Poetic Dad

It’s been quite a while since I last posted anything. How has everyone been? I hope everyone is doing great, and life is treating you well! I’ve been away for some time now; I do apologize for leaving you guys just waiting and anticipating lol. Just kidding but seriously let’s talk about my summer since my last post. What do you think? Yes? Okay cool lets dive in…

The Writing Process…

Well, where do I begin? My life has been going well. Slight ups and downs just alike. It’s been interesting to say the least. I mean its life, right? The good with the bad, just have to take it in stride when it’s trending down. But alas right now it’s trending upward! I’ve had the genuine pleasure of experiencing new things along the way, met some great people that I’m excited to say our connections have genuinely grown through community and like-minded interests. I was lucky enough to make it to most of the Poetry Nights at the Green 320 in the city which was amazing!

Wrote so many new poems that I think I’m going to have to post on here, in a separate area, maybe its own page? We’ll see, I have a ton of homework lol. Any who, I met a great friend that I am very excited to have entered my life as I navigate this new stage. Maud Lavin, she is an amazing writer that I genuinely look up to, in this poetic space. I’ve talked to a few friends and mentioned that I’d love to have her as my mentor through my newly found poetic career. It was by mere chance that I met her and was able to network with her. I’ll be honest though; networking isn’t my favorite thing to do lol. I’m a bit of an introvert and I don’t usually put myself out there, right? Well since I had the pleasure of going and reading my poetry, that side of me is actually starting to change. I’m no longer intimidated or afraid to read my work in public. Thanks to discovering places in the city where open mic’s take place. The Chicago Poetry Center events they share have been a huge help for me. As they post many events throughout the city giving me more than one place to take part in. Building a community with likeminded individuals is one of the most fulfilling things I’ have ever been part of. Since the Summertime, many people came and went, in such a short time as well. Truly grateful to have met them, each one of them. I also had the pleasure to work alongside of Maud a few times this summer and just recently as well. Also, I met a really cool poet who is one of my favorite people I got to share the mic with as well. Lisa Marie Farver, her poetry is awesome, very engaging, funny, and just downright delightful. I truly enjoyed seeing her work and listening to it as well.

Another amazing thing that I was able to do this summer, well it was more so the fall but still you get it lol 😅 . Was to host my own poetry night as well. With the help of my gracious sister in law, Jillian, of The Umbrella Vintage Collaborative! As you can see in the pictures above it was a blast. The day before Halloween, we put together a poetry night called Whispers in the Dark. Opening the door to working alongside both Maud and Lisa. Honestly it was a fantastic experience. It almost felt surreal, like I was in a sense coming full circle. Since February to now, was honestly a huge jump for me. I mean I was a nervous mess to share my work, let alone read it at the start of all this. To where I am now, it’s a massive jump in my humble opinion. If you would have told me back then, I’d be hosting and emceeing my own event. I’d say nervously, “fuck you! shut up!” lol. But here I am though.

I’ve also been in school for the fall semester, and it’s been going well thankfully. At this point when writing this, I’m towards the end of the semester. Hoping to register for the following course of classes I need to take. I’m not entirely sure which classes I need (I need to get on top of that 😅). Its ok though I Plan on doing just that in the next couple of days. I’ve been very blessed with these great opportunities; I can’t even begin to describe. But I am eternally grateful to be where I am today. In a far better place and mindset than I was when I first started. My confidence has grown vastly, all thanks to poetry and reading my work at open mic’s, who would have thought? lol. I have also stepped into the realm of submitting my work to a few different publishing avenues. So, now it’s just a waiting game.

Precipice of Growth...

On the precipice of discovering who I am and where i fit in.
I got a glimpse of what's to come, of what my life would be like if I followed my dreams.
Of all the people that I would meet. 
The most authentic sense of belonging.
Nothing is going to be straight forward.
Then there will be times where it may seem like an uphill battle.
But keep pressing forward.
you got nowhere else to go
So, keep going bro.
But its ok, it's not all doom and gloom.
Theres still beauty at the end of it.
Like the gold to be found at the end of a rainbow.
Endless treasures to behold and wonders to be felt.
It's going to surprise you even more than you could ever imagine. 
And that's fine in itself. 
You're growing, your life expanding.
What more could you ask for in this timing space.
You got this bro; you got your self to where you'd least expect its honestly time to celebrate.
Keep gratitude, be thankful every day.
You'll see that precipice was worth the wait...