"From as long as I can remember I've always wanted to write. My mother taught me to read and write very well before I started school. My birthday gifts were always books and I was always thrilled to receive them. I didn't grow up watching a lot of television so even today I'm still behind on shows that people my age group grew up watching.  Like others, during my teenage years I wanted to fit in and I wanted to be seen. Looking back at it now I can just smile at it because of the growth that has brought me to the woman I am now. We all have things that we are passionate about and mine happens to be poetry. It isn't the most glamorous nor is it filled with expensive accolades but it is what I want to do. In the darkest of times in my life poetry has always been there and I can honestly say that if I didn't have my poetry I wouldn't be here today. We live in a world where people do just about anything to be noticed but I rather have my words be memorable and

When you log into social media you are taken into a world where everyone seems to be striving for perfection. Filters are applied to cover flaws so we will either feel better about ourselves or others will be accepting of us. Some of us receive the validation that we need that will allow us to feel better when we log off but what happens when we realize that we don't receive that same kind of validation in real life when we can no longer apply filters to our flaws? In order for people to be accepting of the reality of the flaws that we have,we have to start campaigns to encourage us to be proud of how we naturally are. I may come across as if I am fighting out against people expressing themselves but that isn't the case. Why do people continually say that they are proud of who they are and they don't care how people view them yet everyone looks the same as if they are all fresh out of the same factory. The other issue is how people will say love yourself just how

So you've just started a new relationship but he is reluctant to post anything about you on his social media platforms. You get frustrated and the first thing that pops into your mind is that he is being unfaithful for he is ashamed of you. Is it that important for the world to know about the new love in your life? Do you need to share every aspect of your relationship with the world? Like the question stated, it's your relationship not the entire world therefore the world needs to know nothing that takes place in your relationship. The need to put your love life out there often comes from the want of social media validation. We want people to see that we are in love and we want them to be accepting of the love that we have found. Many of my readers will pause right there and disagree with me but that is indeed the truth even if you don't want to accept it. Some of us spend more time on the social media portrayal of our love life than we do on the actual relationship. What

What happened to black pride? What happened to everyone being proud of their black heritage and the flooding of black pride on all social media platforms? The importance of protecting our fellow black men have already died out? We are no longer opposed to police brutality? We are no longer opposed to descrimination?  For me, it was refreshing to long into my social media accounts and see the outrage about acts of brutality towards black people in recent times. However, the outrage has died down and apparently the  hype surrounding it is no more. What changes will we expect to take place if we fall so quickly when distracting issues come our way? Regardless of whatever issues come about we have to ensure that we do our best to push our agenda at the centre and not let awareness about it die now. Black lives shouldn't just matter for a little bit it should be on our lips each and everyday. We as a people need or not become so easily distracted but stand firm amidst whatever distracti