Symphonies of the Colorful Woman: Love, Pain and Conviction

By Sandra Kendall

Through collected conversations, experiences and shared emotions arises a book that embraces the poetic sounds of the lives of women. A book designed to increase awareness, mirror reality and spark healthy conversation, discussion and reform. Join many other readers as they marvel in the resiliency of colorful women. While many may negate our power and disregard our strength, no one can deny our presence. We are the bearer of the earths seed, we produce its harvest and we till again. We are words, we are sounds, and we are a symphony.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 2, 2007
• ISBN: 9781469122779

Sandra Kendall

Sandra Kendall is an African American female whose passion for writing began during her early college years. College life was the first opportunity that allowed her to reflect on her traditional upbringing and her oblivion to different cultures, practices and mainstream society. As a teenager during the mid 80’s, she has witnessed major transitions of male and female roles in society. Concerned with the welfare and interest of women, her writing is geared towards the issues they face. As she prepares for her next book, she observes the movements of the world to determine what she will write next.

Book preview

Symphonies of the

Colorful Woman

Love, Pain and Conviction

Sandra Kendall

Copyright © 2007 by Sandra Kendall.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage

and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the

copyright owner.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

33898

CONTENTS

Author’s Note

Contradiction

Prologue

Introduction

Colors

THE MYSTERY

OF LOVE

Red

Extended Love

Vicious Cycle

Locked Up

Transcending of a Matriarch

A Good Woman Would?

Desire

My Womb

The Anxious Woman

The Faithful Lover

For Better or Worse

Deafening

Stepmom

Saga

Out of Time

Blush

PAIN’S LIFELONG

LESSONS

Blue

Better Back Then

Afflicted

Daddy

Broken

Blemish

Crazy

Mother

Justaho

Fake Friend

Secrets From My Youth

Facade

Aimless

Oblivious

Drained

Uninvited Guest

Tormented

Generational Curse

Falling

Intangible

A Woman’s Plea

In Jesus’ Name

I Know Why Black Men Can’t Fly

THE AGONY OF

CONVICTION

Green

The Other Woman

Paper Dolls

STOP!

LOOK!

LISTEN!

The Bad Seed

Ball Chaser

In Tha’ Club

Reciprocity

U-Turn

Roulette

Imposters

My Name is Uzziye

Inhibitions

Momma’s Boy

21 Questions

The Alternate

Calamity

Superficiality

Unbalanced

Stipulation

Get Off Your Back!

Thin Ice

Hard Times

Glow

CONCLUSION

The Struggle

Hard Times—Bad Choices

The Alternate’s Deception

The Adulterous Reward

Fake Friend—Real Blow

Jesus’ Name—Devil’s Work

Dedication

To Women Across the Globe

Regardless of how strange or painful your situation,

there is a woman, some place in the world sharing

in your circumstance and your emotions.

To My Mother

If I had just listened to you, my life would have

been so much simpler …

"To live content with small means, to seek elegance rather than luxury,

and refinement rather than fashion, to be worthy, not respectable,

and wealthy, not rich, to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act

frankly, to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open

heart, to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry

never, in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,

grow up through the common, this is to be my symphony.

—William Ellery Channing

"I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color

purple in a field and don’t notice it."

Shug: The Color Purple (1985)

Author’s Note

Symphonies of a Colorful Woman is based on personal

experiences, perceptions, shared conversations and imagination.

Any similarities to characters, individuals, movies, books and

etc. is simply coincidental. The events in this book are written

and provided as a means to increase awareness, mirror reality

and spark healthy conversation, discussion and reform.

Contradiction

We say that we’re a good woman but are often up to no good

We say we love our children but refuse to raise them right

We desire to be forearmed but refuse to be forewarned

We pray for Mr. Right but accept Mr. Right Now

We say women rule but call each other a bitch

We fight for peace of mind but entertain folly

We desire integrity but model immorality

We seek success but accept sufficiency

We love hard but we hate ourselves

We cry for blessings but invite a curse

We say we’re sisters but act as strangers

We moan for change but tread still waters

We scream assault but dishonor our wombs

We approve words of candor but still live a lie

We say In the Spirit but we trust In the Flesh

We look for a brighter day but demean in the night

We ask God for strength but yield to our weaknesses

We say I’m okay but disease is destroying our bodies

Sisters—how long will we agree yet live in contradiction?

Sandra Kendall

Symphonies of the Colorful Woman Series

Live Lessons Learned

www.thecolorfulwoman.com

Prologue

I am no different from any other woman across the globe. As

a woman, I am well acquainted with the great challenges we face

as mothers, daughters, sisters and lovers. Over the years, I have

watched how disengaged society has become in addressing the

needs and welfare of women. I am saddened that the mothers of

the earth are no longer seen as valuable. I am more saddened

that we, the navigators of the earth, will accept anything less

than what we deserve.

We cannot allow anyone, male or female, friend or foe to set

the standards of life for us. We must determine the purpose of

our own creation and where our feet shall stand. We’ve been

given such great authority from birth as through our bodies we

release the continuance of life; not as seeds trodden down under

the feet of men but seeds which can produce an indestructible

harvest. But we must first believe that we are capable and worthy

of a harvest that can revolutionize the earth. Our frequent decision

to accept our mistakes as self-definition weighs heavy on our

integrity. Although our moments are full of color and we are often

defined by its shade, we cannot allow these lessons to delay us

in our journey. Let us take the time to laugh at our follies and cry

at our failures but we must continue to strive for a greater us.

So often, when we are disappointed, confused and afraid, we

tread the same waters seeking different levels of comfort—

regardless of how emotionally,