To: Poets Niche
SPECIAL ISSUE #43 - moni's top 10 E-ZINE
COME INTO OUR WHIRL - according to moni
(The Poets Niche Official Weekly Newsletter)
Tuesday, August 24, 1999
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P - eople
O - f
E - arth
T - ook
S - omething
N - urturing
I - nside &
C - reated
H - eavenly
E - xcellence!
Saleem Abdal-Khaaliq (c) 1999
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This week's issue:
- WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES!
- COME INTO OUR WHIRL FEATURED POETS
- A SPECIAL THANK YOU and moni's AWARDS
- WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING!
- POEMS OF THE WEEK
- moni's POEM OF THE WEEK
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1) WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES! On August 26, 1998, Walt and I met
for the first time in New York. (I was moving my son from Savannah, GA
to New York to attend graduate school). Even though Walt and I talked
practically everyday from June until August (sometimes 5 and 6 times a
day), this much anticipated face-to-face meeting was the actual
"WHIRLING" point in both our lives!!!
What the hectic does this mean and why should you care??? It was during
this first meeting that Walt and I discussed and planned for the future
of the Poets Niche. As we scribbled down our respective duties, we both
realized that we were on the same path in life -- HELPING OTHERS DREAM
THE IMPOSSIBLE, WHILE MAKING EVERYONE'S DREAMS POSSIBLE!!!
While driving to Atlanta, I reflected back on our first meeting. I
looked over my cryptic notes (from over a year ago), and SMILED. I was
proud that what Walt and I set out to do back on August 26, 1998 (which
seemed impossible then), became possible because of our teamwork and
tough love motto -- IF YOU ARE STILL BREATHING, THEN YOU AIN'T THROUGH
BECAUSE HERE'S ANOTHER THING FOR YOU TO DO -- paid off. Check out our
Mission Statement at (www.nichemarket.com) and see for yourself what we
have accomplished in JUST A YEAR!!!
But here's the best part -- because Walt and I work well together (I tell
him what to do and he does as he told), I could not have found a better
partner and friend, who shares the same work ethic and motivation to help
others.
THANKS MY FRIEND FOR AN EXCITING YEAR, and I can't wait to see what the
FUTURE HOLDS!@!@!
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2) An excerpt from moni's story: "COME INTO OUR WHIRL is about dreams
becoming reality. My journey is not unlike many of the featured poets.
There are two principles of life that I believe in -- (1) nothing in life
is coincidental or accidental; and (2) if you think or speak it, it
becomes your reality. . .Being a part of this community of poets has
changed me so profoundly, that my life will never be the same. I welcome
you to sit for a spell, flip through the pages of our family album, and
COME INTO OUR WHIRL."
I am proud to finally introduce you to the FEATURED POETS of COME INTO
OUR WHIRL:
Padmore Enyonam Agbemabiese Saleem Abdal-Khaaliq
Rose "/bams" Cooper Ghada El Kurd
Dorothy Benner Ajani Kush
Sandra Bushell Jaci LaMon
Taheba Byrd Dawn Landon
Angela Jones-Carr Linval Hopeton London
Shaun Cecil Marilyn Marshall
Tina Marie Clark Felicia Mason
Rodney Coates Nicole McLean
Mocha (B. Afena Cobham) Robin Porter
Phaedra Davis Karen Roberts
Reneé L. Davis Angela Singletary
Tracy Evans Sidney Singleton
Stephanie Griswold-Ezekoye Demeterius Smith
L. K. "Rose" Ford Katherine Smith
Craig Gill Tasha Tavaras
Shawn Goins Shenita Vanish
Christopher Hare David Weeks
Susan Harrigan Tamshi Williams
Nadeen Herring moni
Akilah Holyfield Walt
Sharyn P. Hunter
Thank you poets for allowing us to showcase your God-given gifts with the
world!!!!
FEATURED POETS: Books are being mailed out this week. If you did not
include your mailing address on the Author's Release Form, please email
Walt at (walt@nichemarket.com) with your complete mailing address. Also,
please confirm receipt of your book via email to Walt at
(walt@nichemarket.com) or me at (moni@nichemarket.com). If you do not
receive your book by the end of the month, please contact us immediately.
If you haven't ALREADY PURCHASED YOUR COPY of "COME INTO OUR WHIRL",
please feel free to email Walt at (walt@nichemarket.com) to place an
order!!!
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3) A SPECIAL THANK YOU and moni's awards -
GOD - Thank you for ALL YOUR abundant blessings!!! [We will definitely
chat later!!!!]
