Greetings and welcome to the Why Struggle Podcast.
I'm your host,
Barbara J.
Faison,
And my intention with this podcast is to offer ideas,
Insights,
And inspirations so you can live life better.
Greetings and welcome to Week 10,
A Tribute.
This podcast is a tribute to my favorite poet,
Nikki Giovanni,
And my English teacher,
Mrs.
Maureen Deloach from Albany High School in Albany,
Georgia.
If you're new to the podcast,
Welcome,
And if you listen regularly,
Thank you.
In this episode,
I'm doing something different,
Offering a tribute to my favorite poet,
Nikki Giovanni,
And my English teacher,
Mrs.
Maureen Deloach,
Who really introduced me to poetry.
I believe it was in the 10th grade when my English teacher at Albany High,
Maureen Deloach,
Had us write poetry.
I believe she listens to my podcast.
I know she follows me online.
That class in English opened me up to a world of writing,
So it really is a tribute to Mrs.
Deloach and to Nikki Giovanni.
My father,
Moses Faison,
Was a librarian at the local branch on Lee Street in Albany,
Georgia,
And also at Monroe High School.
He was an avid reader.
He mostly read nonfiction,
And I remember when he came home with the book of poetry called Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day.
It was by Nikki Giovanni.
I don't remember exactly when.
I suspect it was when I got the assignment from Mrs.
Deloach to write a poem,
And boy,
Did I write.
Poetry became my jam.
I moved from poetry to short stories,
And then eventually I wrote my personal development book,
Why Struggle,
Life is Too Short to Wear Tight Shoes.
I fell in love with poetry and read her works and so many others.
That book sparked something inside me.
Nikki Giovanni passed in December 2024,
And when I asked for my divine download about the podcast this week,
She was heavy on my mind for some reason.
In this tribute,
I will share a few of my favorite poems from Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day.
Boxes.
I am in a box on a tight string,
Subject to pop without notice.
Everybody says how strong I am.
Only black women and white men are truly free,
They say.
It's not difficult to see how stupid they are.
I would not reject my strength,
Though its source is not my choice,
But responsibility.
I would not reject my light,
Though my wrinkles are also illuminated.
Something within demands action or words if action not possible.
I am tired of being boxed.
Muhammad Ali must surely be pleased that Leon Spinks relieved him.
Most of the time I can't breathe.
I smoke too much to cover my fears.
Sometimes I pick my nose to avoid the breath I need.
I do also do the same injustice to my poems.
I write because I have to.
A Poem of Friendship.
We are not lovers because of the love we make,
But the love we have.
We are not friends because of the laughs we spend,
But the tears we save.
I don't want to be near you for the thoughts we share,
But the words we never have to speak.
I will never miss you because of what we do,
But what we are together.
And the final one is Woman.
She wanted to be a blade of grass amid the fields,
But he wouldn't agree to be the dandelion.
She wanted to be a robin singing through the leaves,
But he refused to be her tree.
She spun herself into a web and,
Looking for a place to rest,
Turned to him,
But he stood straight,
Declining to be her corner.
She tried to be a book,
But he wouldn't read.
She turned herself into a bulb,
But he wouldn't let her grow.
She decided to become a woman,
And though he still refused to be a man,
She decided it was all right.
Sharing this tribute to Mrs.
Deloach and Nikki Giovanni was actually also a tool.
Reading poetry can be calming and a stress reliever.
Thank you again,
Mrs.
Deloach and Nikki Giovanni,
For both of you sharing your gifts with the world.
Who are some of your favorite poets?
Leave a comment,
Reflection,
Or observation while you're listening to this podcast.
