POETRY & PROSE MAGAZINESeptember 2010 (Vol. 1 Issue 1)

Publisher - Moonchild DesignsEditor - Moon GoldenCreative Art Director - Roslyn StockettCreative Advisor - Will Danner

For Further Communication, please contact: Moon C GoldenMooncjacobs@yahoo.com

MOONCHILD DESIGNS Copyright © 2010 Moonchild Designs All rights reserved Printed in the United States.

Welcome to the first official issue of Poetry & Prose and I cannot thank everyone enough for being patient, bearing with me each and every step of this journey. At this stage, for those who have tagged along with Poetry & Prose from its early beginnings, as a Yahoo Group. There is nothing I can tell you that you don't already know concerning the road it took to arrive here and now! That being said, I am so relieved to bring you what my creative friend, Roslyn Stockett and I have been working on for months on end. Moreover, I'm excited about what's to come of Poetry & Prose... very excited! Poetry & Prose is my heart and joy - I have taken great pleasure in everything that has gone into compiling this issue. From upholding the goals and aims of this premiere publication to the collaborations with all poets and contributors. The whole thought of a magazine has been truly an inspiring and gratifying process, ups and downs included! I know that the late Bonita Sanchez-Jacobs would be thrilled. I myself am so, so, so appreciative to those who made this all possible and to you who supported Poetry & Prose every since Bonita & Roslyn created the group in August 2008.

Which is most importantly, the completion of this issue is dedicated to the life of Bonita Sanchez-Jacobs (1973 - 2005), whom we all called Boney. This is dedicated to her life, love, & compassion that she shared through her poetry. May her soul continue to rest in peace.Enjoy,Moon Golden, Editor

6th Annual Writer's Digest Poetry Awards CompetitionWe're pleased to announce the only Writer's Digest competition exclusively for poets! Regardless of style—rhyming, free verse, haiku and more—if your poems are 32 lines or fewer, we want

them all. Entry Deadline: December 15, 2010

Prizes | Contest Rules | Privacy Promise | Entry Form

PrizesFirst Place: $500 and a trip to the Writer's Digest Conference in New York CitySecond Place: $250Third Place: $100Fourth Through Tenth Place: $25Eleventh Through Twenty-Fifth Place: $50 gift certificate for Writer's Digest Books.* The names and poem titles of the First through Tenth-Place winners will be printed in the August 2011 Writer's Digest, and afterwards their names will appear on www.writersdigest.com. All winners will receive the 2011 Poet's Market.

The 6th Annual Writer's Digest Poetry Awards Collection

The 1st- through 50th-place poems will be printed in a special competition collection. Use the entry form to order your copy or purchase a copy online using a credit card. (Publication date:

May 2011. You are not required to purchase the collection to enter the competition.)Entry Deadline: December 15, 2010

Competition Rules1. The competition is open to poems 32 lines or fewer. Entries longer than 32 lines will be automatically disqualified. Long poems may not be broken into segments and entered as separate entries. Each poem must be self-contained and must be titled. Style and subject matter are open. Type the line count along with your name, address, phone number and email address at the top left-hand corner of the page. No refunds will be given for disqualified entries.2. The entry fee is $15 for the first poem submitted and $10 for each additional poem. You may enter as many poems as you wish. If you are submitting your entry via regular mail, you may send one check (in U.S. funds) and one entry form for a single entry or batch of entries. You may pay with a check or money order, Visa or Mastercard when entering online or via regular mail. Entries received without an entry fee will be disqualified. Entry fees may not be sent after poems have been received. There will be a $10 fee for declined credit cards or returned checks. Credit cards will be charged within 90 days of the contest deadline. Charges will appear on your statement as "F+W Contests." 3. All entries must be in English, original, unpublished, and not submitted elsewhere at the time of submission. "Unpublished" means poems may not have appeared in print or on the Internet for public consumption (i.e., poems posted on a public forum or on your Web site may not be entered). Writer's Digest reserves the one-time publication rights to the 1st through 50th-place winning entries to be published in a Writer's Digest publication, on Writer's Digest's Web site, or in other digital materials.4. If you are submitting your entry via regular mail, all entries must be typewritten on one side of

