Happy Birthday Billie Holiday

 Happy birthday to…

 Billie Holiday

who put her energy into the music

with her instrument.

 

She had a tone like no other.

She wore in her hair a flower.

She sang with timing power.

She got on stage and towered

Any song on the repertory.

 

“God bless the Child” and her musicality.

Like poetry in motion.

Like her sound was an ocean.

Like what a great fortune to listen to her bend her voice in contortions. 

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During the course of my day as I sat at my desk, moments away from the work found me trying to sketch her face. I find lines to be like poetry. I find art to be so soothing. It makes me feel good and I love it a lot.

If you are interested in coming to see some live music showcasing some good jazz and some funk tunes that will make you want to move your feet, I want to invite you out to an event I will be singing at this Friday night.

 I will be performing live with the Yaacov Mayman Band

This Friday, April 11, 2025

8-10PM

at

Duet Restaurant

located at 6181 Strickland Avenue

in Brooklyn, NY .

The restaurant is great and the music is awesome. 

Fr all future events and postings, you can check out my IG page at

http://instagram.com/jnotemusic 

Sunday Gratitude

Sundays are for extricating myself from the normalcies of life and for using the shackle-free moments to show gratitude for the things I love. Recently, I started using a daily gratitude journal. Although some days it gets pushed aside, I realize the importance of doing the internal work to make sure that you stay grounded in peace and knowledge of who you are. Being thankful for what you have is a great way to set your mindset for being joyous in life. 

I decided to write a poem to express some of the things I am grateful for. 

 

Gratitude

Sketch drawing by Stephanie Jeannot

I love granny pajamas because they are comfortable

I love a warm bubble bath with salt because it's wonderful

I love trying new recipes out because I love a good meal

I love wearing beautiful high-heeled shoes bcecause they have a sexy feel

I love conversations with people who know how to encourage me

I love a good book by a great author because they seem to inspire me

I love to write down words or phrases that seems like they are out of this world

I love trying to do something fantastic with this head full of 4C curls.

I love a good album to spin on my record player.

I love a song I can bop to that makes my spirit enliven my dancer.

I love a blank canvas that I can draw on and then later fill with metallics.

I love a vocal exercise that gives my voice improvement

I love listening to Sarah Vaughan and her wide vocal range

I love it when I can write in a book and fill up an entire page

I love the night, the sleep, the sheets, the room that I sleep in

I love my family, my talents, the ability to use them and I smile with the biggest grin

I’m grateful for every limb, sense and leveling up opportunity I have been blessed with

I am thankful for all the times God saved me when I had been sick

And I can’t thank him enough for surrounding me with his love every day

I am not perfect and yet, in spite of it all, God loved me anyway

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If you are interested in writing prompts to help to ignite the writer in you a bit more, maybe you can try my writer's prompt book entitled, "Storming the Page: Soul Aerobics." Check it out here on  https://a.co/d/frXJrnd

Thank you again for stopping by my blog! 

Gratitude, the Poem

 

Don’t look at the sumptuous moments

that are spent improving the rooms that I walk in

Don’t revisit the ideas I extricate from my mind

and apply to precipices of our fusions

Forget about the thickets I chopped away

from minds who were not ready until I got there

Leave behind the energy I poured into

everything I did just because I cared to share

No, just think of how my slaving wasn’t apple watched

Despite the months that I was there without my meets to swap

I lit up minds. I watered hearts and inspired paths.

I got my foot caught all up in the mouse's trap.

I was there doing what I do best like no other ever will

I was built more different than any cable you'll find in a mill

But thank God for rest and the strength that he builds

For resets and for steps to wipe up the spills

It’s the weekend now and I'm celebrating sleep

Let’s not pretend that alarms don't sound if you never counted sheep

And rest doesn't happen if doubt piles up like a desk's work heep

Thank God for the ability to level up on my knees

Day Three: A Horse-and-Carriage Ride

It feels almost as if I have been sketching my life with a graphite pencil lately. Intentions have led me to unravel the evolution of words within me. It feels good to simply write and enjoy the process.

And then reality hits: the more you write, the more inspiration you find, and then you write even the more. Inspiration to stand before a crowd and share becomes a thing. The motivation to submit to contests starts happening. The power to write more than just the one and set some aside for future books and submissions becomes your mindset. It’s great!

