"Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it." Langston Hughes
When my sisterfriend, Val, posted this quote on Facebook the other day, I'd just finished holding my breath after checking my bank balance. Many of you know by now that I'm traveling to Austin, Texas to take part in the Austin International Poetry Festival. One of my poems, Quiet Feminity, was selected to be included in the Festival's 'Di-verse-city' anthology. Poets from around the United States along with those from Africa, India and Austrailia will read at venues throughout the city from April 7-10.
This will be my second time at this amazing celebration in honor of National Poetry Month. However,money and bills zap all those happy feelings in an instant. But I'm glad my deceased mom's legacy of faith in God is only a memory away. All I do is close my eyes, breathe deeply and pray. I can almost hear her rich voice singing gospel songs like 'The Blood' or 'God Will Take Care Of You.' Cards, calls and all the notes of support have kept me going too. So have those who have pitched in to help.
So for the next week, I plan on laughing, mingling and enjoying this unexpected blessing. I recently read the greatest misery Jonah suffered was ignoring the special gifts God gave him. Once Jonah decided to follow his dreams, his life was enriched in ways he couldn't imagine.
I intimately relate to that theory. My friends often tease me about books being scattered all over my workspace and my ineptitude with tech gadgets. However, the laughs stop whenever they read my latest writings. My birthday's next Monday. What a way to celebrate.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Honoring Daddy
My father, Bennie Eanes, died February 23, 1987. Each year I never know where my emotions will take me when that date comes around. Some years I want to cry, stay underneath the covers and shut down. Other years I'm truly his daughter, working hard at my passions like he did.
This year, I marked his passing by giving thanks for having such good memories of what a father, daddy, husband and man is. Then I ate one of his favorites foods, peanut M&M's.
Miss you, Daddy! I'm going back to my writing projects now. Think you'd approve. Also know you'd find something to tease me about if you were here right now. Love you, too.
This year, I marked his passing by giving thanks for having such good memories of what a father, daddy, husband and man is. Then I ate one of his favorites foods, peanut M&M's.
Miss you, Daddy! I'm going back to my writing projects now. Think you'd approve. Also know you'd find something to tease me about if you were here right now. Love you, too.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Eanes's Superbowl
The Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl! I'm not a Packers fan. I love both the Chicago Bears and Pittsburg Steelers. After watching the Steelers lose yesterday's epic battle, I should be hurting. Instead, I'm excited as the Packer fans all around me about the small part my family played in Superbowl 2011 in Arlington,Texas.
My brother, Eric, was a security guard for the big game. It was a very long day begining before sunrise with company security checks. They were then bussed to Cowboy Stadium. After being given his assignment, the day we as fans saw began.
Eric saw the many monents not reported in the press. Like how Christina Aguilera intensely practiced "The Star-Spangled Banner" only to flub the lyrics while singing it live. Or how people turned into threating bullies in the blink of an eye when the checkpoints didn't move according to their liking. Security was also that unseen line behind the dancers on the field during the halftime show.
It was many hours later by the time he was briefed on post-game security. Aching muscles and fatigue was beginning to creep into every muscle. But Eric felt like a kid again when he saw that emerald field of dreams covered with piles of confetti.
Yes, he was still guarding Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews and so many other players too numerous to name, but for a former high school football player, this was a dream come true. Everyone who knows my brother is so proud of him. Way to go, Eric!
My brother, Eric, was a security guard for the big game. It was a very long day begining before sunrise with company security checks. They were then bussed to Cowboy Stadium. After being given his assignment, the day we as fans saw began.
Eric saw the many monents not reported in the press. Like how Christina Aguilera intensely practiced "The Star-Spangled Banner" only to flub the lyrics while singing it live. Or how people turned into threating bullies in the blink of an eye when the checkpoints didn't move according to their liking. Security was also that unseen line behind the dancers on the field during the halftime show.
It was many hours later by the time he was briefed on post-game security. Aching muscles and fatigue was beginning to creep into every muscle. But Eric felt like a kid again when he saw that emerald field of dreams covered with piles of confetti.
Yes, he was still guarding Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews and so many other players too numerous to name, but for a former high school football player, this was a dream come true. Everyone who knows my brother is so proud of him. Way to go, Eric!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Ready, Set, Go
Quick! When was the last time you shut off all electronic appliances, unplugged the phone and spent time alone? What would happen if you said the word 'no' for a day?
I did just that last weekend. My plans were to share Sensual Sounds at a poetry marathon and work on another writing project. But an unexpected phone call from my brother, Eric, telling me that my nephew, Trey, had been knocked unconscious in a freak accident at school changed everything.
After several hours of waiting helplessly by the phone, Eric phoned again to tell me that Trey was okay. I, on the hand, was so drained of energy that all I could do was go to bed. The next two days I took the advice of my recent devotional lesson. I was gentle with myself.
It felt great to be fully present when I did my yoga poses instead of rushing them because I wasn't concentrating. I watched movies, stayed in my pajamas and laughed myself silly. My answering machine did a very good job of screening my calls. It felt good to go to bed early and sleep late. I did have trouble not being on the computer, but I gave myself a ten-minute limit.
