Morphological Confetti

I’m sure that some of you have seen or heard the news about the oldest living person, Mrs. Emma Faust Tillman. She was born a plantation near Gibsonville, NC as the daughter of former slaves. She lived to be 114 years old. She held on to her title for only a week. She died quietly on Sunday night at a nursing home in Hartford, Connecticut. It’s time to rest, now. It’s time to go home. God rest her soul. Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Tillman Photo Source: http://www.blick.ch/

Tell me, what does this photo say to you? Click link for more photos: Bess Photos On Flickr Enjoy your weekend! Peace~

There are times in our lives when we have a brush with greatness, but most of the time we are just not aware. We encounter this excellence from time to time, but remain oblivious. These individuals (some of them may be you) may not get national or international recognition, but they are “great” in the eyesight of those who are aware of their contributions. For me, it was 1992 and my sophomore year as a student at Savannah State College. My English professor decided to take our class on a field trip to Savannah’s historic Beach Institute . Beach Institute began as a school for African American students before integration. It now functions as a museum and archive of African American history. It is also connected with The King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation of Savannah. The professor told us that we were going to see and meet a very important Savannah native. He was also a graduate of Georgia State College (Now Savannah State University ). Who was this man? Well, he was born Westley W...

There are other matters that I have to attend to for now, but I'll be back soon. I hope to post something this week. I want to post some writing. I need to mix things up a bit. Besides, this is Morphological Confetti. It should be a little of everything, right? *smile* Peace~

These are photos that I took at the Utopia on U Street here in DC. I was attracted to the shadows that night as it rained.

Michael J. West of Pop Musicology has tagged me to ask the question: What are 6 things about me that are sort of weird? Well, it turns out that I did this tag back in July and I don't think that my "weirdness" has changed much since. Check it out: Game Of Tag: I'm it! Why the picture? Well, who was more atypical in his behavior than Miles Davis? Peace~

I was tagged by author/poet , Cathy Delaleu for the questions listed below. It was a lot of fun. Check out Cathy's page. She has a wonderful new book of poetry titled , Wrapping Thoughts Beneath Emotive Rain. Thanks Cathy! 1. I HAVE NEVER WANTED TO SEEK Love as a younger man until Love found me and I've been hooked ever since. 2. WHEN I WAS 8 years old, I BELIEVED that my grandmother knew everything. I asked her questions that only the creator could know. She would give all the credit to God, so then I started asking her questions about him: "Grandma, does God have a brother or sister and do they have their own world to look after?" 3. IF I WAS MY OWN BEST FRIEND, WHAT I WOULD ENJOY THE MOST ABOUT SPENDING TIME WITH ME is that I could just talk about Writing, History, Literature, Poetry, Photography, Art and Culture all the time. Fortunately, I have a wife who loves to talk about all of those things. She's my "Bess" friend. 4. IF THE STORY OF...

Vials for crack-cocaine found in an alley in Baltimore, Maryland Photo by: Stephen A. Bess . “ Over time, as the suppliers figured out how to make crack more easily, the price of crack fell dramatically,” says Levitt. “Therefore, an addict could consume much more crack with the same amount of income. The number of people using crack has fallen, but the total amount of crack consumed hasn’t fallen nearly as much because each addict is consuming much more.” Sources: http://www.chicagogsb.edu/ (The Economics of an Illicit Drug Market, April 2006)

Wyclef Jean has superseded his role as a Rapper/Hip-Hop artist. He is one of the few mainstream artists who has utilized his infuluence in music industry to agitate, inspire and uplift the people of Haiti. Music has always been a vehicle for change in the Black Community, but in recent years it has been blinded and overshadowed by money, bling, and debauchery. Wyclef Jean demonstrates a clear distinction from the norm. He doesn’t seem to be as concerned about record sells as he is about the elevation of the Haitian people. God bless that brother. Peace to Haiti! Sources: http://www.bbcnews.com/ and http://www.musicclub.it/

My good friend Rethabile has tagged me today. So, I get to talk about something that I hold dear. Yes, I get to talk about writing and poetry! I hope that you all will learn something new about me. Ke a leboha, ntate! 1. Question one: Why do you write poetry (or literature) at all? This congenital impulse in me was conceived through the Black oral tradition. My grandmother, Eunice was the family griot. I would listen intently to the stories that she would tell me as a child. These were stories passed down to her by her elders and she was more than willing to pass them on to me. I was an inquisitive, bright-eyed little boy with dozens of questions about who we were and who we are. All of this has compelled me to pick up the pen. 2. Question two: What is your favorite poem? You know, the one you'd have loved to have written, the one by whose standard you base all other works of art. If your life depended on answering this question, what poem would you suggest to the person holding...