A blogger found my poem!

I am so excited! My poem, "Nappy-Headed", was posted on a blog by Blogger member StephClan. Here it is: I came to this world with nappy hair And when I was too young to really care I loved to twirl each curl in my hand And appreciate the texture of every strand. But when I got older I was told That the straightest hair was just like gold. My hair got ironed with a metal comb And the smell of burning grease made me moan. I got a relaxer to run from the smoke, But the pain of my overcooked scalp was no joke. I even tried a Jheri curl to give myself a break But being a target of jokes made my heart ache. Oh, the day I turned my back on chemicals and heat, I felt so free - oh, what a treat! I trimmed off what was left of the damaged mess And saw in the mirror what I thought was success. But society said I had lost my mind And that I would run back to tradition in time. I got the strangest looks everywhere And even loved ones frowned at my nappy hair. I can't get a black brother to take me out for a meal Since my hair lacks European appeal. But when I look at my origin, The continent of Africa, where my ancestors had been And the beauty of the people who live there, I saw nothing wrong with my nappy hair. God gave me this hair So I should not be ashamed It is part of who I am Ain't nothin' wrong with it, I exclaimed. So I will wear my Afro, my twists and my coils! I will not allow my confidence to be soiled. Even if my hair is locked and dreaded, I am proud of being nappy-headed. StephClan's blog, African Descent Hair, is a chronicle of her natural hair journey. I've added her to my blogroll to show my appreciation. Go there and see some of the pictures of her hair, which looks very strong and healthy. You can go to my AuthorsDen page and read the rest of my poems.

Bitten by the shutterbug

Since I bought my little digital camera this past summer, I've discovered something about myself: I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY! I mean, I always liked pretty pictures, but I never thought I would enjoy taking them so much. I should have known, though. Throughout my life, I would look at a sunset or a tree or a flower and say to myself, "Wow, I wish I had a camera right now to capture this." I guess I never got into it before because I hated the thought of taking a picture and not being able to tell if it turned out right until I got the film developed. Now, since I get instant gratification with the digital camera, I can retake shots all I want, and I can upload and share my work right away.

sunrise at the park, # 4 by reasontolive
Get this custom print  at Zazzle

Bogue Chitto Creek by reasontolive
Get this custom print  at Zazzle

These are two of the pictures I have taken that I think turned out very well. I have many more in the Nature section of my Zazzle Web site, which includes my first calendar.

Dramatic Nature Calendar by reasontolive
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I am hoping to one day have more equipment so I can take even better pictures. First on the list: a tripod. This blog entry brought to you by:

"How to Do Everything with Your Web 2.0 Blog" by Todd Stauffer

Todd Stauffer is the publisher of the Jackson Free Press and has authored and co-authored several technology books, especially on Macs. I have a blog on the Jackson Free Press Web site, so I have known Todd for a couple of years. He gave me an autographed copy of his latest book, which is jam-packed with information that would benefit novice and professional bloggers:

In the book, Todd explains how to create a blog, drive traffic to it, improve the look of it and even how to make a little money from it. Reading the book confirmed some things I was trying already, such as joining affiliate programs and RSS feeds, but I did learn some new things such as what a trackback is. If there were a college course on blogging, this book would make a great textbook. If you are serious about blogging, I suggest you get yourself a copy of Todd's book from Amazon. It's an excellent reference tool.

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