guest contributor Black Artist Spotlight

Sister Love/Sister Pain

Sister Love/Sister Pain

By: The Poetess–Vivian Dixon Sober aka The Ms. V

Love is not red—deceiving indeed, circumstances in place—solid as a rock—love can slip in and dismantle a complete heart
When love happens unpredictably, it throws mind control off
Can’t do nothing but flip your mind a thousand times trying to re-invent the fairy tale scene that seemed like a dream
He entered my heart when it was in lockdown and I didn’t even know
I have no mind control—emotionally—I’m a wreck
I can’t catch a thought
Heart, dear heart, please release me
How did I fall in love
I thought I was in love with my husband—I know—I know
I’m married and lonely and that’s a hard thing to be
Instead of looking at me he’s looking at pornography
I can’t compete
That is out of my league
I’m a woman—and I’m going to continue to be
I got involved with another man—a friend who listens to me—he is deep—concerned
I’m in a war—an emotional war—I didn’t realize the need he filled—I’m in love with another’s man
Now I can understand what I never could before those songs about married people creeping
struggling with love: Me and Mrs. Jones, Secret Lovers, If Only For One Night
songs such as those
doesn’t make it right
“If you can’t keep your man, I can,”the new love says on demand
I can’t say that; it just happened; I can’t explain it
I wasn’t looking for love especially forbidden love
I have morals—what’s up with me—I’m recognizing other parts of me that aren’t very sweet and the problem is: Do I care?
Thoughts streaming through my mind
Is the issue really about a Queen who can’t keep her husband or her man or is it about a sister who just thinks she can’t
I’m a thinker—a contemplator
I can’t elevate myself above his wife as being better than she, his Queen
Sister Love/Sister Pain is killing me
I wish love were red then I could change the color and feel no pain
a heart full of love overflows with emotions—stomach hurts—can’t eat
can’t sleep—weight falling off because I want to be with him
Love is not red mind inundated with him if I see him I will get well
I saw his feelings for me in his eyes; he stared at me too long if I were a magnet and he a
piece of steel l’d be in his bed disrespecting myself and his wife that’s not what I want in my life—I love him—I truly do
This is not cool; I’m not a fool
I have examined the stained picture I see people acting emotionally violating vows made
before God: “If she can’t keep her man, I can”
Everything done in the dark will be revealed and how will the Sister he belongs to feel
I have a man and a license to make love to him, but when love crept in my heart my battle was to stay sane not have sex with no feelings there was nothing for me to gain
Along the road of life I fell in love twice
I love my Sister’s man
My heart aches—anguish—pure blue
Can’t obey and cause her pain
He belongs to another; She will not pain because of foolishness
I know the pain of women who do not think
Sister he is yours I will move on
I will not be intimate with him as that will cause pain
Love is not red: it is blue and rides a roller coaster of emotions
I am no better than you, Sister, as you are his Queen
and much more important than me
I can see
It’s not about a color scheme or age difference
A woman is a woman with a heart that can bleed
I just want something exciting and new and that will end if I hurt you
Life happens; the love is stained with too many faces this is no game
I can’t play—I love a man—he loves me too but sister love stands above
My sister will not shed one tear or lose weight or sleep because I’m in love with her man and can’t control myself
He will be with me today—if I want it that way—love has nothing to do with hurting you
The pain will be all mine I will be used and your husband, your man will return to you and despise me
Now I know the makings of affairs; things ain’t right at home husbands and wives lose sight mundane love lives nothing exotic anymore so they find what they need it doesn’t make it right but, hey, stop telling your wife to go fly a kite
Women boast about sleeping with another’s husband–if he were your husband would
you boast or cry and lose weight in time:
I saw his feelings for me in his eyes: he stared at me too long
If I were a magnet and he a piece of steel l’d be in his bed disrespecting myself and his wife that’s not what I want in my life—I love him—I truly do
This is not cool—I’m not a fool
This is a fight I don’t want to win: I just can’t do it though I want to
I feel like I’m being driven; I’ve been on the other side—I cried and I cried
Sister love conquers devastating affairs: I’m not his wife my love must die
Although I am suffering my Sister is living how am I going to build happiness on some one else’s pain: “if she can’t keep her man, I can.” evaluating myself over his queen
What makes me think I am better than she?
Real love is not about taking
a Sister’s man—even if I can what can he do without me I have nothing his wife doesn’t have. I’ll live in her shoes tomorrow “if she can’t keep her man I can.”
My home girl called me a fool—really—and she’s cool
Well let’s take a look at her; she and Mr. Jones
Bi-polar you riding too high living a life based on lies “if she can’t keep her man, you can.” ‘til you see the light you fell from your pony when he left you for his wife
your mind—psychotic—your stomach in knots—can’t sleep—eat
Your weights falling off can’t accept the fact that you were used and thoroughly confused
Bi-polar you thought you could build happiness on someone else’s heartache
Where are your friends? You are caught in your own web so sleep in your bed
You didn’t think about your Sister: you thought about you—the pain is great—overwhelming—too deep—steep
He crept and you wept, “if she can’t keep her man, you can.”
Your tormented mind told you lies; I just can’t
The next time tainted love knocks on your heart’s door
stop, drop, and roll smother the fire before it consumes you
Tainted love is nothing sweet; it’s not a treat send that man home
where he belongs before you are used like a junk-yard dog
the choice is yours: but I’m stupid
Cupid’s so-called arrows often strike the living dead: I am thrilled just to know
that I can love and love deeply: being married and lonely is dangerous
Husbands wake up; Wives, wake up
Sister Love/Sister Pain is killing Me
No affairs
Husbands who ignore
Curb gear for the garbage man

