Audio Anthology: Poems From The Journey

By Kezia Snipe

Kezia has released a comprehensive collection of her poetry from the last decade, including all of her recorded & published works and writings never shared before. Take the journey with her from her first stage performance in 2006 through years of triumph, loss, transition, depression, growth and victory.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kezia Snipe
• Release date: May 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370048632

Kezia Snipe

Kezia Snipe, a Memphis native, grew up writing poems and short stories. With subject matters relative to her young life, she grew to develop a lifelong love of words. However during high school, she all but stopped writing and discovered another love, speech and drama. While involved and thriving in this art, Kezia learned the importance of stage presence, audience connection and delivery of various literary works. With these acquired skills coupled with her faith, Kezia has been blessed to effectively convey inspiration, motivation and healing to audiences around the country. She has been sharing spoken word since 2006. She’s since released 3 spoken word albums, "matters of the heart", "something to say" & "comfort zone" and co-wrote a poetry book. Kezia recently completed her new book called Audio Anthology in which she compiled much of her spoken word over the last 10 years and set to release it May 18th, 2017. Kezia is currently working in Maryland’s communities with children & young adults, facilitating poetry workshops, sharing her poetry and pursuing other creative & business endeavors.

Book preview

introduction

Right before I worked up the courage to complete and release this book, I experienced what could most easily be described as the scariest and most vulnerable time of my adult life. At least, it was the bleeding out of festering and lingering wounds. It wasn’t a terminal illness but whenever friends and acquaintances would check on me, my reply would always be I’m on the mend. I wasn’t in any car accidents nor did I find myself hospitalized or subject to any of the major occurrences that are assumed when you tell people you’re healing. But I was very sick. The mental and emotional cancer of anger, rejection, bitterness, abandonment, depression, anxiety and trauma had spread to every part of my being. Every ounce of me was afflicted. Emotionally, I repressed and downplayed meltdown after meltdown and hid anxiety attack after anxiety attack. All I could think about was what was missing and all the voids in my heart and in my life. Mentally, nothing made sense. Two and two did not make four. I felt the weight of the world on my mind all the time. I lacked rest and sleep because my mind would never slow down. I went several nights at a time without sleep or with the sum of a few hours lasting days at a time until my body would simply shut down. I spent days not answering phones and not responding to texts, no matter who was trying to contact me. My spiritual walk suffered more deeply than it had my whole life. I was not praying because I didn’t believe I deserved to. I was not fasting because I simply could not bring myself to do it. I never doubted God but I doubted church to my core for a thousand different reasons. I actively avoided fellowship

because if I knew nothing else, I knew where my heart was and where it wasn’t. I held on to authenticity with what little strength I had left. In every way, my life was in shambles. And no one could tell. I played it too cool. I was always chill and laid back. I never overreacted from the outside looking in. My roommate nicknamed me Mellow. Inside, though, was a four alarm fire. Now, more than ever, I wanted out. I couldn’t live like that anymore, though I had for at least a decade. Fast forward to right now. All the poems in this book were written in the last 11 years. I’ve written about God faith, love, hope, evangelism, the church, forgiveness, anxiety, loneliness, community, Heaven, joy, fear and patience. All while I was drowning. These poems served as a path of life preservers for me. Some people walk their paths. For a long time, I swam mine. I’m good with that. My head is above water now and my body, soul and spirit are following. This book is chronological with great intention. It is a journey and you’re invited to walk it with me. I pray you receive these words with the heart with which they were written and for the purpose that serves your life the greatest. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you.

♥

preludes

2006 - 2009

origin

Born of an independent woman

Somewhat of a stringent woman

Lord knows how much I care for my mama

But, she was the only one there

She’s apologized time and time again

In case some vital part of my upbringing went missin’

But she was on a mission to raise me right

And at first, I didn’t quite understand her plight

But as years passed somebody shed some light

She had to fight

And approach adversity with tight fists

Right kicks

Left hooks

Trials were left shook

But

Somehow that never stopped them from coming back

And because of the lack

Mama was simply trying to survive

And trying to provide

And her love wasn’t shown in buying me a ride

When I was sixteen

Miss Queen Debutante I was not

I’ve been working since I was fifteen

Never tried to front

Like we were ballin’

Just wanted everything to fall in place

So we paid bills with Christmas cash

Emptied cards out to make sure we had

Difficult to fathom at the time

But as of today, I’m a better person

That was worth it

Tighter grip on reality

The triumphs and the fallacies

And naturally

When I find myself on somebody’s award stage

The prelude to my speech

Would be

I wanna thank God and my mama because they made me who I am today

©2006. All rights reserved.

woman becomin

(on my 23rd birthday)

Hit the ground runnin

There’s no turning back now

Race at a steady pace

Bare black feet pound the ground

Time to flourish

Time to move

Time to find her own groove

in life

Predetermined steps have become all too familiar

Let her make some mistakes

It’ll do nothing but build her

Into one of those strong black women

She admires so much

Can feel their power and strength

Even when her eyes touch

Their skin

The energy is felt from within

This is who she wants to be

This is who she’s gonna be

And now that she’s cut the apron strings herself

Don’t try to sew em back on

Or she just may be gone for good

You can’t provide

the protection she needs

so don’t try

let her bleed

the blood of life and cry

tears of strife

for through these will she then realize

the woman she’s becomin

© 2006. All rights reserved.

no blood on my hands

scattered bodies lay helplessly

flailing carelessly as he grins at his soul wins

we watch with bowed heads knowing we are to blame

our selfish shame is the black clouds on this dark day

it could have been prevented

we always screamed we were winners

but forgot to do the winning

it’d be better if it had been done for righteousness sake

then it could be said

they died for Him and pearly gates would await them

but they didn’t have a chance

and we’re ashamed to glance

slowly realizing we’ll soon face the same end

because we didn’t do what we should’ve

didn’t do what we could’ve

didn’t do what He would’ve

so we’ll be in that same line

standing directly behind souls spiritually blind

could’ve changed their