A Poetic Journey to Restoration
Mother Moon
She beckons me with golden ray-drenched oceans lighting the path to my salvation
How I arrive is not of her concern
The journey seems endless
Crashing waves illuminate the way to paradise
How many have heeded the call of the golden waterfall at the end of the moon’s shadow?
Her energy is pulling me
Sweet serenades of Yemeya hypnotize me
I am captured
I am lost
in peace
Until I am found
(c) M. Tonita Austin aka Toni Love 8/31/18 OCM
Mother’s Day is always bittersweet for me. I know as a Mother that there is pressure to smile and gush at the numerous mother’s day wishes, cards and love from my kids, but even after seventeen years, I still awaken with a small void knowing I can only speak the sentiment to my own mom, and seek to hear her respond in soft whispers of the wind.
When I was asked to collaborate with the phenomenal drummers and artists Sistahs Laying Down Hands for Mother’s Day I immediately said yes. Every performance together has been a gift to me and as I tapped into my intuition I knew that I needed to be in that space on that day, I just didn’t know why. I chose to recite a poem I wrote as part of my grief work after my mother transitioned. I was in my first trimester and I thought God to be so cruel to take my mother when I was first becoming a mother. Writing helped me come to terms with the loss and my faith and I recite this poem to help other motherless children feel that it’s okay to speak the pain of grief and release it.
I didn’t know that at the dawn of Mother’s Day this year I would be admitting my first-born to the hospital after spending hours in the emergency room. Everything in me wanted to cancel the performance but I had committed and my son told me “you should do it Mom, I know you’ll be good”. So with little sleep and a strained voice I sang and performed my poem surrounded by the healing energy of the drum. It was where I needed to be and I am grateful for the opportunity to receive the strength and the spiritual support through art.
My poem is about 5 minutes in, but you will want to watch from the beginning for a wonderful spoken word of remembrance of mothers and of course the powerful hands of the Sistahs Karen Smith and Miriama Koroma! You can search this blog for the words to the poem.
May you be continue to feel the nurturing of a mother’s love in spite of where she may or may not be in your life. Love comes in all forms. ~Toni Love
#loveistheanswer
PAUL IS HERE!!
In this distinguished issue of the Philadelphia Art & Urban Literary Review are artists:
M. Tonita Austin, Tamara Diaz, James Dupree, Tim Okamura, Petronia Paley, Eva Preston, Danny Simmons and Richard Watson. Artist, Kathleen Spicer sits down with me to remember her late husband, renown painter, sculptor, Mr. Charles Searles who was also my great mentor and teacher. Read additional, compelling interviews with Artists: James Dupree, Tim Okamura, actress and visual artist, Petronia Paley, Danny Simmons and Richard Watson. Click the link to go inside. Stand by for details on how to collect this beautiful edition in print. Cover Art by Tim Okamura.
I am honored to be the featured poet with two poems gracing this beautiful body of work! Click the link below to look inside and let me know what you think. 💜
You can now go to one site to choose how you want to experience Toni Love’s EP “The Restoration”. You can purchase the limited edition EP with graphic cover and artistry on the actual CD, or you can download one track or the entire body of soul-stirring poetry online. If you email me at tonitalove2@gmail.com with proof of purchase, I will mail you a Toni Love t-shirt for FREE! Wishing you a fabulous summer and days full of joy and LOVE!
~ Toni
#loveistheanswer
Mothers of Black Sons and all who support in solidarity are welcome to join us as we stand together United against racial injustice, police brutality and inner city violence. We need your collective voice, wisdom and support to effect change. Please come out Sunday, October 16th at 12noon. We will march from Broad and Cecil B Moore Avenue to 1401 JFK Boulevard, Philadelphia. In addition to being a poet, I am the mother of a young black male. I am honored to be on the program and will recite this piece as well as my poem “Born of Warriors” written after the #PhiladoCastille murder.
MOBS can be contacted via email at : millionmomsphilly@gmail.com. Please also donate as little or as much as you can to MOBS Go Fund Me which will help cover the cost of permits and travel to our state and US capitols. Gathering as one unit is an essential part of the healing process. I hope you come.
~Toni #loveistheanswer
Not One
Not mine, son
Not mine
Not my son
Not my brother, nephew, uncle or current lover
Not my neighbor cousin or future husband
Not mine, not hers
Not anybody’s
Son
I am not saying “no more”
I am saying “not one”
We with the millions of ancestors behind us
Forge a force you will feel into centuries
Your gated communities will not be safe
Your land will not be prosperous
Your wealth will not sustain you
Your privilege will not save you
We are millions today plus millions from centuries before us
We are far more than your eyes can see
We gather together
Seen and unseen
When mothers pray
The heavens come forth to listen
So rest assured and be forewarned
There will be a price for your descendants to pay
If you ever look at our sons in a disrespectful way
We, collectively are not playing with you today
No more
Not one
Not
One
Son
(c) Toni Love Publishing
Meet me, Toni Love ( @tonitalove )
TODAY at the Arts and Authors Extravaganza, 4-7pm at the Mansion On Main Street, 3000 Main Street Voorhees Township NJ. I’ll have my debut EP and Toni Love tshirts for sale while they last! I would LOVE to see you there!