MY SON GUS - I don't know how I thought I could have traveled to Atlanta
without you. Thanks for taking time out of your busy summer schedule to
support me and to meet my friends!!! Your patience and great sense of
humor is exactly what I needed to keep me grounded. I LOVE YOU VERY
MUCH!!!! (Initially, Gus thought I was a little crazy because he thought
I had several hundred *IMAGINARY FRIENDS*. Now he knows just how REAL MY FRIENDS ARE). Gus finally said, "Mom, after meeting everyone, now I understand why you put forth such an extraordinary effort for your
friends!" [Gus also designed the COME INTO OUR WHIRL POSTER. Not only
was his idea for the poster creative, but it perfectly captured the
essence of the event]. I LOVE YOU VERY, VERY MUCH!!!
EVENT SPONSORS - GEORGE WINSTON, RICHARD THOMAS, and JESSE AND DORIS
AUGUSTINE - I am still speechless when it comes to how my friends helped
us out financially. I'm ETERNALLY GRATEFUL!!!
FEATURED POETS - To those members who faced their fears (and you know who
you are), and entertained everyone with your outstanding performances, I
am forever indebted!!!
DENISE, ROSE, and the entire staff at the SUITE HOTEL UNDERGROUND -
Denise, by far, set the stage for our stay at the Suite Hotel, as well as
in Atlanta. She went wayyyy beyond the call of duty, guaranteeing that
every event at the hotel was on time, ran smoothly, and was TOP NOTCH!!!!
Rose catered all the meals and sprinkled a little something extra (so
much food that we were taking food back to our rooms for a 2:00 a.m.
snack). These two sisters will definitely remain lifelong friends. To
the front desk staff, especially Everett, Eric and Paul, thanks for
handling ALL OUR REQUESTS WITH A SMILE.
DEBBIE, T.J., (Managers), and ERIC (bartender) at the SHARKBAR RESTAURANT
- If you ever have to host an event or plan a party, the SHARKBAR
RESTAURANT is definitely the place to PARTY. Debbie, T.J., and Eric made
sure that WHATEVER moni WANTED or NEEDED, moni GOT IT!!! How did I get
so lucky to meet such great people!! The readings, the book signing, and
the PARTY, were AWESOME!!!
LONNIE (Manager) and Dwight (Head Chef) at Sylvia's Restaurant - Lonnie
and Dwight made sure that the members of the Poets Niche had an excellent
lunch, and that our accommodations for our second day of book signing,
were outstanding. If you are ever in Atlanta, drop in at Sylvia's and
tell Lonnie that moni sent ya!!!
Paschell Mix, Owner of A DIFFERENT BASKET - Paschell donated three
beautifully handmade gift baskets. Included in the baskets were
journals, a book from Iyanla Vanzant, mugs, candles, and scented gels.
(If you are looking for the perfect birthday, Christmas, or just cuz I
love you gifts, give Paschell a call at (404) 285-5713 or drop her a line
at (A Different Basket, 44 Broad Street, Suite 802, Atlanta, GA 30303).
Be sure to tell Paschell that moni from the Poets Niche sent you).
XAVIER NICHOLAS - Xavier is an English Professor from Tuskegee Institute.
He heard about our event (from Saleem) and drove three hours to
participate in the festivities. Thanks Xavier, and I promise to stay in
touch. Gus also sends his best! (We tried to convince Xavier to promote
COME INTO OUR WHIRL as required reading for his students. So let's keep
our fingers crossed).
RALPH MOORE, Mayor of Union City, GA - WHAT A SURPRISE!!! His support
really added to our evening and made us all feel even more special
because we had a dignitary celebrating our good fortune.
To all OUR FAMILY MEMBERS and FRIENDS who came out and supported us -
Thanks for continuing to love and support us, even though we might act a
bit strange sometimes! We can't help it because it's within our nature
to capture moments in time and write about it.
Annnnddd, to those members who dropped by the hotel or the restaurants
just to give me a hug, thanks for making me feel special.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
moni's AWARDS - As a token of my appreciation for all the help I received
during our first year as a group, I wanted these members to know that
their hard work did not go unnoticed. With that being said, at the book
signing I acknowledged and handed out gifts to the following members:
WALT - For his tireless dedication to the Poets Niche, Walt received one
of only two T-shirts I made with the image of Gus' specially designed
poster. This is now Walt's official book signing shirt. (FROM WALT -
thanks again to you and Gus for the T-shirt! I'm wearing it right now!).
