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Showing posts from September, 2018

Spirit, Earth, and Water (Barry Sons - Berwick, LA)

Pulled from the depths of earth or from collective mind. The answered prayer of innocence,  determined gift Devine. Onto a canvas wrought with shame;  sanded, scraped and splattered.  Destined only to crash and burn; determined sacrifice of Sprit, Earth and water. Wet passion in lighting flash;  by only loves design.  To heavens’ height  explode,  shameful canvas and gift Devine. Fires’ wind and calm of rain,  sweat, like oceans waters.  Would, that we could return to spirit, earth and water.

im in love with you and im sorry (Cullen Mury - Lafayette, LA)

im  in  love with you and  i  know that love is just a word in the void of existence  and that our oblivion is inevitable and that were all doomed to fall into the angel of death’s arms and that one day all our labor will return to its true form dust im  in love with you and  i  know that they will watch me drift into the sun and  i  know you think  im  selfish that  im  a liability to your existence  but know  that  i  am not in love with the feeling of love  but rather your presence in this world and in my arms im  in love with you  and  i’m  sorry sorry that my heart rushes to find yours and that it rapidly longs for your heart but  i  know that your heart is not mended yet and  i  will wait  like a bride at the altar  like a dog at the door like a mother for her son for your heart to be mended  and  i  will become a stitch a stitch that shows you  you  are worthy  that your scars are what make you  you that you are beauti

Advantages (Sasha Massey - Lafayette, LA)

It was wonderful and created an ache in me to see kids with two parents play on sports teams. They got to be in dance and have endless toys.  Sing in shows I only heard about at the last minute.  I saw so much wealth while I had to follow my grandmother,  helping her polish silver and scrub floors . She was unhappy at home but turned on a cigarette stained smile for them. She raised their kids.  Cleaned up after their dogs.   Nursed a dying mother.  We got their leftovers for Christmas and Thanksgiving. I got presents like cassettes and nail polish. Some of them remembered my mother and  told me how exciting my birth  was. It’s so bizarre hearing so much about a woman you only knew for the first 5 years of your life. Would her friends care to know how many times she came into my room sweating, shirtless, mumbling comforting words and scaring the hell out of me?  How I hated waking up in places I hadn’t gone to sleep in? What about the times when she wrapped me in a blanket, carried me

Rhythms & Visions: When Oil Spills (Barry Sons - Berwick, LA)

Rhythms & Visions: We, the people (Catrina Crowe - Ruston, LA)

Rhythms & Visions: Sasha Massey - Mozart's "Exultate Jubilate"

Sasha Massey Mozart’s “Exultate Jubilate”!

I'm Sorry, God (Louis Toliver Jr - Swartz, LA)

I am just a soul. God, I don’t know much about you, except that I am a part of you. I will never let the world separate us even though it has tried, and is trying. Now, there was a short time we had a miscommunication and Lucifer created a wall between you and me. He sealed me inside hot darkness. I lived in darkness. Hell. There were so many lost souls around. I saw no light ahead. That was until a dark soul asked why I was shining while we stood in line, we always stood in line. But a line started to form behind me suddenly. It was then I realized that you had been shielding me with light. I’ve never really taken the time to truly apologize for the wrong I caused rather I realized it or not. Hell is a messed-up place to be in. I’m not going there. But, you know, God, I’ve never met any harm to anyone. So, instead of letting my regret build-up, I will let my walls come down and I will shout, “I believe in God!” I may not be a role model, but I’m no demon. And Lucifer and I ne

This Dark Water (Sasha Massey - Lafayette, LA)

Each day I sing and perform I count as victory over blatant favoritism and over all a system built to fail us. Something setup to remind us we are other. Wrong. Ugly. So much that we have to fight to learn a history hidden. And love how we are made while everything around us screams change. Straighten your hair. We tan you bleach....She was a warm brown. Blue undertones. I remember her. She sang to me. Her favorite thing was to make me sing along to the Reading Rainbow theme song when I was little. When she was still here. Her absence hangs over me like an overcast sky. Pushing my feet down harder with every step. The coming rain is pressed to my temples and crowding my mind. Making my knees buckle. Crying in the shower where no one can hear me but God. Father. Silent. Always listening. Watching me slam into emotional walls, stand up and covered in new scars. Where is she? Forgiveness is not for them. It is for you. That finally you might stop blaming yoursel

Let the Bright (Sasha Massey - Lafayette, LA)

Fish Stories (Barry Sons - Berwick, LA)

Rhythms & Visions Starts Today!

