Happy July

 

Joy fills my heart for all the good things I have encountered along the way to this moment and through the year that got me to the first of this new month.

 

Unbelievably fast, we rifle through the pages of this annual book and wonder if the speed of it all is actually cynically fictitious.

Learning however how to maneuver my way down the path as I connect more intimately with my maturing life and my purpose.

You know that as I enter in the new, I can’t deny the unfiltered inspiration I experience, the more comfortable I get with being me and with all of my natural elements.

 

And if you are around, come and hang with me as they close Newkirk Avenue to cars and make it a pedestrian fun zone for a day on July 12th, 2026. My band and I, Us3, will be performing live from 4-6 at the Flatbush Development Corporations Open Streets Event in front of 1616 Newkirk Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. Hope you will feel the urge to come out and see us performing live music. Hope to see you there!  

100 Words For Mom (A Poem)

 100 Words For Mom (A POEM)

 

Mothers are magical beings from another planet.

They beam through walls that humans can’t.

They wear the skirts, the dresses, and the pants.

Missile beams eject out of their hands.

Their eyes are radars that do ultraviolet scans.

They tie the strands

of their hair up in a bun.

They take the stars and asteroids out the universe

and serve them for lunch.

They put up their hands to fly to where they need to be

Then eject ten arms out their sides to surround their family.

Yup! That’s mom!

Superbeing. That is her.

Master of the whole entire world.

 

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Happy Mother's Day to you and to all the mothers; especially mine.  

Poetry is my first love. I’ve loved it for my whole life. My writing started with poetry and it is one of the things that make me come alive.  If you dug this poem, check out my book of poems:

 

SONGS FOR MY MOTHER

Get your copy on Amazon here:

https://a.co/d/0gZt4Ktv

A Writer Writing

A new month is upon us, and the truth about it is that we have been blessed to see another month. We are well into 2026. Thank God for the January that he brought us through. We survived the frigid temperatures and the days that came to greet us with open arms. 

I am on a new reading challenge that I joined, where I committed to read 100 books this year. I read four this month already and am on my fifth one, ironically, which is a book of inspiration for writers entitled "1000 Words: A Writer's Guide To Staying Creative, Focused, And Productive All Year Round," by Jami Attenberg. 

This book encourages writers to write 1000 words every day, and one of the things I put to paper was an acrostic poem for the February that is about to embrace us:

Frozen days that have not changed since December

Every day seems colder now than I could ever remember

 

But hope stands tall when the new month comes to play

Ready or not, February swings into bat and comes in to stay

 

Under the frigid temperatures that linger in the air is what we ride

A handful of salt we scatter all around us to not slip and to not slide

 

Running to love because God up above saw it fit to keep us and to bless us

Yes to living life as if it were golden and we leave our lives in his hands and trust

_____________________________________________________

I don't know about you but, I am grateful to have been kept and am beyond grateful for God's grace that got me through January in its entirety 

https://youtube.com/shorts/EfcQ7xedv60?si=TK0CkK5Xqx3Cel0H

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If you liked that poem and are interested in checking out some of my other poetic pieces, please support my creative endeavors by investing in one of my poetry books:

Pulchritudinous: The Poetry Collection

https://a.co/d/6bRnrY3

And Then There Was the Music

https://a.co/d/iiPTpq2

Songs For My Mother

https://a.co/d/40AE8Wo

Songs for My Father

https://a.co/d/fAciQp0

Poettues: The Potency of Music

Poettues: The Potency of Music

I get intoxicated when I hear a good song come on the radio.

I'm a lush for moving to the beat of a groove when I hear it flow. 

I get tipsy when the melody is rocking and it makes me want to dance

Music in my opinion is like potent love that makes you shake your fancy pants. 

Intoxicated by my Love for Dancing

Click on link to see associated video

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If you dug my poem, I have an entire book of Music Poetry entitled: 

And Then There Was the Music

by Stephanie Jeannot

Click Here to Check it Out on Amazon

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

__________________________________________________________

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! 

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. 

_______________________________________________________________

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

POET Tuesday by Stephanie Jeannot

Every day is a day that is good to write poetry; especially if you are a poetess like me. But, today seems like an even more extra special day because it is Tuesday and Tuesday is designated as Poetry Tuesday and so, poetry is the game. Here are a few of the latest poems that have been seeping through my pores. I hope you enjoy. 

