Tag: Philly poet

Toni Love “Love Restored” – Spotlight on Jazz and Poetry Featured Artist

SOJP Feature Aug 16 to 29 2015I am so honored to be chosen as the Featured Artist on Spotlight on Jazz and Poetry  this month from August 16th until August 29th.Click on the link below to listen to a few of my poems so perfectly infused with Jazz. There is also an in-depth radio interview that you can access on the same website under “Spotlight Conversations”. —-> Spotlight Conversations

I truly appreciate the host Big Trigger for inviting me and making it a memorable experience.You’ll get the chance to hear some tracks from my new EP as well as some poems that I have never performed. Please check it out and let me know what you think!

via Toni Love “Love Restored” – Spotlight on Jazz and Poetry.

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Welcome Home – Original Poetry

http://www.asa100.com/#/far-away-places/africa/africa018
The Massai in their Village. Photo by Scott Stulberg Photography

Welcome Home
                                                                                             written in  Bridgehampton, NY 6.27.15

Gray birds whisper through the trees

Ancestors swaying the leaves

Calling my name in threes

Tonita

Toni

Niiii-taaa
We are HERE
WE are here
We ARE here

and so should you be

here

present

listening

walking

breathing

feeling

touching

writing

connecting with us

We have wisdom to speak into you

Those chirps are a call to action

The leaves of soft swaying trees beckon you to come near

Those are drums in the distance

We are the Lenape, the Massai and Blackfoot

The soil moist beneath your feet is comfort for your journey

We are you

You are we

We are here

When you are here the sun beams and the clouds part because of your presence

This feels like home because you are home

Yemaya we call you

Oshun misses you

There is peace here

Come

Sit

Hear

Embrace

Inhale

Exhale

It is safe here

This is no coincidence

We have called you and you listened

Never forget us

Stay open

We need you to tell our stories

If you take the time to listen

We will always welcome you home

Although you may leave

We do not

We are here

(c) M Tonita Austin aka Toni Love

Thanks for visiting! Love, Toni

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Arts and Artists Extravaganza Today! Voorhees NJ

2015 Arts and Artists Extravaganza
http://www.bit.ly/artsandauthors2015

Good Morning! Toni Love will be appearing at the 2015 Arts and Artist Extravaganza at The Mansion in Voorhees, NJ today! The event will take place from 4PM-8PM and there will be a showcase of the area’s finest artists and published authors. I am honored to be invited to share some of my poetry with the attendees. I will also have copies of my new CD “The Restoration” available before it is officially released to the public at my CD Release party on August 22nd. In addition, you can get Toni Love t-shirts and purchase tickets to the show! It’s a family friendly event and FREE for children under 10. Check out the link below for more information. I hope to see you out on this beautiful Sunday!

Click here for more information —->  2015 Arts and Artists Extravaganza

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Celebrate My First Poetry CD Release and Birthday, August 22nd!

I am so excited..in a little over a month I will be presenting my first poetry CD to a room full of friends, family and fans and I can’t wait to share this moment with everyone! It has been quit an experience from the first recording to working with a Producer, registering the tracks for potential royalties and copyrite, deciding on the cover art and planning the release party. I’m exhausted just thinking about it! I’m so thankful for all who have contributed to this project through my Go Fund Me account because none of this would have happened without their generous support. Thank you! I am humbled by all of the family and friends who have encouraged, advised and supported me and I hope that you will not be disappointed. It will also be my golden born day celebration so I have so much planned for the night; live music by Moka Soul, special invited poets, Visual Artist Terrill Johnson, of course my own performance and a DJ to close out the party. The evening will be hosted by the poet Sim Ply Sherri and I promise you will have lots of fun. Wine and beer will be available for sale and there will be a private VIP reception. All of this will take place in the main Gallery of the Community Arts Center in Wallingford, PA (see flyer for address). Some out of town guests plan to stay at either the Loews Hotel or the Marriott Hotel in Center City Philadelphia so that they can enjoy the city before and after the party. You don’t want to miss this fun! I hope to see you there! #loveistheanswer!

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“Grief Waits” – Original Poetry by Toni Love

Grief Waits
Grief Waits

I read this original poem “Grief Waits” at The Collective All Artist Open Mic a few weeks ago at Rose Petals Cafe and Lounge and a few people asked me to post it. This was written a few weeks after my father transitioned, not for sympathy but to support the little girl inside yearning to tell her story. Not sure I’m finished with it, but here it is:

Grief Waits

She cries
Into makeup stained pillows when no one is awake
This single mother of two wants her own daddy back
But no time to be sad with taxi runs to baseball ballet and piano lessons
No chance to cry with the babies watching and counting on her strength
Even peaceful meditation is interrupted by children’s nightmares soaked in sadness
She greets the morning sun holding back the tears
Adorning sunglasses so the suburban moms don’t ask her “what’s wrong?” as she skips her child to school

Gotta make sure her offspring are happy and
Gotta make sure they keep up their grades and
Gotta keep their schedules consistent so they won’t feel the pain
Gotta keep a smile at the job and
Gotta search for the desire to
pay the bills, do the laundry and cook them a healthy meal

Gotta shield them from the rain

But who is taking care of the little girl who just lost her daddy
Who makes sure she eats and keeps the heaviness of her heart from sinking into the pit of her stomach
Who holds back her fear of the journey through life as an orphan and raising strong kids alone while the village is slowly disappearing
No grandfathers, no grandmothers, no great grands, no mother no father
No father

Who holds her at the end of the night when the kids are counting sheep and she can’t find enough energy to weep
Who takes her by the hand and lifts her off her feet to give her burdens a chance to sleep
Who says its gonna be okay and wipes her tears away
Maybe tomorrow will be a better day
Maybe then she’ll feel like going out to play
But not today

Because she’s tossed and turned all night
Living a nightmare until the first ray of daylight
Then its time to dab away the pain and push away the tears
Because its 7:15 and the school bus will soon be here
And no one wants salty tears in their lunchbox

Yet she rises once again meeting the morning with a smile
As grief waits behind every closed door

God Bless the Child

(c) M Tonita Austin aka Toni Love  5/30/2013

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