If it's about love; what's love got to do with it?

In the interest of cupid's holiday (aka: Valentine's day), I thought I bring about the topic of love. It is my belief that L-O-V-E has many different interpretations by the myriad of people who has experienced this emotion (and care to acknowledge it).

Due to free will, we exercise our rights to love who we want and think about our love-one as often as we wish. Speaking of wish (for those of us lucky enough to be in a loving relationship), we are with the person we wish to love and express that love to the fullest. For some of us, we are "locked" into a relation and yet, wish to be with another love who is not in our special arena.

There are many things that tie us to "that" one be it looks, connection (vibe), appeal, wealth, intellect, or other. Whatever the case is for you, you can remember as if it was yesterday when you fell in love with that person. Love is not the cure-all as we sit back and reflect on what it is that make us crazy; and sometimes you say to yourself "I must have been crazy to mess with that fool". As much as we try to shake-it-off, we find ourselves spending more time thinking about the good & bad with “that” one than we care to admit.

If you are currently in love, use these poems to reflect on that one and consider yourself lucky. If you are not in the mood for love, consider using these words to think about what love is in your mind and reflect on how to get back there (If that's your destination).

Keep this tidbit in mind: True love is not bought; it is volunteered. There is nothing in this world or the next stronger than the heart of a volunteer. To volunteer is to choose in favor ‘of’ for the interest ‘of’ at our expense. Love is not free, as it requires an investment of your time, emotional being and our attention while living a life that is near transparent. Our mate needs to see us as who we are and what we are. We owe them that up front if we are to LOVE them. To get it in return is where the love is reciprocated. The lover of your choice will need to know where you are coming from and where you are going in order to follow you; and you follow them.

With that said, I would like to share two of my poems dedicated to this very subject and get your thought on the four-letter word. As much as it is frightening, I believe we all want, lust, yearn, and search for the emotional fulfilling space.

I share with you my two poems titled: “How Do I Love Thee” and “The Telling Heart” both of which I am very proud. I invite you of comment and participate in discussions amongst your friends. I do not claim to be an expert of any sort; I am a willing participant and interested in this thing called love.

Thank you for reading…

How Do I love Thee?

Love is an emotion that nearly everyone has experienced at some time of his or her life. The feelings I have for you are that of which I can imagine being your friend, you lover and your confidante. To love you is to love what you stand for; you are the one I call extraordinary. How do I love thee?

Never have I felt so strongly for someone. There was a time I was afraid to care for anyone other than myself and it was your embracing love for me that made it all right and for that I am truly indebted. How do I love thee?

From the time we met I wanted nothing more than to share with you, love with and stay with you. Hand in hand, side-by-side is where I preferred to be. Nothing can compare to your face, your voice or your love. How do I love thee?

I am seized with felicity whenever I recall the exceptional moments we have shared for you complete me. By virtue of you, I thank GOD a thousand times for creating you, therefore assisting me to evolve to a better person. How do I love thee?

You have educated me about how to take charge of my life through first believing in myself. You have equally shared in helping me grow and learn and live abundantly. How do I love thee?

Your encircling embrace is a constant reminder of what I have found in you. I love you for understanding that true love is one that is reciprocated. My prayer is that my love leads you to infinite euphoria. How do I love thee?

I was successful when I found you, and now I am successful with the purpose of loving you and only you. My life’s never been the same and I want you to know that you are appreciated. How do I love thee?

Your ethical wisdom, your emotive power, your profound convictions are some of the many reasons why I am in love with you. How do I love thee?

My heart belongs to you not for the words you speak, but of your harmonious display of affection. Do you believe in love? Because I believe in you, I believe in us. I want to love you for life and the promises you’ve shared with me. This is my declaration to the one I like, the one I trust, the one I love; and that is how I love thee.

Written By LaMar Vinson ©

The Telling Heart
(An ode to LOVE)

I desire not of what my heart yearn for, but of what others define as acceptable. It’s popular to request the advice of those who are in no better shape than you are in when it comes to dealing with love management. We listen and act on their scope of influence; what they know and what is best for them.

I have acquired a liking for a certain someone. Though not my ideal partner, this individual was chosen by a one-person committee. Convenience and the disliking of being alone were the qualifications necessary for why I have accepted this person’s presence in my life. In all honesty, I want what doesn’t want me. The person I love, cherish and for reasons unknown, decides that I am not what they see as ideal company.

I ask the proverbial question: Why not am I the chosen one by my desired mate? I mask the pain, confusion, and embarrassment of being inadequate in my mate’s standards. Too proud to beg for the their return, yet too stubborn to relinquish their espousal attendance.

I inquire for assistance from my heart to discover my blissful dwelling; wherever that may be. My heart tells me in a language that I have yet to comprehend or admit. The truth stands before me communicating a discourse that is foreign and unfamiliar to my sense of interpretation.

