My family does not communicate or interact with one another. When I was a child we never really went to family reunions or have any social gatherings. My family is very reserved. My grandmother raised me. My mother and father were living, just not with me. They chose a life of their own. It was my grandmother, me, my aunt Barbara, and her 2 children Eddie and Chala that lived together. My grandmother’s name was Bettie Elizabeth Cook. She died on June 15^th 2006. Bettie’s tradition in our home; on every Saturday was homemade hamburgers, you know the kind with the onions hanging out on the sides and every Sunday was fried, baked, or barbequed chicken. Bettie was a very good cook and her friends and family would agree. She taught me how to cook when I was 11 years old. I cooked anything from fried chicken to spaghetti. Bettie was very independent when it came to taking care of our family. Her husband George Luther Cook Jr. died in 1973. I never got a chance to meet him I was born in 1976. Bettie never dated or got married again after he died. She always said to me that you can do anything a man can do look at me I am doing it. What I learned from that statement was that she was able to take care of the house, children, wash clothes, gardening, and fix dinner and still made time for herself. I admit when I got married I was good but not that good that applied to her not me. For the most part I understood what she meant. I am an independent strong woman today because of what she taught me and what I observed from her throughout the years. Bettie would always let us know if we were not up to par with our hygiene she would embarrass us. I was the oldest amongst my 2 cousins so I did all the cleaning. I had to clean my room everyday if it was not done I could not go outside or watch my favorite shows on T.V. On weekends I had to clean the kitchen from top to bottom (wipe down stovetop, countertop, cabinets, mop floor, make sure dishes were put away). Next I had to make sure the bathroom was clean. And the last chore for the weekend was the living room (dust tables, vacuum, and polish the wood fixtures). If my friends wanted me to hang out with them I could not go unless my all chores were done. When my grandmother told me to do something I had to do it, if I was to talk back to her or not do what she told me to do, I was to go out side and pick a tree branch aka switch to be used as a spanking tool or her hand. Bettie was very strict and overly protective of me. My friends could not come over unless she knew the parents because if she knew that something was wrong with the parents then something was wrong with the child and she could decipher whether they were good people or not to socialize with. Bettie always said the “the apple don’t fall too far from the tree”. I know now what she means but then I could count my friends on one hand, I did not have a lot of friends back then. I have always had long hair and Bettie would say to me “do not let anyone do your hair because people are jealous and envious and no one needs to do your hair but me”. I did not let anyone do my hair for awhile until she told me as I got older and I wanted my hair done, she said find a stylist that shows they care for your hair as much as you do. Bettie was a very religious woman. She had been a baptized Jehovah’s Witness since 1974 until 2006 when she passed away. I was raised to believe what witnesses said was the “TRUE RELIGION”. It was difficult for me to attend school with friends that were not witnesses because they would always joke and ridicule people that knocked on their door on Saturdays that would be the talk of the school on Monday. Of course my friends eventually found out about me. I was embarrassed and ashamed because even though I was raised to believe one thing I believed another. As I attended the Kingdom Hall more and more I began to start doing research of my own and found that what was said to be true was not. I found a lot of contradictory in what was said to be true. I disagreed on how witnesses felt that someone should be outcast for making a mistake or having found true love the unholy way. Meaning that two people can not have a relationship with one another unless they are either baptized or studying to be a witness. If they decide to have sex before they are married then they are both outcast in front of the entire congregation and it is announced that they have done something against the congregation and they are then DISFELLOWSHIPED. I was forced to go here to this unholy place every Monday for bible teaching, Wednesday for theocratic school, Saturday for field service ministry(door to door) and Sunday for service meeting(watchtower and awake discussions). When I started to realize this was not the place for me and realized that I did not have to share in praying and studying the bible or following GOD’S word with these people, I explained to Bettie that I did not want to go anymore they gossip, point the finger, shun people away for being themselves, then I asked How are they GOD’S people? GOD is a loving GOD not judgmental, nor discriminative, and most of all he loves then why are these people treating GOD’S people like they have a deadly disease? She said to me “my GOD will determine where I will go in the last days, these people can not put me in a paradise only GOD can, people are going to be people everywhere you and I go, just find your place there where you fit”, and I said, that place is not where I fit. I told her that I do not feel comfortable and I feel as though GOD is telling me that some other religion is better for me more so then this one. She told me if that was I felt then she would no longer force me to go with her but she said as long as you are in my house you will do what I say do and I responded absolutely. I feel my grandmother helped me in a lot of ways from trusting people to being strong and believing what you feel is beneficial to you.  