So here is my day three poem inspired by a recent trip I took to Cape May. The beauty of the place and discovering some of its history was awesome. Definitely hope to go back there sometime soon but for now, here is 1000 words to talk about my “Horse-and-Carriage-Ride.”

 

Horse-and-Carriage Ride

A fresh spring of words to say about

my horse-drawn carriage ride through monumental streets

It was as if a cathedral of lights

Encircled all around me

As we promenaded through the historical sites

The wind so strong that day, it would fly the perfect kite

History lurking in the wings

The spirit of the past echoing

Above the sound of the hooves of the horse

He walked with the striking elegance of a king on course

The air wrinkling my hair and making it dance

So I held onto the seatbelt tighter with my hands

Miles and miles through the streets

Down past the house museums and parked cars

To the beach where onlookers went to see the evening stars

As if there were an ekphrastic poem written in the sky

The sunset, so beautiful and coloresque, as it hit your eyes

And we gazed through the chordal measures of the evening tide

Suddenly soothed by the rays of the golden moonlight

Back on to the carriage to ride on through the night

Holding on to the desire to take an even bigger bite out of life

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Questions for the reader?  

 

What is a great place to go to capture the best sunset pic that you can imagine?

What did you think of my poem?

What was your last writing piece?  Please share your link.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog.

Interested in reading some of my other works. I have a few self-published projects on Amazon. Please check out my Amazing Author Page at Amazon.com: Stephanie Jeannot: books, biography, latest update

 

You can always follow me on my Instagram page. I am constantly adding new posts of live events, performances and things of that sort at http://instagram.com/jnotemusic

P is for Poetry

 

P is for poetry

A rhyming story

set to melody

rhythm

and words at play

 

P is for poetry

So sweet and buttery

Oh yesiree

Makes me feel so fluttery

Free and so merrily

Twinkling jazz do-re-mis

The lingual flattery

In the soliloquies

Perfume like Chantilly

Metaphor simile

Poetry literally

Is just so dope to me

Release the inner me

Meters and melodies

Waving like over seas

Lyrically vocally

April Poetry Writing Challenge

The earth has been revolving beneath our feet and here we are; the first day 

of National Poetry Month and Jazz Appreciation month.

I love both poetry and jazz. I could venture down any given thoroughfare, pivoting over 

my favorite jazz tune and I would be just in my nature singing it, as natural as cherry 

blossoms when spring comes into swing. 

Thickets hardly ever stand in the way of my desire to write a couplet in rhyme in my time when I feel the vibe, and it's in my design, READY to rain on a blank page.

As I stole glances at the sun peeking its way through the curtains of the night sky, it dawned on me that This brand-new season that has come upon us with this new set of 24, is a special month. 

I need to write more. I want to get into the swing of appreciating a musical genre and culture I really love. It's time to let my poetic voice ring-a-ling-a-ling louder than a Cynthia Erivo vocal belt. 

I mean, what is jazz anyway? It is poetry in rhythm. It is a metaphor for love. It is an onomatopoeia for life.

With that in mind, I decided to set myself on my own 30-day writing challenge, just to try to reframe my mind to focusing on completing a task and actually writing like I ought to. A poem a day with a jazz twist; something like a margarita with a twist of orange. I am celebrating both jazz and poetry through art and words, harmoniously. 

My 30 days of poetry have begun. I accept the challenge. I'm getting tipsy already. My first installment is here.  

The Soothing Sounds

 

A broad swathe of music wraps around my aching body.

It soothes.

It empowers.

Its waves exhilarate me.

 

My emotional tide waves are at high.

The jazz in me be-bops melodic sighs.

My tears fall when the music inclines.

A jolt of poetry vibrates 9.5.

 

My soul starts its dance atop the leather of congas.

It’s legs shuffling in a full-blown tantrum,

casually winnowing away from the discord notes,

and catapulting into a tri-tone.

 

Microgrooves of 78s.

Santana’s “Shango” and “What Does it Take.”

The sound of Samba invites me to dance and engage

I was clad in music which was a band-aid for my aches. 

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Now, here is an idea. If you are a writer and you want to join in the fun of writing and also the challenge of getting your thoughts out daily, join in this challenge. Let me know if you also will try to be consistent for the next 30 days, post it and send me the link. I'd love to read it. 

