Through the fire and flames,
Through the bruises and pain,
Through the suffering and the shame,
I will step up my game and rise again and again.
You will bear witness to my persistence.
No matter the odds,
I will face any challenge
and win the fight,
As long as the light within shines bright.
Spider descends from web
Silky danger captures prey
Cocooning dinner
Robin somersaults
On ice-covered power lines
Spring in Michigan
When wielded wisely, words can heal, surprise, and make our spirits rise. But they can be misused to abuse,
Spread lies, sow strife, or end a life;
They can cut like a knife and lay a fellow low,
Cast a bring light, or throw us into an infinite night;
Be neat, sweet, petite, and knock us off our feet.
Or lead to our defeat.
They can be mean, obscene, or used to spread fake news via memes on our computer screens.
They can give shape to our dreams or be the stuff of nightmares.
Their power can leave us staring, glaring, or swearing.
We may lose sleep over them,
Wondering if the price we pay for saying them is too steep.
But if they came cheap and didn’t matter, how worse would things get?
Any nitwit can get in a snit and spit whatever shit they like on social media and be the focal point of attention,
Racking up likes, retweets, and mentions;
All because they have an inclination for condemnation,
A penchant for prose pugilism that leaves decency, civility, and the whole of humanity
Battered and bruised with every word they spew.
Regardless of what some may think,
Words aren’t the final refuse of the weak.
Ultimately, it’s up to each of us to choose the words we use or abuse.
And while this may not be news, it bears repeating.
Though we may be seething, we must
Think before speaking.
When each sentence is a sentence to oratory purgatory,
There’s no violence like silence.
When I speak a word and go unheard,
When my every utterance is met with, “Can you speak more clearly?”
It’s enough to drive me insane.
“Can you hear me now?” has become my go-to refrain.
I feel less than,
My cheeks flushed with heat,
When I’m asked to repeat my words
Again and again.
Each syllable is a subliminal criminal,
A thief of time and energy,
Making communication shallow and banal, hollow so you can follow what I’m saying.
Speaking is like flaying myself, filling me with lethargy as I wait to see if you can hear me.
I fear anywhere the background volume is above a whisper,
Lest my voice disappear,
Engulfed in the whir of the crowd.
It’s frustrating, infuriating, mentally deteriorating
Wondering if the other is hearing what I’m saying.
So:
Can you hear me now?
I was six when I had my first case of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis/Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.
That’s quite a mouthful and I’m doubtful you’ll remember it or stick around long enough for me to explain it if I type it all out, so let’s just call it TEN/SJS, and say it was a whole lot of pain.
To start with, I don’t mean to bitch but to educate so you avoid my fate.
I’d just started first grade at an elementary school in Detroit that will remain nameless,
But is far from blameless.
My class went to the library for the time and this was the scene of the Crime,
Where my tale begins.
A kid next to me kicked me under our table, and I kicked him back,
And that’s when the librarian snapped and kicked my ass;
He bashed my head into one of the shelves and then made me stand up for the rest of the period.
The force of the blow caused me to black it out, but luckily—or not;
You be he judge.
During the police investigation, we learned this wasn’t his first act of aggression.
A neighbor girl saw what he’d done to me.
I’m happy to confess they removed him from the profession.
The week after the assault, I began having seizures and this bought my childhood life of leisure to an end.
After an EEG, they diagnosed me with epilepsy, and further tests revealed a cystic mass where my head had been bashed.
The week before I was scheduled for brain surgery, I got strep throat;
They put me on penicillin, despite a family history of allergies to it.
“Don’t worry,” they said. “He’ll be fine.”
I don’t mean to whine, but I wasn’t, am not, and still have an axe to grind.
I developed flu-like symptoms, a red, blotchy rash;
And soon my life was hanging by a thread.
Week after week, my parents took me to the doctors;
I grew weaker and weaker,
My fever soaring higher and higher.
Finally, when I hit 103,
my parents took me to Children’s Hospital.
By then I was whisper-thin,
Mouth covered in fever blisters.
They diagnosed me with SJS/TEN on the spot,
Packed me with ice,
And my heart stopped.
Forget what you’ve read about near death experiences;
There were no pearly gates or tunnel of light.
Instead, there was just me floating in a sea of darkness,
Empty all around like a tomb or the womb.
No sound until they shocked me,
Each time only regaining sight long enough to stare up into the bright lights of the triage room.
I’ll spare you the rigmarole of the blow-by-blow.
What I want you to know is this:
SJS/TEN is no joke.