PAMELA BARNES - Although Walt and I had already envisioned publishing
books, book tours and offline conferences, it was Pam who made us think
about doing this sooner than we had planned. Thanks Pam for setting
things in motion. [Your gift is in the mail].
DAVID - Thanks for being our official Greeting Committee Coordinator and
volunteering your time to welcome new members to the Poets Niche. Your
spirit sets the stage for our new members to feel right at home. David
was the only other recipient to received the specially designed T-shirt
with the image of Gus' official COME INTO OUR WHIRL poster logo.
TASHA, MOCHA, bams - These three sisters received beautifully handmade
gift baskets donated by Paschell Mix, Owner of A DIFFERENT BASKET. To
TASHA for her initial email which ignited the Poets Niche; To MOCHA as
our Press Coordinator (Mocha, tell Louise she still owes me dinner, and
thanks love for the beautiful candle holders. You shouldn't have but I'm
glad you did because they are perfect!!); and to bams, as the moderator
of the Middle of the Week Critique. The work and effort that bams put
forth to critique poems, cannot be replaced. (Look for the Middle of the
Week Critique to return in late September or early October).
SHENITA - Thanks QUEEN for contributing to moni's top 10 E-Zine with your
motivational insight in FROM THE QUEEN'S THRONE. (By the way, while I
was in Atlanta, Shenita prepared a home cooked meal for me. On the menu,
fried fish, baked chicken, spicy mustard/collard greens, a salad and
cake. Nadeen (brought her newborn and 18 month old boys) to join us, as
we ate and talked for hours. It was "loads" of fun (sorry, inside joke).
WILMA - As one of the editors, and one of the judges for our contests,
Wilma received a specially hand-painted wine and cheese pot. She has
enjoyed reading all of the poems, but got a bigger kick meeting the poets
behind the poems). Thanks for keeping me on track and making me laugh!!!
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4) WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING - It's hard to believe that just two weeks ago
we were in Atlanta Celebrating our FIRST BOOK SIGNING of "COME INTO OUR
WHIRL", and hosting our FIRST OFFLINE PARTY. And, here's what folks had
to say about the event:
FROM ROSE FORD - Yours truly, Rose Ford, made a very unusual trip to
downtown Atlanta, (I usually stay locked up in my little niche out by the
airport. However, I braved my fears to meet and greet on Thursday. And,
wonder of wonders, I even showed up for the book signing on Saturday at
Sylvia's Restaurant!!! It was Teeeerrrrriiiifiiic. I wish I could have
seen all of you, however, I'm sure I'll see you at our Second Annual
International Poets Niche Convention.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FROM TASHA - MONI-LUV, this weekend was FAAAAAAANTASTIC!!!! I had so
much fun. I really enjoyed meeting all the creative minds behind the
beautiful poetry I read online!!! It was amazing!! The vibe was
wonderful and it surprised me the way we all clicked. It was like we
were at a family re-union. My only complaint was that time flew by WAY
too fast. The events were well organized and well planned. I can't wait
for the next one. I miss you guys already. The whole weekend seemed
sort of surreal. In fact when I went to woke up Monday morning I had to
make sure that the weekend wasn't a blissful dream. Anyway, thank you
moni for maintaining the whole thing, and thanks for putting everything
together. You are DA BOMB!!!!! (hey Tasha, I got your card, and thanks
for making me a star because I always wanted to be one).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FROM LINVAL/JAMES LONDON - The meeting in Atlanta was totally,
stupendously, hype to the max...and to coin an extremely overused
phrase..."DA bomb!" The feeling of meeting people for the first
time...and then realizing that you already know them more than you
thought....nothing can beat that. I think the biggest thrill that I felt
personally was just being able to be among so many people who really seem
to care about each, without ever meeting, till now. The love that we all
shared for one another...and the ideas we expressed...and the craziness
we indulged in, there was nothing like it in the world. I can't wait to
do it again...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FROM KAT - I really enjoyed the gathering. It was really great meeting
all the members and their supporters. I really did not have any
surprises except the "motorcycle mama" Bams!!! And seeing and hearing
the flavor displayed in the readings really sauced up the words in the
book.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FROM AJANI - Hey Ms. Lady: You are the absolute best. You did a
spectacular job on the book. You created a dynamic and compulsive read.
Thank you sooooo much for allowing me to be a part of it all. You should
look ahead to a great future because that is what is waiting for you. I
can't wait until the next one....I know you'd like a breather tho'!!!
