Remembering My Dad: A Poem in honor of his Birthday and Memory

Remembering my Dad in a very special way
Reflecting on his life and what would've been his 76th Birthday
Reminiscences of his smile and the funny things he used to say

Wishing he was still here to see my baby girl laugh & play
Missing him...

so much but it's okay
He often told me even death couldn't keep us apart
And he was right cause his spirit lives on
here in the depths of my heart

When I was just a little shorty
he used to stand me on top his feet
Together we'd sway to the rhythm of the music,
As One we'd dance in harmony to the sound of the beat

Oh how I wish I could go back in time
and dance with my father like that again
But since I can't I'll hold my baby girl
in my arms tonight and dance with her in his memory
like the song has no end
And my Love for my Dad in spirit I'll send

~Anna Ms.Poet Hendricks
In honor & memory of my Dad, William L. Hendricks
(November 2, 1936 - May 16, 2010)

Hollywood vs. The Holy Bible: Who Has The Most Passionate Poems and Love Stories Ever Written

Some of the most epic love stories, poems and letters ever written about love, that are often over looked and underrated, are ironically not exclusive to Hollywood movies but are also found in the Holy Bible. As both a poet and hopeless romantic, I have received much personal enjoyment from Hollywood romantic movies like most people. In fact, a few of my Hollywood favorites in my personal movie library include, Love Jones, starring Lorenz Tate and Nia Long, The Notebook, starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, and the Jane Austen classic, Pride & Prejudice, starring Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen.

However, many of my favorite love stories, and most of my creative inspiration as a writer, have come from reading the many beautiful and profoundly poetic messages and stories of love found throughout the Holy Bible as well. Although there are several love stories in the bible that are more popular and equally worthy of reading like, Samson and Delilah, Jacob and Rachel, David and Bathsheba and, the most notable of all, Ruth and Boaz. My favorite among them that's rarely, if ever, mentioned as a biblical love story is The Book of Esther. It's a short story in the old testament about a Jewish girl, Hadassah, who later in the story becomes Queen Esther after winning the heart of King Xerxes, who ruled the throne in Susa, Persia.

After falling deeply in love with King Xerxes and becoming his Queen she saves her native Jewish nation from their arch enemy by courageously revealing to the King his secret plot to destroy her people, which resulted in his own death. After reading the bible version of Esther and watching the movie version, One Night with the King, both several times, I found this to be a profoundly heart warming story full of epic love and romance.

Contrary to popular belief, the bible is also full of relationships where couples express their very romantic and passionate feelings for one another through steamy love letters and erotic poems. One of my favorites to read, for example, are the poems in Song of Solomon (also recorded in some bible translations as Song of Songs). This book of the bible follows the relationship between a man and woman who are deeply in love and write poems to each other throughout their courtship that leads to marriage.

In closing, I share with you one of the eloquently written love poems from the woman in Song of Solomon about her persistent and determined search for her soul mate that goes as follows:

"Upon my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves;
I sought him but found him not.
I will rise now and go about the city in the streets,
and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loves;
I sought him but I found him not.

The watchmen that go about the city found me;
I asked them, Have you seen him whom my soul loves?
Scarcely had I passed by them, when I found him
who my soul loves;
I held him, and would not let him go
until I had brought him into my mother's house
and into the chambers of her that bore me.

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or by the young roes of the field,
that you stir not up nor awake my love till it please."

~Song of Solomon Chapter 3:1-5
Holy Bible, Lamsa Aramaic Translation

Now that's epic! Until next time...I surround you in LOVE & Light!

Don't Let Go

Whatever happens don't let go of God's hand...

No matter how it looks or feels

keep trusting in the Master Plan...

When it seems impossible for you to do,

know that the Most High can

Some say seeing is believing

I say, don't believe everything you see

No matter what the human condition may be...

Proclaim God as your entire reality

Cause giving up is not an option

and failure is not your destiny

Through sickness and health...

poverty and wealth

The Most High does not lie

An awesome provider he promised to be

And I've never seen the day he failed

to do so perfectly

Though you shall walk through the fire,

you shall not be burned...

