Living life is an array of experiences, emotions, relationships, responsibilities, and choices that constantly shape and challenge our existence.
Author: Dawn Minott
Poet. Blogger. Speaker. Author of “Moments: A Poetic Autobiography”. Unapologetically a lover of God, a lover of love and all things nature. Hardcore logophile with an epigrammatic style. Creative soul. Artsy to the core.
Worthwhile Exchange ©Dawn Minott | a Haiku
The butterfly is beautiful only because the caterpillar was brave enough to accept painful change.
MidWeek Boost: Please Everyone?! ©️Dawn Minott
You cannot please everyone, don’t even try!
Summer’s Start ©Dawn Minott |a Kaiku
Welcome to the start of summer!
Hope Away from Home ©Dawn Minott |for World Refugee Day 2023
The strength and courage of people forced to be refugee, fleeing their home country to escape conflict or persecution.
Juneteenth: Liberation ©Dawn Minott |a Haibun
Liberation. Emancipation. Freedom. Juneteenth.
Breath ©Dawn Minott |a Senryu series
How often do we think about breathing? Maybe never, because it’s such an innate part of who we are, happening independent of us.
Juneteenth: Not Black, It’s American
Juneteenth—celebrate freedom!
Ode to Mint ©Dawn Minott
Mint—every leaf, a treasure resides, a symphony of flavors, nature provides.
Flower of the Day Challenge #63: Charming Clematis
Nature at her pretty best.
Mid-Week Boost: Happy
Be your own happy!
Flower of the Day Challenge #62: Yellow Blooms
Garden vibes in vibrant yellow.
What Is Love? ©Dawn Minott
Love — intense feeling of deep affection!
Mid-Week Boost: Decorate Your Soul
Roses pick-me-upper!
Flower of the Day Challenge #61: Monkey Face Orchid! Really?!
Nature mimics itself with monkey and orchids—monkey face orchids!
Writing Is ©Dawn Minott |a Quatrain-Senryu
Words take on different meanings as we look back at them through the lens of our shifting and growing
Flower of the Day Challenge #60: Can you name that flower?!🙂
Lone flower in a heart-shaped vase what a happy embrace
I’mPossible! ©Dawn Minott
Impossible to I’mPossible! changes everything.
Rise & Soar ©Dawn Minott
Embrace the beauty life has in store And forevermore we rise and soar
Wordless Wednesday ©Dawn Minott
Garden’s summer offerings 💐
Final Breath on Spillwords ©Dawn Minott | Mental Health Awareness Month
Don’t forget to say: “I love you” And prove always this is true
Verbifying Animals ©Dawn Minott
In a world of playful creatures abound Monkeying around, they all astound
Life Mottos ©Dawn Minott |an Abecedarian, Mental Health Awareness
Accept you as you areBelieve in the good, do good Cultivate an attitude of gratitudeDo what you love, do you Embrace the flawsFind peace of mind Give with no expectationsHappiness is fleeting, create joy Invest in experiences, things are ephemeral Jump around in bed some times, find your inner child Kindness is life-changing, be a …
Continue reading Life Mottos ©Dawn Minott |an Abecedarian, Mental Health Awareness
Words Stitched in Alliance ©Dawn Minott
Words weave a tapestry bold and bright!
Stitch (10 word poem) ©Dawn Minott
Words are like tapestry, woven art.
Flower of the Day Challenge #59: Posh Peonies
Peonies pretty by nature!
Flower of the Day Challenge #58: Regal Roses
Roses that inspire.
What’s Love Gotta Do With It? R.I.P. Tina Turner ©Dawn Minott
Love’s strength revealed.
When Words Failed ©Dawn Minott
My trusted solace, my words, had disappeared
Outcry ©Dawn Minott
How many more?! If the massacre of our children is not enough to initiate change, what will? Prayers for the parents, siblings and children impacted by yet another school massacre in America—this time Uvalde, Texas.
What Does Sunset, Dinner & Rooftop in Zanzibar Have in Common? ©Dawn Minott
Along the twists and turns of a maze of crumbling alleyways in fabled Old Stone Town in Zanzibar (Tanzania)!
Mid-Week Boost: Begin Again
You can start again!
