issue #22 - moni's top 10
March 8, 1999
HAPPY MONDAY!!!!
The most important grand openings are
your eyes each morning when you rise.
(moni's dad - 1999)
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1) SAY HELLO TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS:
Renee - rendav@rgalex.com - Poem of the Week 27 featured poet for her poem
Loving Me for Me;
Gale - gcollins@swsnocal.com - he just jumped right in and submitted his
poem First Snow;
Judi - JBeckroche@aol.com - who enjoys writing because it relaxes her;
Nicole - phoenix_nm@yahoo.com - she recently started writing and looks
forward to constructive help from our members;
Laurie - WantThat@aol.com - she is enjoying the Poets Niche and promises
to submit her poems real soon;
Dori - dorilvn@N-Link.com - says she's having a ball reading the poems of
the other poets, thanks God for the "delete" button, and plans to "force"
her work on us real soon. Dori just forced (I mean submitted) "Almond
Eyes" and "Rain Dance" to her group last week. EXCELLENT JOB!!
Scott - wss@sprintmail.com - for now, he's enjoying just observing;
Sue - sue@transaver.com - a real poetry lover who can't wait to get
started;
Kevin - kvolpe@gateway.net - coffee will never taste the same after you
read "Two-Bit Buzz" in Poems of the Week 27;
Nate - greenfam@essex1.com - he loves reading and writing poetry and
currently working on publishing a book of poetry;
Tim - blackxbolt@aol.com - he wants to share his poetry with everyone;
checkout his website at (www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/2444/poetry.html);
Emily - emlyr@yahoo.com - she has created a beautiful one page poetry
and photography website (www.angelfire.com/nh/zonegla/poetrypage.html);
Pink - QTPyPink@aol.com - she found out about the Poets Niche through
an AOL buddy; she loves reading everyone's poems and will submit some
of her own poems shortly; and
Reyhan - raw2587@mwsc.edu - writing us from Missouri; he has a "lil
corner on the web" at (www.mwsc.edu/~raw2587).
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2) FOR BROTHERS ONLY!!! (PLEASE HELP ANOTHER LITTLE BROTHER OUT) - This
request is from LeNora Devine:
I NEED YOUR HELP. As a single mother raising a son, I cannot, nor do I
want to be, his father; he already has one. Anyway, Mr. BJ Devine will
be 13 on March 20 and I am doing a 'poor mans version' of a bar mitzvah.
Basically, I want the MAN'S POINT OF VIEW OF WHAT A YOUNG MAN SHOULD BE
THINKING ABOUT, PRIORITIES, JUST GENERAL WORDS OF WISDOM AS HE TRANSITIONS
FROM A 12 YEAR OLD BOY TO A 13 YEAR OLD TEENAGE YOUNG MAN. I would like
for this to be emailed to me from as many of my brothers as possible, and
as soon as possible. No, I'm not leaving out my sistahs 'cause I know
they have wisdom, too. I'm open to all thoughts and opinions.
The overall THEME is "ON BECOMING A GREAT BLACK MAN." I am putting together
a scrapbook of advice and wisdom of all the different letters emailed to
him. Please address your email to MASTER BJ DEVINE at (lvd@mdbinfonet.com).
I'd like nothing more than to make his first year as a 'teenager' special.
GENTLEMEN, THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP!!!
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3) BIRTHDAY WISHES - Okay, here are a few clues!
a) He is the first Poets Niche member to have his own webpage; and
b) He turns one year shy (which he isn't, shy that is) of 50 on March 11th.
JOIN ME IN WISHING SALEEM ABDAL-KHAALIQ HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MANY MORE!!!
I asked him how he planned to celebrate his birthday. He said a co-worker
was throwing a little get together in his honor. Because Great Barrington
is such a small town and afraid it could burn down because of the 49 candles
on his cake, the Fire Department is on standby! Please feel free to send a
LUNG to help him blow out all those candles or BIRTHDAY WISHES to SALEEM
at (nsa@vgernet.net).
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4) ANOTHER POETS NICHE MEMBER SHINES - Monique Fradieu was recently featured
in the Winter 1999 Anniversary Issue of W.O.E. Magazine (Women of Excellence).
