This week's Poet of the People is Brittany Jones. Brittany has been writing poetry for quite some time and has recently started performing spoken word. Spoken word has expanded her depth and reach as an artist. Her recent performance at Mind Gravy was a well accepted success and we look forward to her future on the spoken word and poetry scene.
~Al Black
Brittany Jones, also known as Shai (pronounced “shy”) Moonlight is a Columbia based poet, host and artivist. After over two decades as a strictly page poet, Brittany began performing spoken word in March 2024. Now a member of the Poetree Family and New Danger, she works as a healthcare professional by day and is the mother of three amazingly unique kids. She feels her purpose in poetry is to be an ever-changing and ever-present light.
_______
Momentary Distraction
There
Is extra femininity in my stride
When I walk by
A HARD working
Black man
It is instinctual
I see him and feel my posture correct
Subconsciously straighten stray locs
Anticipating potential admiration
He may not be my type
And I don’t have to be his
But maybe
He’ll be drawn to my melanin
Or my proportions
BUT…if I am his type
I want him to enjoy watching my hips sway freely
The see the subtle jingle and bounce that naturally reverberate with each step
And, I don’t need to see him
Watch me walk by to know that he might
So I
With my head held high
Nod, smile
Find something to compliment
“Have a blessed day, handsome!”
And go on about my business
And him to his
I hope you appreciate
This momentary distraction
As much as I
_____
Jahzara Nicole
On April 8th, 2007
The prettiest little girl we laid on my chest
I had seen her big brown eyes in my mind
Before I knew she was in my womb
And at that moment
I chose to mother her
Despite offers and ours
I
Chose
Raising her to be who she was called to be
Over the potential of what my life could have been
Mind you — I was a child
Just 6 months into adulthood
More years then I could imagine away from womanhood
Yet thrust
By my own hand
Into motherhood
At least two statistics
Teen & Single
Now
Throw in “Black”
And the fact that her father would die before knowing that she would be born
So I named her in an effort to combat all of that
‘Jahzara’
It is Ethiopian for ‘blessed princess’
Because despite my immaturity
Or his non existence
She would be
Blessed
My Ace is now 17
Less than one year from my age I was when
She was conceived
And she
Had grown to be
My very best friend
The first person to know me through and through
She’s
The reason I can never give up
Beautiful in heart, mind and spirit
She has my face…
Copy. Paste.
She is
The coolest chick with
Signs if my personality
Like interests discovered daily
The best big sister
More like the “little mama”
And every time I look at her
I see those
Big, brown eyes
I’d seen in my mind
Before I knew she was…..
_____
Now. Then. Again.
Every now & then
My mind runs so fast
I almost lose it
In fact
I have a time or 2
But
Grace & mercy allowed me to catch up
I am
Educated, medicated, therapized
And still
I’ve found myself sinking
Again?!
Longing for non-existence
Teetering the fine line between coping and addiction
Why won’t this thing loose me!?
After all the alter calls…
I’m still finding more peace in alcohol
and I’m tired
Butttttt
My therapist says she’s proud of me
That I’ve made so much progress
And I agree…
Today
But what about tomorrow??
When my chemicals get to “imbalancing” again
When
Focusing on
Mindfulness, gratitude and moon phases
Make no changes
And all I can do is……
Ruminate on
What could have been
And what should have been
Or what would have been
Seemingly, blind to my blessings
Just Praying
“God please, let me make it through this feeling…
Again…”
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