Where wisdom is needed,

he gives a spirit to discern...

To the broken hearted,

you shall see new love return...

For His Truth we seek,

...His living water we yearn

Never give up...Never give in...

Be non-resistant as a river,

yet spontaneous as the wind...

Strong as an oak tree,

yet know when to bend

Look adversity square in the face,

and be not afraid...

For you are a child of the Most High God

...and of His image and likeness you're

magnificently made

So keep on livin and givin'

life your very best shot

Then after you're done givin' all you've got,

and absolutely sure you've done all you can...

Be still...just stand

And whatever happens...don't let go of God's hand.

A One Love Production

By Anna 'Ms.Poet' Hendricks

copyright 2012

Now please click on the video attached below. Enjoy this musical masterpiece appropriately titled, "Whatever Happens, where two of musics greats, Michael Jackson featuring Carlos Santana, colaborated their talents delivering a message through song that supports the message of this Inspirational Love Note Poem.

Until next time...I surround you in Love and Light!

A Labor Day of Love: Barbeque...Baked Beans...and A Baby

This was a special Labor Day in my home because today was about more than just barbeque and baked beans. Today we celebrated the anniversary of my "Labor" Day of Love. On this day three months ago I "Labored" our beautiful baby girl Khaliah into the world. I can't believe she's  three months old already. She's growing so fast...so alert....full of personality and smart as a whip too. (LOL)

 A few days ago, I caught her putting her pacifier in her mouth by herself. She did it all by herself three straight times in a row. I'm so glad I was able to quickly grab our digital camera and video tape her the last time she did before she noticed I was watching her and stopped doing it. And when she looked up and saw me recording her she just looked straight into the camera unmoved and kept right on going as if she was used to being on camera. I swear she's acts like she's born to be a Super Star. Who knows...maybe she is...(LOL)

Now she's moved on to trying to hold her bottle by herself when we're feeding her. (Smh and LOL)She tries to sit up by herself too but she's got a little more ways to go before she's strong enough for that just yet. But at the rate she's going...with a bit more practice I won't be surprised if she has that down too real soon. I'm sooo proud of her!!! 

Until Next Time...I surround you in love & light!

Induction to Motherhood

Only two and a half months since I've become a mommy and my baby girl has wasted no time and spared me no expense of testing my resolve for Motherhood. So far I've been sneezed on directly in my face on a pretty regular basis. I've also been spit up on several times, and experienced things that I NEVER imagined happening to me prior to becoming a mother...like being pee peed on.

But the absolute worst so far has been having her "poop" during the middle of a diaper change and it got on my hand. Ewww gross right!?! Yet I handled it well and didn't even freak out like I normally would in my pre-mommy days. Instead I just cleaned my hand off, finished changing her, washed my hands about 5 more times just for good measure, then kissed her and told her how much I love her.

So after going through all that, without walking out and leaving her with her Dad, I think I can safely say I have successfully passed by first round of new mommy initiation test. I believe I have been officially inducted into the wonderful world of "Motherhood".

Still, despite all the aforementioned gross things she has done to me, what I find the most joy and delight in thus far is sitting in my rocking chair with her snuggled securely in my arms with her head pressed against my chest. Quietly, I pray over her as she falls asleep to the comforting sound of my heartbeat. 

My second favorite thing so far is standing over her crib each morning watching her with sheer enthusiasm and anticipation of her opening her eyes to the new day. As she awakes she looks up with sparkles of love in her beautiful precious little eyes. When she sees me there ready and waiting to greet her, she fills up the room with her smile like the sun lighting the world as it makes its daily ascension in the sky. Then together we start a new day of her giving me more joy than I've ever known and me bathing her in more love than I ever knew my heart could give.

 ~Until next time I surround you in love & light!

