INSPIRE Magazine #14

2 | INSPIRE Magazine

3 | visit www.thecoldbutterfly.com

CONTENTS

BIG REC

12

What is the difference between rap and real hip hop? If there was one person who embodies the answer to that question it would have to be Big Rec. The New Orleans native is a true ambassador of the culture, and a watermark when it comes to bridging the generational gap. To meet him is to dissect him, and with a closer inspection, you’ll find that his music is just as important as giving back.

AMANDA THOMPSON

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We tip our hats to Decatur planning director and Zoetic troupe leader, Amanda Thompson. By day, she humbly serves her community. Post work hours; she retires her corporate attire to instruct and empower. Dance is the only artistic expression by which we’re all connected. Zoetic’s choreography is so convincing, it will change your perception.


JAMAL GORDON

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Jamal Gordon shares his love for God via song. And if versatility is any indication of victory, then his success is soon to be history. This talented casting director, trainer, and musician’s sole request is that you listen. Please proceed to do so with our permission.

CHAMPION DREAMS

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From websites and photography, to videos and logo designs; Champion Dreams production is a one stop shop for all of your marketing needs. Managing all of that talent under one roof is a task in itself, but recent CAU graduate Travis Brown is up to the task. Why hire someone else to do it when some have the will to do it themselves? Power has always been in numbers and this collective sport a stamp unique to themselves.


INSPIRE MAGAZINE • VOLUME 14

executive editor BlackIce Bell

senior editor Dominique Cannon

associate editor Asif Lakhani

contributorsAsif Lakhani, Fanicia Howard, Essence Franklin, Elle Boogie

photographersBlackIce Bell, Jeremy Bennett, Jerrica Raglin

front coverphotographer - BlackIce Bellmodel - Emily QMUA - Monica Williamshairstylist/styling - Monica Williams

back coverphotographer - BlackIce Bellmodel - Olivia StirbMUA - Patrice Storyhairstylist - Nina Leewardobe stylist - Shante’ Wallican-Nesbit

For all inquries, contact BlackIce Bell [email protected]

A couple of years ago, I was working with a fellow editor friend of mine on a project. Somehow during the conver-sation I asked her how she heard about me in the first place. She explained she followed my work for a few years but never knew who I really was because she never saw a photo of me online. When I thought about it, she was right. If you look on Facebook, or any other social networks that features my work, you may barely see five photos of me out of dozens of photo albums of my work. That’s because my top priority was people seeing my work, not me.As we continued talking, she said she was going to start calling me, Blackice. I looked at her puzzled, because the first thing that came to mind was Goodie Mob’s hit single, “Black Ice” with Outkast. She explained that for years she had seen my work online but never me. She said I reminded her of black ice because it’s rarely seen, but it’s felt. You know it’s there. And if you’re from Atlanta, you know black ice is pretty common here in the win-ter. It became an inside joke. Some-thing we would always laugh about.So one day, I decided to Google myself. (Don’t judge me, I’m sure we all done it. Lol. ) The search results came up literally with over two hundred Christo-pher Bell’s, but none of them were me.

After a few years of consistently put-ting out work, you could imagine my heartbreak. So, I decided it was time for a name change. I had a couple of nicknames at that time but decided to roll with BlackIce.Over time, the name grew on me. It took awhile to get used to introducing myself as BlackIce. Even though I get out a little more these days, I’m still fairly low key. So, that’s the story be-hind the name BlackIce Bell. Now when I Google myself, I proudly see BlackIce Bell in the top ten results.Thanks for sticking with me through another year of success and growth. I met a lot of great people through the magazine. I’ve worked with some great models. 2012 was a good year and I expect 2013 to be even greater. Enjoy the issue and if God permits, see y’all in the new year!

Blackice BellBlackIce Bell

“Black ice is a deposit of ice which forms in a way which causes it to be transparent. Because the ice is totally clear, it is often invisible, which makes it very dangerous.”