I Write

I was born as a poem written in a Fifth grader’s marble notebook

My lines were enhanced by a sword and shield and I turned into an epic

I started this romantic relationship slaying dragons and I was transformed into a song

The main soldier in the story became me when my song became a full-length production

You can watch it at a theatre near you and hear the words to me, the anthem

But wherever I am and whenever life spans, the poetry never dies

I still remain vivid and sonorous within the lines

And the words that breathe through are just fine

Because they are mine

I write

 

Full Hearted

Three pages to get you connected with your own id

Ego surpasses everything that went in

To the scribing times and writing blinds to get to this place

They told me not to read it back or edit, so I cannot erase

All I can do is let it out like a cry when losing face

I thought why not

Seemed like a good idea to give it a taste

And so one day I am there releasing

And other times, not in the mood

But they say to feed the hunger to use my thoughts for food

So I’ve been doing the program to release the artist within

And I’m reaching my hand like a back brush to reach the past of when a kid

And all I know it has rained forty days from when I first had started

Almost more tears than the bubbles of all the times I’ve farted

And I am doing it like a professional trash person; hurts discarded

So I can affirm my truths; I know them full hearted.

Open Book

She said what she felt like she never did before

She let out her muse and it happened more and more

She was open like a book and the test was happening

She was telling all the answers that nobody was asking

She thought it was the thing that was supposed to go on

She spelled out every word to each one of her songs

And never held in anything that could be kept as hush

She probably never considered the fact that she had talked too much

She went from writing her thoughts to a book to sharing them with an ear

She went from using her pencil to release her mind to becoming a mountaineer

She thought using her ropes was the answer to the journey she’d been on

She thought that maybe he had been the clear to her life-long thicket of fog

She never thought that is was wrong because she never had it once

She just started living life and gaining scars and cuts

She knew her wrongs and detours, falls and things that kept her from her climb

These were the things that made her block the world from her reminds

And though she fell into this ditch where she just simply lied

Each knee jerk reaction was another shock to come alive

She stood back up on her two feet again at 7:10

To a new light of inspiration and a melodic beat and it all happened when

She got the thread to gauge his eye to sew up her hem

He was the needle that poked her back to life again

 

 

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Thank you so much for reading my poems. If you liked what you read, perhaps you might enjoy one of my poetry collections.  

And Then There Was the Music: Musical Poetry Collection by Stephanie Jeannot

Pulchritudinous: The Poetry Collection

Follow my author page on Amazon here: Stephanie Jeannot: Amazon Author Page

Celebrate with Chynah Presents Two Poems by Stephanie Jeannot

I am passionate about writing and whenever I get the chance to do it, I try to punctuate my time with meaningful writing. I like to flex my words with a pen and add it to a blank page and create things whether it is poetry, song or whatever writing thing comes to play. In fact, poetry has been a part of my quiddity even before I started writing songs.

Often times my mind is thick with thoughts and ideas, and in my own unique way, I erupt into verse. It restores me back to life and I am ready to take on the world wholeheartedly.

I must show gratitude to my sistah gurl, Chynah, who did not see it 
as robbery to use her platform to extend kindness towards me. She not only mentioned my poetry collection, And Then There Was the Music: Poetry and an Essay, but she read two of my poems, “The Universal Language” and “Make War Not Music” to her large, receptive audience.

I invite you to check out the video in which these poetic works were featured here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFl9RwqRUMc

If you are interested in reading more of the poetry featured in the book, you can get it from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1977095747/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5

My Poetry turned into Song

 

My desire to write started out as poetry, writing the lines of my life since I was in the Fifth grade.

 

Poetry was my love and the love grew into songs and I like to sing them. I am a poet at heart. I try to write on a daily basis but most importantly, as much as I can with who I am and with what time I have.

I had the opportunity to try applying a piece of my poetry to music while listening to a musical melody created by my friend, John Mueller.

I took the track, added my poem, sung harmonies and some piano riffs to Mueller's booming bass and guitar riffs, and it became a poetic song entitled, “Funkalicious.”

 

It is about letting go of your doubts and fears to come into who you were meant to be. I do not know how many will agree with me, but often times, when we are in the season of hopes and have aspirations, it is a common thing for naysayers to speak a tongue of doubt into your spirit to turn all your hopes into fears. The bigger idea is to not let things come in the way of who you are and instead, to live with a sense of hope in the things that you aspire to do.

The poem turned to song, “Funkalicious,” is all about that. Check it out for yourself and maybe you will be inspired by the words: https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/funkalicious-by-stephanie-jeannot-john-mueller?si=d3c21fdb1f4d45f68060dfb5fbb405c1

Stephanie Jeannot · Funkalicious by Stephanie Jeannot & John Mueller

Happy National Poetry Month

 It is National Poetry Month; a month I hold dear to my heart because I am a poet.

I started writing poetry in the fifth grade and then challenged myself to write 5000 words with which I would publish a book of poetry. And I did.