8-1/2 x 11 white paper (computer printout acceptable) or A4 white paper. Unusual typefaces, colors, and graphics should not be used. Poems will not be returned so keep a copy for your records. No refunds will be issued for disqualified entries.5. Entries must be postmarked by December 15, 2010. Online entries will close after midnight EST on December 15, 2010.6. Winners will be notified by March 15, 2011. If you have not been contacted by this date, you may assume that your entry is not a finalist and may be marketed elsewhere.7. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard with your entry if you want to be notified of its receipt. We cannot notify you personally of your poem's status before the winners are announced. This includes phone and email status inquiries. If entering online, you will receive a confirmation email for each entry you submit. Please note, the emailed confirmation will come from writingcompetition@fwpubs.com.8. Winners' names will appear in the August 2011 issue of Writer's Digest magazine. Afterwards, their names and poem titles will be posted at www.writersdigest.com. 9. The following are not permitted to enter the competition: employees of F+W Media, Inc., and their immediate families and Writer's Digest contributing editors and correspondents as listed on the masthead.topPrivacy Promise Occasionally we make portions of our customer list available to other companies so they may contact you about products and services that may be of interest to you. If you prefer we withhold your name, simply send a note with your name, address and the competition name to: List Manager, F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.Entry FormTo submit your entry online, visit our secure online entry form.To enter via regular mail, use the printable form, and send it with your poem(s) and entry fee(s) to:

Writer's Digest Poetry Awards 4700 East Galbraith RoadCincinnati, OH 45236Questions? Contact us at (715) 445-4612 ext. #13430 or email writing-competition@fwmedia.com

KALLIOPE

KALLIOPE (or Calliope) was the eldest of the Mousai (Muses), the goddesses of music, poetry, song and dance. She was also the

goddess of eloquence, who bestowed her gift on kings and princes.

In Classical times--when the Muses were assigned specific artistic spheres--Kalliope was named Muse of epic poetry. In this guise

she was portrayed holding a tablet and stylus or a scroll. In older art she holds a lyre.

Kalliope was the mother of the bard Orpheus. When her son was dismembered by the Bakkhantes, she recovered his head and

enshrined on the island of Lesbos.

THE POETS LIST

Tiffany Willis…..PRINTED FALLACYWill Danner…..THE GOAL

Renee…..THE BROKENWilliam Bateman…..ROMEO IS A BITCH

Larry Collins…..IM FAILING HAPPY?Brian Apollo…..BIG GIRL

Moon C Golden……SAVANTLoretta Moore…..OUT OF THE BOX

Lou Ford…..A CIGAR, MERLOT AND A MEMORYRoslyn Stockett……DO NOT TRY

Lovely Brown…..FLAWLESSJimmie Kepler…..LIKE AN AUTUMN LEAF I FELL FOR YOU

Carolyn Layne…..YOU SLAUGHTERED MEJames Rodehaver…..UNBORN

John de Paul…..A WORD IN OUR EARHakim Shakur….. WHY NOT?