This magazine is dedicated to "Building Excellence in Women Who Love God."
Monique interviewed two women for her article "The Good News," who survived
abusive relationships. She also took a bold step and shared her personal
experience. Monique believes that because of this experience, she's a stronger
woman, both spiritually and emotionally. "If God had not allowed me to go to
through that experience, I would not be the woman I am today. We must remember
that God has a divine plan for our lives and that everything He does is for
our benefit."
Regardless of the type of abuse you suffer, emotional, physical or sexual, there
are ways to get out. No one knows your situation better than you. First, pray
for guidance. Second, tell someone. Silence is the abuser's best weapon against
the victim. And finally, should things escalate, seek shelter.
Monique, thanks for allowing me to mention your story. Please feel free to
email Monique at (definitivediva@yahoo.com). Also, if you would like further
information on how to subscribe to W.O.E. Magazine (Women of Excellence),
please email me at (moni@nichemarket.com).
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5) UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH TREND CARLOS TRUESDALE - Twenty-one year
old, Trend Carlos Truesdale, was raised by her grandmother, uncles and
aunts. Since was the youngest person in the household and felt no one
could really relate to her, writing and painting became her passion.
Initially, writing poetry allowed her to vent her anger. Now, it's a
means to help her learn more about herself. She is currently attending
Clemson University and majoring in Fine Arts and English.
moni: I just love your name! Whose idea was it to name you Trend and
what does it mean?
trend: Thank you! It was my grandmother's idea to name me Trend, and
I've often asked her where she got it from, and she'll just shrug as if
she hasn't a clue. When people would ask me when I was younger, I would
say that she was washing clothes and looked up at that box of cheap Trend
Detergent and said, "Eureka!" As for the meaning, I think that the only
one that I know of is the dictionary meaning. She has never really explained
that one to me.
moni: When you are drawing or painting, does this conjure up ideas in your
head to write something to accompany the finished product?
trend: Often times it does. Or even if I haven't drawn or painted an image,
there will be one in my mind that inspires me to write. For instance, "My
Precious Butterfly" was written with the image of my best friend, Roc, in
our favorite place from childhood -- this little section of my backyard
where the sunlight sort of spiked to the ground -- and I envisioned him
there now, all grown up and how much everything has changed. It's the
images that I just can't shake and the ones that seem to be trying to
scratch their way out of my head that materialize into poetry best for me.
moni: Has being a member of the Poets Niche helped you creatively, and
if so, how?
trend: Being in the Poets Niche has helped me become open to different
types of poets who were like me. Through the Niche, I'm able to actually
have contact with those poets as opposed to reading the books and wondering
what the other person thinks. Here, I can just ask.
moni: In terms of your writing and painting, who has been the biggest
influence in your life?
trend: I think that my biggest influence for my writing has to be my
grandmother. She was the one that pushed me to read more for the sake
of broadening my vocabulary and my concepts, not to mention the fact that
she was an awesome story-teller. My uncle Randolph, on the other hand,
was the one that influenced my visual arts interests. When I was 5, he
was the one that showed me that the sky and the ground aren't separated
by a big white space on the page but by the horizon.
moni: Finally, if you could paint a portrait of your life so far and
describe it in words, what image would you like others to see and know
about you?
trend: If I could paint a portrait of my life....It would probably be a
picture of a phoenix rising from a fire not looking down at who are
whatever else is being burned with the various knock downs that we
experience. My life has been full of set backs and mountain-sized
speedbumps, but because of faith, I have managed to rise from the ashes,
not un-scathed, but with enough of me to keep on going, and poetry helps
me do that.
Trend usually ends her emails with this little saying from J. Truesdale
-- "Things easily gotten, Are easily forgotten." If Trend continues
writing poetry that touches the soul, she will not be easily forgotten!
Please feel free to email Trend at (ttruesd@clemson.edu).
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6) INTERNET CHARGE UPDATE - Just in case you didn't receive my email,
you can read this information in its entirety if you visit this website:
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_ Carrier/Factsheets/faq_recp.html).
