My beloved wisdom womb surrounded by soft, brown flesh protecting magic forgive me for wishing you away
For cursing you and shaming you as I wrestled you into the jeans bought too tight just to impress that boy stuffing you inside girdles and other undergarments designed to control and confine your beauty
succumbing to the misogynist media narrative seeking to dissolve you in the name of purity and perfectionism I was taught the process of dissipating you never the power of your sacred protest
Forgive me for forgetting your sacrifice during the abortion
The day you held and protected my first born as I laid stretched out over my mother's casket
I, for a moment, failed to remember the grace and light you allowed when I only saw darkness
Growing and cradling my grandmother's eggs to bring forth life when I didn't know how I would even live
Your strength and determination to hold two nine pound babies to term How you held my sorrow for the three who I would never see My rainbow child still recalls the soft and calming swish of your cascading melodies / music she continues to push out into the world on her own
Even sliced and laced after two cesarean section, you still hold move beautifully How could I be ashamed of your capacity to heal and nurture us all If I never cried for you, I should never try to hide you
So I vow now
No more 'Spanx' or disgusted gazes in the mirror when you show yourself to the world You are my lifesaver My miracle maker My healer and the source of all my creation I love you and thank you My wisdom womb
Hey poetry fans, if you haven’t been to the Imperfect Gallery located at 5539 Germantown Avenue in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, you are formally invited to come out during the entire month of March.
The entire month will be dedicated to Women artists, and if you want to see me and the phenomenal Sabriaya, (check out her full bio on her website) a poet, educator and storyteller, then mark your calendars and stop by The Imperfect Gallery on March 14th, 2024 at 6PM. The $15 cover supports the artists with work on display, the performers and the beautiful art gallery.
Seating is limited, so please come early.
I’m honored to be sharing the “stage” with all of the talented women who will be in the space, and sharing some poetry that you’ve never heard before.
Feel free to drop a heart below and share your excitement about coming. Your presence would mean the world to me!
Bev was my best friend. Although she lived on the opposite end of my block in West Philadelphia, where I was born and raised, our paths never crossed until I was in my late teens. I was the smart kid who got teased a lot and kept to myself. She got the nickname Queen B because she would walk around the neighborhood like she was royalty. She was always laughing and would strut down the street with her hands on her hips, and it seemed to me that she never let what anyone else thought about her, bother her.
I was the smart, quiet teenager with hardly any friends, and she was the loud, charismatic, funny popular one with lots of personality, and introduced me to the cool people on the block. When I was hanging with Bev, I felt popular and protected. She wouldn’t let anyone say anything bad about me and my Mom treated her like family. My brothers were DJs so there were always turntables set up in our basement, and Bev and I and whoever else came over from the block would put on our favorite albums and sing, drink beer and laugh. She wanted to be a star and she had such a beautiful light within her. We lost her at the age of 40 and I now carry her light within me. Each time I walk on a stage, I think of her and this is one of the poems I wrote in remembrance. Happy heavenly birthday Bev!
I Remember You (basement duet for Queen B)
We sang into West Philly-bred microphones Scents of stale beer and cigarettes floating under our basement borne concerts Roberta Flack Natalie Cole Teena Marie They were us we were we and we were free Imagining concert halls filled with fans gasping for gardenia scented motions of us We danced swaying under water pipes and wooden rafters Dressed in summer swag, tossing braids and permed ponytails while we bumped hips and dipped knees We were stars on the dust filled unfinished basement stage It was all we knew We were inseparable until you strayed We went our separate ways You succumbed to painful nights soaked in old men calling for you to dance again Asking for alley romance and offering snow dust dreams and green smoke behind masks You danced to stale music with no voice Now you’re gone and with you our Webster street duet Yet I still hear you We walk together in a parallel universe Pushing my stroller under the suburban sunshine I think of my sister pushing through the door at the crack of dawn Both rising to meet our children Both trying to define success in the way we could see Yet I still see you
Walking alone waiting on the bus stop in clothes wrinkled in the scent of cigars and whiskey As I secure the seat belt of my luxury car at the corner of my single home We both sit cloaked in sadness I walk with you though you don’t see my journey Resting in the sorrow of acceptance that I could not save you from yours I remember you I see you I carry you I sing for you I write for you I swing my hips for you I inhale smoke filled rooms and sip beer through a straw for you I plant my feet and grab the mic in remembrance of you You support me I carry you I love you I remember you I REMEMBER YOU
Kiss Kiss These lips They are eager for your gentle touch The anticipation of soft skin against skin Tender Moist Oh how I love the sensation of your tongue Gliding ever so slowly around my oval Moving deeper inside Teasing my anticipation Increasing my drive Feeling warmth and compassion each time our lips collide I can’t take the multiple explosions anymore So I moan some form of your name Begging you to come up for air To give these lips One More Kiss
Sewey Hole Family presents Bruiz and Friends , a Live poetry reading filmed at the infamous Pen and Pencil club in Philadelphia. The event including poetry readings from James Feichthaler, Bob Zell and myself, Toni Love will ONLY be viewed on the Facebook page of Keith Outlaw so visit the Event page to access the link to watch us live.