Shukura Huggins…..REFLECTIONSJanean McDowney- Hazel…..UNTITLED

OHY…..THE AGE OF GRAFFITIJuanita (Blaq112)…..THE REVERSION OF ME

Miss Remy(ThePoetess)…..MY HEART IS BURIED IN BALTIMORE

Sassy Sharon…..UNTITLEDDaBoss…..MALINDA

Scott Ransopher…..HER PRAYERJakuper…..INVISIBLE SCARS

Safiyyah Amina…..TIE DIED PLASMA RIVERS:WHAT I THINK OF ME

BIG GIRLHere's little momma, smacking on old gum, Rarely talk with sense, her words turn dumb. Usually got a comment even when topics are unknown Always blabbing on someone else's cell phone. In business that's not hers, frequently name droppin Hanging out late, party shopping, club hoppin. Smoking, laughing, dancing, chatting, Drinking, staggering, falling, still laughing. Hates her baby daddy but stuck on an ex Addicted to shopping, no room in the closet. Earned a PHD in frontin and stunnin, Has alot of clothes she can't even fit in But finds a way to make it fit anyway. No real skills, motivated only to look purty. Dropped out of school because it's no fun. Cars honk like crazy, out the house she runs. Lusting for men, many hotels and back seats, Never discrete when she's in the street. Fendi, Chanel, laced up with other name brands. Talks all loud so she can take command. Nothing but cobwebs left in her bank account Always on a hustle or at least a discount. Her baby suffers, child raised by grandma Calls her by her first name instead of "momma". No job, no career, but still gets paid She call dogs to get cash and evades getting laid. Got her first name tatted on her neck So when she's drunk she won't forget. Party people call her the local brain surgeon Living a life of pleasure, becoming one with her sins. Days turn to years, still the same girl Thinking her block represents the whole world. All her friends are married and doing just fine Girl just turned 30, still on the same frame of mind. Cursing, arguing and fights about nonsense Show another point of view and she jumps on defense. Still shaking her neck like she was 12, refuse to listen to others like a rebel. Selfish in her own right, big fish in a small pond. Always say, "huh" when it's time to respond. Chose to be blind by the signs of the time With her mind confined and stuck in rewind. Brian Apollo ©2008

DO NOT TRY

Do not try to describe your individuality since others cannot comprehend your definition.

Do not try to adjust your outgoing personality in order to please them. Because only YOU can be YOU and YOU wear YOU well.

Do not attempt to destroy your natural hair. Only to compare yourself to something that you are not. You were born with those naps so it's time to adapt. There ain't no shame in showing off what you got.

Do not correct your southern slur or your dialect to fit in; This is what makes you unique.

Do not dare explain why your voice flows and your body moves smooth like butterflies. GOD gave you that gift.

Do not share your flair for fashion because it's a tradition that expands many decades, across ancestral waters.

Do not share the uniqueness that makes you the( SISTER) that you are.Because they will only try to duplicate it.

Roslyn A Stockett © 2008

Flawlessness

Love displaces its leaf Snipped from limbs from liberated hymns Only falls summer of heart beats ..blown by the wind onto dirt floor. I try your sanity… You command my energy… I feed from purity and more of your soul Because … I don’t want you to die …. To leave me all alone… and selfish I’ll be… Yet…you grow from translucent stress kissed by me Our gorgeous insanity is based from genetic dynasty Still confused and bruised and used beautifully By… Love. Your past experiences are as long as a donor’s list … which is insignificant to one who’s now dying Who is needing an organ to exist. Don’t get me wrong but my existence is bliss… Yet you love my freakish nature hidden and pure Your life experiences proved wrong after meeting me Yet you’re still growing through enlightenment even If it’s so painful to bare… I swear… I’ve THROWN you into a corner to peal away the grave Your passionate tantrums… phantom me.. while Being so Demysss~~ified on how hard I try To show you truth, trust, lust.. Hush)))… sweetly… as your core churns By only head of snakes you spit life’s venom…that life is beautiful Yet… your fate seemingly fights However while in flight it’s Still

Love. You killed me… then had the nerve … to stand over me To only bring ME back to life… to see your light Your blight is painful yet so bright… You ripped out my heart to …share what you feel inside yourself

Your pain is grizzly with despair yet you skim from me like blue blood Pouring buttermilk in a champagne glass is to toast being broke And you constantly trim my chaotic ass…. Yet you kill and kiss beauty Your lyrics fail to memorize that love never dies And why?

Because your new life birthed translucent skies Inside of me… As I birthed translucent skies Inside of you… With silver bullets from a poet who KNOWS it… Penetrated from your fierce angel with dark brown eyes Who opened the doors Who opens HER pore to let you in Yet …Again And Again And Again. You continue to break my skin With love.

