Gypsy Via Orleans• Show poetry

What to say about me?

Hummmm, okay here goes.

I'm the 51 year old mother of 3.

Grandmother to 4 of the cutest lil badasses

both sides of the Mason Dixie line.

I grew up, spent my entire life in New Orleans.

Hurricane Katrina blew me back to my roots in Mississippi.

Though born in Mississippi,

New Orleans is and always will be home.

The pulse of my city keeps my pulse throbbing.

I was educated in the Orleans Public School system.

My true education however came from my neighborhood.

If you believe it takes a village to raise a child,

believe you're not fully educated until you've walked that village.

My favorite past time is people watching.

You'd be amazed at what you learn from watching.

I don't mean some weird peeping kinda shit.

I mean simply observing.

If you have an active imagination ( as I do)

you'll be equally amazed by where it will take you.

My 8th grade English teacher read poetry

and short stories to our class each day.

She made the words come alive, from that point on I wanted to write. 

I wanted to make people see and feel what I was writing about.

My poems tend to be long.

Can't help it, they just come to me that way.

I kinda think of myself as more of a storyteller than a poet.

But, in a sense they are one and the same.

I've written short stories and plays.

I guess if I'm totally honest I should say I'm a tad bit

too lazy to write a novel even though I know I'm capable.

Did I mention that when I turned 17 I dropped out of school?

Stupid of me I know.

By the time I went back to school

I was the proud tired mother of 3 daughters

with a full time job and an asshole for a husband.

Did I also mention that I have a tendency to cuss too much?

Well I just did.

My 4 year old granddaughter is kinda putting a stop to that.

Just let me say "shit!" within her hearing range

the lil rugrat comes finger wagging telling me about bad words.

I love her dearly but, those are the times I can choke shit outta her.

Before some well meaning busybody sends child services

looking for my butt, I'M ONLY KIDDING. 

Back to me.

Being a loner by nature, I let few into my 3 ft. of personal space.

I have some serious trust issues.

If I let you in and you screw up, forget a second chance.

It ain't happening cause I'm also very unforgiving.

Yeah I know that ain't cool but hey that's me.

Writing poetry is more than a past time or hobby to me.

It is my breath.

So many things effect me in so many ways.

I have to write to cope.

Thoughts fill my head making it impossible to rest.

I must release them to paper.

I write about life.

I don't write to awaken anyone's consciousness.

Nor do I write to prove how intelligent I am.

I'm not an academic person, got no college degrees.

Don't have a lot of alphabets following my name, nope.

I don't write for or look for approval on my writing.

Neither do I write using what I call $2.00 words

when I know a 25 cent one will work as well.

I don't really care about poetic structures, I just write.

If you can relate to, feel or understand what I'm writing about

GOOD, WONDERFUL, GREAT.

If not, keep reading.

Sooner or later my words will hit a spot in you somewhere.

I  write the way I talk.

I say yeah, hush yo mouth, y'all, shit, fuck and damn.

I'll tell you it's aw'ight and ask how yo mama 'nem.

I'm a down home southern girl.

Love me some lowdown, cry in your drink blues

along with a good belt of strong liquor.

Have developed a taste for stump hole a/k/a moonshine.

Can't dance worth a shit, can't keep me off the dance floor.

Y'all know you can't tell a drunk person nothing.

My other passion is gardening.

I'm being quite conceited when I say I say I can grow anything. 

I love wildflowers especially ones I've found on my long walks.

Walking is another thing I like to do.

It gives me the opportunity to watch, listen and hear myself.

I  believe strongly in family.

Before, during and after rough times

even when you want to take each other's heads off

family still has your back.

There are a few necks in my family I'd like to wring right now.

Bear in mind I love those necks dearly.

So I dare you to mess with them.

You know what?

When I began this I had no idea I'd go this far.

Another tendency of mine is to ramble.

That being said, I think I've given up enough info on me.

From this point on, I'll let my writing speak for me.

DeeDee is not only my AP sister she is a sister of the heart.

When I met her

it was like meeting the twin I'd been separated from at birth.

She's been able to see things in me that I rarely let out.

Strangedaze, my AP brother and sounding block.

I thank him for keeping me partially sane.

WuzGood is my AP son.

I just claimed him without his permission but,

I don't think he'll mind.

I'd like to thank

ears2hearyou, Apollosmuse, Violet Moodswing

Wandering Woodchuck, Jade.Butterfly, Swangrnv,

Lowell Poe and Antipodi for all the support they give me.

Two new found friends I must mention.

Emerald Lass for her kind words of encouragement.

An Old Codger, who is far from that.

I truly enjoy his wit and down to earth personality.