The Income Tax

I thought I'd take time out to write a fitting tribute to how I feel about the preparation of income taxes. I hope you like it.



The Income Tax
by Tru Essence


Income taxes...

I hate'm




Thank you for your time and attention. I hope you enjoyed my poem. I understand the need for taxes and what the money does but this crappy system is getting on my nerves and living in DC where we have some of the highest taxes in the country and still not able to be a contributing voice on Capitol Hill is even more annoying.

Just my opinion.  Anyway...gotta get back to it. Right after I finish watching Family Guy. (^_^)

MOVIES!!!! AND OTHER RANDOM STUFF

So, you know I have a story, right?

This has been an interesting weekend so far and I have lots to do but I wanted to take time and relax so I went to see Captain America: The Winter Solder for the second time and this is all I have to say. People who HAVE to talk in the movies should have to silence their mouths the same way we have to silence our cell phone, dang it!

There was a woman who kept acting like each scene was affecting her physically. I think I may have, in my mind, gone up to her and poured my drink on her. I was wishing she was in the movie so the Winter Soldier could shut her up. I digress. Back to the movies.

I have a new movie crush and Mr. Black Falcon has the honor of being it. HA! Anthony Mackle did a really great job in his roll as  Sam Wilson (Black Falcon). I have liked him in many of the rolls he's played over the years. Sam's personality and energy compliments the in-place cast of recurring characters.  It was even better the second time I saw it with exception to THE WOMAN MAKING ALL THE NOISE A FEW ROWS BEHIND ME WITH HER JUST AS LOUD HUSBAND/BOYFRIEND GUY!

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the next installment of the Marvel movies.

I also saw Noah. Lots of water. O_O

Other Random Stuff:

What's up with the kids?

So, I work with a cool group of kids a few days a week on art projects and we will working to produce a book featuring their drawings and short stories so I'm very excited to be working with them. This is forcing me to draw more and not be afraid to do what I have always wanted to do. In my searching for how to work with them, I had to ask myself "What is it that you love?" I couldn't really answer that question. As I search for the answer, I can at least do some of the things I like. :)

I'm trying.

Today is starting off tough. I'm feeling way too many things. Going to shoot photos at the Sakura Matsuri Festival today. I'm hoping I'l feel better soon. It's hard when no one expects the strong to get weak.

I'll feel better soon. :)


#declaration
#heartstillhurts
#someoneisstrugglingmorethanI

LOVE. YEP. LOVE

My last few days have been saturated with love songs. Loss of love, new love, spiritual love, etc., and it seems depending what condition your heart is in at the time, EVERY song has the potential to make you cry

CRAZY! I KNOW!!

Now, the happiest song on the planet right now is "HAPPY" by Pharrell. Can someone please tell me how that song can make you cry???  lol

It did. smh

Music is a powerful vehicle for the emotion of love. Music, in many ways similar to colors, have characteristics that trigger emotional reaction from the notes, combination of notes, chords as well as the instruments that play these note. A soft violin triggers different emotional reactions than the same song played by a tuba, sax or piano; just as a room painted a soft blue will have a different impact than if that same room was painted an electric orange or pink.   Our senses are delicate and are even more heightened when you are going through a myriad of emotions.

I'm already a weepy person when things are awesome anyway so the emotions have been intensified this week by the music, the images of love as I pass through the city but they are beautiful just that same.

Today my songs of choice have been Ariana Grande's "Honeymoon Avenue", "Right There" (thanks to my awesome niece Courtney for hippin' me to the new school) and From the movie Disney's Frozen, "Let it go" and "Do you want to build a snowman".  All beautiful songs. Cried listening to everyone. smh.

