My Mind's Eye: A Collection of Thought-Provoking Poetry From Asleep to Awakened

By Chandra Y Barnes

Emotional journey you say? This collection of poetry will give you just that! Not only will you get sucked into its insightful word imagery but these poems will cause you to curiously enter this author's "Mind's Eye." What started as a means to heal from the untimely death of her sister and best friend in 1994, quickly became a passion and a favorite pastime for Chama Lace. It is through these pages that you will witness her journey of being void of understanding to being awakened to growth and spiritual maturity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781716881329

Book preview

LIFE!

Forward

D

ecember 8 was a very cold and snowy day in the year of 1994.  A 15-year-old girl was pronounced dead after being pulled from a 3-story burning building on Chicago’s Westside.  She was one of nine children born to her devoted, hardworking and loving mother.  Because of that fire, that 15-year-old girl’s family was left homeless, scared, confused and heartbroken.  They had no clue how they would cope and put their lives back together.

Kimberly Ke-Ke Barnes was that 15-year-old teenager’s name.  She was the younger sister and best friend of Chama Lace.  After Ke-Ke’s death, Chama Lace had no idea how she would begin to live again.  She had so many questions and very little answers.  She needed badly a way to express herself, so she turned to writing poetry and short stories to God as a means to cope.  Writing became like spiritual medicine.  It was not until someone encouraged Chama Lace to speak at a church function, did she get introduced to the art of Spoken Word.  One of Chama Lace’s favorite sayings is It’s been an uphill journey, and I’m glad about it.  With this, she hasn’t stopped since.  These are poems from My (Chama’s) Mind’s Eye from a state of being spiritually asleep (lost)... to spiritually awakened (found).  In these pages you will follow her journey.

Table of Contents

Forward

Waiting

I’m Fine

A Tough Life

Be Strong

Mother to Child

A Tune

Mr. Jingles

Surrounded By Nothingness

Not Walking

Titles

Shhh!

Then and Now

Freedom means...

Mother Mirror

New Face

Nonsense

New Hands

Why I Wonder

The Forbidden Gate

When the Going Gets Tough

Anticipation Letters

Love is a Precious Jewel

Roof of My Room

Me and Nature

At Times

It’s People Like You

Mother of My Choice

Lord, It’s Just Me and You Now

Cheers!

New Meaning

Words

The Program

Black Bag

Take it Slow

The Test of Faith

Can I Call You Friend?

When It’s All Over

My Peeps and Christmas

My Missing Handle

Prayer...It Works!

Don’t Go Back!

Those 5 Legs

They Say

Don’t Feel Sorry for Me

You Asked, I Gave

Hidden

Inspiration

J (New Birth)

Boomerang

Unplanned

Mis-Ter Understanding

Help Is on The Way

What It Is...

Fair Game

Is This the End?

Only Heaven Knows

A Curse That’s Reversed

Patience

One More Blessing

Still

Frustrated!

A Deciding Factor

Lord, Send Me

Too Much

Power Talk

Now Is the Time

To Understand

Rejoice

Press On

You’ve Already Won

A Relentless Mission

Revelation

Keep Seeking

I Wonder...

I Wonder...

Born Again

Start Confessing

Another Chance

Where’s Your Seat?

The Reason

It’s Morning Time

Growth

A Promise

New Chapter

Moving

God Is Love

The Encounter

Waiting

circa 1995

I walk until the road ends,

but I do not see who I’m looking for. 

They should be here by now...

we just talked about this yesterday.

Now I have a to wait alone while

the sun tap dances on my back.

There is no shade...nowhere in sight! 

I have no place to go because I’m at the

end of the road.  If I walk any further,

I will become one with the brick wall.

That one over there that stands still

forbidding me from crossing to the other side.

If I had the strength—I would proceed to push

with all my might—making it even harder for me

to wait... under the sun... because then I would be

exhausted.  Sweat would trickle down over my brow

into my eye and that’s gonna burn!

So I stand here staring...wondering how long

will I have to wait.  How long will the sun

continue to choose me as its resting place? 

How long will that brick wall will have rule

over my actions...!

I’m Fine

circa 1995. (*In memory of my sister Kimberly

Ke-Ke Barnes)

Please don’t sing sad songs for me—for I am not dead

I’ve only moved to my heavenly home so I can rest my head.

I am being well taken care of and I love my new home

Everyone treats me like an angel, so I feel nothing can go wrong.

I recognize a few faces; some of them are family

They welcomed me and said my suffering was over and I can now rest peacefully.

I was able to stand before God and say, At the age of 15, I’ve done everything you told me to do.  Lord, I miss my family dearly, but I would rather stay with You.

God told me not to worry about my family because things will get better in time.

So, at that point, I knew that everything would be fine.

I’m fine.

A Tough Life

circa 1995

What is this that I feel?  I can’t distinguish between

the feelings.  I want to say I got everything under control

but I’d have to laugh at that myself.

It’s complicated.  Confusion is trying to take over...

my actions!

I enjoy the company of both thoughts

but I know if I close one door, I will always wonder

What if?

It’s tough being me!

Because I started so late enjoying my life

it’s going to take even longer for me to shake this

behavior.

Hopefully I