Empty Buckets Ii: Tracing the Blueprint

By Lewis C.

After the initial Empty Buckets collection, author C. L. Lewis has returned with a second installment of poetry and expression. In volume two, Tracing the Blueprint, he continues to capture the story of his journeys and experiences. He builds on the momentum from his first piece with more heartfelt displays of his life and observations. In addition he turned himself to the classic poetry of Langston Hughes for both inspiration and a comparative understanding for the evolution of society. During this reflection, C.L. Lewis has created a poetic body of work that is socially conscious, thought-provoking, internal and idealistic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493105199

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Copyright © 2014 by C. L. Lewis.

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.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

Rev. Date: 01/24/2014

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Table of Contents

Dedication

Empty Buckets Ii

About Tracing The Blueprint

Self Reflection & Observation

HistoryVs.Progression

The Heart & The Mirror

Concluding Remarks

Afterword

DEDICATION:

Cheers to the lessons of experience:

-   To the struggles that strengthen us

-   The journeys we travel

-   The people we encounter along the path

-   The family and friends that never waiver during our struggles

-   The children we reach and teach for a better future

Inspired by the great Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902—May 22, 1967)

**Special thanks to: R. Barnes, W.Bautista, S. Brown, S. Burns, R. Dominico, S. Downs,

F. Griffin - TML Fotography, C. Jenkins, A. Nieves, & J. Wilkinson**

Empty Buckets II

The creation of Empty Buckets has come to represent an expression of my life. In the original volume, I used a collection of pieces that spanned my transition from adolescence through early adulthood to provide a glimpse of my experiences. In my heartfelt expression, I began to scratch the surface on the man that I have evolved to become. The primary ideas in this book were shared from my experiences of love, thoughts in solitude and my life lessons and observations.

In this second volume, Tracing the Blueprint, I further explore my internal evolution, as well as my reflections on my most recent journeys and interactions. Here the Blueprint refers to my sources of inspiration; I am tracing my inspiration for progress and intellectual contribution with the goal of adding to the foundation for our future. On a personal level, I refer to my Blueprint for the initial Empty Buckets volume. My goal is to reinvent the heartfelt creation that I began with as I continue to build my legacy. From a historical perspective, I refer to the Blueprint of the historical author that inspired my desire to ever write a piece of poetry, the legendary Langston Hughes.

As a 7 year—old in the 2nd grade, I had my first encounter with one of Mr. Hughes’ creations. As I recited his biography and Dream Deferred poem for our Black History Month Assembly, I had a limited understanding for the power within his words. However over time, this episode remained with me and provided me a point of reference from which to eventually release my own thoughts and feelings. In my adulthood I refer to his work not only for creative influence and guidance, but as a marker to understand the current state of society as it compares to Langston’s historical view. As I have lived through my own transitional experiences since writing Empty Buckets part 1, the Langston Hughes collection has given me a keen perspective for this new project.

Therefore in my reach to ‘Trace the Blueprint’, I combine the heart of my own story with the classic delivery of my predecessor. The ultimate goal is not to duplicate the Blueprint, but rather to learn from it and use such support to advance both myself and the progressive thinking of others.

Tracing the Blueprint

This volume is broken down into three distinct categories, which capture my desire to ‘Trace the Blueprint’. The first section is that of Self-Reflection & Observation. Here I provide an understanding of some of my personal thoughts and worldviews. This section begins by revisiting some of the concepts from Empty Buckets part 1 and then flows into an expression of the lessons I have learned since that time. Reflection and Observation are crucial components to establishing the requisite understanding and appreciation of a Blueprint.

In the following section, History vs. Progression, I paint a deep and colorful picture that displays my perceptions of—and experiences in society. This section was heavily influenced by the revolutionary words of the late, great Langston Hughes. As a result, I used his work as a historical reference from which to compare my current views. Here, there