Back to Africa: Back to the Future through Windows & Doors ©Dawn Minott
Trip back to Africa immersed in historyThe defiance of a people subjugatedLike memories’ power to holdPhotographs are windows ofMoments frozen in timeLike eyes’ windows to the soulHistory etched in architectureThe stories buildings hold Jetty 1 (Cape Town, South Africa), formally a prison and now a museum Jetty 1 at the Cape Town harbor is a …
Continue reading Back to Africa: Back to the Future through Windows & Doors ©Dawn Minott
Mid-Week Boost:
Midweek is a good point to recharge to get over the hump fighting.
Back to Africa: A Travelogue ©Dawn Minott
Three years ago I was in the throes of making plans to celebrate my birth over the full month of April, like I’ve traditionally done for birthdays past. However, on 11 March 2020 after the corona-19 virus infected people in 114 countries, WHO declared a global pandemic and soon thereafter countries were locked down. And …
Shabbat Shalom: The Stay ©Dawn Minott | with audio
Living this thing called life is interspersed with periods of “stay”. In this post I’d like to share my reflection on being in a period of stay—when everything that all my senses encounter shouts: “leave”, “run”, “cower”, BUT that still small voice keeps insisting on “stay”. There is stay that is relevant to one’s positioning …
Continue reading Shabbat Shalom: The Stay ©Dawn Minott | with audio
Mid-Week Boost: Honey Words
Walk gently in the lives of others. Not all wounds are visible. The Bible says it this way: Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:24 The week is long. The weekend is short. Midweek is a good point to recharge to get over the hump. Use …
The Rock ©Dawn Minott |a Quatrain
The Rock Restaurant in idyllic Zanzibar.
Nakupenda ©Dawn Minott |a Senryu series
Nakupenda beach, Zanzibar Nakupenda isSandbank beach in ZanzibarIt means “I love you” Indian OceanIdyllic summer swim inCrystal-clear waters Waves move o’er white sandLow tide ripples revealingJust off Stone Town coast 2023 All Rights Reserved Like what you see? To never miss a post click HERE👈 to subscribe & follow the blog. I love hearing from …
Henna: birthMONTH celebration ©Dawn Minott
For over 5000 years, the art of henna—also called mehndi in Hindi and Urdu—has been practiced in various parts of the world including Africa. This temporary decorative art is used on hands and feet and usually reserved for the celebration of special occasions such as weddings and birthdays. As this is my birthMONTH (April) celebration …
The Giraffe ©Dawn Minott |a Shadorma
All photos taken by me 😊 Grasslands roam Awkward elegance African Queen of height Safari expedition Moments etched in time Afterword: Shadorma is a Spanish 6-line syllabic poem of 3/5/3/3/7/5 syllable lines respectively. 2023 All Rights Reserved Like what you see? To never miss a post click HERE👈 to subscribe & follow the blog. I …
Mid-Week Boost: Trust Yourself
Midweek recharge to get over the hump.
Black Bald & Bearded ©Dawn Minott |an Ottava Rima
When a photo speaks more than words.
Ten Thousand Feet Above ©Dawn Minott—Tribute for Earth Day (April 22)
Today, April 22, is Earth Day, a time set aside to celebrate the Earth, learn about the environment, and promote conservation.
Shabbat Shalom: Selah! |with audio
Selah! This may be the most mysterious word in the Bible. There’s no one definition but the operative word that all these definitions have in common—though it’s only implicit—is silence.
Full Circle ©Dawn Minott |a Shadorma
Live life in full circle.
Midweek Boost: Yet ©️Dawn Minott
The week is long. The weekend is short. Midweek is a good point to recharge to get over the hump—persevere. Happy hump day!
Birthday Gift Poem #5 |an Acrostic
The best gifts to commemorate the day of my birth—the gift of words in poetry.
Flower of the Day Challenge #57: Flashy Fynbos
Pretty by nature!
Let Her Eat Cake ©Dawn Minott |a Shadorma
Let her eat cake because… why not?!
Birthday Gift Poem #4 ©Dawn Minott | a Gwawdodyn Byr
The gift of blessings pronounced.
Birthday Gift Poem #3: Her Dawn
When the heart shines, the soul smiles!
Birthday Gift Poem #2: It’s Your World Girl
You don’t go girl, you flow girl, no question, its your world!
Today’s My Birthday—I’m Enough ©Dawn Minott
Happy birthday to me!
