Category: Poetry

I am not strong: Finally.

Finally.

I am content just being…

Me.

I am content just being.

I am content.

I am.

I am?

I AM!

Ah.

Aha!

I wish someone had told me a looooooong time ago that I did not HAVE to be strong ALL the time.

I am not always strong. I am not always weak either. There are days where I am somewhere, there, in between strong and what in the fresh hell is this?!

That’s okay. The world doesn’t want you to know it’s okay to NOT be:

Perfect.

Packaged.

Proper.

It’s okay to be:

Scattered.

Shattered.

Shaken.

Finally, I KNOW I am amazing just by being.

Keep on being you, beloveds. ALL of you. Especially the boring parts. I find folks boring immensely interesting and satisfying.

Stop judging yourself by the world’s standards. You know when your act right is not acting right. You know how you feel about this or that.

Be encouraged. I say these two words EVERY day. I say them to myself. It’s easy to feel lost and alone in such a large world. The world is smaller than you think.

being weak with you,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I am not strong. Thank God I don’t have to be. Neither do you.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being… YOU

Real talk: When your dreams are too heavy for you to carry…alone.

I told God my dreams were too heavy for me to carry…alone.

Alone.

ALONE!

I want to be mad at the whole damned world. Okay, just one person: Mom.

Mom😭.

December is the haaarrrdeeest month since mom passed away Christmas morning 2016. This year will be year seven. 7!

Crap. Crap. Crap! DAMMIT, I am not a cusser and want to cuss the whole entirety of this momless world!

I don’t.

I have learned to plan for this time of year. For holidays. For missing mom days.

I MAKE myself get out of bed.

I MAKE myself something to eat.

I MAKE myself take out the trash.

I MAKE myself work.

I MAKE myself reach out and love someone.

I MAKE myself lean on God.

I MAKE myself make myself laugh.

I MAKE myself write three pieces, at least, daily.

I MAKE myself listen to praise/worship/uplifting music.

I MAKE myself read my Bible.

I MAKE myself watch Hallmark movies I still sniff over because of all the delicious sappy.

I MAKE myself remind you, remind ME, that we are loved and NOT alone.

I MAKE myself enjoy coffee with mom and loving her in a new way. Crap!

I MAKE myself make my grateful lists on the daily.

I MAKE myself give my heavy dreams to God to help me carry.

Ah, beloveds, be encouraged. Life is worth living. Even the hard parts. Oh, beloveds, lean on those that care for you. Ow, beloveds, this hurts.

We CAN. We WILL!

Remember:

You are not your pain.

This too SHALL pass.

The rainbow is coming after the storm has passed.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being… YOU

leaning hard,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Ah, mom…

I told God my dreams were too heavy.

I told God my dreams were too heavy.

He said I know.

He told me to lean upon His Shoulder. That way I could carry them.

I told God I was too tired to continue to carry these dreams unfulfilled.

He said I know and for me to keep trusting.

I told God these dreams are too heavy and not leading me anywhere.

He said stop for a while and catch my breath.

I leaned.

I trusted.

I rested.

I told God my dreams are a bit lighter now.

He said I know and for me to keep going.

going/growing,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: This piece is for anyone who is tired and discouraged from holding onto a dream for seemingly too long.

In a way I am thankful my dreams have not come true yet. My writing is different. I am different. I had to learn to keep fighting for myself. I had to learn how to give up on myself. I had to learn to believe in my gift. I had to learn to believe in me no matter what.

I had to learn the only validation I needed which from myself. I had to learn to love myself whether anyone loved me or not.

I had to learn that there was joy even in the midst of sadness and pain and trying and trials and discomfort and being uncomfortable and not knowing what to do.

I had to learn my voice and thoughts were important. Even if only viewed by me. I had to learn my weird was okay. I had to learn that it was okay to not be ok until I became okay.

I had to learn how to stand gracefully. I had to learn how to fall foolishly. I had to learn that I was love whether I stood or I fell.

I had to learn…

Ah.

Aha!

Keep knocking on the door to your dreams beloveds. You don’t know who or what is standing on the other side!

In the meantime, KNOW that you are growing. That you are changing lives. One at a time. Just your being here has changed my life. You help me stay focused. You help me keep a laughing. You help me know that I am loved and not alone.

Be encouraged. You can and you will. Keep putting your work out there. Keep putting yourself out there. Your one day may be today!

I hear a cup of coffee calling me. Care to join me? Let us laugh and visit a while. God will take care of our dreams for a while…

Real talk: Take the time.

I wanted chicken strips.

I did NOT want to take the time to preheat the air fryer.

I tossed in aforementioned chicken strips into the aforementioned and cold airfryer. Smh.

You know what had happened…*sigh*.

The chicken strips were NOT my usual crispy.

I was crispy!

Until…*sigh*…Yikes! and Egads! reminded me I had gotten with lazy and decided not to preheat the air fryer.