 

Vivian Dixon Sober©2003
All Rights Reserved

guest contributor Commentary

My duty is to stand up and speak about the injustice and lies and fight them back with love, unity and action

My duty is to stand up and speak about the injustice and lies and fight them back with love, unity and action.

Written by: Christina A. Jeter

http://www.linkedin.com/in/christinajeter

http://www.cjeter.com

Now that I have educated myself on life, I choose to help others with their transitions without having them go through the same mishaps I entailed to have a peace of mind. The beauty of the world is more than what is being glamorized on television aka the media. Born into a world I seem to know little about, I try to educate myself on its history, while the more I find out daily, the more I become disgusted in humanities ways. I pray that those who are quick to be cruel to those that are different will open their eyes before Judgment Day as they are to me truly being tested.

Life is like a new business venture and this to me is a strategy of making yourself successful and how do you do that, first you create a plan and implement steps to achieve those goals of success.  Now as you put those steps into action you will see that in some areas you succeed and some you fail, instead of tossing your hands in the air and giving up, you apply the actions of success to the areas of failure to make a turnaround in your progression of life.

My Grandfather was born in an era where he had to witness and took the action of society mistreating him, he could have fail victim to the hatred being giving to him and let that stop him from becoming a success, but he didn’t! He traveled; he educated himself, created a profitable business to provide for his family.  I celebrate being black year round because my grandfather has passed down genetics that entails I WILL NEVER FAIL, I ONLY ACHIEVE SUCCESS DIFFERENTLY FROM OTHERS!

GOD had blessed me with many things and one is my education, now knowing that there are many African Americans that should be taught in school and celebrated during black history month besides Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and Fredrick Douglas. I encourage everyone to read up about Andre Cailloux (Stephen J. Ochs- A black patriot and a white priest), Felicie Coulon, Gabriel Prosser, Marie Laveau, Rose Nicaud, Francis E. Dumas and Jules Lions.

People of my past and present inspire me to make a change every day and that is what I try to do with my writing. Many things plague the world today and the majority of it is labeling, now while we all have the right to freedom of speech and our opinions, I still should know the connotation of the words I direct to an individual. I educate myself on the different lifestyles of the world and with that I may not agree with it but I respect it. My sensitivity comes from the fact that I have faced bullying and realize, “Rejection is GOD protection.”

We all want power; just watch how you achieve it and what you do with it!

JAM Aiwuyor Commentary, Race Ethnicity & Culture

They Say Hispanic…I see Black: The 21st Century and the DuBoisian Color Line is Still An Issue

They Say “Hispanic”…I see “Black” :The 21st Century and the DuBoisian Color Line is Still An Issue
By Timothy Aaron – Styles c2011

According to all indicators, the “Hispanic” population grew by 43% over the last 10 years pushing the actual numbers to over 50 million. Now, according to sources such as The Census Bureau, one out of every six North American (United States citizen) is “Hispanic.

