painting by Chelin Sanjuan

Don't you love this painting? I saw it and couldn't help but admire the details exploding with colors. What makes art powerful is when you could feel the artist's passion.

Is it me or is the week flying with a speed of light?

It is Wednesday, that time again to show "gratitude" with a smile...

I am grateful for:



* Hot Showers

* 2nd, 3rd and 4th dates (now that's a good sign)

* Poetry readings, I went to the Urban Juke Joint last Friday and read my poem "Haitian Food", it wasn't at all planned. I was there to show support to another poet friend who was being featured and he encouraged me to put my name on the list. It was great crowd.

* Writing, editing, writing, I am on a roll

* Romance with my own novel in progress, didn't think I would but I'm so inspired

* Many of us search for a song and Urban Butterfly has that ability to gather us together with her words, I am grateful for this gifted poet

* First interviews...I was interviewed last Friday by Stephen Early Jordan aka Bougie and it will be aired via podcast this month in his blog, I will let you all know when

* Popcorn, hot, buttery and perfect for those HBO movie nights with a special someone

* Whole wheat wrap with a little cheddar cheese, chicken, lettuce, mustard and tomatoes, ummmmmmmmmmmm, delicious and top it off with a Jello chocolate pudding snack :)

GRIP

Love’s bone marrow hangs like stars in her eyes
You hold on to her with the thread of fingers
Praying fervently that she never leaves you
She is your beginning
The image of silky strokes
A sweet fruit of virtual love
That palpitates your name
You run your thoughts
Up and down her buttery curves
Her candied preserves becomes tiny rockets
Smooth like confection
She is gracious
You take your own sweet time to savor
Her tasty hors d’oeuvre
You hold on to her flesh
Praying fervently
She will forever leave you in the upright position
© 2/2007 by Cathy Delaleu

Painting by J Piret

She is sprung
where love's solstice features certainty
unguarded with a language bearing sweetness
She is one with leaves of hope
gambling with a lover's invitation
scoring oneness to their surroundings
attachment to his embrace is vital to her well-being
afterall...
She is sprung
2/07 by C. Delaleu


art by Haitian painter Michel Ange-Altidort

GRATEFUL I am for:

* The dentist, although I can't stand the sight of needles, the end result is priceless

* First dates...especially when he's a gentleman with a sense of humor

* Short weeks, after a holiday the week usually flies by and we're again facing another weekend

* Cable, I finally signed up for HBO and now I won't miss my Def Poetry Jams :)

* Chicken and mashed potatoes, it was delish for lunch today

* Walnuts, I had a handful this morning and saw in the news that it's good for the heart

* My landlord who is like a mother to me, last night she was so thrilled like a little girl that I spent a couple of hours with her watching American Idol

UNQUESTIONABLE
Mysterious is the wind beneath her expression
She returns to a place she calls home
where containment of the past is a waterfront
Beyond Lamu she takes refuges
her village a percussion of sadness
hypnotically draining out of her pores
phonograph colors spiral a fertility dance
slowly tipping the crease of her eyes
The fishbone of lips pout musical pieces
spills a constellation to her heart
Sentimental texts unread with tenderness
Yearns for romanticism
She’s stenciled like dry indigo
Dyed with a strong longing to love
She weeps her battle for public opinion
keeps emotions at bay
uncovers the rhythmic steps
of a miserable woman
devoting time to loneliness
© 2/2007 by Cathy Delaleu

Delaleu's Book Signing 2/10/07

GRATITUDE:


* For the guitarist who plays like he should win himself a Grammy. He is that good. I can't wait for the book party, when we rehearsed together last night it was magnetic,he played while I read my poems and we created magic

* Salmon salad with avocadoes, yummy and healthy for lunch :)

* Dessert was banana pudding, i'm an addict

* My writers' group (WriteNow), we had a meeting on Sunday and it was productive and laid back. We value each other's opinion which makes the group even more speacial

* Working out, yesterday was my first day back at the gym and it felt grrrrreat!

* I discovered a poet blogger who fascinates me with his verses, check him out...i'm sure he'll appreciate the comments thelettershaper

* The sun was out this morning and I just stood still appreciating bodily heat, the sensation was intimate, but I quickly realized I better cross the street to make it to work, lol

(painting by Luigi Bariotti)



THOUGHTS AND PAPER
The earthy smell of water tastes like altitude sickness
Down the coast a French film crew sits and watches
While I putter hands on your flesh
Leaving reminders of our reality show
I prowl on neck, chest and lips
You are afraid of the mass media
prefer privacy with morning brunches
You drive through San Fernando Valley
with a hungry appetite for summer
I prefer to wait for you
in an evening marketplace of silk, art and souvenirs
I pause with the ink of my pen
Space turns me into black paper
Thoughts are left unspoken
©by C. Delaleu

Hope you all had a wonderful and warm weekend. The cold is killing us here in NY. When I headed out this early morning for work, it was only 10 degrees outside and I know many of you are experiencing the same temperatures, except for Florida and California. Miss Delaleu here miss Cali's weather but that's about it as far as living there, life to me was too slow. NY keeps me on my toes, no matter how much I complain about the cold in the winter. I've posted my book cover to invite you all to my book event happening this weekend. I meant to post it last week but I've had a lot on my mind. For example, I was close to tears a couple hours ago with the book company i'm dealing with cause' I still didn't get the large order of books for the party. They've been giving me the run around and I lost it when the woman in customer service said she couldn't find anything in her computer showing that I ordered books. Those books were ordered almost a month ago...and the party is Saturday. How embarassing is that? To have a book party without any books. Well, I couldn't calm down and the person responsible for my book account reassured me that by Thursday I should have my books. Keep your fingers crossed, I hope I get them. I would go into details about the ka ka story they told over the phone as they tried to blame UPS but it would get me more upset. So, i'm breathing sloooowwwwwwwly, when I get home I will drink myself a large cup of hot tea and write, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, just what I need.

If you'd like to attend my event, let me know. It will be nice to meet my blogger friends...I'm sure to have another one in the summer or fall.

DATE: Saturday, 2/10/07

TIME: 6pm-9:30pm

LOCATION: Stain Bar, 766 Grand Street, Brooklyn (Williamsburg)www.stainbar.com

PERFORMANCE:Poetry performance starts at 7pm

Appetizers and drinks will be served

CAPITAL DECEPTION

So you wanna keep it real?
When your fake Gucci bag was made by child labor
Brag about your diamond in the ruff
Your bling bling worth the price tag of Africa’s sweat and blood

You wanna make it clear?
Validate that ring on your finger with insurance
Too ashamed to admit your sparkling jewelry
Caused brutality
Romance with Fendi is a civilian’s fatality
Calling for amputated limbs
Taxing children like cheap labels
Their blood fading from counterfeit skins
Stitching slander
you brag
brag with a foul breath about your bling bling
your plastic Luis Vuitton
interpretates Miss Bougie
You’re the shit
Miss Designer label with the lopsided logo

Keep it real…
Can’t you smell their greed?
Sweatshops boasting immigration
In blood-stained rooms
refugees funding in open-pit mines
with cocaine packing lungs of child soldiers
execution of human rights lurking heat
sniffing minimum wage
made with your cash
melting your taxes
into fake pleather
made in your USA

just remember
let’s keep it real

© 2/1/07 by C. Delaleu
picture by Amnesty Magazine

blood diamonds, the enslavement of africans
many have their opinions about this subject, feel free to express yourself