I write to clear my mind. I write to pass the time. I write when times are enjoyable and I write when I feel like I am walking blind.

Whenever I storm with ideas, I put my pen to the paper and scribe away. Sometimes it comes out as a poem and sometimes as a song. Then there are times when a short story is birthed out of my storming.

Some of my favorite moments is when I get carried away by poetic imagery. I find the art of writing poetry very enriching and a joyful experience. It is one of the reasons I pursued English as a major and my primary reason for babbling along. But enough of that; I want to get your feet wet with a sample of my writing.   

 

Line after line after line

By Stephanie Jeannot

I like to stay in my undisturbed space

When I’m cooped up at home

I like to head outdoors onto the grass

And sit there with my thoughts alone

I feel ecstatic when I can

operate creatively there

I add unto my eclectic repertoire

Fingerprints of truth

Stored in my mind among the wares

I’ve encountered people from all walks of life

That made contributions to my being

Some provided a layer of support

And some that brought winds of change

That made many moments disappointing

Still my mind goes spiraling forward

And I write in those allotment of times

Every release is a new beginning

Line after line after line

 

 

Thank you for reading a sample of my poetry. If you are interested, I do have a poetry book available of Amazon.com. I invite you to check it out. It is entitled  And Then There Was The Music: Musical Poetry Collection and an Essay 

 

Thank you for reading and happy National Poetry Month!

PEACE

Prompted by Three-by-Three, 75 and Punching the Clock

Lately I have had it entrenched in my mind that writing suits my desire. I am steering forward in 2021 firmly fixed on the idea that it is imperative for me to put pen to paper more often.

I heard that a writer should simply start the process by jotting down anything. Could this be a lasting routine in my life? I hope so. And I also hope that as the days progress, that I will make the routine stick by doing a lot more with my love for writing.

I have come across a couple of different writing ideas that motivated me to write today. For one, the importance of consistency is at the forefront of my mind. And that is when I came across two prompts that I combined in one; also adding in a writing idea from another source of information that is not so much of a prompt.

Robert Lee Brewer who is the senior editor of Writer’s Digest has a Wednesday Poetry Prompt 

every Wednesday, and today’s prompt is three-of-a-kind. And so, I wrote a poem with each 

verse being exactly three lines. Second, on my to-do-list, I added an idea found in the book, 

How to Get Great Freelance Clients: Learn how to earn more — find quality clients and get the gig (Freelance Writers Den Book 3) by Carol Tice, Linda Formichelli and Chris Marlow which is to tell a story in just 75 words.     

The poetry prompt for three-for-three was written in 75 words.  Third, for every day of the year is a bizarre or unique holiday. Today is Punching the Clock Day. The three-for-three poem I wrote in 75 words has to do with punching the clock. And so, I wrote the poem Punching the Clock. Tell me what you think:

___________________________________________________________________

 

Punching the Clock

by Stephanie Jeannot

Besides doodling around on my free time

I punch the clock everyday

As part of my daily routine.

 

I work with children

who demand my attention

to who I try to influence their thinking profoundly.

 

I walk in with my quiet regal presence

With the heightened expectation

That I’ll get through to them.

 

Who knew of the Herculean challenge

That would bring on the Working Woman Blues

When they do whatever instead of simply listening.

_____________________________________________________________

With this poem in mind, I teamed up with John Mueller from Chicago, IL, to write a song” about being a woman in the work force entitled Working Woman Blues. If you are interested in hearing it, check it out on YouTube Music here: https://youtu.be/poznZy6eDso

It was fun to write because I always wanted to write a blues type of tune and I was able to talk about some of the things I have seen in my 9-5 experiences that I think many can relate to. I also got a chance to get a bit freer with my piano playing enough to add a piano solo to it. 

I’m no Elton John on the piano yet though I actually fell in love with the piano in 2020 and ever since been trying to enhance is and so during the quarantine, I had ample time to hone my writing skills in all areas, including writing compositions, and I am more than grateful for that. The song is featured on our pandemic musical project The Stephanie Jeannot & John Mueller Project which was released on October 10, 2020, and is the first of 13 tracks that are featured on the album.  

Thank you so much for reading my journey. God bless and enjoy your day! 

Currents of Love Flowing From My Heart through 'Songs For My Mother'

I want to tap into your emotions and share with you how my mother created magic in my life. I want to convey the story of a woman who made a melodic statement everywhere she escaped to.

I have accumulated so many facts over the years from the multitude of scenarios that she bolstered. She is a woman of faith, a warrior and a jewel. And so, I thought it would be nice to expose others to some of the ideas and concepts that my mother shared, as currents of love flowing from my heart.