I’ve been poked and prodded more times anyone ought to,
And my parents nearly went broke keeping me alive.
I lost over eighty percent of my skin,
Lay comatose for six months,
And then had to learn how to walk and talk again.
There’s more to my tale,
But I won’t bore you with descriptions of the hell
I’ve lived through.
Just know:
Penicillin allergies aren’t anything to fuck with.
Much has been said about what writers should feed their head—
Mostly authors who are dead—
If they want to make that bread.
Instead, write what you like
And tell the critics to take a hike.
Don’t write to trends because they’ll end before you even begin;
Don’t groan.
Set ones of your own.
Even if it never pays,
Write anyway.
Pay no heed to those who say you need to do x, y, and z to be a “real” writer.
Why be a follower when you can lead?
Whether an all-nighter or nail-biter,
Write in whatever fashion fills you with passion
And keeps your fingers mashing.
Whether absurd or a little disturbed,
Fuck what you heard and play with words.
I did not stutter or mean to make you shudder
With that curse in my last verse.
But it was a gut check for what comes next.
Be ye a devotee of Bradbury, Lovecraft, Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald,
Tolkien;
Or a fan of Rowling or King,
Play with your words until they sing,
Until they shine like the One Ring.
Make love to your prose
Until the juices flow
And curls your toes.
Hear what I say,
You needn’t write every day.
But when you do:
Make sure you slay.
Give it all your heart and finish what you start.
Know the world needs your words,
No matter what anyone may say to the contrary.
When words have you flummoxed as though you’re locked in a box with a bunch of crocs,
Or you feel as though you’re tall as a mouse and there’s a pox on your house,
Know your quandary is very ordinary.
Persistence is the word;
Quitting’s for the birds.
Fuck what you heard
And play with words.
Black lives matter.
That this must be said, as white cops continue to beat and batter brown and Black bodies, piling up the dead of the latter, makes my heart shatter.
And that’s why I’ll always say:
Black lives matter.
You can go screw with your, “All lives matter.” palaver.
Until unarmed whites suffer the same plights and are killed at the same disproportionate numbers;
Until the media uses said dead as fodder for their reports, combing through their existence for any retort as to how this homicide was justified; because, despite the cops’ insistence that they feared for their lives, it’s plain as day that they lied,
Until the deaths of your brethren are used to divide and force us to pick a side between cops and criminals, a false dichotomy,
Until your race is constantly demonized and assumed the enemy,
Until you instinctively freeze when you see a police car, wondering if your name will be added to the list of the slain,
Until people have become numb to your pain and hand down yet another acquittal, then don’t be so little and belittle us with this insane refrain.
It’s beyond lame and takes the focus off who’s to blame.
As long as cops continue looking at us askew because of our hue, this will continue to be an issue.
As long as they keep playing god, slaying anyone Black or brown who even looks at them odd, then I will continue saying:
Black lives matter!
To all those contemplating suicide,
In this darkest of nights, know the world needs your lights.
I beg you, resist.
Too much blood has been shed from the wrists of those who did not Persist.
When all seems lost again, remember within you is the ember of a Hero: a phoenix waiting to be born anew.
Your head may be bloodied, but it is unbowed.
You are endowed with a warrior spirit.
Pound for pound you’re the toughest around.
What’s that sound?
Can you hear it?
It’s all the things you’ve left unsaid, the voice at the back of your Head telling you to get off the ground.
You aren’t dead yet.
You’re a phoenix, a titan, so keep fighting.
Though you feel like you’re in hell, and that nothing will quell the Storm in you, don’t do anything rash.
This feeling won’t last.
As Tolkien said:
“This too shall pass.”
Know this is not the end.
Your story is unwritten.
You hold the pen and can start writing again.
Though the world will continue hitting you with its lies and Negativity, depleting you physically, mentally, and spiritually; and Every day it feels like part of you dies, realize:
You are a phoenix.
Now rise.
Before I begin, listen to what I’m spitin’ before ya come at me with Who ya think I’m dissin’.
If you’re white, some of y’all are all right, but for the rest, hold on Tight.
When I was younger, I had a thing for Anglo boys. Redhead, Blonde, brunette, they all got my dick wet.
Yet, I never felt secure in my own skin when I looked at my Reflection, even though I had the complexion for protection.
Listen to what I’m laying down before you start clowning around. You’re not the enemy; I’m just not with that white supremacy, Which says if you’re African, then you’re subhuman.
So, let’s dig in.
It’s not a sin to have melanin; black is where it’s at, and brown is The talk of the town.