I have never really known my father. My father has been in and out of jail my entire life. My dad and I used to take walks together in the park, to museums, catch the bus to another part of town. My father and I did these things together until I was 6 years old. Afterwards, no sign of my father. I remember when sometimes he called and said “I will come to pick you up and we will go to the circus, movies, park, zoo” still no sign of my father. False promises being made all the time but being a little child I was not aware of it. I simply would listen to him make me a promise and waiting at the window for him. False promises died when every time he said he was on his way and he did not have the decency to call or let me know anything. My grandmother raised me. She was his mother. All the time she would tell me “don’t get your hopes up if he don’t show up you know what happened the last time” and she was always right. My father would stay out of jail for maybe six weeks to a month and go right back. I guess that by being institutionalized so much, he really did not know how to adjust. I remember when I was a baby my mother was holding me in her arms and he slapped her so hard that her glasses flew off her face, and that was not the last time I witnessed something violently done to my mother by my father. My mother would tell me “I am leaving him if it kills me”. Well she did not to have to leave because his mother told him when she witnessed what happened to my mother on one of the plenty beatings she told him” get the Fuck out of my house George and don’t come back, you should not hit on a woman I raised you better than that”. I did not see my father much after that I went to live with my mother and her mother and this grandma “nana” did not play, she owned a 38 special revolver and I know that if she saw her daughter getting beaten by my father she would shoot him without remorse. He would write to me on my birthdays and holidays. My father communicated with me a lot, I guess because he was remorseful for not being in my life. I visited my father at the Maximum security Penitentiary in Greensville, NC, 14 years later. I wanted him to meet his first grandson 11/2 years old at the time, he had never seen him. I was pregnant with the second one but he never got the opportunity to meet him. I was 21 with 2 children that he does not know. My father still kept in touch over the years and he got pictures of his grandchildren. I did not see my father for along time until when he was released 6 years later. I was working at Men’s Wearhouse in Mac Arthur Mall at the time; we would have lunch on random. My father stayed out of jail for 6 months, I remember saying to myself ‘I am proud of my father, he is adjusting real well unlike the times before’. Maybe I spoke to soon. I got a call at work from my grandmother (his mom) telling me that he got caught stealing at Nordstrom,

One of the most prestigious department stores in the world, he had to get caught there. He had met some clerk that worked there and they had been seeing each other for a few weeks and he mentioned her to me that she worked there, I told him to be careful because I noticed the clothes that he showed to me she had brought for him. Then low and behold he was back in prison because she told him to stop by and she would have the bag ready with clothes she supposedly purchased, however when my father gets there and picks up the bag walks out with the merchandise the Police escorts him to jail. The surveillance tape showed the young lady my father was dating putting the merchandise in the bag without scanning or purchasing the items. My father was a victim of theft. You would think that if someone was in and out of jail all there life that person would be able to use his intuition. How could my father be so naïve? Years went by just letters back and forth from my father, still have not seen him. I received a letter after Christmas past ’08. My father wanted me to visit and my ‘nana wanted to see him as well. So we drove to there and I am really excited and nervous the whole time because I do not know this man just that he is my father. I realize that we have some catching up to do. He explains to me that he is going to be released from prison on February 24^th; however he will need a place to stay because he is waiting on transitional housing (he will be placed in his own home after a period of time based upon his social worker finding one). Well it is a lot to swallow because I feel things have to be worked out with us before we can live together.

When his mom passed away on June 22, 2006, she left a will and deed to the house and my dad has 1/3 share of the house.  My father asks that I speak to his social worker and probation officer informing them of the deed and that he will have a place to stay to ensure his being released on February 24^th. Well everything worked out he was released and has been released off probation for good unless he does something else to go back to jail. The time we have shared has been minimal with me at school, and meeting deadline homework assignments. I have never wanted anything but the best for my father but to just get his life back on track and show his intelligence to everyone in the world. He has many talents he is not ignorant at all. Well the other day I guess was one of his bad days that he took out on me. Some words were passed and he said to me to not call him dad just call me George your mother is a whore and I do not know who your father is you do not give me any respect just call me George. Tell me how a daughter shows a father respect if the father has never been there to guide me, nurture me, keep me out of harms way, and protect me from men that prey on me for only my goods rather than my intelligence, and most of all show me love. So maybe I am at fault; however I did not ask to be born and sure as hell is not taking blame for his actions. He has some reservations with his life that he has to own up to not me. He is blaming himself for not being there because when his father died when he was 13 he was suppose to take care of the house (the next one in line). I still love him but it is the kind of love that has you love at a distance. That is why he is a father unknown.

