A POET’S HOW-TO

 

Keziah Edgerson
How to Make a Bracelet

1. Choose the beads
2. Measure the string, cut the length
3. Put pieces of tape on end
4. Order the beads
5. Place beads on string
6. Glue on the string at the knot
7.  Let sit and dry

Dionna Jones
How to Text Back

1. Receive message from old friend
2. Wait 10 minutes, then text back
3. Converse for a day or three
4. See a message and lose interest 
5. Get anxious after a week and think of a reply
6. Never send it and hope they disappear

Katia Jordan
How to Listen

1. Engage with the person you're conversing with. 
2. Show your undivided attention. Be sure to give some good eye-contact. 
3. Process what the other person is saying and give feedback or interject when appropriate.
4. Refrain from changing the conversation, just so you can bring up your issues. Stay focused!
5. Expressions are important! You don’t have to be overly animated, but adjust your expressions      
   according to the conversation.  
6. Repeat steps, 1-5! 

Trinitee Oliver
How to Make a Life Organization Program

1. Make a goal of your finished product and picture how it would look.
2. Start IMMEDIATELY even if you don't know how to do everything yet.
3. Work for about 10 minutes then reevaluate your end goal.
4. Look up anything you don’t know how to do and apply it as you learn it.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 infinitely until you are 90% finished.
6. Start editing to make your end product aesthetically pleasing.
7. Add instructions on how your product works up to this point.
8. Finish your product! Use it over and over to ensure it is right for you.

Lauren Prager
How to Sing a Song from the Heart

1.  At first, you must be blessed with a soul to capture music in vibration. The beat of your heart.
The pulse inspires a child's awakening.
2. Years go by and it takes
Blood, sweat, and tears.
Muscle Memory, vocal nodules, piano keys, callused fingers on a guitar fret, for YEARS
3. As you get older, you witness more of the problems of the World War, Sickness, loss and your heart can pulse to this dimension.
The drum of your body is God's invention.
4. How to cope?
Singing from your heart gives this pain hope.
Siblings get older...
Sometimes your family turns a cold shoulder
Yet, the pain and beauty of the world can create a spark in your spirit.
The music has awakened, Do you hear it?
The Beat in your heart?
All the years of sorrow and pain,
Fire and Rain,
5. At last you must be blessed with a soul to capture music in vibration. The Beat of your heart.

Marilu Velazquez
How to Write Music

1. Find inspo/Start Brainstorm Writing
2. Find a sound
3. Write lyrics (Draft)
 ** You can write lyrics before finding your sound, it just varies on how you feel***
4. Edit lyrics
5. Record song
6. Affirm/Take notes 
7. Record Final Cut/Make adjustments 
8. Save/Develop Title
9. If you are doing MV then Brainstorm concept/Idea
10. Get necessary material/location
11. Film/Post if you want

Marilu Velazquez
How to Draw

1. Get a pencil and paper
2. Draw lines 
3. Erase lines 
4. Repeat 
5. Give up (MAYBE)
6. Throw paper away


 

Keziah
What to Envy: Money, Relationships, Social media, Children
What to Forgive: Having disagreements, Parents for not understanding, Friends’ imperfections

Dionna
What to Envy: That girl with the big butt, Rich folk, Children’s innocence, Teacher’s intelligence, Mathematician 
What to Forgive: Your past self, Your parents for not knowing, Your inner child’s mistakes, Your pencil’s, lead, Your pen’s ink

Katia
What to Envy: A morning person with passion, A clear mind, Somebody who’s not envious, Countries who aren’t in pandemic           
What to Forgive: Your haters, Your aunt who burns the mac + cheese, Yourself for your past crazy hairstyles, Yourself for your imperfections       

Trinitee
What to Envy: Your friends who your pets seem to like more than you, Perfect eyebrows, Babies in strollers, Long meditators, Travel bloggers
What to Forgive: Your clumsiness, Parents for being human, After you overeat and can’t move another inch, Torn clothing, The inability to forget

Marilu
What to Envy: Love, Healthy Relationships, Knowledge, Stability, Happy people 
What to Forgive: Mistakes, Yourself, Oppressors, The Ground you occasionally trip on, The water you choke on, Bad friends