Also, tell me what you think. Would love comments, suggestions on how to improve, or just a hello to say that you stopped by.

Either way, thanks for reading.

Happy poetry and jazz month.

Peace! 

JNote

http://instagram.com/jnotemusic

Storming the Pages by Doing Soul Aerobics Using Writing Prompts

There is nothing like a good writing prompt to help me redefine my boundaries and write something remarkably different.

A good starter sentence or question that makes those nostalgic moments swim around your brain, is a great way to get your mind flowing and the words onto the page.

I find prompts to help me to dive deeper into my strengths because they force me to think before writing something startlingly new; almost as if I am doing soul aerobics to storm the page with the sweat of my newfound energy. 

 A little direction and I am writing with a new supply of ideas that take me beyond what I would normally write. What I put on the paper is then crafted with warmth, realness, and soul.

Not only that, a good starter sentence or question gets me into the groove of yielding something surprisingly good and I really love that.

If you are a writer like me who enjoys using prompts every now and then to get the words rippling through your body, then maybe this new book is for you.

I created a book of prompts that I think you might enjoy. The book is entitled Storming the Page; Soul Aerobics. It features over 50 prompts for writers to ignite their passion and release their brainstorm.  Each prompt features three writing pages behind it for the writer to let loose. It has been said that writing three pages a day can increase your creative and ideating flow. Perhaps this book will be the perfect addition to your writing tools library.

Storming the Page; Soul Aerobics is now available on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/eibB7Pr.   Get your copy today.

Ten Ways to Make The Most Out of 2025

The liberating truth you get when the ball drops and knowing that the old year has left us and the new year is here, is unmatchable. 

It is 2025. What a true blessing to know that we survived another year unscathed! It is a brand-new year now, and I realize how similar it is to opening a new sketchbook and starting fresh on your first pencil stroke.

 

I am sketching in a new heart to embrace the new year with love and the willingness to share as much of that love as I can. Whether that means that I will be more open to being a part of collaborative environments or whatever else is in store for me, I will allow myself to be immersed in that.

 

2025 already has its vibrant rhythms spiraling out of it. Here are a few ways to make the most out of 2025.

 

1.     Embrace each moment with joy and intention. The more positive you approach life, the more glamorously radiant your smile will be.

2.     Stretch yourself a little bit more, so you can find better ways to innovate.

3.     Find ways to be engulfed with peace. Rest is essential and if you don’t take quiet moments just to breathe, you might choke. Take a brain break. Walk through nature. Have that second cup of coffee. Get a mani/pedi. Sit in the tub for 45 minutes. Take care of your mental health. It is super important.

  

4.     Don’t stumble over your mess-ups. Get your ass up and try again. Keep going for the things you want to see this year.

5.     Get a true grip on life. Take it seriously. It’s yours.

6.     How many times can you watch the same old series? Be open to watching new things, seeing new things, and experiencing new things. Try that new restaurant that you have been dying to eat it; even if it is on a solo date. Watch that new movie everybody is talking about. Read that new book that you want to get your hands on. If you only indulge in the same old things, what can you actually get new out of it? Did somebody say new travel destination? Seek out the new.

7.     Don’t think that just because you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders well means that you have to bear it all alone. Ask for help. Allow someone else to help you carry it.

8.     The most important thing to carry through 2025 is faith. Stay prayed up. Believe that God has something wonderful in store for you and rely on his truth. Know the fact that you are phenomenally blessed and ready to receive good things in your life.

9.     Work on whatever It is that you are passionate about. The more that you work on it, the better you get. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. And the more that you believe that you are “More Than Enough” to get to where you want to go with it, the more the universe will bend to you. Never forget that you are more than enough.

10. Enjoy the brand new set of 12 months as much as you can. Don't take the time allotted in the year for granted. You have 525600 minutes to make a difference in your own world. Make sure you do more than just live mundanely through it. Experience it with intention and don't let it slip you by. 

 

I hope that you enjoyed this list. I hope to look back over this year when the ball is about to drop into 2026 and having a smile on my face. But until then, here is a song to carry with you throughout the year. https://youtu.be/u02NS1UUpu4?si=XdCRE-JiNfBaj0uh  

 

 

Have a fantastic 2025. Happy New Year!