I keep hearing this statistical, numerical and quantitative fact reported however there is one historical and cultural truth that I am not hearing, except in my own head and out my own mouth: many, if not most, of the people classified as “Hispanic” are actually of African descent and “Black.” With this in mind, my logic says if the Afro-Hispanic population is increasing in numbers, so are the number of regular ole “Black” folks which means – Black folks, overall, are becoming the “new” majority. Then why don’t they just say that?

For the record, there is really no such thing as a Hispanic “race.” As an aside, I must say that I am one of those reluctant to use the term “race” to distinguish (between) various peoples. If one believes that there is only One Human Race, then how could there be other races? How could you have sub – races? Wouldn’t a “sub – race” mean that there are “sub – humans”? Personally, I prefer using either of the following terms to classify and differentiate human beings: ethnicity, culture or nationality. But, that’s another narrative deserving more exploration and discussion at a later date.

Hispanic (or Latino) peoples are people comprised of indigenous Native North, Central and South American nations including the Caribbean (e.g. Taino, Arawak, Carib, Aztec, Mayan, Calusa, etc.); Africans; and Europeans (Spaniards and Portuguese). Their ethnic and cultural origins are traceable to either or all of these groups.

As it is well documented, the Spanish and Portuguese presence in the Americas is primarily due to colonialism – what some euphemistically refer to as, “exploration” and “discovery.” Later.

It is the Spanish and Portuguese presence that put the “Latin” in Latin America. While there are remnants of indigenous/Native and African culture throughout the “Hispanic Diaspora,” primarily, it is the Spanish language that defines, connects and “unites” Hispanic people. Put another way, the major commonality and criterion used to classify “Hispanic” peoples is the Spanish language. The term “Hispanic,” then, is primarily based on linguistics and secondarily on culture. Again – ethnically, there is no such thing as “Hispanic.”

Interestingly enough, Spain owes so much to Hannibal the African for the development of its civilization and culture. Oh, the complexities of history, culture and identity. Another topic for another time.

In nations like Panama, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Cuba, Peru, Mexico and Columbia – you will find many Black people, as well as clear African cultural influence in and through food, music, religion/spirituality, architecture, art and language. In some cases, probably rare, I will admit, you will find that the African culture is the dominant culture such as in Brazil, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico and The Dominican Republic.

So I find it interesting and sad when I hear of African – Americans taking anti-Hispanic positions as they are apparently unaware of the ethnic, cultural and historical commonalities between them and African – Hispanics.

Case in point, in an NPR story about “New NAACP Leaders Broaden Group’s Missions,” an AME ZION Minister in Waterbury, Connecticut, by the name of Leroy Perry, stating his opposition to a Hispanic person serving as chapter President based on the fact that the NAACP was started for “Black people in particular.” I shook my head as I listened to this leader of an African Methodist Episcopal church. Emphasis on “African.”

Oh, this Queens, New York – born and raised person is not naive. I know that many, if not most, Hispanic folks are just as unaware, or in denial, about both their Africaness/Blackness and their ethnic and cultural ties to African-Americans as are African – Americans about theirs to their Hispanic cousins. Yet another topic to discuss at another time. Neither African – American ignorance or self denial or Afro – Hispanic ignorance or self-denial can change the historical truths.

Black people are not just African – American. Nor can “Black” continue to merely be defined by skin color and locality. Being “Black” is just as global as globalization. And no longer can narrative and discourse about being “Black” and “what is Black?” be intelligently and honestly engaged in without mentioning a simple six letter word: “A- F- R – I- C- A.”

About the author:

Timothy Aaron-Styles has worked in media, strategic communications and entertainment in New York, Georgia, South Carolina and Bermuda. Majored in Film and Video at Georgia State University while minoring in Marketing.

He has worked with CNN Headline News, 16 The Library Channel and City 5: Atlanta City Hall’s cable television station. Has advised political, corporate and non-profit clients in New York, Georgia and Bermuda. Co- screenwriter of “Akwaaba” a a romantic comedy set in Ghana reflecting the multi-faceted fabric of Ghanaian life. His one-act play, “Shhhh!!” was adapted into a screenplay and shot and is post-production. The piece has a very interesting and unique perspective on sexual abuse.

He can be reached at Timothyaaronstyles@yahoo.com.