Depart oh darkness.
You are not welcomed here.
Storm I will not surrender to thee.
You can let me be.
I am not a flower.
I am a tree.
Though you may try
I will not bend, break, or die.
I am here to stay,
so depart oh darkness.
You are not welcomed here.
Storm I will not surrender to thee.
You can let me be.
I do have more poetry in the poetry section of my site and poetry readings on YouTube.
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.
She said slow down sunshine
you have all your life to live.
Slow down sunshine
you have all your love to give,
so slow down sunshine
let your mind be inactive.
Simply slow down sunshine.
This is a journey not a race,
there is no medal to win;
no champion to face.
You can do all you want
in time you will see.
Enjoy what you have now
before it becomes a memory.
All you need to do is slow down.
She said slow down sunshine
you have all your life to live.
Slow down sunshine
you have all your love to give,
so slow down sunshine
let your mind be inactive.
This is another poem that started it’s journey as a song.
I do have more poems on my site and poetry readings on YouTube.
I don't want a seasonal type of lover
one whose love will change and fall.
No, I don't want a seasonal type of lover.
I want nothing or I want it all,
so jump into my river.
I'll take you to the ocean of me.
I don't want a seasonal type of lover
one whose love will change and fall.
I want someone who will stay
a love whose love will be strong,
so come behind my mask
and watch my wall crumble down.
I don't want a seasonal type of lover
one who's love will change and fall.
This was originally written as a song and in the future it may become one again. For now I hope you enjoy it as a poem.
I do have more poems on my site and poetry readings on YouTube.
When I was about 10 years old I went to a Christian camp named Camp Brea and . It was a standard camp experience. We camped in cabins, there was a lake, and it was in the middle of a forest. Trees surround the majority of the camp with the exception of the lake and a long building with dirt parking spaces. There was also a chapel among the trees.
One day towards the end of camp I was in the chapel, a service must have just finished. I was alone with one adult camp counselor. She and I sat on a bench and talked about Jesus. She asked me a few questions about faith and accepting Jesus. At the time everything made sense and Jesus seemed present. She guided me through a standard prayer and then we signed a paper that I could bring home with me. It was a confession of my faith; a sign that I decided to accept Jesus into my heart.
The paper was lost, along with the memory of what happened. I returned to my life and didn’t think anything else of that summer camp. It wasn’t until I was telling my testimony, after becoming a Christian that I even remembered that there once was a paper and the memory existed.
I see where God did intervene on my behalf. I could have gone down darker paths or have horrible accidents. There was a time when I was far from him, making wrong decisions, and living a life focused on fun. It was because of those wrong decisions and impurity that I was led to California where I eventually found God again and gave my heart fully and truly to Jesus.
In the end He was with me, even if I didn’t know it. Even when my life didn’t reflect Him, He was in the background waiting.
Blessed are the broken
for they get to be fix.
Blessed are the outcasts
for they’ll learn true love.
Blessed are the reformed hurtful
they’ll know forgiveness.
Blessed are those with a surrendered and dirty heart
they are in the Lord’s arms.
Blessed are those with clean hearts
the Lord will call them home.
Blessed are those who bless others
they will shine the Lord’s love.
Blessed are those who forgiveness
they will share the Lord’s compassion.
Blessed are you
for you are beautifully alive.
I do regularly publish poems on my site and post poetry readings on YouTube.
I have primarily talked about physical health and my journey with weight loss. However, that is not actually the main focus of this journey. Instead of working towards a physical health goal, like weight loss. I have been trying to be mindful of the reasons behind my habits and my mindset that caused me to not be my physical best. Basically I am working on the inside out this time.
Your mind is where every action or inaction stems from, so you should pay attention and take care of it. Why am I eating what I eating? It is because some part of my brain said, “Yes, tuna fish is what you want to eat right now.” It could have very easy decided that I actually should go to the store and buy a large thing of ice-cream, but it didn’t. Looking at the reason behind your actions or inaction can teach you so much about yourself.
Once I fully grasped the concept that every action or inaction comes from my brain, I realized that I can control and change my mind. I didn’t have to stay stuck with the same thought patterns or reactions. This is really when I started my health journey.
Yes, I had tried dieting before and living a healthier lifestyle many times. I would typically fail, because I was just doing what I thought I should be doing and not looking at the reasons. The reasons didn’t resonate deep enough for me to keep with it and what I truly wanted to change was not actually being changed.
Most of the time the reasons we want to change our outward appearance has more to do with how we see ourselves and inner minds. That is why I never saw lasting change. I wasn’t changing the foundation or inner life, so my outside appearance was only always temporary.
If you don’t change the inside your outside appearance will only be temporary.
I realized the need to change my inner life and thought pattern a few months or maybe even a year ago, so I started my deep dive. That is when I started “Healthy Bagel.” I wrote the first blog post, but didn’t publish it and then backed away. Something was holding me back. I realize now I didn’t really want to do the deep dive into my mind. However, that was the only way real change would happen.
When I finally did look honestly at myself I realized the real reasons why I wanted to get ‘healthy.’ I use quotes, because I have no chronic illness, I’m hardly ever sick, and can be pretty active.
To put it simply I want to feel good about my body and increase my confidence.
First I am looking at the beliefs behind the reasons. Why do I equate BMI with health? Why am I not feel great about my physical body? Why do I want to prove that I can be more physically fit? Why is my confidence tied to my physical appearance?
Some of beliefs are influenced by the society and culture I am a part of; others are more personal. I’m still explore which ones are which and how to overcome the limiting beliefs.
I do know that being physically active is a good thing and I do feel better when I’m taking care of myself, so that won’t change. I want to be the best version of me and currently that involves taking a journey towards being the healthiest I can be.
For more on my health journey check out the previous blog posts.
I am not lost
Yet I will journey on.
My path leads into the depths,
into the forest of understandings;
Like a tree rooted in family
but growing towards the sky with each passing experience.
A bird who has freedom to fly
still returns to her nest.
I walk on, learning more of me,
seeing different sides.
I am a diamond with a multitude of facets,
a puzzle I’m piecing together.
I am not lost,
yet I still journey on.
I do regularly publish poems on my site and post poetry readings on YouTube.
I once had a shoe.
Well, I had two.
The one that stayed lost her boo.
I do not know what to do.
I think it got on a plane and flew.
It must have gone all the way to Timbuktu.
I looked high and low, even under a tutu,
but nowhere could I find my other shoe.
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.