I'm sorry that I missed you in ATLANTA. I heard the event was all that.
God works everything together for the good...Take care of yourself and
keep being my oasis.
moni's reply: Hey Ms. Lady back at ya!@! It's good to hear from you. I
apologize for not writing, but I guess you figured out why -- THE BOOK.
Ajani, you are far to kind (but I must admit, it does sound nice to
hear). Walt claims that I hate to take credit when and where credit is
do (which I do)...so I can't and won't take all the praise for the team
effort that Walt and I had from the beginning. Walt's creative layout of
the book is what really captures the reader's eye. We pretty much agreed
on a lot of things (especially the front cover - the world which
represents OUR WHIRL; and the back cover - pulling the poets into the
SWIRL and showcasing their God-given talents)...But what's even cooler is
that Walt and I talked about the concept for the covers of the book way
back in Aug. of 1998, and to finally see what he came up with is DA
BOMB!!! Finally, we could not have done this without the FEATURED POETS,
which means YOU!!! Thanks for trusting us with YOUR WORDS and allowing
us to combine them with other talented POETS...although this project was
extremely time-consuming, it was worth all the hours of hard work because
we made our MEMBERS PROUD that they took a chance ON US to make their
dreams come true. ALL DA HYPE TURNED OUT TO BE *REAL* TIGHT!!! I'm
sorry I missed you in ATLANTA too, but there will be a next time sooner
than you think!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FROM DAVID - I guess if I were to point out what stood out most for me,
or what it was about the Poets Niche Offline Party that had the greatest
impact on me, was the time that I spend with Walt. As most might or
might not have known, Walt and I drove to and from Atlanta together, and
we spent half the day on Saturday driving around Atlanta getting lost,
well actually we were sorta like exploring. *smile* And as Walt would
say, it was "fantastic".
Walt became a little bit more un-mysterious to me. Up until then, I had
always thought of Walt as the mysterious man, way behind the scenes. I
found out that we both loved reggae music, and I turned him on to some
new reggae artists and music he had never heard before, and he did the
same for me. Walt is genuinely a crazy funny person, and he knows how to
get things done. I have to mention this; now, we all know how busy
Peachtree Street is -- RIGHT! Well, Walt made a U turn on Peachtree
Street, now how much crazier than that can you get. The only thing that
I could do was just laugh, I mean I still laugh just thinking about it.
Well, enough about me and Walt's great adventure.
Of course, I was pleased to have met everyone that I met, and to put a
face to my follow niche poets. I would just like to send a shout out to
my Dreadlocks Sistas, /bams and Tasha, "grow your locks to the ground!!!"
More shout outs to Queen Rose Ford, Katherine, James, Nicole, Saleem,
Shenita, Mocha, Tasha's family, moni's family, who else am I missing???,
the two Sistas from Texas. Hey, I even met this man I knew from my
hometown in St. Croix at the Suite Hotel Underground Atlanta. Oh, before
I forget, Rose Ford and Tasha, I am seriously looking to re-locate to
Atlanta, so if you guys know of any jobs, let a Brother know. And to a
dear and special friend to my heart, moni, Peace &Love.
Until We All Meet Again Under The Georgia Dome!! May JAH Guide And
Protect Us All!!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FROM bams - Hard to believe it's been almost a week since the end of the
Poets Niche Offline Party in Atlanta. To say I had "fun" is such an
understatement; I truly had a blast. From the time I walked in to the
get-together--in full biker garb--to the time I rode off with Walt taking
pictures, I felt at home like I haven't felt in a long time.
The first meeting was a trip; people knew who I was almost immediately,
simply because of my gear. I got a lot of strange looks, though, and
rightfully so, since I was all decked out in leather from head to toe
(ooh, that rhymed). But after folks got over that, it was like down
home-meetin-time; hugs and kisses all around, and warm greetings; felt
great. And the trippy thing for me was that nobody, *nobody*, looked as
I imagined them to be! Especially not Walt or Saleem: I thought one were
the other person (Saleem is *old*! But he's still mah boy! And Walt
looks too young to be so intense!) But, looks aside, everybody was
exactly as I've always known them to be; though my mind's pictures of
everybody were wrong, my heart's feelings were right on target.
