I have a secret to share:
This blog is my HAPPY place.
It’s not that I haven’t written
because I haven’t been happy,
It’s just that I’ve been… well…
Writing a book proposal
has had my head
in all sorts of business knots,
so much so that
the creative writing
part of my brain went on a vacation.
Let me catch you up:
Zuri turned 19 in January.
It was our first birthday apart.
And, I learned that in this season,
gifts are silly secrets
and stories shared over Facetime.
In February, Markolee
played in the rain.
His bare feet ran up
and down the driveway. .
Then, I watched
as he stopped, ,
lifted his head
and opened his mouth
to catch droplets of rain water.
My sweet Zahara turned 16 in March!
She wanted to ride a roller coaster
and I wanted nothing more
than to overcome my fear
and get on one with her.
On the slow climb up the track,
I prayed silently for my survival,
and as we did a nosedive,
I clutched my daughter’s hand
and screamed out for my mother.
This past weekend
Ontonio and I celebrated
our 42nd birthdays
in New Orleans.
I Wanna Fest You Up
the sign read welcoming us
to the French Quarter Fest.
Eye-catching clothing,
necks adorned with beads,
musicians singing
their hearts out on the sidewalks,
rowdy-busy bodies moving about,
talking too loud,
drinking beer spiked
my people-watching past time.
Ontonio and I dined at NOLA Caye —
a restaurant known for its bold flavors
and the freshness of the Caribbean.
Coconut shrimp with jicama slaw
orange marmalade
fried plantain chips
braised oxtail
Jerk red snapper over yellow rice
left no room for appetizers.
Instead, I sat under
the seductive eyes of my love
and sipped slowly
on the Climate Change cocktail,
a hibiscus-infused margarita
with a spicy three-chili ice ball.
A hazy Saturday morning
declared we lounge in bed.
We listened to nature
and lingered in each other’s arms
until the sun penetrated the clouds,
and saturated our room
with light and warmth.
Eventually, a lovely Uber driver
drove us in his stinky car
to the French Quarter.
There,
Ontonio and I strolled
through a three-story bookstore —
the first two of which
were stacked with books galore.
I spotted a cat
napping on a chair
and an old man
I thought a statue
moved, and I jumped back just a little.
He chuckled like this had happened
many times before.
The music from the third floor
flowed down the steps.
The beat held me by the hand
and I walked up the wooden steps
into a world of music.
A man at the counter nodded hello.
Another, with his back turned,
sat at the turntable and crates
upon crates of record players
lined the room.
The records are doing for Ontonio
what the books did for me.
I watch him in awe–
Forty-two years ago,
on April 13th,
I entered the world
and two days later
Ontonio arrived.
Our paths have been
woven together ever since.
Our love story is truly
one for the books,
and I can’t wait to share it
with you all one day.
I Hope You are Flourishing, (thanks Angelia:-)
Kadine
I LOVE CONNECTING WITH YOU
What have you celebrated recently?
ON WRITING
I submitted my book proposal and now, I’m WAITING.
I sold another essay to Your Teen Mag. I will send you a link when its published at the end of April.
If you have a teenager in your life and you haven’t read the last essay I wrote for them, read it here: yourteenmag.com
WHAT I’M READING
I started reading River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Sharer.
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
THANK YOU
Thank you for welcoming me into your inbox. It is a pleasure sharing with you and hearing from you about ways my writing has inspired or enriched your lives.
As always, I’m super thankful for all your support—encouraging comments, expressions of gratitude, and financial contributions.
PLEASE SUPPORT ME BY:
Until Next Time, ENJOY YOUR NEXT BREATH
