You are one of my most difficult students. You tell me to shut-up when I give you directions. You backtalk. You talk shit. You laugh at me when you know you’ve successfully pissed me off.

Some might find it curious that I would then post you on my blog. Well, let’s just say you’re lucky you can write good. You’re lucky you are getting better every day. And soon every one will see your gift, intensity, and passion as I do, and like me, will also not be able to deny you.

So I typed your whole name into the YouTube search box and found but one result that featured the young woman I know as Jodie-Ann Geddes. I was hesitant. It was posted 11 months ago and God knows when it was recorded. I was afraid the viewers of this blog would not see the full potential of such a rapidly growing artist.

I told a friend this past weekend that none of my poetic/slam/spoken word/Youth Speaks peers have made it far into their twenties without a sense of jadedness and contempt towards the artform – which has consequently stunted our writing. We have fallen. And Jodie, I see you falling.

So if not for the edutainment of our viewers, I post this blog for you, Jodie – and for all others who can see the sparkling fire in your eyes. Look at yourself, Jodie. You see how that smile holds conviction? You hear how you speak when you believe that what you speak is truth? I ask you to remember. Relocate that place in your body where you believe that your words can change the world. Because they can. And if you allow that beautiful idea to be forgotten for too long, you may forget how to remember it. Like a dream that grows hazy as the day goes on. Record your dream, Jodie. Then bring it to our reality. Because we need it. The world is built on it. You hold a position of importance.

Speak, Black Woman, speak.

Me and my cousin at the wedding of my other cousin, Helen. Once I found out she was getting married in Germany, I KNEW I had to get to Europe this year! I’m here!

Me and my momma went to Berlin for a day and a half. Beautiful city full of history and magnificent architecture. I know it might not look much through your computer screens but look how small those people look in front of this gate! It’s a sight to see…

This here is the castle of Versailles located right outside of Paris. When I saw this, I thought, “I didn’t know places like this still exist”. I am such a Disneyland baby. Me and my lady toured the palace and started brainstorming for our future filthy, unnecessarily large abodes.

Oh, and this is the backyard…

Finished walking through the Lourve in Paris and decided to stunting on top of Mary Magdalene’s burial place (for all you Da Vinci Code heads).

Okay I’m just gonna post this much before this wack ass internet shuts off on me again. Knock on wood…

I’m taking hella pictures here so holla back if you wanna see some more! Miss ya’ll. Peace.

I wrote “An Old White Man Named God Told Me Not To Say F#&k” before I saw any of this but I saw the similarities in our work.

So basically I like anything that reminds me of me. Church.

Although it’s my belief that everyone in the WORLD should see this speech because of the message it carries, if for nothing, watch this for a lesson in persuasive argument. Watch this for a lesson in civil communication – HOW TO TALK PEOPLE!

On another note, there was this comment on this video (and I know I should pay any mind to some of these mindless statements on there) saying, “Bush gave the same speeches, they just weren’t as publicized.” One, Bush didn’t have the mental capacity for such tactful tools of communication such as …understanding the other person’s point of view. Two, if he did make a similar speech, he was stupid to not publicize his one shining moment of intelligence. Three, have you seen how long this speech is? Someone would shoot Bush (or more likely, themselves) before they had to listen to him talk for an hour. I mean, damn, when’s the last time we really listened to anyone speak for an hour who didn’t have a decent joke every 30 seconds. So amazing. Still, I know it’s hard to sit through this whole speech with, you know, life happening but watch a clip, watch it in parts, skip to the ending, whatever. It’s brilliant throughout. Rocking my Obama shirt right now. Go-Bama!

“What you been listening to?” has always been a hard question for me to answer – “I mean, do you want me to list the song titles?”  But lately, it has never been so clear:  whatever is on my iPod shuffle, Drake’s So Far Gone, and the advanced copy of Delorean’s No More Heroes.  Yeah, that’s right.  Sacramento’s own Delorean, the rapper-producer duo, 5th Ave and Jon Reyes…and  I can’t tell you how excited I am to have some more local inspiration colonizing my stereo system!  I’ll make sure to write up a detailed explanation on why this album is the SHIT when it officially drops on June 16th.  For now, just listen to poet-extraordinaire David Scott bless the introductory title track and maybe then you’ll get idea of the ride you’ll be taking with Delorean.