Terry A. O'Neal's Blog, page 2

2010 National Black History Bee ~ Meet This Year's

Learning about African American history provides us with a sense of knowledge, culture, pride, and unity that allows us to truly reach our potential.



LEND YOUR HAND.org

presents…

The 2010 National Black History Bee

(NBHB)

www.NationalBlackHistoryBee.com  

Hosted by Native Stocktonian, Best Selling Author

Terry a O'Neal

~

Meet our Prominent Panel of Judges



Mable 'Jimi' Choice, Educator & Counselor for SUSD (over 40 years)

Terrance Mark Hall, President and CEO

John L. Brown, Author a...

Dog-Gone, No-Good Blues

My eyes are tired of cryin'

To this lowly, sad song

So tired of cryin' in my pillow

All night long



No cigarette to puff

No tobacco to snuff

No booze to carry me away

Those dog-gone, no-good blues

Bes' not be here to stay



You might as well

put me in a boat

and float me out to sea



It will take more than a rescue crew

to come an' save me.



Mama never warned

there'd be days like this



For if she had

just maybe for me

it wouldn't of been

so dog-gone bad

The Plight of Africaâ

families scattered and separated

a long way gone

children set adrift

some place

on the outskirts of Luanda

sit abandoned tanks

where small children play

clueless to if

they'll see another day

come child, lay your head

upon my chest and weep

your soul into a deep, deep sleep



bottomless echo's

trapped in a downward spiral

war-torn, street children scream

far-off over the distant hills

and down a mighty stream

young lives

homelessness and destitution

diseased and deepening poverty

to pick up shattered pieces of me

an indian summer

deep in the heart of texas,

tyler—

home where my daddy was born

sitting on some old woman's porch

I remember yesteryears

and sad realities

that dropped by unannounced

and departed on a whim

without warning



they ask,

"what's wrong?"

but if I told the truth

no one would understand

so instead we sit

chop it up

to meaningless conversation

over a warm plate of cornbread, black eye peas

and greens





I stand steady

watching through the back door

scared that

the rain might...

LAKE CHARLES, LA - A special visit for Barbe High,

A SPECIAL VISIT FOR BARBE HIGH, SULPHUR HIGH, AND SJ WELSH MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN HONOR OF TEEN READ WEEK



October 12, 2009



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Best Selling Author, Terry a O'Neal, whose poetry has been published in numerous magazines, journals and newspapers, will visit Sulphur High and Barbe High School students on Friday, October 23, 2009, in honor of Teen Read Week. She will have an open discussion centered around her award-winning, YA novel "Sweet Lavender". Sweet Lavender...

The Road

somewhere

still shines the sun

simple pleasures of life, I dream of

bare feet chasing butterflies

whirlwind of autumn leaves

dance in the breeze

settling

in summer's song

while the midst of life

looks cloudy

somewhere

still shines the sun

somewhere waitin'

hand an' glove—we fit

long -a-

vowel sounds and word play

wrong time

right place

a ribbon beneath the sun

before the Spring season of love begun

there was We

there was she

there was peace

unity—

a love, somewhere lost

yet destined to be



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dreaming of You, I

can write a love song

to last all eternity

that will make a vast field of black-eyed Susan

bloom in Spring

that make Nyasa birds forever sing

that reunite long-lost loves

beneath the wing of a maple tree

at first light 



 

Monologue ~ Part One

awaiting

falling action

to begin—I

hear the vibration of your voice

break through firewalls

and pad locked doors

to rescue my soul

from the confinement

of my world



"…you can't always  get 

                             what you want…"

so the saying goes



for what is forbidden

the urge grows stronger

for what is beloved

the days seem to grow longer—I

practice strategies

to erase you from the forefront

of my mind

engaged from act one

I become

captivated by illusions of you—a

Thomas ...

if...a crooked word

if i

continue to write words

that warm hearts

enlighten souls

move spirits to dance

to my lyrical song

will he love me?



if i

give all that I have

to those in need

doing deed after deed

over a lifetime—expecting nothing

in return

without bitterness

will he honor me?



if i

dream of him everyday

and pray—

hanging onto the words

he might say

whispered in my ear

nestled beside a cozy fire

in winter

will he hear me?



if i

travel across the world

passing out my love

on ivory paper

to ...