I want to be where I am not wanted, and therefore not accepted. My heart is filled with pain, and weighted down with the burden of accepting not what is desired, but what is appropriate for this particular situation.

I spend empty moments waiting for you to reach out to me. If you look closely, I am not far away. I have opened the window of opportunity for you to climb in and initiate discussion. You start and I can handle the rest; all I ask of you is hear me out. I will right the wrong, I will define the misunderstanding, and I will engage the indifferent.

I am all cried out, though you fail to discover any confirmation of such heart felt hurt as my pain is reaching unprecedented enormity. To the one I long for, I think of you more than you know and more than I care to confess. I want to spend my life with you, but no more am I willing to cheat my heart of what is rightfully deserves. To the one I’m with, my immediate relief, time will tell where we belong with respect to one another.

I ask my heart again what is the right thing to do about this situation and it tells me….

Written By LaMar Vinson ©

Black history, our history, are we history???

In the interest of black history month, I want to share some insight on our well-known heroes. The usual names Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, W.E.B. DuBois, Fredrick Douglas and a score of others obviously stood for the search of equality and enrichment as a race of people. What they received was a representation of blacks in history books only in reference to the low social position they held as slaves (Though MLK was not a slave, he was in the heart of the civil rights movement stemming from the remnants of slavery). The heroes of yesteryear and today are fighting similar battles, but with different focuses to address. “Part of the aim of Black History Month is to recognize significant contributions to society made by black slaves and how their history is integral to mainstream narratives” Ref: Wikipedia).

Back in the decades of the 1600 – 1900’s the fight centered on Africans taken from their homeland and eventually American born blacks forced to work in America (Colonial American territory) against their will. Though there were many different fights of note (too many to list for the sake of this blog), the idea is to embrace an understanding of the common threat to Africans and American born blacks and what they dealt with in terms of struggles. Considered 3/5 of a human being, no equal rights in comparison to their white/European brethrens, the “known” enemy, “the establishment” and the fight was to break what was the norm for the betterment of African and American born blacks during those times. The need to rebel was simple (not to be confused with easy) and oppressors were known. It was truly an “us vs. them” mentality. One that forced many to take a side and defend until death in the heat of battle. As we read in our history books, there isn’t great mention of what the struggle really entailed, thus it makes it difficult (for me at least) to understand with great depth the struggles endured and appreciate the accomplishment birthed from the momentous victories; all of them.

Today, African Americans, blacks, however you care to qualify the term are in another fight. This time, the ‘enemy’ is not of a different skin or ethnicity, but of a complexion, namesake & residence similar to ours. In the interest of “get rich or die trying”, chasing that paper, and the need to get R-E-S-P-E-C-T, we have resorted to actions that cripples our own chance for advancement, enhance our circumstance of destitute and point to finger to others (especially “The Man”) like they made us do it when in reality, we ‘do it’ to ourselves.

I was listening to a program on a radio talk show in the Bay Area recently and there was mention of what is going on in the Washington DC area in regards to rampant drug sales/use. This sad sake of events is not anything new as we struggle with this epidemic everywhere. It is my opinion that drug dealers have zero regard for life. If there is any question to this ‘personal’ hypothesis, ask a drug dealer to look into the eyes of a fiend needing a hit and refuse service to them. Better yet, ask the dealer to sponsor the recovery efforts of the fiend. If there is a refusal for whatever reason, that is your answer. Again, these are my views and I am sure many share this line of thinking.

Getting back on track, what makes the story I heard more troubling, there is a term being used I find just as offensive as the drug sales. The term for the “good stuff” is now being called 'OBAMA'. While listening, I thought there was a misread by the radio talk show host but it was reiterated that the ‘OBAMA’ is that’s’ being used as the drug term of choice. In light of what is taking place in American history and President Obama is in the white house doing this job, there are some taking what is right with our advancement efforts and using it for their sick, maniacal ventures.

I am not on a personal quest to rid the use of illegal drugs and the toll it takes on our people (Though I’d like to), but I want to make the connection of our ancestral and racial struggles toward advancement and how we knew what we were up against; and that was freedom.

Today, our fight is a little different and our battle is more serious than before. Back in the day, we were fighting for equality and acceptance as a race. Today, we fight for survival as a race.

This entry is not to score in great details of the ills of what we were and are up against as a race (as all races can benefit from this cause), but it is designed to shed some light and initiate dialogue as thoughtful conversation by a few can start a movement of great worth. For black history, (like all history of racial interest) survival and thriving are worth our hard work.

We are familiar of the celebrated greats of the past. Let us see if we can add significance to our race (to which ever one you belong) and become historic in our efforts. It has been said, “you will die; but will you do so not ever knowing that you have lived”?

I invite you to participate in this blog and thank you for your interest in reading.