My retreat weekend worked. After three days of complete rest, I'm ready to go. My batteries are recharged. Time for work. Ready, set, go!
Marcie Eanes is the author of the poetry book Sensual Sounds: A Collection.
Available on http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
I did just that last weekend. My plans were to share Sensual Sounds at a poetry marathon and work on another writing project. But an unexpected phone call from my brother, Eric, telling me that my nephew, Trey, had been knocked unconscious in a freak accident at school changed everything.
After several hours of waiting helplessly by the phone, Eric phoned again to tell me that Trey was okay. I, on the hand, was so drained of energy that all I could do was go to bed. The next two days I took the advice of my recent devotional lesson. I was gentle with myself.
It felt great to be fully present when I did my yoga poses instead of rushing them because I wasn't concentrating. I watched movies, stayed in my pajamas and laughed myself silly. My answering machine did a very good job of screening my calls. It felt good to go to bed early and sleep late. I did have trouble not being on the computer, but I gave myself a ten-minute limit.
My retreat weekend worked. After three days of complete rest, I'm ready to go. My batteries are recharged. Time for work. Ready, set, go!
Marcie Eanes is the author of the poetry book Sensual Sounds: A Collection.
Available on http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Ephiphany
Happy New Year! I'm writing this blog entry with more joy in my heart than I ever thought possible two short weeks ago. No, I'm not the mystery winner of that big lottery jackpot winner from Idaho everyone's waiting to meet. Nor did Santa leave lots of material goodies underneath my Christmas tree.
The surprises I was blessed with left me speechless much of the time. One was that of hearing the voice of a special friend who kept me focused on the present when memories of the past threatened to get the better of me. Just hearing his voice reminded me that my past doesn't determine my future.
Oh what fun it was to taste my nephew Alex's carrot cupcakes at Christmas Dinner. The wonderous portrait my niece, Marlena, drew of my parents took my breath away. I've cried many nights because my mother and father have missed family times like these. But Marlena captured their likenesses perfectly. They would be so proud of her as well as all their grandchildren.
It was great spending time with friends and laughing over silly things while enjoying special treats. Yeah, January means diet, but it was worth it to have a Kewpie burger with the works for breakfast and Infusino's pizza for dinner. Yum!
The beginning days of 2011 has brought copyediting work, which is something I haven't done in three years. I'm thankful these longtime clients remembered me again. I'm also thankful to all those who purchased Sensual Sounds and became fans both on Facebook and the barnesandnobles website. I'm hard at work on several other projects I can't wait to share in the coming months.
I hope your 2011's a joyous one too, especially if it's gotten off to a rough start. There's plenty of time for a happy new year. Hang in there.
Marcie Eanes is the author of Sensual Sounds, A Collection. Available on http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/
The surprises I was blessed with left me speechless much of the time. One was that of hearing the voice of a special friend who kept me focused on the present when memories of the past threatened to get the better of me. Just hearing his voice reminded me that my past doesn't determine my future.
Oh what fun it was to taste my nephew Alex's carrot cupcakes at Christmas Dinner. The wonderous portrait my niece, Marlena, drew of my parents took my breath away. I've cried many nights because my mother and father have missed family times like these. But Marlena captured their likenesses perfectly. They would be so proud of her as well as all their grandchildren.
It was great spending time with friends and laughing over silly things while enjoying special treats. Yeah, January means diet, but it was worth it to have a Kewpie burger with the works for breakfast and Infusino's pizza for dinner. Yum!
The beginning days of 2011 has brought copyediting work, which is something I haven't done in three years. I'm thankful these longtime clients remembered me again. I'm also thankful to all those who purchased Sensual Sounds and became fans both on Facebook and the barnesandnobles website. I'm hard at work on several other projects I can't wait to share in the coming months.
I hope your 2011's a joyous one too, especially if it's gotten off to a rough start. There's plenty of time for a happy new year. Hang in there.
Marcie Eanes is the author of Sensual Sounds, A Collection. Available on http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Starry, Starry Hope
Starry, starry night with a beautiful, full moon lighting up the dark winter night. Snow-laden branches climbing high up to the sky complete this picture postcard scene.
I look around and slowly take in all this natural beauty . Not too long ago the holiday season was one of great dread because of all the personal tragedies I've experienced. For years I avoided things like holiday decorations, making favorite dishes and even certain people during this holiday season.
Things are different now. I'm blessed to have family and friends who encouraged me each year to do as much as I felt comfortable with during the holiday season. This year I'm happy to say that I finally put up a Christmas tree and hung decorations. Grief didn't immobilize me for days on end because I took solace in the fact that my loved ones would want to see me enjoying my life, not avoiding it. I admit I cried a couple times and will probably cry some more before New Year's Day. But they're tears of precious memories which often bring joy.
I looked up at the sky again, closed my eyes and prayed for those holding the hand of a loved one lying sick in a hospital bed hoping for a miracle. I also prayed for the souls of the ones who left home and died today. My heart goes out to those who mourn that special person who's not there to make their signature holiday dish or tell the same joke one more time.
I hope the ones who are hurting find peace soon. Just take a deep breath and look at the beautiful stillness of a starry, starry sky. Hold tightly to faith's unchanging hand whenever you feel weak.
