Sunday, September 15, 2024

You Feel Like We Do

My cats come to me

Come alive Kamala, Doug,

Elle and Joey

 

They do not have cats

the future first family

but we can have them

 

“Woof!” Wagged his tail, “hi!”

The Dogs and Doug Come Alive,

“We are still best friends!”

 

Ellie loves to dance

When I do my aerobics

She taps as I pass,

 

“Come by me, mommy”

Paws alive like my hands

I pause we both pet

 

 When Joey gets pets

his conscience prevents anger

and runs before bites

 

Joey knows what he wants

balancing his sanity

pleasing he and me.

 

The other side now

is mocking us fur lovers.

Who’s drama-making?

 

Kamala and Doug

who don’t have cats so we can

we can come alive.

-2024



Saturday, August 31, 2024

The Anne LeightonInclusion Interview Show with Joe Deninzon of Stratosph...

My interview with Joe Deninzon of Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius and Kansas Fame premieres on the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show, seen on YouTube on Saturday, August 31, at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT / and Sunday morning at 1 AM Amsterdam Time.

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Invite to Poets for Harris Walz Online Get Together Sunday, September 1

Poets for Harris Walz are inviting the world to attend an online reading of poems inspired by Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz on Sunday, Sept. 1, 7-9 pm ET/ 4-6 pm PT/ midnight–2 am in the UK.

Poets for Harris Walz is the brainchild of Bronx friends Dona Elena Hatcher, Tina Jackson, Rhonda Lyles, and Anne Leighton. All four have had a range of relationships from friends that were unkind to others with what’s become known in healing circles as “weird behavior” (mean people).    

To RSVP for the event, fill out your information and submit at us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvdeuupz0tH9UhfQ18xGtY_3EPUKYpgWiv#/registration .

We hope to know by Thursday, August 28, who will be our special guest readers. Our organizers are supportive, observant and passionate poets, who will also be reading. 

Please advise us if you’d like to be part of the open mic.

Dona Elena Hatcher is the owner of Take Flight Talent Workshops. She is the author of the poetry book, “Word Dances Poems on Pointe.” https://store.bookbaby.com/profile/WordDancesPoemsonPointe  Email: dramadona1@yahoo.com.

Tina Jackson  will be releasing her long-awaited poetry book, "Scars From An Addict" soon.  Her most recent book, “Love Don’t Hit” is a novel about a woman who is physically, mentally, and verbally abused by her man.   www.instagram.com/tinajackson7858/  Email: jacksontina578@gmail.com

Anne Leighton’s poetry book “The Leighton Explosion” is published by Soul Asylum Books, Canada.  She’s working on The Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show. workinggalrockandroll.blogspot.com.  Email: LeightonMedia@aol.com and Anne@AnneLeighton.com.

Rhonda Lyles is an Author, Entrepreneur, Mother, Grandmother, and Inspirational/Motivational Speaker.  Since publishing her first book, “My Thoughts” in April of 2015, she written 13 more books—most recently  “Loved Despite My Scars.” Email: lylesrhonda@yahoo.com

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Thursday, August 15, 2024

Invite to Submit to Poets for Harris Walz Online Get Together by August 23

The Reading Takes Place Online Sunday, September 1

Poets for Harris Walz are inviting poets inspired by the candidates of Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz to join our online reading event. Poets for Harris Walz takes place on Sunday, Sept. 1, 7-9 pm ET/ 4-6 pm PT/ midnight–2 am in the UK.

Poets for Harris Walz is the brainchild of Bronx friends Dona Elena Hatcher, Tina Jackson, Rhonda Lyles, and Anne Leighton. All four have had a range of relationships from friends that were unkind to others with what’s become known in healing circles as “weird behavior” (mean people). We know there are others that have come out with poetry that can help move us all forward.

Twelve poets will be selected to read their poetry within a seven-minute performance time.  They will be chosen from submissions based on the relevance to our topic by the four curators of this event.   

All submission and contact information listed below:

*Poems should be attached as a word docx and in the body of one email including all contact info. 

*Poems should be single spaced and 12-point font, and titled. 

*Include a one or two sentence bio and recent career highlights.

*Deadline for submission is August 23 midnight ET/9 pm PT/ 5 AM 24 of August UK Time.