Screw jungle fever.
I don’t wanna be with ya unless your skin’s brown like a beaver.
I won’t poke her unless she’s ocher; I don’t want no fellow unless he’s at Least high-yellow; I don’t want your number unless you’re burnt-umber.
If you can pass the paper bag test, then it’s for the best if I pass on that ass.
Let me reiterate: my anaconda don’t want none, hun, unless you can go in the sun without getting well-done, son.
This isn’t coming from a place of hate; I’m not trying to Discriminate, just trying to eliminate the fools from my dating pool Who are only into me because of the stereotype of the bbc, or who Think it’s erotic that they find me exotic.
Sorry, bro, but that’s a no-go.
No more will I be your chocolate-covered lover, your s’more whore.
I think it’s obnoxious, and if I’m being honest, I find it vomitous.
I’m sure by now some of you are riotous. In the interest of Verisimilitude, I admit my biases.
I’ve been hurt by many a jerk, but if you’re sans the racist attitude, maybe it could work?
And if you’re cute, that’d be a perk.
Joy is hope risen anew, being full of energy and not knowing what to do. It’s dreaming the impossible dream, screaming in ecstasy as You glimpse the great beyond. On a hot summer’s day, it’s a dip in The pond; It’s wearing new clothes that make you feel like James Bond; it’s Spending time with a person of whom you’re fond.
Joy is the answer to the call of the infinite, eternal sea from which we All sprang and will return. It’s the balm on the burn that is life, a knife That cuts through all despair; it’s the wind rustling through your hair as You drive down the road without a care.
It can be found in the darkest of places and can raise us to the highest of Places, if we only we submit to it.
It’s a fit of the giggles when you blaze a spliff and get legit lit. It’s the Power of words to make you resist the urge to binge and purge or slit Your wrists.
It’s finding your island of misfit toys and not giving a whit about the Thoughts of some supercilious shit.
It’s that hit to your gut that knocks you on your butt and makes you say, “What?” when you see a hottie, that tingle in your body when you think Something naughty.
It’s the exhilarating thrill that sends chills up your spine when your legs Entwine, giving you all the feels. The kiss that seals the deal and lets You know this is for real real.
Joy is the phoenix born from the flames of our will made manifest When we kill our ego and tap into our inner hero.
It’s shots of Jäger and Jack back-to-back on a Saturday night. It’s Dancing in the club, fifty-deep, and not caring that you’ll get no sleep. It’s ice cream on a lazy Sunday, lounging in bed all day and staying up All night.
Joy is that contentment when only you and the night are awake and only Your thoughts feel real. It’s the warm glow you felt the first time you Met and the spark you get when you kiss that you’ll never forget. It’s the Rush as you gush, busting a nut once, twice, thrice.
It’s the intoxication you feel when all you can think about is them, when Just the sound of their voice or the scent of their skin shoots you to Heaven and back again.
Joy is the simple pleasure you got playing as kid. Seeing the world t
Through eyes so innocent, where anything could become a toy. Those Simple things that we took for granted because we young and dumb. What glorious fun could be had from a ball and a bottle. Those summer Days spent playing catch, football, and countless other games late into The night. Those blunder years when everything was still so new and Full of wonder before our innocence faded and we became broke and Jaded.
It’s the feeling that you aren’t alone, that it was ok to like other boys in That way; it’s coming home.
Joy is finding a place where you fit and not giving a shit what anyone thinks.
If you take anything from this poem, know that joy is what you make of It.
There are rules for everything and everyone, some good, some bad, Some boring, but never ones that are fun.
“Don’t do that, it’s wack. Act like this and you won’t get dissed.”
“Don’t say that; talk like this if you wanna be cool.”
“You can’t love your same gender. But remember a serial adulterer Who habitually lies can be a contender for the Second Coming, if He’s not bumming guys. “
Dress like this if you wish to get kissed; look like this if you don’t want To be dismissed a fool.”
We’ve become slaves to these rules, afraid to be called fools, and have Become tools of our own prisons, digging our graves deeper, the dirt Piling high, burying ourselves alive, because we’re scared to get hurt. But is it worth it?
We are given the illusion of individuality, in so far as we stick to the Guidelines of what it means to be an outsider.
“Don’t like that, it’s too mainstream; check this out, it’s legit lit.”
“Don’t think like that, you’re brainwashed by the powers that be. Here, Read this book on post postmodernism and see the plight of the masses, Then you’ll be just like me.”