Lovely Brown (Lovelybrnfemale) © 2010

LIKE AN AUTUMN LEAF, I FELL FOR YOU

I first saw youMany years agoI was picking up my brotherFrom junior high schoolWaiting for himWhile sitting in the parking lotOf Rob’s Diner

The 8-track tape playerWas playing Johnny CashIt had to be Johnny CashIt was the only 8-track tape I ownedYou were walkingIn the school parking lotAnd you were talking to himYou were both headed my wayWhen he got to the carYou smiled as you walked byI asked who the brunette wasHe said hands offShe’s jail baitOnly in the seventh gradeI was in the tenth gradeYou were beautifulWith long brown hairAnd bouncing with a zest for lifeAs you walkedHe told me you nameAnd I burned it in my memoryOne day, one day I thoughtTwo years laterWhen I was a seniorAnd you were a freshmanI saw you againAnd this time I met youI remembered your nameYour joyYour beautyYour zest for lifeI asked you outTo the homecoming football game and danceYou said you had to ask your momYou had never datedAmazingly mom said yesWe dated for a yearAnd became best friendsThen like an autumn leaf I fell for youAnd in year twoWe became loversWhat a year of bliss

You confessed to mom when askedOur lover’s trystAnd I survived the confrontation with herHow brave she wasHow lucky I wasAnd time marched onI was old beyond my yearsYou still had lifeAnd more boys to exploreI was an old man boreWith responsibilitiesNone my age should haveAnd we went our separate waysBut like an autumn leaf I had fell for youTo be rememberedAnd cherished the rest of my lifeFor first love really can last foreverAnd I found your friend to be my wife.

Copyright © 2008 by Jimmie Aaron Kepler

You slaughtered me, Your belligerent language and ignoranceYou use like a daggerSlashing my heart and piercing my soulYou, slaughtered me!My energy swims in pools of blood

Until it saturates the darkness beneath meReaching a deeply planted seedThat quickly sprouts roots But grows at a very slow rateDuring the metamorphic process you continue to abuse meEvery time you stick that needle into your veinI feel the lash of master’s whip across my backAnd crack? Yes crack is whack!The death tolls of young black boys At the hands of young black boys With dangerous toysAre reminders of when I was lynchedMy breath slowly becoming diminishedOur race slowly being demolishedI throw my hands up and whisper affirmationsYour children throw signs for initiationAnd quickly after, we both give up ghostFathers, your genetic build up is the blue print of your childrens' existenceYour involvement in their livesIs as intricate as Harriet’s role in the undergroundYou too can lead your kin to freedomFreedom, free them, free me. They say we’re free, but are we?Society has implemented and executed their child raising rulesThey govern your household and removed you as the headSending you to the streets where you engage in crime and drugsYou adore the life of a kingpinWhile denouncing your title, KingYour forefathers are wondering whyThey need you to understand, they were abductedYou are allowing yourselves to be abortedYou, slaughtered me!Queens, I am screaming from the bottom of your wombMy voice is strained because I’ve been screaming for so longMy tears secrete through your poresI beat my fist against your soulAnd the sound resonates through your heartYet, you abandon your kids for the love of a manYou rush the natural progressionAnd use babies to force his handYou were supposed to be our NinaThe vessel in which our destiny would travelInstead your young kings are running the streetsAnd your young queens are ruling the sheets

You, slaughtered me!Flashbacks of me being raped and robbedInfiltrated, violated and annihilated Rush back to mindYou are the queen of all mankind, riseRise, rise and draw strength from roots of the new generationChange has been bornThe opportunity to correct all the wrongs is now growingI urge to supple from its barkDigest its nature into your bloodAllow it to course through your bodiesUse your words, your actions to demonstrate its potencyAnd heal our communityIt’s up to you, all of youOur race maybe dying, but it’s not deadAvenge my death by embracing your true destinyI will forgive you for slaughtering me

Love,Your Mama Africa Empress_Poetry©2010

Poetry & Prose Magazine

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