Lisa Sharpe's Blog - Posts Tagged "help"
The Intervention Poem
Today being Sunday, I'm feeling all mushy and frilly missing the people that matter to me the most. They would be my sister Tracey and my mother Jeaniva.
They both were taken from me by way of the streets. So, I came up with this poem about a divine intervention for them. I miss them.
The Holiday's make it hard when you reminisce on memories and you wish that special someone was still here. Knowing that she was loved by many make a huge difference.
Although I will miss their laughter and the joy they brought each day.
An Intervention
They called her Sunshine
although she was a fiend
The prettiest thing
the streets had ever seen
A little intervention was
all that she needed
But her love for the streets
was too deep seeded
I would often find her down
and stripped of her hope
Lifeless and limp
from so much dope
How dare she poison life
with that stuff in her veins
How dare she destroy life
for such ill gotten gain
Even the Betty Ford clinic
couldn't keep her get straight
Not even the preacher could
keep her from Hell's gate
I tried and I tried
when I was so depression prone
While she screamed and hollered
for that taste of Methadone
I did all I could
with all good intentions
She'd still be here if
she had some divine intervention
Sunshine is gone now
the only sister I knew
She was the prime example
of what the streets could do
I no longer have to chase her
from trap houses in the city
Arguing with drug dealers
getting down and gritty
She was so close to death
I'd seen it many times
She just couldn't see it
since she had a closed mind
Even sadder, my mother died
by the streets too
I learned I couldn't control
what another person will do
My kids are grown now
and they miss their Sunshine too
I educated them well
on what the streets could do
It's not worth trying
every drug coming by
It's never worth it at all
to risk your life for a high
Copyright 2014 Lisa Sharpe All Rights Reserved
They both were taken from me by way of the streets. So, I came up with this poem about a divine intervention for them. I miss them.
The Holiday's make it hard when you reminisce on memories and you wish that special someone was still here. Knowing that she was loved by many make a huge difference.
Although I will miss their laughter and the joy they brought each day.
An Intervention
They called her Sunshine
although she was a fiend
The prettiest thing
the streets had ever seen
A little intervention was
all that she needed
But her love for the streets
was too deep seeded
I would often find her down
and stripped of her hope
Lifeless and limp
from so much dope
How dare she poison life
with that stuff in her veins
How dare she destroy life
for such ill gotten gain
Even the Betty Ford clinic
couldn't keep her get straight
Not even the preacher could
keep her from Hell's gate
I tried and I tried
when I was so depression prone
While she screamed and hollered
for that taste of Methadone
I did all I could
with all good intentions
She'd still be here if
she had some divine intervention
Sunshine is gone now
the only sister I knew
She was the prime example
of what the streets could do
I no longer have to chase her
from trap houses in the city
Arguing with drug dealers
getting down and gritty
She was so close to death
I'd seen it many times
She just couldn't see it
since she had a closed mind
Even sadder, my mother died
by the streets too
I learned I couldn't control
what another person will do
My kids are grown now
and they miss their Sunshine too
I educated them well
on what the streets could do
It's not worth trying
every drug coming by
It's never worth it at all
to risk your life for a high
Copyright 2014 Lisa Sharpe All Rights Reserved
Campaigning for Literacy
I browsed the internet this morning to review some websites discussing literacy. What I found was interesting! I discovered that the adult literacy rate globally among women vs. men is staggering. The rate for women 15 years and older was 80% vs men who were at 89%. This means that we, as women are lagging behind men; still. http://www.uis.unesco.org/literacy/Pa...
Despite significant improvements in literacy rates globally, today there are still 781 million adults and 126 million youths who cannot read or write a simple sentence – two-thirds of whom are women. These numbers weigh heavily on global efforts to alleviate poverty.- from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Save The Children says that if children can't read at grade level, chances are they will never catch up.
I remember growing up watching my great grandmother read the bible to her husband; my great grandfather. He was illiterate. Probably not having more than a fifth grade education. Now, here in the millennium, I have come across a few who still fit the mold as my great grandfather did; of being illiterate.
There is a man in my neighborhood that will ask me from time to time, "Can you send a text from my phone for me please?"
I kindly do so without apprehension. Just feeling as if it is the right thing to do. Sometimes he'll ask me to take his picture and send it to a loved one.
I've offered my services to help him along the journey of what it's like to be able to enjoy a wonderful read or get lost in a letter of love; but he cordially declines. Perhaps because he is content with knowing things the way he knows them best. My great grandfather was the same way; tenacious and set in his ways.
Literacy is so important, being that it is linked with our language and our culture.
As much as you try, you can't help everyone. As often as I hear the term, "It's a small world," I still didn't think I would run into someone so benighted. Maybe I will get out and campaign for Literacy so I won't be so untutored.
