Sunday October 17th was the Ladies Event in Albion at the Little Church on the Hill. We had a nice turnout and great venders. Gnome in the Home has the cutest gnome creations. Must haves for Christmas. Our ever faithful Mary Kay Cosmetics, and Amy spoke about how feeling good about yourself helps a woman feel accomplished. Mabel Howard from Cafe 710 was there with great treats and hot coffee. Heavenly Henna was there doing her beautiful art, and then we had Yoga outside standing up. Unique Designs by Shirley Kelly was there and others.
It was cool but mostly dry until the last 15 minutes. We had speakers on empowerment for women by the Girls Scouts of America, Crime Victim Center, SafeNet, and Poetry from Mabel Howard, Nikki Knight, and yours truly Thasia Anne.
Already looking forward to next year and getting bigger and better.
The next day was October 18th
The four finalists read for Poet Laureate of Erie County, at the Erie County Public Library in the Hirt Auditorium. I was one, and did my best. I made no mistakes or missteps. I had great projects planned.
Sometimes, your best is not enough on that day. The new Erie County Poet Laureate is Sean Thomas Dougherty. I have been a longtime fan. He is a wonderful poet, man, and friend. Congratulations.
I plan to find a way to create my projects anyway so that the community does not mis out. Two agencies have reached out and would like to have me create a poetry program with their agencies. So that is a win.
Thursday was Diversity and Inclusion program also at the Erie County Library
I read some new works on those subjects. I was in wonderful company. Such talented poets and several young voices from school. It was a heart warming experience.
Below I have included my poems from the Diversity/ Inclusion event.
DIVERSITY 1965
I grew up in a mostly happy home
Once my mother found true love
with my step-up dad
Our home had so many friends
of every color
Once a neighbor said something
about Jim the negro
I asked my mother at home
what that meant She explained that their friend
Jim was of a skin color some called negro
I remember that I asked, “Why don’t they just call him Jim?”
My extended family now
looks like the UN
We have Puerto Rican, Thai, Korean,
and soon to be African American.
We also have disabled and very abled
those who live for sports
and those who write and type
All Family members
Like the slogan says
We Have It All
INCLUSIVE
As a survivor of severe domestic violence
I learned and now teach the statistics
1 in 3 women will be victims of abuse at some point
Every Twelve seconds in these United States
a women is beaten by her husband, boyfriend, or lover and
while I said that, another woman was beaten
1 in 5 men will be the victim and not the abuser
There is no threshold that saves you
Not money, education, color, culture, or gender
WE are equally vulnerable
That is a kind of inclusiveness
A club we never chose to join
One many of us paid dues for
That is why my life’s work
Is to bring all the survivors together
and turn them into thrivers
To include them in this support system
So they can have a happy productive life
All ABOUT THE MONEY 1965
I was not included in things
As a child I was poor, and scrawny
not good at sports
Not wealthy enough for dance lessons
or to play an instrument in school
My kind of experience
and story led to programs that
help lower income families to
still experience the arts
This community does so much now
I am grateful that no energetic
full of rhythm child
ever has to hear again
That they don’t have what it takes
for music, or dance, or art
When back then the truth always was
It was all about the money
Poetrees Productions 