Birthday Gift Poem #1: See The Awesome
The awesomeness that is me. Birthday affirmation 2023.
Flower of the Day Challenge #56: Tender Tulips
Tulips signaling spring’s arrival.
Blessed Easter ©Dawn Minott
Blessed Easter. Resurrection Sunday. Thanks
Resurrection Sunday: The Master Key ©Dawn Minott |with audio
Friday there was sorrow. Saturday was silent. But Sunday is coming and indeed it is here—RESURRECTION morning. Blessed Easter.
Flower of the Day Challenge #55: Heavenly-hued Hyacinths
Spring time beauties—hyacinths
Shabbat Shalom: The Sacrifice ©Dawn Minott
Easter Saturday is silent. Easter Sunday is coming.
Flower of the Day Challenge #54: Ravishing Red Rose
Red red rose!!
Mid-Week Boost: Don’t Stop Striving @Dawn Minott
The best of yet to come. Don’t stop striving.
Mid-Week Boost: Your Kind of Beautiful
You’re your own kind of beautiful.
Education Power @Dawn Minott |International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (25 March)
By teaching the history of slavery we can guard against its legacy of racism.
Mid-Week Boost: Stay Inspired @Dawn Minott
Never stop creating.
Mid-Week Boost: Is It Worth It?
If it’s worth it. It’s worth waiting.
Tulips in Winter @Dawn Minott |Haiku series
Tulips’ peaceful defiance to winter’s stronghold.
Happy International Women’s Day 2023: Equity Embraces ©Dawn Minott
Equity means creating an inclusive world. We can each play a part.
Mid-Week Boost: Be You
Be who you are. Say what you feel.
Still ©Dawn Minott |a Senryu
Still in love with you.
Unbought and Unbossed ©Dawn Minott |a Gwawdodyn Byr for Black History Month, with audio
Undeterred, glass ceiling-breaker!
Mid-Week Boost: Life Lessons
Life is a master teacher.
Mid-Week Boost: Be Gentle With Yourself
The week is long. The weekend is short. Midweek is a good point to recharge to get over the hump being gentler with you. Happy hump day!
AFRICA in My Heart ©Dawn Minott |for Black History Month, with audio
She is … Africa on my heart
What the World Needs is Love ©Dawn Minott
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
For Türkiye & Syria ©️Dawn Minott | Senryu series
Life changed instantlyDeath and dying all around Hearts are beating pain Finding hope in griefRescue received with a smileLove knows no limits Afterword: I arrived in Türkiye for work 2 days before the earthquake. We weren’t close to the epicenter, but the humanitarian nature of the organization I work for meant parts of our team …
Continue reading For Türkiye & Syria ©️Dawn Minott | Senryu series
Conquest of Paradise ©️Dawn Minott |a Shadorma for Black History Month
In 1492, the year Christopher Columbus made landfall on an island in the Caribbean—and the waves of European exploration, conquest and settlement that followed—it started a massive global exploitation of indigenous populations from Africa to the Americas with spin-off consequences that still reverberate in the lives of black and brown peoples today.
Mid-Week Boost: Color Changes Things
The week is long. The weekend is short. Midweek is a good point to recharge—add a little color, brighten up the dark patches to get over the hump. Happy hump day!
Folding Chair ©️Dawn Minott | a Shadorma for Black History Month
Black resistance means creating space to be heard and seen.
Flower of the Day Challenge #54: Plainly Gorgeous Orchid, 1st Bloom
this orchid mom is exuberant yet again because one more of my other babies is blooming yet again! She’s my oldest, just over 5 years old!!!!
Black History ©️Dawn Minott | a Shadorma for Black History Month
History// Bold and black as night// So it shines// Like stars bright// In a cloudless dark night sky// There from where time starts//
Black Resistance ©️Dawn Minott |a Gwawdodyn Byr for Black History Month
Every stroke of pen takes flight// Every piece of poem and prose write// Every act of resistance might// Every riot, march, sit-in fight// Each is another force—Black resistance// Stay the course till freedom for all is right
Black History Month: 2023 Theme—Black Resistance
African Americans have consistently resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all its forms. Nearly 179 years ago, the Rev. Henry Highland Garnett proposed that the only path to freedom, justice, and equality; self-determination; and/or social transformation is RESISTANCE. In thunder tones, Garnett shouted: Let your motto be resistance! resistance! RESISTANCE! By resisting Black people have …
Continue reading Black History Month: 2023 Theme—Black Resistance
Flower of the Day Challenge #54: Plainly Gorgeous Orchid, 1st Bloom
… happy orchid mom exclaiming: “my baby is blooming yet again!” She’s the first bloom of my season!!! Waiting with bated breath for my other babies to bloom.
