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 …

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It’s Raining … Suicide ©️Dawn Minott |Mental Health Awareness

It’s raining young people off roofs Suicide epidemic—the numbers are proof A single gun shot aimed at the head Appearing well but next day, dead *** Don’t take it for granted you’ll see the signs Till you read another tragedy in the headlines Don’t judge by what you see on the outside It’s not always …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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The Rock ©Dawn Minott |a Quatrain

Perched precariously upon a rockA watering hole for travelers wideBelow craggy surface fishing boats dockLandlocked till ocean ushers in high tide Aptly called—The Rock—restaurant with viewOcean kissing sky from every sideDiners pose for pictures not one or twoCapture moments too glorious to hide Dishes created from ocean’s offerChefs working their magic to make it rightCulinary …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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.

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 …

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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 …

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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👈 …

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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 …

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