Winds blow the trees when I walk down the street.

Birds sing to me.

Animals are one with me.

I am the harmony in a beat.

I am the honey in your tea.

How I love the way he loves me.

I am the Crème de la crème.

Music and every word are me.

You live and have grown in me.

My grandmother taught me; to love me.

His every word teaches me.

To be that teacher is to become of me.

One day, my children ‘I love you so much’ will be with me.

Despite everything you have done; forgiveness is in me.

Trusting someone is not me.

How I want to learn me.

Writing expresses me to express to others that are like me.

My mother divorced my father when I was 3 years old. She re-married when I was 6. She stayed married to him for about 3 years and divorced him. Later she then …

First of all writers are never finished writing. A good writer still has a lot of revising, and editing to do, that is what makes he or she a good writer. Writers should be suspicious of criticism and praise of others so that they will not get thrown off track. A writer should know how to detach themselves from criticism and praise. Writers have to stay focused to keep a clear, crisp viewpoint that they are trying to get the reader to understand. A writer should detach themselves to apply their own emotions to their own work. Writers should have confidence in their own writing, rather than worry about the feedback, criticism, and praise of others.

 What is Literature?

The 2 definitions of literature I received from the internet were as follows; 1. Written works with artistic value: written works e.g. (example) fiction, poetry, drama, and criticism that are recognized as having important or permanent artistic value.2. Printed information: printed matter such as brochures or flyers that give information.

 My interpretation of literature is unique and individual in its own way. Literature comes in many forms. Literature is poetry, music, art, reading, interpreting, and culture, spiritual, historical, and theoretically informative. Literature is written everywhere on churches, hospitals, buildings, homes, offices, companies, and even automobiles. Literature is about writing. Writing is expression. Without our ability to write, there would not be well-known poets like; Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and W. E. B. Dubois. Some of the best music comes from musicians like; Nat King Cole, Prince, Beethoven, and Bach. Just to name a few. There is a lot of information we receive form literature in our daily lives. The news is a form of literature. How would we be able to communicate? If we did not have literature to teach us how to talk, spell, and write.

  Literature has a lot to offer. I would not be in school without literature in my life. It sounds strange but honestly, my mom would beat it in my head to read a book and let her know what the book was about and also write this word so many times and give a definition. I was like My GOD! All this before I can go outside, but it worked for me then and it has got me this far. I have a passion for writing. I write all the time to release, not to just make a point just release.  To enjoy literature and be able to understand literature you have to have an open-mind. 

“Freedom Fighter”                                                         

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The title “Freedom Fighter” means to fight for independence. That title goes along way. I chose that title because I ‘am fighting for my independence as an American. I feel we as people have no freedom to do anything. It feels as though we are being held captive, being followed, watched, having little to no privacy what so ever. For instance, if we need a job our credit is being checked, why? Are we thieves if we have bad credit? What if we were the misfortunate ones who had to take care of a terminally ill loved one and in order to take care of them we therefore had to borrow money (loan) and our credit was destroyed that way. Or, what if your spouse or family member lost a job and the job you have is not enough money coming in to take care of the bills? Those people don’t care. When I say those people I mean people that have say over whether or not we get a job based on our credit. That’s just one example of having no freedom. Another example is a convicted felon cannot receive a job, and has no good reputation. How is he or she able to make it? Had the reason they went to jail not been petty in the first place, they would not have a record. Now do not get me wrong but, all criminals in jail don’t belong there. I feel and this a fact that the prisons today are over populated. The Government does not care about us. Think about it? Why are we still in the Middle East fighting ?If it was and I say if it was for oil then we would be with our families and enjoying life like we should be, but instead we are dying, we are getting sick, catching unknown diseases, and no cures found. I don’t mean to get off topic but I believe in “GOD and he is not going to allow a disease to come about and not have a cure to take that illness away. I feel the Government does not care about us. They make laws that only work for them not us, Rich people always have money not poor people, Homeless people are still homeless, but we send money, food and whatever else to help the people that need it never received it, so, where is it going?  The Government keeps everything for themselves. I’ am not a racist! However, it makes me question the fact that people that come from overseas can receive so much money to start a business, car, loan, and whatever else they need, but we are in need here and now but we can not get any help. We have to get on welfare and even then it’s hard to get that. Sometimes I don’t feel like an American, I feel like an invader in my own country and I know I speak for a lot of people. When is it going to stop! I’ am “Freedom Fighter” and as long as I keep writing I will get the justice we as people need to prevail.

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