So I forgot to share le awesome news last week that my poem for prompt #2 actually came 1st!!!!!!! Wooot! Woot! *throws confetti* So here is this week's poem and this poem actually came 3rd this week *small yay*. Going back to reclaim the top spot next week that is my goal. But if you want to check out the other poets' works here's the link: http://50for50jubilee.wordpress.com/2012 And without further ado. Here's this week's poem under the theme: Heroes. Enjoy!

Born to Lead the Masses

Ornella Green

A strong man

Earnest and eager in spirit

Justice was his call

Freedom was his song

He didn’t have a cape

Nor had he worn a costume

His suit of armour was non-existent

All he came with was a voice and a dream

He stood up on the podium

Spreading words of wisdom

Speaking to the masses

Instilling words of inspiration

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery”

“If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life”

“The black skin is not a badge of shame, but rather a glorious symbol of national greatness”

He spoke with a conviction that sent chills through our spines

A hero whose message preceeded him

Travelled across the waters

Transcends from coast to coast

A vision of black empowerment

Universal Negro Improvement Association

African Communities League

Were only few of his charters

The first of many to come

His legacy left on the world

With buildings in Africa, Europe, US and the Carribean

Jamaica’s first National Hero

Who else could bring such dignity to the black skin?

He wore many hats

Teacher

Journalist

Political Leader

Activist

But his first and foremost shall forever be his name

Marcus Mosiah Garvey

Hey guys. I finished prompt #2 in the Jamaica 50:50 prompt and it's officially up so I can share it with you all now. The theme this week was "Your character is a child in the 1962 Independence celebrations" So without further ado. Here goes my poem. I hope you enjoy and as usual comments are always welcomed. Oh and to vote for the poem just click on this link: http://50for50jubilee.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/independence-hullabaloo-by-ornella-green/ and comment. You can also check out other poems etc.

Hindependence Hullabaloo

by Ornella Green

August 20, 1962

Cuzzin suzie wah gwan?

My girl,

Yuh hear seh Jamaica get hindependence?

Bwoy mi nuh too kno weh dat mean

But mama seh wi free wi self from backa masta

Yes iyah dem all call election couple monts ago

And ah Missa Bustamante did win

No sah mi neva too care who did win still

All mi di wah hear ah no school and idle time

Mi did gawn afta dat

But mi seh yuh shudda deh ova yah

When August fifth midnight bell toll

Ah big big hexcitement bruk out

All fi di hindependence celebration

Mi seh mi chile

What a way di tings di nice

Maypole ah dance

Fireworks ah light up di sky

Clappaz ah buss

And di whole ah wi ah dance inna di street

What a piece ah sinting

Dem have big big ting

Ah National Stadium

Fi show wi di flag

Bwoy it pretty suh til

Wid wi colaz black, green and one gold ‘X’ inna di miggle

Den dem start sing wi new National Antem

“Heternal fadda bless hour land”

Ah suh mi tink it start

Mi nuh too know it yet

But mi glad fi tap sing dat blasted British Antem every morning

And haffi shout bout ‘God save the Queen’ like one blinking Jackass

Mi glad suh til

Di hexcitement reach mi

Ah wonder if ah dis daddy Sharpe di ah fight fah?

Or mas Marcus did ah preach?

Him seh back to Africa yes

But wi haffi start from someweh don’t?

Heneways cuzzin

Mi gone cuz mama ah call mi fi wash di clothes dem

Wah gwan fi yuh ah ‘Merica?

Lata,

Angie

So as promised here is my 5th place first prompt. The theme was 'Tainos'. I must admit it was a bit rough to do this one but I did my best.

First Born by Ornella Green

Children live what they learn

But what was taught to me?

Weapons and murder is survival

My family would be extinct on arrival of the invaders

What lessons have i learnt?

What have they taught me?

Exploit the meek and plunder

Rob and steal

I come from a simple way of being

Cassava, tobacco

All crops to feed

‘We were here first!’  I screamed at the top of my lungs

But they couldn’t understand

They didn't seem to understand me

They couldn't realize we were first to settle

First to make our homes

First to live these lives of freedom

All they sought was to destroy us

Make us work

And do what they want

Why haven't the gods helped us?