I've enclosed some helpful sites that may spark someone's interest if someone you know struggles with reading and writing and just doesn't know how to get the help. Spread the word and help with literacy today.
https://literacydirectory.org/
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c...
http://readingprograms.org/
Other blogs on Literacy:
http://bigtimeliteracy.blogspot.com/
http://conversationsinliteracy.blogsp...
Despite significant improvements in literacy rates globally, today there are still 781 million adults and 126 million youths who cannot read or write a simple sentence – two-thirds of whom are women. These numbers weigh heavily on global efforts to alleviate poverty.- from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Save The Children says that if children can't read at grade level, chances are they will never catch up.
I remember growing up watching my great grandmother read the bible to her husband; my great grandfather. He was illiterate. Probably not having more than a fifth grade education. Now, here in the millennium, I have come across a few who still fit the mold as my great grandfather did; of being illiterate.
There is a man in my neighborhood that will ask me from time to time, "Can you send a text from my phone for me please?"
I kindly do so without apprehension. Just feeling as if it is the right thing to do. Sometimes he'll ask me to take his picture and send it to a loved one.
I've offered my services to help him along the journey of what it's like to be able to enjoy a wonderful read or get lost in a letter of love; but he cordially declines. Perhaps because he is content with knowing things the way he knows them best. My great grandfather was the same way; tenacious and set in his ways.
Literacy is so important, being that it is linked with our language and our culture.
As much as you try, you can't help everyone. As often as I hear the term, "It's a small world," I still didn't think I would run into someone so benighted. Maybe I will get out and campaign for Literacy so I won't be so untutored.
I've enclosed some helpful sites that may spark someone's interest if someone you know struggles with reading and writing and just doesn't know how to get the help. Spread the word and help with literacy today.
https://literacydirectory.org/
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c...
http://readingprograms.org/
Other blogs on Literacy:
http://bigtimeliteracy.blogspot.com/
http://conversationsinliteracy.blogsp...
Mean And Surly
"Mean and Surly" Whoopi Goldberg said this, in the movie "Kingdom Come. " In this movie she was debating with her son (LL Cool J or A.K.A Ray Bud Slocumb) as to what should be written on her deceased husbands tombstone.
The movie started with the death of him, so you couldn't get a real perception of what he was like until she said those grave two words; mean and surly.
To be considered mean and surly, one would have to be cross, grouchy, uncivil, etc. No wonder Whoopi was so solemn the entire movie.
Nonetheless, I'm not a movie critic, However, when considering a title for your next book, you may want to use the "Raynelle Slocumbs" method and get gutter with it. You can judge a book by it's cover. Lay it all out there but keep it short and sweet. Out with the old saying "You can't judge a book by it's cover." Whenever I'm shopping for a book, the title has to entice me. I long for a great title to draw me in. Nine times out of ten; I'm often glad I chose it.
I chose Pierre Hideaway Pinkett for my children's fable book title because Pierre was real significant in the plot being that he was born from a witch just to be betrayed by the very same witch.
According to...
http://writedirection.com/5-reasons-n...
...it's all in the numbers also. Some believe it creates something magical when numbers are used as book titles.
There is a mass of book cover design sites that help draw your reader in also, giving you the ability to concentrate on that great title. I have some listed here.
http://99designs.com/book-cover-design
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bo...
Listed here are some examples of book titles with numbers in them. So, consider using numbers in your next book title. I know I will.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Kingdom Cone here:
http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Come-LL...
The movie started with the death of him, so you couldn't get a real perception of what he was like until she said those grave two words; mean and surly.
To be considered mean and surly, one would have to be cross, grouchy, uncivil, etc. No wonder Whoopi was so solemn the entire movie.
Nonetheless, I'm not a movie critic, However, when considering a title for your next book, you may want to use the "Raynelle Slocumbs" method and get gutter with it. You can judge a book by it's cover. Lay it all out there but keep it short and sweet. Out with the old saying "You can't judge a book by it's cover." Whenever I'm shopping for a book, the title has to entice me. I long for a great title to draw me in. Nine times out of ten; I'm often glad I chose it.
I chose Pierre Hideaway Pinkett for my children's fable book title because Pierre was real significant in the plot being that he was born from a witch just to be betrayed by the very same witch.
According to...
http://writedirection.com/5-reasons-n...
...it's all in the numbers also. Some believe it creates something magical when numbers are used as book titles.
There is a mass of book cover design sites that help draw your reader in also, giving you the ability to concentrate on that great title. I have some listed here.
http://99designs.com/book-cover-design
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bo...
Listed here are some examples of book titles with numbers in them. So, consider using numbers in your next book title. I know I will.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Kingdom Cone here:
http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Come-LL...
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