In the meantime, this is just a blurb:
ANSWERS FROM FCC CHAIRMAN WILLIAM E. KENNARD TO QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE
ACTION TAKEN BY THE FCC ON FEBRUARY 25, 1999, CONCERNING RECIPROCAL
COMPENSATION FOR DIAL-UP INTERNET TRAFFIC:
Q: Has the FCC opened the door to Internet charges?
A: Absolutely not. The FCC has reconfirmed the Internet's exemption.
Consumers will see no new charges on their Internet or phone bills.
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7) WE DO HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR (author unknown) -
How do crazy people go through the forest?
They take the psycho path.
How do you get holy water?
Boil the hell out of it.
What did the fish say when he hit a concrete wall?
"Dam!"
What do Eskimos get from sitting on the ice too long?
Polaroids.
What do you call a boomerang that doesn't work?
A stick.
What do you call cheese that isn't yours?
Nacho Cheese.
What do you call four bull fighters in quicksand?
Quatro sinko.
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8) OPEN CASTING CALL - If you know a struggling teen actor/actress who
lives in Southern California then they may be in luck. Fox is searching
for fresh teen faces for roles in upcoming shows. Fox has rented out the
Director's Guild of America on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles to audition
unknown actors ages 15-21. All ethnic groups are urged to apply. Fox's
first open casting call for junior stars runs from noon-4:30 p.m.
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9) POEMS OF THE WEEK - I thought I would feature ONE POET this week for
Poems of the Week. She has painted a masterpiece with her words. I
invite you to sit back and read the poems of this very diverse and
dynamic sister, TREND (VeraCity) TRUESDALE, in POEMS OF THE WEEK 28!!
MY PRECIOUS BUTTERFLY by Trend (VeraCity) Truesdale - ttruesd@clemson.edu
BLUE by Trend Truesdale
THE HANDS by Trend Truesdale
WHATEVER!...(with attitude) by Trend Truesdale
WHY I LIKE CHICKEN STRIPS by Trend Truesdale
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10) TALK IS NOT ALWAYS SO CHEAP - We have all heard the saying, "Talk is
cheap." Well, that's not always the case. Gossiping cheapens the person
spreading the rumor. If the wrong person gets wind that "you" were spreading
rumors, it could put you in an awkward position. Try to stay away from
office politics, conversations with friends about so-called friends, or
taking sides in family squabbles. Remember to stay above the FRAY and
PRAY, because what you say could COST YOU. Use this equation when you
feel the need to gossip: CALCULATE the time you spent listing to the
rumor. MULTIPLY the time you used spreading the rumor, PLUS the number
of people you told. Now, MINUS the VALUE YOU GAINED equals IT'S NONE OF
YOUR BUSINESS!!!
Below is moni's poem of the week. Your comments are always welcomed and
greatly appreciated.
Peace &Blessings
moni
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GIRL, NO MATTER WHAT I . . .
Girl, no matter what I said, white meant black,
and no meant yes.
And girl, no matter what I said to keep peace or
appease this beast -- "Honey, I'm sorry" or "It's my
fault," -- I took the blame for all his pathetic games.
Every time the phone rang, I jumped. Every time
his car drove up, I peeped out the window and
prayed. Every time he touched me, I died a little
inside. And every time we were together, I planned
my strategy to stay alive.
Fear paralyzed me. Shame trapped me, numbing my
self-worth.
Fits of madness; never any gladness.
He called me every name in the book, except the child
of God. But it was the way he said, "B.... you heard
what I said," that particular day.
All of a sudden I realized, after eleven years of broken
promises and 911 calls, this caged animal, that being
me, needed to be set free.
Then I got mad. I mean really mad. Fighting mad!
Girl, usually no matter what I said, it went in one ear
and out the other. But this time, he heard me. I screamed
so loud until I heard my own voice. My words echoed, "I'll
see you in heaven or hell. Either way, I'll be free."
Something snapped, as if coming out of a coma. Years of
self-doubt, self-imposed exile, diluted friendships so no
one would know, all flashed before me.
I knew white was white, and black was black, and if he
could, I definitely would.
Girl, this time, no matter what he said to make me stay,
I finally said, "No. Go!"
Monica Blache (c) 1998
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