Why can't the cacique lead us to safety?

Are we doomed to this life?

Is there no escape for us?

Children live what they learn

But what was taught to me?

Survival is for the fittest?

The more vigilant and dominating?

What have they taught me?

Hey guys,

It's been far too long since I blogged and I've been on vacay for the past two weeks. The problem is I'm lacking inspiration and need a bit more motivation. So anyway just want to do a little update of what I'm doing. This year my homeland of Jamaica celebrates 50 years of Independence woot! Anyhoo I've been searching for a way to contribute and I found it through the 50 for 50 Challenge which is a prompt competition held over the space of 10 weeks. For those of you who don't know what a prompt is it's when you receive a theme and you're expected to present a poem on that particular theme using any writing style you want. As the weeks go by I'll post the poems I come up with after I've sent it in so you can get a taste of what I'm doing. I'll share the first prompt which I did already last week and came 5th in last week's competition. Hope you're enjoying your summer.

Much Love, 

Nella

Rejuvenated

For the past few months i've been a blogging and writing delinquent. The truth is that I had lost some of my spunk.There was just something missing and I was feeling very demotivated. I struggled with deciding what I wanted to do with this blog and truth is I'm not gonna change much. It's a reflection of me and the stage i'm at in my life. The haphazard but completemotions of my life and I love it as is. So this is just to tell you all .......i'm back! :-) I still won't blog much due to my exams coming up but look for great things this year. They brave may fall but never yield.
 Much Love my sweets, Nella

Be a thinker and a doer

There is always that one student who seems to have an absolute command on everything that he or she does. They are deeply involved in co-curriculars, perform exceptionally well in their academics and they are not lacking in social skills either. These students often called super teens seem to have something that most teens lack.........a thinker-doer attitude.

The world often separates people into thinkers and doers. The thinkers think and the doers do. Thinkers make plans and detailed appraisals but doers get things done. We often cast these impressions unto ourselves and facilitate our grouping into one of these categories. However, what good does it do to be a doer and not a thinker? There is a quote that says: "Thinkers think and doers do. But until the thinkers do and the doers think, progress will be just another word in the already overburdened vocabulary of the talkers who talk."

That being said how can we achieve that balance? How can we execute that thinker-doer behaviour?  We must first think….then do.

1)      Set Clear Goals- Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. Use your goals as a tool for motivating yourself to turn your dreams into a reality. Identify precisely what you want to achieve and note where you want to concentrate your efforts.

2)    Begin with the end in mind- Visualize the end point of your goal and make a plan of action to achieve your goals. Make it realistic and specific to your own needs. One way you can do this is to imagine working backwards from the end point and create a map identifying every step on your journey. Keep the vision of you major goals and dreams at the forefront of your mind.

3)      Set small and intermediate goals- Sometimes when we have large goals we may feel overwhelmed and give up within weeks or even days of setting this goal. A good way to prevent this is to set smaller goals that you can keep track of and cross off every time it is achieved. Small and intermediate goals help you to gain more information. The smaller goals can help you to measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals and thus improve self-confidence in your own abilities.

4)      Take action- You can’t get ahead by sitting on your behind. The major innovators and movers&shakers that really make an impact in any industry are thinkers and doers. They are open to new ideas, new concepts and are constantly trying to improve or change the way things are done. They create effective plans and brilliant strategies for their success. Then they supplement this with efficiently getting tasks done. If you make a plan and don’t take steps to implement it and take action to achieve your goals then you have been twice defeated.

‘If you’re bored with life, if you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things, then you don’t have enough goals.’ ~ Lou Holtz

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

For the past two months I've been a bit MIA. I haven't blogged, tweeted or posted anything in this my world. And believe it's not for lack of ideas it's more for lack of inspiration. I'm at a place where I want to renovate my blog and change the whole direction of it. I want to increase followers and have a specific niche for my blog so for now I'll continue posting until I've completely cemented my vision. I hope you haven't missed me.........too much.

Much Love, 

Nella