If you have yet to get a gift for your mom and are looking for something different, perhaps she will enjoy the strong lyrical content found in my most recent collection of poetry entitled, “Songs For My Mother” by Stephanie Jeannot.

It is a collection of poems dedicated specifically to my mother but appropriate for any mother. It speaks of my family being clustered close together submersing into the idea of being in unity.

The overall mood of it is happy. The poems concentrate on the woman that I have been blessed to call mom. It is an emotional minefield with an endless trove of golden moments shared.

My mother bolstered faith. She showed us how to make our existence dynamic and fun. She showed us how to recognize the errors of our ways so that we could bounce back from our series of stupid mistakes and successfully navigate the world. She gave us a passion for knowledge. She built us up strong so that when we were ready to take off the training wheels, we would be capable of doing big things. And she cooked the most delicious food that you can find on the face of the world.

As opposed to letting these truths of our upbringing sit up in the storage of my mind, I thought it would be nice to share the memorability of it all; mostly because our upbringing was teeming with life.

Hopefully, you will feel inclined to perhaps get a copy for yourself or for your own mom, to slip away and leaf through the pages.  I realize that we all hook our own meaning to the life that we lived and the parents who generated energy into the lives we pursued but I am thinking that some of the elements of our upbringings might have some similarities and you might be able to relate to many of the scenarios presented in this poetry collection.

The poetry collection, “Songs For My Mother” by Stephanie Jeannot, features 24 poems. Each poem is uniquely equipped with a different length with a sense of openness to my heart woven into it.  This book delivers a series of thoughts meant to celebrate the royalty that a mother possesses in her queendom.

I invite you to support my efforts. This book is well worth the purchase. Somewhere in the world, there is a heart that might need the dazzle found within its pages. You can get your copy on Amazon. It is available as a hard copy or in a Kindle format here: Click Here to Get the Book "Songs For My Mother" by Stephanie Jeannot

Songs For My Mother

I hope that you received my blogpost in an open-minded manner. My thoughts shared were dispensed with gusto.  If I connected with your state of mind through this promotional platform at all, I appreciate your network of support. 

Sharing this with you all was quite humbling for me and I am thankful to you for indulging for a moment on how I am trying to satiate my appetite of being a writer and an author that is currently giving me gravity.

"In My Quietude..." by Stephanie Jeannot

April is National Poetry Month. It is a month dedicated to celebrating the art of the many poets and poetesses in the world. 

My first experiences writing came in the form of poetic verse. I love to write and during this world crisis and in my quietude, I have found ample time to put my pen to paper and to just let my thoughts flow. 

I am sad that I have not been able to place my 2020 American Poets' Society National Poetry Month Poster on the wall of my classroom this year but I am happy to put some of my own poetry on to the wall of this blog and I hope that you will take the time to read it. This poem is entitled "In my Quietude"

In My Quietude

In my quietude

I have spent a good deal of time 

inside lately

The coronavirus has been 

attacking our livelihood lately

But I don’t take 

my blessings for granted

I still acknowledge and steward 

over each day that I am handed

Surely this COVID 19 

has shifted my thinking

I’m bombarded with so much news of it 

that has left me crippled broken

In my quietude, I wonder

How many can handle 

all this darkness with ease?

How can I truly operate 

through all of this in victory?

I don’t want to accept the idea 

that this is a losing battle.

This pandemic contagion has come 

and the earth it has rattled.

In my quietude, I have come to the conclusion that 

These are some of the darkest moments 

I have ever seen.

I’m affected by all the ambulance sirens 

and this shifting economy.

I can definitely say 

that I have been pierced with sorrow.

In the twinkling of an eye, 

I’ve lost so many that I won’t be able to physically embrace tomorrow

I am hoping that these dark times 

won’t sway my viewpoint of faith

I am praying that sooner than later 

this disease will get out of our way

I guess you can say with this quarantine 

I have quiet time dedicated to my thoughts

I am trying to overcome 

the circumstance of the coronavirus that haunts

The beat goes on 

even if I let the doubts of surviving take over

My hurts sting for the world 

as it continues to lose soldiers

In my quietude, I realized that 

I have faced many trials in my life 

but not like 2020

So many good times experienced 

stay frozen in my memory

I only hope to move from the empty cityscapes 

and get back on to non-virtual social track soon

I give credit to all my inspirers 

who keep me from totally being blue

And all the essential workers 

diligently working to save so many lives

And all the prayer warriors praying 

for healing over the world and for better times

_______________________________________________________

Thank you for taking the time to read my poem. I am a poet at heart and also have a few poetry books that you might find interest in reading. Please check them out here: Stephanie Jeannot's Author Page on Amazon