5th Fall 2018 Change: Louisiana Words Is Expanding Tremendously through 2018-2019

1. Louisiana Words is now available on Twitter and Instagram with each having its own distinct postings each week. Each platform will at the core post the new weekly "Debuts" and some memorable "Flashbacks." Please help the community and follow us on Twitter and Instagram after reading this post. Twitter & Instagram both will offer "Writer Review." Twitter will also contain "Louisiana Words History" and "Reflections." Instagram will also contain "Words in Pictures" and "Reflections" 2. Louisiana Words: The Series (The Revival) will kick of with the new & much anticipated bi-annual competition, Louisiana Words Allstars in 2019. The Series will pick up monthly after. 3. The First Louisiana Words bi-annual book collection, picked from the entire catalog of contributions, is in the works and will be headlined by the winner or Laureate of the Allstars. The details of the book will be released late in 2019, but

4th Fall 2018 Change: Louisiana Words New Rankings Give Recognition to the Community

To encourage participation and recognize our community of writers, Louisiana Words now ranks writers based on activity on the blog.  1-3 contributions - Newcomer 4-11 contributions - Veteran 12-19 contributions- Rising Star 20 + contributions - Allstar Nominee: an Allstar nomination gives the writer an opportunity to compete in the Louisiana Words Allstar competition, starting in 2019 and recurring after that.  ***You do not necessarily have to have 20 contributions to achieve an Allstar nomination. You may have and can read at Louisiana Words: The Series (2013-2014, returning in 2019) multiple times, managed Louisiana Words at one time, or contributed other art to “Rhythms & Visions” multiple times. You need to at least a be Rising Star contributor in addition to these criteria.***

3rd Fall 2018 Change: Louisiana Words Introduces Visuals & Music, but Says Goodbye to Long Form Writing

Louisiana Words will start collaborative marketing on Sundays in our new fall series, "Rhythms & Visions". We find that poetry doesn’t just have to be written or spoken, it can be sang in a song, it can be a painting or a shown through a film. Louisiana Words features several multi-talented artists and we want to expand to showcase how proud we are of all their abilities in life, not just, specifically writing. “Rhythms & Visions” premieres Sunday, September 23 rd ,   posts on Sundays (before the weekly update), and is available on the home blog, Facebook, Twiitter, & Instagram. However, Louisiana Words will only accept contributions that are poetry, flash fiction, or a series. Up until Fall 2018, we have been open to any form of writing, but we believe that feedback and results show that our community caters much to the “get a quick read & get inspired audience.” Therefore, we will no long accept full-length short stor

2nd Fall 2018 Change: Louisiana Words is Globally Followed and Will Be Focused on that

Believe it or not, Louisiana Words is followed around the world! Here is a snapshot of our global engagement and page views. These are the top ten countries trending: 1.     United States - 67,766 2.    Russia - 3,107 3.    Germany - 2,670 4.    Malaysia - 1,967 5.     France - 1,550 6.    Ukraine - 937 7.    Poland - 886 8.    Canada - 692 9.    United Arab Emirates - 574 10.   Brazil 325 Louisiana Words is also gaining momentum in other countries like India, Australia, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Czechia, & Qatar. We will begin international promotions geared to the countries of Canada, UK, Germany, France, & Russia. Some writings on the blog may also appear in French and Cajun French starting this fall. We are looking to expand our inspirational reach and allow more authentic Louisiana content to appear on our blog.

1st Fall 2018 Change: The Mission of Louisiana Words Will Slightly Change

Louisiana Words (2012-2017): A Louisiana Movement of the Freedom of Expression When Louisiana Words started in 2012, it was always intended to be a community self-expression blog outlet for statewide writers for casual, hobby, or community oriented writers who have never have been published or shared their writings. It was about making a least one statement, using your voice when it's hard to. Between 2013-2014 received nearly 1,000 contributions! (Fun Fact: 121 contributions were submitted in June 2013) However, the life span of a contribution was generally one day and then, they were forgotten (until 2017) time went by, people made multiple statements, and then Louisiana Words: The Series came out and people began making public statements.  Louisiana Words ended 2014 with around over 400 followers fans likes by the end of 2014. Louisiana Words (2017-Present): A Community of Marketable Writers in Louisiana for the Freedom of Expression Louisiana Wor

5 Changes You Should Know Louisiana Words: Fall 2018

Louisiana Words: Fall 2018 Premiere