said: "You really expressed your vision well on Q 93 this week. I received a couple of calls from people very interested in what you are doing. . . Please give me a call to arrange an interview on my Sunday morning talk show, Quality Time with Monica Pierre.

If you want suggestions on how not to make a fool of yourself on the radio, while managing to increase membership, send for my book, "MY MAMA AIN'T RAISED NO FOOL, BUT MY DADDY DID!"

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3) DARK MATTER - Co-editors Sheree R. Thomas and Martin Simmons are seeking original short fiction for the forthcoming collection, DARK MATTER: ANTHOLOGY OF SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY & SPECULATIVE FICTION BY BLACK WRITERS. Featuring the works of established, emerging, and new writers, this landmark anthology will be published in hardcover by Warner Aspect, Spring 2000. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 1999. For complete guidelines, please send E-mail to: esmarth@banet.net or address queries to: Sheree R. Thomas, Editor, Attn: DARK MATTER, 765 Amsterdam Avenue #3C, New York, NY 10025-5707. (Tell Sheree or Martin that moni from the Poets Niche sent you)!! GOOD LUCK!

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4) POETS STILL MISSING IN ACTION - Saleem Abdal-Khaaliq, Pam McCullough, Rashim Bradley, Andrea Baxter, Donald Conley, Sidney Singleton and Harry Barnes. I hope all is well with each of you. We just haven't heard from you in a while. However, if anyone knows their whereabouts, please tell them that we are thinking about them!!!

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5) THE POETS NICHE BOOKSHELF - For the next quarter, we want to try something new to help our members prosper financially in the coming months. THE POETS NICHE BOOKSHELF will be a place for those of you who have already a publised book (poetry or otherwise) to sale your books online. STAY TUNE for an email from Walt detailing how we plan to implement experimental program.

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6) COMING SOON!!! If you have a website you'd like linked to the Poets Niche and we can link to your website, please email me your URL address. Your website doesn't have to be a poetry link. It can also be non-poetry related - e.g. business, marketing, legal, how-to, etc. Networking is an important link to creating prospersity for our members.

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7) MILESTONE - To date the we have received more the 540+ poems. The member who has submitted the most poems to date is: DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

Rose "bambam" Cooper - with 103 poems

FIND OUT NEXT WEEK HOW SHE DID IT and HER PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

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8) THREE MEMBERS CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK:

Bees do it, and bears can't get enough of it - HONEY - our own Marilyn "HoneyBee" Marshall turned another year older on Sunday, January 10th.

I wish we heard a TAD MORE from PADMORE, who will probably celebrate his birthday on January 12th either snowed or in the library.

Celebrating his 21st birthday on January 15th, our Canadian brother James London. NOW EVERYTHING YOU DID BEFORE TURNING 21 IS LEGAL!! YOU GOOOO BOY!!

JOIN ME IN WISHING MARILYN, PADMORE AND JAMES, THE HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS AND MANY, MANY MORE!!!

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9) POEMS OF THE WEEK TURNS 20!!!! The sense of smell lead a man to a woman, as they hold their heads still, while soul searching at the Civic Center's dungeon.

SENSE OF SMELL by The Art Spirit - theartspirit@hotmail.com
FROM MAN TO WOMAN by Chuck Reimer - genex@cybrzn.com
IF I HOLD MY HEAD STILL by Carmelita - BoNitaLita@aol.com
SOUL SEARCHING by Angela M. Jones-Carr - Angela.Jones-Carr@siemenscom.com
CIVIC CENTER by Aqeela El-Amin - Aqeelaw@aol.com
DUNGEON by Ronnie Clark - rclark79@hotmail.com

Check out POEMS OF THE WEEK 20 (www.nichemarket.com) and see the POETS ON PARADE (IT'S MARDI GRAS TIME IN NEW ORLEANS)!!!

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10) CONQUERING YOUR FEARS - Last year was a year of many "First" opportunities for me. First time using the internet. First time meeting and chatting on-line. First time hosting an on-line poetry group. And, the first time stepping outside of myself in 40 years to explore what makes me tick. I found out facing my fears head-on means less TEARS and more POWER. Whenever you feel apprehensive about tackling new challenges, starting or ending a relationship, beginning or ending an employment situation, relocating to a new city, sharing you feelings with someone without being mean-spirited, take lots of deep breaths, pray and accept prayers, then CONQUER YOUR FEARS!

ONE MORE TIME - his and her versions of what they both WANT from the opposite sex. Below are moni's poem(s) of the week. Comments always welcomed.

much love
moni

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First, HIS VERSION OF WHAT HE WANTS

HE SAID, "I WANT"

He said, "I want someone with blue eyes."
I said, "Why, because my brown eyes will see your lies?"

He said, "I want someone with blonde hair."
I said, "Why, because my nappy hair reminds you of who 
you are?"

He said, "I want someone with thin lips."
I said, "Why, because my lips will speak the truth, the whole 
truth, and nothing but the truth."

He said, "I want someone thin."
I said, "Why, because my hips resemble your mother's hips, 
that carried your sorry behind into this world."

He said, "I want a woman without any children."
I said, "You do, but you ain't claiming the two I have for you."

He said, "I want a woman with a vision."
I said, "Why, because I'm no longer blind."

He said, "I want a woman with money to make me look cool."
I said, "Well, I'm no fool."

He said, "I want a woman who knows how to take care of her man."
I said, "You ain't a man.  Need I say more."


Monica D. Blache (c)

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HERE'S HER VERSION OF WHAT SHE WANTS

I WANT A MAN

I want a man who wipes away my tears with his smile.

I want a man to love my childlike innocence but share 
in the wonders of my uncharted thoughts. 

I want his kiss to be so fragile that it sets my soul on fire.

I want a man who not only says I do, but does.

I want a man to not only make me his wife, but his life.

And if such a man exists, I want to love a man like this.


Monica D. Blache (c)