#loveistheanswer #phillypoet #Lovepoems #indieartist #poetry #author #supportthearts #phillypoetryscene #mompreneur
Born of Warriors
Now is not the time to sit down and grow weary
For we are born of warriors
Trained on soil rich with the spirits that passed before us
We were selected from our tribe and trained for battle
Even stripped of our land, our riches and our families
We stood strong ushering the chained weary in front of us
Walking miles to the beach to meet our battle with the sea
Some were not strong enough to endure the nausea swaying beneath our ribs
Diseased corpses laying by, vicious attacks of salt water on open wounds
Watching the constant raping of wombs and deep screams of torment
Many were not trained for this battle and vanished into the sea at night for comfort
They were not capable of taking the journey so they took their own lives instead
But we did not
We are born of warriors
We were trained for this
Taught how to survive capture
How to lead without authority
Torment and torture we withstood
We are born of warriors
So this is nothing new
We will always come up against those who never wish to see us free
They have seen us rule, prosper and conquer
They seek to degrade, demoralize and destroy our power
We have forgotten who we are
But they have not
They fear us because we are born of warriors
Now is not the time to be paralyzed in fear
Queens expect their sons to walk off into battle
Their tears rolling down the backs of their Kings as they prepare sons for their destiny
Never is the battle fair
Never is the outcome expected
But we must not sit and fight battles with feathers
Now is the time to stand up and fight
Remember who you are
Your ancestors did not fall weak and die before reaching land
Nor did they jump to their demise
They stood and fought and ran and rallied and walked and planned and waited and revolted but they did not sit down
The only reason you are here is because they fought for your life
Never forget that some will never cease at trying to take your freedom
You were born for this
You were trained for the battle
You are here solely because you are born of warriors
Those who seek to destroy you have not forgotten
You descended from Kings and Queens
Born a warrior
© M. Tonita Austin aka Toni Love 7/7/2016
My father loved to read and wrote a multitude of songs and essays yet published only one song in his lifetime. Today in his memory I am excited to be hosting a fundraiser for Philly Youth March and Voice4Justice. The event featuring Grammy Nominee Ursula Rucker and the extraordinarily musical Monica McIntyre begins today at 3pm at Alma Mater, 7165 Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia. The suggested donation is $10 and children are free! Please come and encourage our young writers. And prepare to be blown away by the collaborations and energy in the room.
Check out the Facebook event pageVoices for Justice Event for more details and I hope to see you there!
Peace and blessings and Happy Father’s day!
Toni Love #loveistheanswer
You may have seen my face, maybe took a minute to listen to a sample track or even purchased my debut EP titled “The Restoration”, but do you know my story? I love poetry because I love telling a story. I love music because it adds color to lyrical expression. When you listen to my CD, you experience the two dancing together. I tell a story of love, loss and renewal within each track on “The Restoration”. You can purchase it on iTunes, Amazon Music and CD Baby. If you would like an autographed copy, please purchase from my site —-> Toni Love Merchandise where you will find Toni Love T-shirts as well!
I am excited about my interview with Connected Woman Magazine! Although I’ve been fortunate to have my poetry featured in other online publications in addition to being interviewed for several online radio stations, this is my first magazine interview! It was a new experience for me and a lot different from radio interviews because I was given detailed, probing questions in advance and had to take the time to write thoughtful, honest responses. Some of the questions were more difficult than others because it required me to dig deep into my past and revisit places I’ve long tucked away. This interview process was a welcome experience because it made me think about how my poetry could be used to guide other woman towards healing so they too can be restored.
I hope you take a moment to visit the Connected Woman Magazine online edition tomorrow, June 8th. I am honored to be featured along with several other fabulously connected women, and I hope you are inspired by us all. I am you, you are me and we are all connected!
Thank you in advance for the LOVE!
~Toni #loveistheanswer
Have you had your heart broken and are afraid to love again? Do you feel like you give yourself to others and don’t know how to love yourself? Do you yearn for a surge of passion and romance in your life? Do you love good music and poetry? If you can say yes to any or all of these questions, then do yourself a favor and click the link below to order my debut EP titled “The Restoration”. I intertwine poetry with the brilliant music of Robb McCall to explore all of the above emotions and feelings. As you allow yourself to become immersed in the music and share in my journey, I am confident you will fall in love with love again!
You can purchase the entire EP with the bonus track or download the digital version by clicking the link below:
Order The Restoration on CD BABY.COM.
If you would like an autographed copy of the EP, or a Toni Love T-shirt, please visit my site by clicking here —-> Order Toni Love Music and Merchandise.
All CDs, t-shirts and tickets ordered from my site will arrive with a hand written thank you note and autographed as you choose.
The Restoration is my gift to you. I believe we can do nothing without love first. I offer you a chance to release old love, rekindle your current love or to believe that the love you seek will become more than a dream. Get the love you desire today!
~ I thank you for the love! Toni
#loveistheanswer
Toni's Room 