Marcie Eanes is a published poet whose book entitled Sensual Sounds is available at http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
I look around and slowly take in all this natural beauty . Not too long ago the holiday season was one of great dread because of all the personal tragedies I've experienced. For years I avoided things like holiday decorations, making favorite dishes and even certain people during this holiday season.
Things are different now. I'm blessed to have family and friends who encouraged me each year to do as much as I felt comfortable with during the holiday season. This year I'm happy to say that I finally put up a Christmas tree and hung decorations. Grief didn't immobilize me for days on end because I took solace in the fact that my loved ones would want to see me enjoying my life, not avoiding it. I admit I cried a couple times and will probably cry some more before New Year's Day. But they're tears of precious memories which often bring joy.
I looked up at the sky again, closed my eyes and prayed for those holding the hand of a loved one lying sick in a hospital bed hoping for a miracle. I also prayed for the souls of the ones who left home and died today. My heart goes out to those who mourn that special person who's not there to make their signature holiday dish or tell the same joke one more time.
I hope the ones who are hurting find peace soon. Just take a deep breath and look at the beautiful stillness of a starry, starry sky. Hold tightly to faith's unchanging hand whenever you feel weak.
Marcie Eanes is a published poet whose book entitled Sensual Sounds is available at http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Thursday, December 9, 2010
To Much Is Given, Much Is Expected
I wasn't raised to rest on my success. Growing up with parents who expected much, I always know there's always something else to do. Since publishing Sensual Sounds last year, I've been hard at work.
I love the title of my next project, Passion's Embrace. The cover, which I can't wait to share with everyone,is a painting I fell in love with years ago by a very talented artist, Wendy Washington Quarker. That cover sits alongside the original picture used for Sensual Sounds. Both are beautiful reminders to not rest on one's laurels.
The content is another story. After talks with writers and friends, my plan was to use work which didn't make it into Sensual Sounds. Some are signature poems performed on various stages around the country. I've spent countless hours writing and getting feedback on new pieces since completing the manuscript for Sensual Sounds a couple of years ago.
But a funny thing happened within the last 24 hours. First, I finally found an essay I wrote for Seventeen magazine in August, 1982. Entitled "How I Became the 'New' Marcie", I talked about how I lost 128 lbs. during my senior year in high school.
My niece, Marlena, asked to see the article two months ago. I hadn't seen it since moving from Los Angeles nearly three years ago and feared I accidently threw it out. But there it was, along with other clippings from my days as a newspaper reporter at the Grand Rapids Press, Racine Journal Times along with those from Essence magazine.
Re-reading my first piece brought back so many memories. I was a journalism sophmore at Marquette University when I sold this piece to Seventeen. This was my first attempt at freelance writing.
As if this walk down memory lane wasn't enough, my dear friend Antonio, called just as I finished reading the last word of what 20 year-old Marcie had written about herself. Giddy with excitement about finding these gems, I told him about my discovery. We laughed before he thoughtfully mentioned how writing from my heart is such an important gift in this day and time. He added my next project should reflect hope.
So what does this have to do with Passion's Embrace? Stay tuned. As I said to Antonio, I'm mulling over everything he said to me. Essays, poetry, both? Don't know. But rest assured, I'm not going to waste my talent. Or sit still.
Sensual Sounds is available on http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/
I love the title of my next project, Passion's Embrace. The cover, which I can't wait to share with everyone,is a painting I fell in love with years ago by a very talented artist, Wendy Washington Quarker. That cover sits alongside the original picture used for Sensual Sounds. Both are beautiful reminders to not rest on one's laurels.
The content is another story. After talks with writers and friends, my plan was to use work which didn't make it into Sensual Sounds. Some are signature poems performed on various stages around the country. I've spent countless hours writing and getting feedback on new pieces since completing the manuscript for Sensual Sounds a couple of years ago.
But a funny thing happened within the last 24 hours. First, I finally found an essay I wrote for Seventeen magazine in August, 1982. Entitled "How I Became the 'New' Marcie", I talked about how I lost 128 lbs. during my senior year in high school.
My niece, Marlena, asked to see the article two months ago. I hadn't seen it since moving from Los Angeles nearly three years ago and feared I accidently threw it out. But there it was, along with other clippings from my days as a newspaper reporter at the Grand Rapids Press, Racine Journal Times along with those from Essence magazine.
Re-reading my first piece brought back so many memories. I was a journalism sophmore at Marquette University when I sold this piece to Seventeen. This was my first attempt at freelance writing.
As if this walk down memory lane wasn't enough, my dear friend Antonio, called just as I finished reading the last word of what 20 year-old Marcie had written about herself. Giddy with excitement about finding these gems, I told him about my discovery. We laughed before he thoughtfully mentioned how writing from my heart is such an important gift in this day and time. He added my next project should reflect hope.
So what does this have to do with Passion's Embrace? Stay tuned. As I said to Antonio, I'm mulling over everything he said to me. Essays, poetry, both? Don't know. But rest assured, I'm not going to waste my talent. Or sit still.
Sensual Sounds is available on http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/
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