Real talk, beloveds. Do NOT get with lazy and take the time to do the things that need done in the time it will take to get them crispy.

Sheesh, Cassandra. Get it together. Speaking of which, I have yet another tale to tell. brb.

fixing to tell it,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You are loved and not alone. I am in too much of a hurry to…hahahahaha. Kidding:

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU

Say so.

When it hurts.

Say so.

When you don’t know.

Say so.

When you hurt.

Say so.

When you don’t understand.

Say so.

When you don’t want to.

Say so.

When you want to.

Say so.

When the answer is yes.

Say so.

When the answer is no.

Say so.

When you are sad.

Say so.

When you are thankful.

Say so.

When you are discouraged.

Say so.

When you are being loved and appreciate the loving.

Say so.

When you feel left out.

Say so.

When you are ready to leave.

Say so.

When you want them to stay.

Say so.

When you need to hear the words.

Say so.

When you don’t have words to say.

Say so.

When you don’t know why.

Say so.

I am:

Tired.

Lonely.

Grateful.

Hungry.

Hopeful.

saying so,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I did not want to do today. I did today. Last night, I told sis I did not want to do tomorrow. Then, I told myself ‘so what’. I’m thankful/glad I pushed past my sad/grief. This will always be a tough time, I suspect. Losing mom on Christmas Morning 2016 still feels like yesterday. STILL. Still, I rise, as Maya Angelou told us all to.

If you are going through, just now….*shrug*. Keep going through. This time SHALL pass. The Universe/God/Life is interested in how YOU will be AFTER the tests and trials have passed. The tests and trials are of no consequence. In the height of them, they feel as though they are insurmountable and shall never pass. Ha!

Hang in there, beloveds. Stay in the fight. Yes, the fight gets exhausting. Remain. Strive. Grow. Move. Live. Whether you feel like it or not. Tell your feels to shut it!

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU.

What do you want to do(with you) when you grow up?

What do you want to do when you grow up?

We are asked this when we are young.

Then, the world sells a bunch of lies. To have you think you have to chase this, do that m, be this and have that.

The world doesn’t want you to know that all of this is folly. The world does not want you to know that one day you will reach an age where you are asked,’What are you going to do with the rest of your life?’

It took decades for me to learn that I am not what I do. It took forever for me to learn that I am much more than what I have. It will take an eternity for me to pass on what I have learned.

There are many things I would like to do with my life before it ends. The main thing I would like to do is to continue to be an encouragement as many people as I can.

Why? Because the world needs to be loved. The world is imperfect. The world is often unkind. The world still needs to be loved. The world needs some lightness to shine within it.

What do you want to do with you beloveds when you grow up?

There is much to do. Let’s get about doing thangs.

doing thangs with my life,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I wish someone had told me these things decades ago.

You are loved. You are NOT alone. Keep on being… YOU

Differences.

I was watching my cooking shows and the man got to making beef tongue.

Ew, I thought.

Then, I thought:

Well, I DO enjoy a good chicken breast.

Hmm.

Thinking this, I thought his joy in beef tongue was not so ewwwy.

Pork shoulder.

Leg of lamb.

Chicken thighs.

Hhmm.

Maybe I should become a vegetarian.

Ears of corn.

Yikes!

Hmmm.

Maybe I should eat tater tots the rest of my life.

Marveling at differences,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

I find it terribly sad when folks hide within their own thoughts and tribes and viewpoints. What makes the world so fascinating is the differences we all have and can share. Different is not bad. Just different…*shrug*.

Speaking of which:

Keep on being…YOU

You are NOT alone.

You are loved.

Forgive me, beloveds. Posting my usual, in reverse order, is going to drive my twin up ten ways. Delicious. She is screaming as we read this.😆🤣😂

You do not have permission to quit.

You do not have permission to quit! https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0XrRMQOVUV/?igshid=NmJiYWZiY2E0Mg==

Period.

Nuff said.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Nuff said.

I love you.

Nuff said.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: What can I tell you? This has been a terribly rough week. Whew! Too tiring for much words. Whew!!

Yet, we made it, right, beloveds?! Now, rest and enjoy your weekend. I am going to spend a delicious evening watching YouTube videos of folk making Udon noodles and putting together those neat Yatari or Katari….???…those nest little outdoor cookery on wheels in Japan etc. Love watching folk cook and enjoy their crafts from all over the world. Amazing!

I particularly enjoy ‘Small Base Camp’ with this one man who solo camps in his tiny van contraption. I know. I’m weird. So what? Share ALL your weird, remember?

You are loved. You are NOT alone. Keep on being… YOU

Share ALL of you.

Share ALL of you.

STOP hiding the parts you think folk will dismiss as this, that or the other.

BE all you can be as best you can.

REACH as high up as you can and let Life take care of the rest.

REST knowing you have done and given your all.

Nuff said.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Okay, so the piece was a note. Smh. Live. Love. Get going now…🥰