Curator Emails for Submissions: Dona Elena Hatcher dramadona1@yahoo.com, Tina Louise Jackson: jacksontina578@gmail.com, Anne Leighton: LeightonMedia@aol.com and Anne@AnneLeighton.com, Rhonda Lyles: lylesrhonda@yahoo.com

Poets own their writing and biographies, and acknowledge we will be posting their performances on YouTube, Facebook, and Linkedin. The video might be shared by others around the world.

If this event goes well, we’ll do more online events.

Dona Elena Hatcher is the owner of Take Flight Talent Workshops. She is the author of the poetry book, “Word Dances Poems on Pointe.” https://store.bookbaby.com/profile/WordDancesPoemsonPointe  Email: dramadona1@yahoo.com.

Tina Jackson  will be releasing her long-awaited poetry book, "Scars From An Addict" soon.  Her most recent book, “Love Don’t Hit” is a novel about a woman who is physically, mentally, and verbally abused by her man.   www.instagram.com/tinajackson7858/  Email: jacksontina578@gmail.com

Anne Leighton’s poetry book “The Leighton Explosion” is published by Soul Asylum Books, Canada.  She’s working on The Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show. WorkingGalRockandRoll.blogspot.com.  Email: LeightonMedia@aol.com and Anne@AnneLeighton.com.

Rhonda Lyles is an Author, Entrepreneur, Mother, Grandmother, and Inspirational/Motivational Speaker.  Since publishing her first book, “My Thoughts” in April of 2015, she written 13 more books—most recently  Loved Despite My Scars.” Email: lylesrhonda@yahoo.com

 


Friday, August 2, 2024

Newsletter 16 The Anne Leighton Inclusion

Poetry newsletter August 2024  

Since my last newsletter in 2022, I’ve journeyed from the depths of sadness for delusional love that never was! This trip help me learn—by observing and categorizing misguided hate—the actions from people that look down on you--from where ever I am, not them. 

As a noun, Hate is a manifestation of people’s actions and thoughts. As a verb, Hate is action.

Another manifestation is our writing.

I’m on a Love Conquers All path to create an infrastructure that includes The Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show and time to write.  

The Main hub of my writing work is my poetry website-- workinggalrockandroll.blogspot.com. The latest is a celebration of my Mom’s 100th birthday which I finished writing for her Feb. 18 birthday, two days later at Art-in-the-Basin. I posted “Happy 100th Birthday, Mom (Dedicated to Halin Pryves Leighton)” on Sunday because of Kamala Harris. (She had some healing energy on this journey, classifying deliberately mean behavior as “weird,” but not in a creative sense manifested by artists. The poem salutes some of my ancestry including roots from India….  The last verse blew my mind--it was about my cats and not having children.

Also here at workinggalrockandroll.blogspot.com is a link to my first interview for the Leighton Inclusion. The third entry is with Tina Jackson, a former neighbor from the Bronx. Over the past ten years we’ve egged each other away from abuse. She released her first novel, "Love Don't Hit," and has been promoting herself in ways I need to learn! Now she’s working on a poetry book.

I’m creating poetry workshops inspired by Emily Dickinson—to understand the difference between kindness and cruelty. Tina will join me in some big workshops, and talk about getting out of abusive situations.

We like the idea of connecting with people that live love as opposed to those that are mean. Here's a link from a show one of my artists, Val Kinzler created as a series of “We the She” concerts in New York City.

Val had me write a poem, “We The She.” That segment starts about 39 minutes in; the poem tells my story of shaming a friend after an unsuccessful hookup with a rock star I was in love with back then. She gave him hell for not interacting with fans, and back then I told her she shouldn’t have stood up to the guy like that, 'cause I wanted him to like me next time we met if we ever talk…. Like he's gonna actually remember me!

I could’ve lost a friendship with someone that went to bat for me as opposed to someone that didn't like me.  


www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NPv0c4GPss&t=2605s

Words are important, and we need to understand them for what they are. There’s so much about “Inclusion” being a negative word lately.  "Inclusion" means "Everyone needs a lift, and someone thinks you're worth it. It's belonging with people that care about you. 

Send the elevator down!

Let me make one thing perfectly clear. AnneLeightonInclusion is who I am. It’s become as much of my brand as my exuberant poetry book, "The Anne Leighton Explosion."