A One Love Production
By Anna "Ms. Poet" Hendricks
Copyright 2012

Special Edition Inspirational Love Note...with EXTRA emphasis on the LOVE: Arrival of our Baby Girl Announcement

 I am so thrilled and pleased with over-flowing joy to share this special edition Inspirational Love Note to announce and ask you to join us in celebrating the one week arrival anniversary of our baby girl today.

Her name is Khaliah Amel Hendricks-Lewis born last Sunday, June 3, 2012 @ 7lbs even, which according to my doctor is very rare, proving already she is here to bring forth a Divine purpose on her life for God because as most of you already know 7 is the biblical/spiritual number for completion. Also, my hospital room number was 8, which is the biblical/spiritual number for new beginnings. Additionally, her first and middle name together, which came to me straight from prayer and Spirit, means "Eternal Hope and Expectation". A Divinely inspired name for a Divinely Destined child.

Thank you all in advance for your love, support and well wishes extended to me, baby Khaliah and Dad (Carlton "Mello Melanin" Lewis. Extra special thanks to those close friends and family who have been extremely supportive throughout my pregnancy/journey to motherhood for respecting my wishes to keep this very personal, sacred journey private. By doing so you not only gave me the support I needed in the unique way I NEEDED. Your respect of my wishes also allowed me to get through this journey in my own personal way until I was ready to share the news with the rest of the world. Your constant messages in my inbox, to my cell phone, cards in the mail, checking on me, sharing motherly advice (from those of you who are already veteran moms) and just letting me know you were thinking of me and keeping me in prayer, all meant so much to me. So with my deepest gratitude to you I extend a heartfelt thank you. Due to time and space I cannot list you all individually but I know you all know who you are this special thanks goes out to with love.

Baby, Daddy and I are all home recovering now and I especially have a long road ahead before my full recovery is complete due to having to deliver her by an unexpected c-section surgery. Therefore, in obedience to my doctor's very precise restrictions, the best interest of my recovery process and bonding time with baby Liah, this will be my last correspondence here or in any social nature,  (i.e. phone, text, email, etc.) for awhile. I have much that I look forward to sharing with as soon as I'm ready and able to get back to the world and work. In the meantime, I surround you in love & light...keep letting your love light shine! ~Peace Beloved

Femininity: A Special Mother's Day Inspirational Love Note

Happy Mother's Day!  To all my fellow women, rather you are a veteran mom, new mom, mom to be, physiologically unable to have children or have no desire to have children of your own at all, this is my special Inspirational Love Note dedicated exclusively to us. Regardless of your motherhood status, you are woman and your feminine energy brings the spirit, light and love of motherhood to the earth in ways God created and gave only a woman the ability to do.

The things that our bodies are designed by God to do to support, nurture and bring forth life into this world are so incredible, miraculous and divine. Only a much greater infinite intelligence, such as our Most High God, could create a Goddess in Its own image and likeness as you....Woman.

Enjoy this day that is set aside to honor our beauty that's far more than skin deep...our compassion that extends beyond measure...our love that springs forth from a well of infinitude and goes deeper than any ocean. Today ladies, let us stand together as one and celebrate the life force energy of God uniquely expressed through us in the form of our femininity and feminine energy in which we live...move...and have our being.

This is our day my fellow Goddesses of Love & Light...go forth in it and embrace the radiance of your womanhood with both your arms and your heart open wide. And in case the men in your life have never expressed to you how sexy, sultry and powerful you are...attached below is one of my all time favorite songs by Mr. Eric Benet that honors us in such a way as the aforementioned, simply yet perfectly titled, "Femininity".

Play it...listen to the words...dance around in your favorite dress...night gown, lingerie or whatever makes you feel most comfortable, free and vibrant. Let this song be a personal...private...Love Note to you as you dance and prance around your home smiling from cheek to cheek while reveling in the radiance, splendor and glorious energy your womanhood exudes. Let's love on ourselves today ladies...like no one else this side of heaven can.

Until next time...I surround you in love & light...continue to let your love light shine!
 ~Peace Beloved

A One Love Production
By Anna M. Hendricks
Copyright 2012