“Don’t buy from Walmart, because their workers are paid slave wages,” she says from her multi-million-dollar mansion in a Country, lest we forget, built upon the death of millions who were Only three-fifths a Person.
There are even rules for having not rules.
“Only read books about anarchism and only talk to people who Believe In anarchism or you’re not a real anarchist.”
“Don’t confirm to anything, but don’t be like us, you poser.”
Rules were meant to establish order and instead have become tools Of control.
As for me?
I have a new goal: to be free.
See, I don’t need rules for how to be me.
So, I say screw the rules and do you, boo.
One: hair golden as the sun. You were the best friend I didn’t know I was missing. Granted, the whole time we were hanging, I was wishing we were kissing. Though you never knew how my heart melted whenever I was around you, I’ll always remember you, boo.
Two: I was a fool for ever getting with you. We met online and that should have been a sign not to date your behind. It was fun at first, then it was the worst. I felt suffocated, then grew jaded as our love faded. I thought my heart would burst without you, but I ended things anyway. That’s when you became jerk, not respecting my boundaries or space. To this day, thoughts of you make me want to punch your face.
Three: you were a disgrace. You said you loved me, but now I see you just wanted the D. I could go on, but I’ll be quick. You thought you were slick, but you’re just a giant dick.
You make me sick.
Four: you shook me to the core. One look at you, and I was through. But I was crazy to ever think you’d get with me. I now see, I was a fool for breaking every rule when it came to you.
Still lovelorn?
Maybe.
Scorned?
Nope!
But baby, we could have been dope.
There are more, but I’m sure by now you’re wishing this poem would end.
To the one yet to come: Don’t worry, no hurry.
I’ve given up all hope of ever loving again.
Hey, sorry I haven’t updated in a while. I’ve been dealing with some mental health issues, but I’ve talked with my psychiatrist and am doing better now.
To make up for not posting, I’ll post a new poem every day as part of National Poem Writing Month.
So here’s the first one called “An Ode to Summer.”
I can hardly breathe or believe you’re lying next to me.
You are summer personified, your legs entwined with mine.
I’ll never forget your meteor-shower hair, your sunflower-scent
Your eyes aglow, fireflies dancing to a song only we know.
Your skin, caramel ice cream; your face, a vision from a dream.
Your watermelon lips, kisses so sweet they ought-ta be a felon.
Your smile, radiant as the sun shining on us as we strolled, hand in hand, sand beneath our feet.
While I could praise your booty–I mean beauty from here to eternity, this poem has come to an end.
But summer will come again.
Introduction
Beneath the Citadel,” by Destiny Soria is a fantasy YA novel set in the city of Eldra, where everything is dictated by prophecies that always favor the council that rules the land.
The book opens with the main characters being sentenced to death for trying to sneak into the citadel, and picks up with their escape.
Characters
The main issue I had with the characters was a lack of development because you’re never in one character’s point of view long enough to get to know them. And this combined with a lack of distinctive voices for each character left me confused as to who was who most of the time.
Mostly my impression of them were–Newt is the contortionist with an abusive childhood, Alys is the brains of the operation, Evander is the joker/moral support, Cassa is the hot-head impulsive one, and Vesper is just a plot device so that the ending works out the way it did.
This wouldn’t have been so bad if we stuck with one character throughout the story, but no less than six characters get point of view chapters, and in each of them few if any new information or details are revealed, while the same information gets covered ad nauseum.
If the events being covered were more interesting, this wouldn’t have been an issue.
Overall, this would have been a far more enjoying book had Ms. Soria either limited the point of view characters or told the story from an omniscient point of view so there was no need to retread the same information.
Plot
The story itself sounded interesting, but it lacked in the execution. Because of the issues with point of view characters that I mentioned above, any momentum the story builds is wasted by the often-pointless shifts in the point of view character. That is, when we’re not forced to slog through chapter-long flashbacks of details that should have been incorporated within the story proper.
Moreover, for a story that bills itself as a fantasy, the world building was threadbare with concepts and terms thrown at you with few explanations until later in the book.
Moreover, it is yet another book set in pseudo medieval Europe. Seriously, give this a rest. There are so many other places you could set a fantasy.
The other issue I had with the plot was that it started on such a bang and then was uneven as hell. Things would happen and then because of the flashback chapters everything slowed to a crawl and didn’t pick up for several more chapters.
By the end of the book, I just didn’t care about the characters.
Conclusion
Overall, I give “Beneath the citadel” three out of five stars. It’s not the best book, but I’ve read worse. Check this out at your library if you insist on reading it.