Another week, another Resonance Roll Call and these names keep showing up. ✍🏾 Big love to @Ericka Floyd, @Naomie Thomas, and @M. a. Dennis for holding down this week’s Top 3 week after week. We so appreciate you. To our honorable mention who continues to contribute, support, and keep this space moving you do not go unseen. @Mick Collins @Laron Henderson @Tierrah Nicole @Cynthia Jacob @Craven Smith Your consistency has a way of making itself visible so thank you. 🖤

As I child I wish I knew What I would go through As an adult I wish someone had really sat me down Talked to me Said listen here son You still young You all about having fun Enjoy it while it last Cuz being an adult Is no laughing matter At some point Disaster will strike It will throw you curve balls Quicker than any pitcher on the mound They'll come at you faster Than 100 miles per hour When you face them Will you have the balls to stand your ground Stand at the plate Swing the bat for the fences To hit a homerun Or will you fold Like a bad poker hand Will you play your cards right Even when you have no spades to play What plan will you have When facing bad situations Will you pick up your face Or fall to disgrace What if as a child I was taught to pursue a woman With a purpose and passion Instead of girls with good pussy and a big ass That cause headaches and drama That the quality of a woman Is more important than quanties and physicalities Taught that sex is a precious treasure To share with a wife To have a beautiful life with forever What if as a child Taught to stack my paper With real estate and stocks That pay life long divedends So I don't have to work myself to death Instead of spending on material possessions That have no value in the end Then in my older years I can finally rest and catch my breath Before I can't breathe again What if as a child I was taught to live life to the fullest Chase goals and dreams Let my fears go Do whatever I want Scared and afraid That fear is just an illusion Don't let it confuse you To think you aren't good enough Then when I grew into a man I would be the one I wanted to be Instead of living under the shadow Of the one I could be If I could rewind the hands of time To go back to being a child These are the lessons I would seek someone to teach me So I could understand What it takes to go From a child to a man

September is Suicide Awareness Month, and I wanted to create something that gives people another way into the conversation. Not everybody knows how to say what they’re carrying out loud. Sometimes the words come easier through a poem, a journal entry, a story, or a page nobody else ever sees. These prompts were created to make room for reflection, truth, pain, hope, and the parts of mental health we do not always know how to talk about. Take the prompt that speaks to you. Sit with it. Write from where you are. And if any of these prompts bring something heavy to the surface, please remember you do not have to carry it alone. Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Support is available 24/7. Your words matter. Your story matters. You matter. if you choose to write to any of these prompts, please tag me in your post. #SuicideAwarenessMonth #MentalHealthMatters #WritingForHealing #988Lifeline #LoveAndLyrics

In the UK men account for three out of every four suicides. Often I'v heard men say they don't have support available. I've certainly said it myself many times. We don't have the spaces to express our needs. Well we've got one here. So I will check daily at least for this month in case someone needs to use it. Because we don't need to carry everything on our own. Just a thought 🤔 Stay well all 🙏 ♥️

It's Domestic Violence Month. I have a few poems on this subject. This something that a lot of men don't talk about happening to them. It's one reason why I started writing poetry. This is one is based on a prompt I got from Tariq when I took his writing class. He’s quiet silent introverted Made this way People say because he’s either shy or arrogant BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT IS MEANT barely speaks, unless spoken to By a select few It’s the violence of silence Outside he seems just fine Internally, holding so much hurt Heartaches buried deep inside Such anger and pain At times seeing nothing but red He just doesn’t want the outside world to Witness his dread He doesn’t want his silence to become violent like the world makes him out to be He keeps it buried inside More than six feet deep When he sits in silence controlling his anger His internal retreat Still smelling the blood of his best friend Murdered in the streets Tasting the concrete as his lifeless body hit the ground He remembers the struggle of him fighting for his life Witnesses all around The sadness of it all That’s only one of many that he’s seen *Bleeding out on the pavement *Another life lost He must say rest in peace Goes to work everyday Working for a boss he hates a steady job making an honest living He tries to forget the street life he used to live Forgets the sounds of his feet Hitting the concrete running from the police micro-managment causing him internal resentment His eyes bloodshot red every time he feels condemned He wants to rage in a violent outburst Internally he hurts He knows if he has a violent reaction That’s his job, his livelihood *tragic past keeps silent, buried in his work tries to relax after Outside in the park Listening to the pulse of his own beating heart To keep some sort of peace The sound of the trees wallowing in the wind The birds chirping bringing in the sounds of spring in HIS REAL REASON To avoid going home to the screaming words of his significant other constantly belittling, berating him like a MOTHER