I Need Your Help For My New Poem—in progress.  In fact, let’s call it, “In Progress”!!!!!

I fight City Hall and want to see change. Whether it does or doesn't, I have to be the change I want to see, because that's what I want in the world. That kind of recovery helps me slow down to observe, and recognize “mean” and kindness.  

Just because I’m a writer, that doesn't mean I'm diplomatic. I've been blunt and humorous-in-an-outspoken way to every one of them.   

Give me some advice on diplomacy and I’ll work on it and turn it into a poem. 

One more link: If you have access to Facebook, please listen to my Art-in-the-Basin reading. Most of the poems were written after The Leighton Explosion, so I'm still at it. There's also a reading of the poem about my Mom on her 100th Birthday. 

www.facebook.com/artinthebasin/videos/931976168342958

Thank you for reading and checking out my work. I love encouragement like that. Hoping you have a cool summer! 

 

 

 


Sunday, July 21, 2024

Happy 100th Birthday, Mom (Dedicated to Halin Pryves Leighton)

She painted in the attic

Never complained about it

Instead she hated politics

People deliberately being dramatic.

 

Imagine the journeys of women

From time’s beginning

They listened too much to parents

beliefs in subjection

 

“Girls don’t want to be single

You don’t want big muscles

Get married, don’t go to school

Take it easy, you don’t need to hustle

 

I’ve messages from my ancestors

‘cause there were fighters out there

Not those against one another

but not treating others like sisters.

 

Time we learned enlightening

Together what can we bring

Teaching about love, not fighting

It takes a tiny bit of thinking

 

I’m standing on the shoulders

Of my mother, my grandmothers,

and all my ancestors

overcoming man-created disasters

 

I got my DNA tested

I’m a mutt -- 100 percent

combination of world history

Indus Valley people had services

 

Women leading the women

In ancient Vietnam  

Fighting against oppression

Of poor people as their mission.

 

Talk about Esther -- my Jewish roots

Helping afflicted a virtue  

Teaching us to find our superpowers

Comes with connecting with our truths

 

I know I’m not the first to fight back

European cat lovers and the worst attacks

horrid generational flashbacks

Don’t call them witches or crazy asses

 

I never wanted to have children

Just loving my cats and kittens

and living with my own creations

means speaking up is divine intervention.



 

Friday, July 19, 2024

Spider Poems

The Thrive Tribe

 I have a relationship with my spiders 

and do my best to keep them alive.

I learn parables from my spiders

they do great good to help me survive. 


Roommates

(Spiders At Peace) 

Writer the Spider

and Rider the Spider

sat down beside 

one so playful

with intentions

that flowed stomps.

Writer the Spider

And Rider the Spider

jagged their fright

in flight forced

them to die.

  

 

“I Don’t Want to be Your Narcissist

(To Rider, Writer, and the Rest of the Spiders in 1A)

First, I came for the roaches,

with mint leaves and ruthless baking soda,

swatting armies on daily patrol

that paintballed walls in shit-colored splat   

snacked on by tan spiders’ domesticated webs   

 

Who knew they’d connect jagged

movements to twist and knit the final curtain

Heralding my own healing crossroads

In harmony of spiders work on wood

Like an evolved shade of hair on my head

 

I find if I blow soft and tender

They shake their legs working spinners

Long may they live and may they stay

Collaboration these spiders all day

Writer and Rider the Spiders they play

 

Unpatterned weaves matching Whitman’s hair,

If they moved, I’d change my color

There’s no food for them anymore

They did their job, now will they leave

As that ruthless soda turns them to gold  

 

The Beatles sang an octopus pad

Who’d scare my 18-pound cat

Making me his easy treat attacking bugs

I play both sides I love my cats

Chase the spiders See how they run—attack!  

 

All my roaches cleaned out of the kitchen

They were yesterday’s lesson

I remember the dirty crass wall

But I learned I don’t need them

Clean dishes showing me dirt deletion’s win

 

My Spiders are in Crisis with no roaches

Stan Lee would tell me I’m cruel  

to Writer, Rider the Spiders 

heroes trusting me must fight to survive    

They killed the roaches and heard my battle cry, "die, cobweb makers, die."  

-July 2024