Love is beautiful and tragic; glorious and defeating; consuming and fleeting.  Love is an entity that humans are so arrogant to think we can contain in a mere definition of words. Love cannot be defined by words. Love can only be defined through action, touch, presence, honesty, truth, respect and many other things that reflect what love really is. Love cannot simply be accepted because it is uttered. Love is the flowing musical notes sang or played by someone that is experiencing or has experienced an intense emotion. Love is absorbed in the paints on a canvas; the lines on a sketchpad; the color palette chosen. Love is the embrace of security; the kiss that feels desperate and haunting, as if you are trying to make a moment last forever while time slips away. Love is the effort put forth to make that good thing someone believes in you to be a true reality. However, love also shows you the harshness of reality but remains long enough for you to accept it and it picks you up. Love is one of the most confrontational things in the world. When hate, evil and chaos are swarming around, ready to consume, love step up in its face and says "BACK OFF! YOU'RE NOT WELCOMED HERE, SO BEAT IT!"  Love is fierce. Love claws it's way to you when everyone else gives up on you and leaves your heart for dead. Love digs until it finds your pulse and resuscitates what was left.

Love is and will always be.

The love of God is ever constant and never changing. Man's arrogance tries to define it but it can't be defined. God loves so much that forgiveness comes to the un-deserving but it comes. Some people have said that they give people three strikes to be forgiven but after that, no dice. Game over. Hit the bricks.

What if God gave us just three strikes?

Do we love like God?

With all that I mentioned love to be, can we express all of that with just three strikes and let go?

I hope we learn to love better and more often. I hope the people who receive the love and are what some may say "un-deserving" will shift their insight on the importance of what love is. You can enjoy love but it's not a game to be played.  This is why people think you can win or lose love. Love is eternal. People won't agree with me but I think if you love someone truly, it will remain long after they have left you. Sometimes the people we love die, leave, move on, and maybe even break your heart but there was a time when the love was right there in your face and you did, indeed, love. I don't think that disappears. People grow cold sometimes and some have even said they hate others. I believe that in order to hate someone you once loved, you have to still harbor a little of that love because it wouldn't hurt so bad if you didn't.

Those are just my opinions. They may change tomorrow. (shrug)

Loved ones, love always. Love faithfully. Love intently. Love with a desperation to keep it forever.

Love.

Ariana Grande - Honeymoon Avenue (with lyrics)

Today...

I woke up from a dream today and was jolted into the reality that nothing is the same as yesterday.

Today it started sinking in and I finally wept. I cried a little before but this morning it was different.

I don't want this to be a sad post so I'll keep it short. I realized that one of the characteristics of humanity is the capacity to make mistakes. We all do. Our imperfection is why we are human.  In our humanity we long for love in wrong places, commit acts that will harm and hurt people physically and emotionally, we bend faith back like a spoon as if we are tempting it to break then ask why if it doesn't and if it does. I also understand that it is our humanity that longs for perfected love.

There was a little girl at the fountains yesterday while I sat and pondered on what feels like ghost images of someone I love.  I have moments where I'm all "I will survive" then there are moments when I feel like my breath is being pulled out of me like strands of cotton from a cotton ball. The little girl. She left her family across the plaza and sat behind me at the fountain.  I heard a little voice and I stopped to listen. She was about 8 years old and after she made her wish I watched her skip to the other side of the plaza and she looked like me when I was her age. I was astonished at fact that she'd wished my wish and had my likeness.

Her wish was "I wish I could have my own bff forever."

I thought that wish was granted for me but...

I'm praying for her that she receives exactly what her heart desires. She was beautiful and in her spirit was a genuine need to be loved by someone forever. She's looking for someone who will love her through any difficult season and share the good seasons with her. She's looking for the one she can tell her secrets to and will hold her when she doesn't know anything else to do. She's looking for honest and genuine love. I think we all need that. She made me both smile and cry because after 40 years, she may find her self at this fountain with a little girl making the same with she'd wished for on this day. I pray her coin was not wasted and pray she remains well.

My wish has expired. one week. it's no easier.

I feel forgettable. Maybe that's good.

Don't forget.

Sometimes we must simply Let it go. Embrace tomorrow.

I had no idea how much I would grow to love and understand this song. Perfect. Let it go. My heart feels so much better.

The cold never bothered me anyway.