Odyssey in Progress

By Sandra D. Brown

"Odyssey in Progress" presents the life experiences of Sandra D. Brown through various styles of poetry. "Haiku #1" and "My Odyssey" serve as the starting points of Brown's poetic memoir. She becomes incarcerated for defending her life, but pieces such as "Truth or Dare," reveal that prison is but one of many misfortunes imprisoning her long before she was locked up. The writer eloquently speaks her pain, passion, power, and purpose in "A Prisoner's Medley," "Redeliberations," and "Final Thoughts." On a collective level, Odyssey in Progress raises awareness about the need to address and heal social issues that impact women and other marginalized groups in their quest for wholeness, freedom, and self-actualization. Such pieces include "'Fro Po,'" "Conversation with Rosa Parks," and "From the Mouth of an Unnecessary Target." In between socio-individual spectrums, "Haiku 6," "Vitalessence," and "Curiononsense," serve as reminders to just breathe and enjoy life on life's terms, as the ability to do so is required to empower ourselves and others. Lastly, Brown's passion for poetry inspired her to create pieces that celebrate the art itself. "Ode to Poetry" and "Gregory's Gift" celebrate the power of the pen for Brown, poets, and readers of poetry everywhere.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667835259

Book preview

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Odyssey in Progress

© 2022 Sandra D. Brown

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN 978-1-66783-524-2

eBook ISBN 978-1-66783-525-9

Table of Contents

My Odyssey

Truth or Dare

Haiku #1

A Prisoner’s Medley

Ode to Poetry

Something

Haiku #4

‘Fro Po

To the Rizing Phoenix

Haiku #5

Birdwatching

Chance Meeting

Haiku #6

Vitalessence

Broken Woman

Haiku #7

Conversation with Rosa Parks

Patience

Haiku #8

Curiononsense

Fear

Haiku #9

Gregory’s Gift

Lisa

Haiku #11

Enlightenment Part Trois

Pitstop

Haiku #12

Whirlpool

Diversified Breadline

Haiku #13

From the Mouth of an Unnecessary Target

Enough

Haiku #15

Since King Had a Dream

Busted

Haiku #16

De Mi A Ti con Amor

From Me to You with Love

Haiku #17

Ouch

Prelude to Serenity

Haiku #19

Beautiful

Chocolate Marbles

Haiku #22

Still Unborn

Untitled

Haiku #23

Sade’s Soliloquy *

Death’s Destruction II

Haiku #25

Hard Time

Dreamseller

Haiku #26

State of Being

Haiku #28

Sole Searching

The Rosebath

Haiku #30

The Seventh Question

Pseudovalentine

Haiku #31

The Antidote

Invisible Words

Haku #32

Stargazing (for Obie Pittman, Jr.)

Leaftorm

Haku #34

Interment

Time Turnover

Haku #35

If Walls Could Talk

The Eulogy

Redeliberations

Haiku #37

Sansorenvelli

Passion

Sue’s Haiku (#33)

The Returning Citizen

Final Thoughts

My Odyssey

Her name is Calypso,

The goddess giving me

This Odyssian Experience.

She holds hope hostage,

Weaning my mind of memories

Like babies from momma’s milk.

Year after year

She skillfully siphons away

Facets of freedom

And tucks it away

On Ogygia.

A little here –

Don’t think about that now.

A little there

That part of your life is over.

When I realize what

She’s doing and rebel,

She hides my dreams

In the mountains and valleys

Of Here and Now.

You thought because time

Temporarily befriended you,

His love would die

Without a trace,

And R35900

Would be the death

Of my dreams…

But Time waits for no one.

Not even You.

You’ve persuaded time

To put lives on lockdown,

But iron,

Barbed wires,

And bricks

Just aren’t strong enough

To hold a dream

Destined to be.

Truth or Dare

Truth, Dare, Double-dare, promise, or repeat?

I dare tell on truth.

Eight-year-old elbow met pavement

Learning to ride my bike.

That’s my story…

That’s a story…

No. That’s a god damn lie.

Truth