I hope you are able to check out the show. I will be reading a few new poems but please support and grab a copy of my poetry book or CD from my website and I’d be happy to autograph it for you.
Live Poetry Event: Tonita Austin, Sibelan Forrester, Alison Lubar Wednesday May 18, 2022 – 7pm Fergie’s Pub 1214 Sansom Street and on zoom – Registration Required
Come out and hang with me in the City!
I’m excited to share my poetry for the first time at a Moonstone Arts Center event with these gifted poets! There will be an open mic and loads of fun and poetry ❤️. I will also have copies of my book “Toni’s Room” for sale and if you already have a copy and want it signed, please bring it with you. They make wonderful Mother’s day gifts.
This intensive word/ thought/ emotion, self-truth-culling, seeks to be a journey of healing, art, therapy, and authentic conversations about life that will result in the creation of individual works/excerpts of EPIC memoir poetry. Each student is invited to perform their created works at this live-streamed event.
Check out the live streamed event on the SIFT Media 215 You Tube Channel tonight, Sunday January 30th from 6-7:30 PM. It’s a creative masterpiece to heal your soul, with the finale by Ursula Rucker!
MAD POETS SOCIETY . Join us tonight for the next Livin’ on Luck reading at 7 pm! We will feature Pat Kelly, Toni Love, and Francesco Pasqualino. Open mic will follow hosted by Brooke Palma. To register, use the link below. See you there! Registration Link: https://wcupa.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0udu-srzkrH9MkU0-RXt2oPzi1gB9giaND?fbclid=IwAR0S58sEyLeH2zARcRshO0mkZv0lSfzBDaXuLypAu1WDa0QYqKQLZzxsDIQ Pat Kelly is a writer from Harrisburg. He writes poetry and fiction that explores the dark fringes of humanity and its impact on time and memory. He is currently working on his first collection of poetry, Buried Litanies, which is both a means of personal therapy and a voice to his repressed experiences with childhood sexual abuse.
Tonita Austin also known as “Toni Love” is a gifted poet, singer, activist, and writer born in West Philadelphia. While attending Columbia University, Tonita was a student of Amiri Baraka and performed in Ntozake Shange’s “For Colored Girls” as the Lady in Orange. Her writing is influenced by both experiences. She is a contributor to the anthology The Black Body and featured poet in the 2018 and 2020 Winter/Fall edition of the Philadelphia Arts and Urban Literary magazine. The Restoration EP is her first published recording; Toni’s Room is her first published book. Toni currently resides in Media,PA
Francesco Pasqualino is a restauranteur and writer living in Pittsburgh, PA. Francesco has supported many artistic groups including The International Poetry Forum, The Hillman Center for Performing Arts, and The Mad Poets Society, He has had the honor of studying with Ted Kooser and Mary Karr. His writing appears in Voices in Italian Americana, Mad Poets Review, Main Street Rag, and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. You’ll find his culinary insights on Attenzione! A Writer’s Journal on his restaurant’s website, pasqualinos.com. He has also shared his family recipes as an invited guest on WQED public television. Mad Poets Society · P.O. Box 1248 · Media, Pa 19063 · USA
Toni's Room 
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