Mid-week Boost: You Have Presence
The week is long. The weekend is short. Midweek is a good point to relook at yourself and recharge to get over the hump. Happy hump day!
Sunday Photo Reflection #36: Bride Waterfall
No! It’s not a painting or a photograph. It’s a recently discovered waterfall in Peru, called “Bride waterfall”. Mother Nature is at it again. She totally rocks!!! More details/video http://bit.ly/3WS1Gg5 Why just be a body of water free falling over rocks, down a mountainside when you can flow expressively like a bride wearing a wedding …
Continue reading Sunday Photo Reflection #36: Bride Waterfall
Mid-Week Boost: It’s Gonna Be A Good Day
The week is long. The weekend is short. Midweek is a good point to recharge to get over the hump. Happy hump day. It’s a good day!!
Souled Out for Change©️by Dawn Minott: A Tribute Poem for Dr Martin Luther King on his 94th Birthday
Some kings rule from iron thronesDisconnected from community realityYou’re the King who served from humanity’s throneWho dreamed not in black or whiteWho envisioned instead a world inclusiveYour voice, your vision a great void fillingSpeaking the language of the unheardInspiration to persevere, to never stop dreamingSummoning collective longings and eternal hopesFor a nation by its noblest …
Flower of the Day Challenge #53: Helleborus x Hybridus—Black Beauty
… also referred to as 'Dark and Handsome' or 'Black swan'. Mother Nature totally rocks with flowers in the full range of the color spectrum including black!!! Thanks to Cee for hosting the Flower of the Day prompt 2023 ©Dawn Minott All Rights Reserved Like what you see? To never miss a post click HERE👈 …
Continue reading Flower of the Day Challenge #53: Helleborus x Hybridus—Black Beauty
Life Lived in Poetry©️Dawn Minott |with audio
Before-word: Life is line upon line of experiences grouped together like stanzas, arranged like verses in a script // expressed with voice, diction, sound, rhythm, meter // understood through figures of speech, symbolism, allegory, imagery // structured in syntax and scheme // with strong, accurate, interesting words, deliberately chosen to give meaning to life — LIFE LIVED IN POETRY.
Springtime Bunny© |with audio
It’s spring time I’m abounding with joy There’s a cute little bunny that drops by the garden each spring He’s an elusive frisky little fella Ears always at attention, pointed straight up to sky like soldier resolute to flight, not fight At best I’ve managed only to stare longingly at “His Royal Cuteness” Face pressed …
Flower of the Day Challenge #52: Color-blotched Orchid
Thanks to Cee for hosting the Flower of the Day prompt 2023 ©Dawn Minott All Rights Reserved Like what you see? To never miss a post click HERE👈 to subscribe & follow the blog. I love hearing from you, so remember to “like” & comment. For more content start HERE👈 In creative solidarity, Dee
Mid-Week Boost: Bend Not Break
The week is long. The weekend is short. Midweek is a good point to recharge to get over the hump. Be flexible enough to bend. Happy hump day!
You, Me, We ©Dawn Minott
“Ubuntu” is part of the Zulu phrase "Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu", which literally means that a person is a person through other people.
Small Talk: A Tale in the Park©️
As I’m on the final-final days of leave and the NY weather has been unseasonably mild, I decided to take my reading to the outside. I strolled to my favorite park, just across the street from home, and chose a bench facing the river to perch. I perched because much of the bench remains wet …
Mid-week Boost: Positivity
Positive thinking and optimism.
Roots©️ | an Idyll Haibun
Boots worn laid in waste Till nature took it over Unexpectedly
Page 1 of 365 in the Book of 2023
Happy New Year 2023
1 Day©️: Countdown to 2023
A numerological countdown to 2023 …
Mid-week Boost: The Power of Yet
The week is long. The weekend is short. Midweek is a good point to recharge—employ the power of YET—to get over the hump. Happy hump day!
Poems & More 