Mind of a Writer

By Robert A. Grant Jr.

The role of a poet is to grasp the emotions of humanity and leave an impression on the soul that reminds the world what it means to be alive. Through these collection of poems one will be able to empathize with my eras of pain, happiness, success, failure, uncertainty, love and lust, and how through all this I was able to learn that life is about cherishing blessings as they come. Poetry helps remind us that we are not alone as we go through this trial we call life and connect us with writers that understand what it means to be human.

The focus of Mind of a Writer is to show that although instances may come and go in our lives, as long as words can capture the essence of the life we live, the lessons we learn will forever live on.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491865125

Robert A. Grant Jr.

Robert A. Grant Jr. was born and raised in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. He began writing poetry back in April of 2003 after moving to Maryland where he attended Gwynn Park High School. In addition he also writes fiction short stories. Robert’s poetry is inspired by his life and events he witnesses on a daily basis. Much of his work is influenced by pain and growth equally. He uses his poetry as a coping mechanism to deal with the world around him. His ultimate goal is to captivate people with his words and also encourage others with similar stories to understand they aren’t alone.

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© 2014 Robert A. Grant Jr. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/13/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4918-6514-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-6513-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-6512-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014902980

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

To: My Mom and Dad

Acknowledgments

Speaking Of Greatness

Lessons

Time

Following the Grain

Reality Set In

Progression

Keep Going

Game Time

The Life

Those Others

Fate

What Does It All Mean?

Don’t kill my vibe

Walk Through My Mind

Skeletons In the Closet

It was written

Dark Room

Want Me To Lie?

Painful Truth

Reflection

Not me

Please Explain

Over It

Lost it…

Questions

Imitation

Judgment Day

Gone

Lost My Way

Blessings and Curses

Conquest

Caged In

Here I Stand

I Messed Up

Invested

Truth Is

Blackout

Mistakes

Escape

Past and Present!

Call It What You Want

She Don’t Love Me

Knight

Short Stay

Complete Strangers

Spend The Night

Desires

Take My Hand

What I love…

Watch What I Say

Could You Imagine?

Foreplay

Wet

Touché

Round 2

Letter To My Women

Letter To My Men

Legacy

Fix

Real Angels

Chocolate

Can’t Sleep

Eye Contact

We Lie

Tears

Sometimes

The Understanding

Cloudy Judgment

Thankful

Day Soon Come

Sex and Love

Moment of Clarity

Scary Times

This Here Generation

Hello America

Avoid me

Brother Man

Intimate

Body Parts

Mistress

About the Author

To: My Mom and Dad

I love the both of you with every inch of my heart and soul. Since birth, I know you two did the best job raising me as your young age and time would allow. It was only a matter of time before I broke the chains of adolescence myself, as the person that stands here right now. For that, I hope you’re proud of every decision good or bad that I’ve made to be the man I am today. Thank you for your patience and guidance; I don’t know where I would be in life without it. Thank you.

To My Friends and Associates (past and present)

Some of you have come and gone, but the select few that chose to stick around, thank you. Thank you for believing in me when no one else did. Thank you for the late night conversations, texts, and emails I would send just to get some feedback. Thank you for just simply trying to understand my mind the best way any of you knew how. Dealing with my personality isn’t easy, but those that decided to stay and deal with it, I truly appreciate it.

Acknowledgments

First and Foremost, I want to thank God for everything I’ve been through in life. Everything, good and bad, has happened for a reason and has put me in the place I am today, for this sole purpose. It may not be perfectly aligned with others’ standards, but for me it’s working just fine. Live your life for you and stop focusing on everyone else’s happiness. Find your own lane and never let anyone or anything slow you down in your progression.

Who would’ve ever foreseen me writing not 1 but 2 books now? I say that to say never give up on what you really believe in. People that are close to me know that there are so many times I was so close to giving up on this project, but they did their best to keep me focused. I hope the world enjoys this piece of my mind; I never would’ve thought I’d make it this far but I’m more than thankful for my progression.

I want to send a special thank you to Erica Caines, Kelly Stevens, Bradford Howard, Alycia Spann, Samantha Chahin, Jheanelle Ferguson, and most importantly Donnesha Williams. This process as strenuous as I’m sure you all may know it be, have helped me through it a lot.

I just hope with this book I am able to continue to captivate people with the way my mind works. It’s not always easy coming up with the words to describe the kind of predicaments we go through in life but the beauty of poetry is as long as your words paint a vivid enough picture for the reader, they will be able to relate even if they’ve never been through it.

Also, I just want to let my fellow writers and artists that I know personally to keep doing what they love. Never take no for an answer, and as long as you live life and your thoughts continue to flow through your mind always do your best to put them on paper so it’ll last forever. You never know who needs to hear your story to help them get through their own issues. Peace. God Bless.

Speaking Of Greatness

I remember at one point and time I was on

Then I fell off

Started feeling sorry for myself

Thinking, oh what a loss.

But if you know me well enough

you’d know I don’t write it or recite it if the thoughts sound forced.

So that being said with no remorse I fell back,

Fell back from the greatness that separated me from the rest.

Had to rethink

Reevaluate, whole time while giving my mind a much needed rest.

I’m not anticipating the ultimate feeling of success

Because honestly I’m not ready.

I’m okay with being unknown until I get the torrential waves of my life steady.

No rush to being immortal, yet my words shall live on

I express the deepest pain ever known to man in these poems.

I won’t bite my tongue or slit my fingers because people are afraid of realness.

I’m heading towards greatness and I can feel it.

It’s not a competition because I respect the craft so much;

I want people to appreciate my work that’s why I’m never in a rush.

By: Robert A. Grant Jr.

Lessons

Mind not in the right place to complete thoughts,

So I refused to put a pen to the pad if it has the sense of being forced.

As a writer, you should never want the reader to fumble aimlessly through your work,

You’re supposed to always give a story that will thought provoke.

Never force anything because you feel you have to,

Get