After driving from Michigan through the rain, and almost getting hit by
lightning, it was great to finally be in Atlanta with the Family. Oh
yeah, I didn't tell ya about the Lightning Incident. Well...the rain
started in serious-like somewhere past Ann Arbor, Michigan, and I was
about a mile from a rest area, so I decided to stop there and put on my
raingear. I pulled up and saw a picnic table, and was trying to decide
whether to just change into my gear there, or go into the building and
wait out the rain. As I was contemplating, the rain started falling in
earnest, and since I don't like driving in hard rain, I went inside to
wait it out for awhile. Some Amish folk that were having a picnic in the
trees, ran inside with their coolers and struck up a conversation with
me, which I thought was pretty funny in itself. I realized after a few
minutes that everything I had on the bike was getting soaked (all my
clothes, especially), so I went back out to pull my backpack off the
trunk of the bike. As I was walking toward the bike, all of the sudden I
heard a tremendous BOOM! and saw a flash that scared me so much, I jumped
back. At first, I thought it was a crash on the freeway, but right then,
I smelled something burning, and looked up again to see the tree that I
would've been standing under to change into my raingear, split down the
middle, and smoking. Needless to say, I marched right back into the
building and stayed my butt there until the rain stopped completely.
It rained on me through half of Ohio, but the "sun" that shone on me in
Atlanta, through the Niche'ers, the friends and family that came out to
support us at the book signings and the people in Atlanta in general,
warmed my heart. The hotel was nice, the suite was tight!, hangin with
moni and Saleem till all hours (I'm too old for that, y'all!) was fun,
picking dance partners for Walt was a riot (oops, wasn't posta tell that.
We'll keep it between us doe...heh), meeting the statuesque Kat and Mocha
(powerful-poem-reading-Mocha), big Rose, and Gus (that's moni's talented
babe-boy!) was cool, kickin it with James and Tasha T was great (look for
stuff from us three in the future), and of course, I cannot forget my
frequent partner in verse, David, and his most powerful lady, Lisa.
But I say it so much better in poetry...
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5) CHECK OUT POEMS OF THE WEEK 49 at (www.nichemarket.com), and enjoy
THE WHIRL according to bams!@!@! Get comfortable, and leave the driving
to bams, as she takes us on a motorcycle journey to Atlanta from
Michigan, and back home again!
HOTLANTA SUITE by /bams
atlanta characters by /bams
help wanted: locs ok by /bams
let's make some Black Noize! (for Walt) by /bams
our griot speaks ["FANtastic!"] by /bams
a conversation on the journey back by /bams
THANKS bams for the virtual motorcycle ride. All the fun, but without
the rain or bugs in our teeth. HAHA!
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6) WHAT A SURPRISE!!! After bams read her two poems to all in
attendance at the book signing and PERFORMANCE by the FEATURED POETS, she
said, "moni, would you please come up and join me!" My immediate
reaction was, "Oh, Lawd, what the hell is bams going to do, and how do I
play along with her without fainting. Okay, breath in, suck it up, now
exhale stupid!" I screamed to myself, as I walked toward her. She pulled
out a chair and asked me to sit down (right there in front of everybody).
I'm sure I looked calm to everyone, but the truth is, while my stomach
was doing cartwheels, my brain had actually left the building. Since I
really don't like surprises (I prefer to surprise others), I was not
prepared for what happened next!!
You can read for yourself why I was so speechless, and why I cried.
Therefore, instead of moni's Poem of the Week, I thought I would share
with you the SPECIAL POEM my sister bams wrote and presented to me at our
Offline Party (I'm starting to tear up just thinking back on how
wonderful I felt as bams read her gift poem to me and gave me a rose). I
LOVE YOU SIS!@!@!
I hope you all will remember that my life is just a journey to help
others and to be helped by others. Thanks for letting me HELP YOU,
because helping you means MY DREAMS COME TRUE TOO!!!
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!
moni
p.s. Don't forget to send your pictures to Walt so we can post these
pictures on the website for everyone to enjoy!
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a rose for monilove
here is a rose for you, my dear--
petals and thorns, a token of our love
for our monilove...
a petal for your hard work
your dedication
your will to make this dream, this thing,
a reality
a petal for being
the friendly helpful person
the light guiding us here, now
a petal for devotion
to family of blood
to family of words
to walt (the hardest working man on the web)
to dreams
and thorns--
"[how can you appreciate the good without the bad?]"
--the times when you didn't know how/when/where/who
but it came to be, any ol' way
--the times when we jus' wouldn't get right
but it came to be, any ol' way
--the times when the money was too tight to mention
but it came to be, any ol' way
--the times when It Just Could Not Be Done
but it came to be, any ol' way.
here is a rose for monilove
our monilove
a small token of our love, our affection
always.
/bams
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