I, Tiffany Joy, am an author and love to write. I have many different writing styles which depend on what it is I am writing. I write both fiction and non-fiction. I also write poetry.
A tiger can be caged.
A bird can live without flight,
and I can live without you.
He can hold his breath.
She can close her eyes,
and I can live without you.
Life will go on.
I will see the storms and sunshine,
and I can live without you.
But something inside longs to thrive.
Something inside longs to be free
and can only be when I live with you.
This was written on August 1, 2019.
I do have more poetry in the poetry section of my site and poetry readings on YouTube.
I, Tiffany Joy, have started a new YouTube project. You must all be absolutely shocked! I do always feel like I’m starting new projects. This one is part of my efforts to promote what I’ve already written, by recording readings of my work. I’ve started by recording my poetry readings.
Most of the poems are from my book Growing Poems. I am starting to mix in my newer poetry that I published here.
I figured that I would share my favorites with those who either have stumbled on my site or frequent it more that Youtube. I’ll also be sharing this on my social media accounts, so I guess the post will just be spreading the word more.
The first is one of my newer poems, but the first reading. It is called, “To Those Who Struggle.” For personal reasons, I needed to share this first. After all I always meant to have it as a reading.
Poems and Memories is a poem I wrote right after I realized what I was going to be calling my first poetry book. It reflects the idea of poems growing and being part of me.
Lady Isabella is again from my poetry book and is about my dog. I wrote it as her life was ending and it has always been a hard one for me to read. However, I do love it.
The last poem is Power. It is also from my poetry book. It is a 3 stanza poem that I wrote in college about a relationship.
There is a complete playlist of all my poetry readings, including older ones, on YouTube.
I hope you enjoyed my poetry readings, as much as I enjoyed making them. Feel free to give me any feedback you have. All is welcomed.
In November 2018 I started to do weekly vlogs. They are short unedited videos of how my week went, lessons I’m learning, or random ramblings. They are not planned out and are not high quality, but they are fun to do and hopefully helpful.
I started them, because I wanted to have a presence on youtube. I also wanted to get into the habit of publishing weekly videos.
One aspect of my dream/ ideal life is to be comfortable in front of the camera and to do promotional videos for my projects.
I had 2 options to make this aspect of my ideal life a reality.
The first was to wait until I had time to plan and edit videos. Time that may never come.
The second option was to make time and start where I was. I can start with what I can do now and grow on that.
One thing I’ve learned by going down the second path is that I have to fight with myself. Some weeks the video isn’t perfect. I’ve looked at the thumbnails and I’ve noticed the lighting isn’t great. Most weeks I also don’t like an aspect of my appearance or how I sound.
If I was doing this for the views or an outside factor I would have stopped after the first few videos.
The wonderful thing is that I’m not doing this for the views. This is something I’m doing for myself. It is practice and habit forming.
I have noticed that I’m frequently giving advice and sharing the life lessons I’m learning. It is turning into a verbal version of DreamWard Bound. I am okay with that and enjoying sharing what I’m learning. (I have found a passion for advice giving).
Here are a couple more videos for you to get an idea of what I’m talking about. I hope you enjoy.
When I see you
I will know.
You’re face will light up
and I will glow.
Our broken pieces
will match together;
not the same,
but will act as a tether.
We will not be perfect
but our love will fit.
When we find each other
the flame of love will be lit
Photo by Anton Darius | @theSollers on Unsplash
I want to speak,
but I’ll let you go.
One word of mine will escape
before it’s your words that flow.
Each time I shrink.
I retreat.
I see your need
to be loved
to be heard.
I want to speak,
but instead I’ll simply retreat.
Photo by Anton Darius | @theSollers on Unsplash
If you would like to read more of my poetry please take a look at my portfolio or watch a few of my poetry readings.
I see the beauty that you call ugly,
The scars of the past
healed by your own actions,
the love for self
that you think needs to hide.
In your eyes
I see the stories
ashamed to be told;
the climb from rock bottom
conquering the ugly side of self
cleaning your soul.
I see your struggles staring back at me
and all I can say,
“You are loved.”
You can connect with me.
I see the pain behind your eyes,
but you are courageous and strong.
You have survived this long.
Now with serenity
You can attempt to thrive
and beyond your beauty
beyond your strength,
I plead you to know
You are loved.
Photo by Anton Darius | @theSollers on Unsplash
If you would like to read more of my poetry please take a look at my portfolio or watch a few of my poetry readings.
Why not now?
Where did I fall?
Where are my faults?
Where is the wall?
Am I not to be loved?
No partner that I yearn for?
No match have I found,
so I sit and ask
Why not me?
Why not now?
Photo by Anton Darius | @theSollers on Unsplash
If you would like to read more of my poetry please take a look at my portfolio or watch a few of my poetry readings.
It will be okay.
It will be alright,
just hold on tight.
Don’t be hurt,
there is no reason to cry.
Just let go
and know this darkness is just the night.
Morning is coming.
It must be near.
Daylight should be journeying here,
but even if it is not,
even if this friendship continues its sleep,
others are waking.
Others are walking,
some close by,
some far.
Others will help.
Others will hold.
Others think of you as dear.
Whether this is night before dawn
or an endless sleep of might-have-beens
others hold you tight
and others will bring your dawn.
Others is a poem that was originally written in October 2013 and only lighting edited when I found it in a journal.
If you would like to read more of my poetry please take a look at my portfolio or watch a few of my poetry readings.
I await the spring
trapped in a winter cage.
The snow surrounds me,
in the darkness of my mind,
waiting for a spark of passion
to burn through winter’s gelidity.
I await a new life,
the awaken life,
the freed life,
that comes in the spring;
that sweet release.
Yes, I await spring.
This poem was writing on March 3rd, 2014 and I only lightly edited it. I hope you enjoyed it.
If you would like to read more of my poetry please take a look at my portfolio. You can also watch a few of my poetry readings.
I usually start the story of my creative life with dance class and then go into my experiences with musical theater. It’s easy for me to gloss over my early writing experience.
There are three reasons I do this. The first reason is that although my grammar and spelling were not great creative writing came naturally to me. I don’t remember any lessons about how to write poetry or short stories in elementary school or early middle school. However, I do remember writing a story when I was 10 about a 10-year-old girl.
The second reason for never focusing on my early writing life is because I never felt it was important. It was always just something I did. I hardly ever shared my stories with people. Since I didn’t share my writing I never celebrated that part of my creativity. The theater was what I celebrated and did so publicly. The writing I did was a private thing.
The third reason is my confidence in my writing was low. Sure I wrote creative things constantly, but I was never amazing in English or spelling classes. I was an average student when it came to writing assignments. Grammar and spelling are not my strong suit. I still struggle with spelling certain words, and will reread sentences to make sure they are correct. Why would I talk or share something I wasn’t good at?
The thing is whether I’m good at it or not writing is a big important part of me. It is like talking to me; I may mispronounce words or not be as eloquent as others in my speech, but it is how I communicate. It is on aspect that makes me who I am.
There is increasingly more comfortable with that aspect of me. I am a writer and will describe myself as such.
I have come along way in my writing life and now I love sharing my writing. It may not be the best, but my writing is truthfully me. I would not have it any other way.
II have more stories that show how I became who I am. They are in the Journey to Me series. I also have stories specifically about God and of course, I wrote a book about my views and experiences with Love called To Love.