-wisegeek.com

A Message from the Executive Editor

BlackIce Bellexecutive editor


Yet another year is coming to a close. And around this time between the shopping chaos, the holiday parties and the ridiculous amounts of alcohol consumption, I like to reflect. My reflecting most sparks during the never ending holiday movies and songs that I just can’t seem to quit watching over and over again. One of my favorites, the Broadway musical-turned-movie, Rent, immediately opens with a song that I think should have its own day of celebration, “Seasons of Love”. As the first chorus line gets belted out in perfect unison, “Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes…” I’m locked to the screen. By the time the last line of the stanza comes, “How do you measure, measure a year”, I’m in full fledged stage play audition mode. The next two minutes are filled with suggestions on how to measure one year, and there’s even a solution.

How would you measure your year? I know that many will make resolutions right in time for the clock to strike midnight. But what did this year measure up to you? As the days toward a new year quickly approach, I reflect on the steady progression of INSPIRE this year. This magazine has surpassed the measure of any doubts that may have been had, and expectations. To the staff: you all have accomplished much, and I know there is a whole lot to come.

Happy holidays to all. And if God’s willing, see you in the new year.

Love Always,

D. CannonD. Cannon

A Message from the Senior Editor

Dominique Cannonsenior editor


Photographer - BlackIce BellModel - Le Andrea PortisMUA - Patrice StoryHairstylist - Nina LeeWardrobe Stylist - Shante’ Wallican-Nesbit


*Do not spam. We only send out model castings, current issues of INSPIRE Magazine, and other prevalent information in regard to the publication.

Every month we send out model castings to directly our readers for a chance to model in future issues of INSPIRE Magazine. All the model castings will include information and instructions for submission. If you would like to receive our castings, purchase the official INSPIRE Magazine app for Android or just SUBSCRIBE* to the magazine at:

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Big Rec:

Feature: Big RecWriter: Corey JacksonPhotographer: BlackIce Bell

For as long as I’ve known Big Rec, I never knew the “Rec” was short for reconcile. After hearing his life story, the

mystery surrounding his name made the discovery that much more worth-while. Rec is the CEO and founder of RHHIB Enterprises (Real Hip Hop Is Back), a company dedicated to bridging the generational gap through hip hop culture, community service, and spiritual awareness. His love for his craft mimics the sudden love you reminded yourself of upon hearing of Hostess’s sudden demise. No lie, every Rec mix tape is an underground classic that shines. And for those who yearn for the return of a real rap group, look no further than the 5ive.

Atlanta’s Underground Quasar

C*: How did you get into hip hop in general? What are some rappers you looked up to as a child? How did you develop such a passion for the music? BR: I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. We didn’t have much of a hip hop scene that I understood at that

age, but I used to always listen to the radio. V-97 FM and Q-93 FM used to play mixes. Eric B. and Ra-kim’s song “Paid in Full” is when I fell in love with hip hop. It was one of those things where the beat came in (and the sample) and I was just digging the music. From that point it caught my ear and I just got into it full-fledged from that point. Prior to that, I was always into Michael Jackson, Prince, and even some contem-porary 80’s rock. That’s when hip hop hit me, ’88-’89. I didn’t actually want to start rapping until my college years. I started off beat boxing and then freestyling. I was in Oklahoma actually. There was a community outreach department at the university I went to and there were several other people who were really into hip hop, and we all decided to converge. The name of the group was Mass Reality. We all linked up and went out to the inner cities and at different times we fed the homeless and built with the kids. I’ve always been about service orientation from day one. After a while of being around the group they would always ask me, “Have you ever thought about writing stuff?” I was also into English class, and my mom had me involved in Scrabble as a kid, so I’ve always had a natural affinity for that. From there I started off in a group, and several years later broke off to do my own thing as a solo artist. I dropped an album back in ’04, and the rest is history.

C*: I first came across you when you were performing with the 5ive at 595. It was at Mic Bar’s first mix tape release party. I was like, “Who are these dudes man? These guys are killing it!” What led to the formation of the group?BR: The 5ive came together in February of ’09. All five of us individually had been doing our thing for quite some time. Jawz of Life, he’s a veteran. He’s part of the Dungeon Family Second Generation. Shred The Verbal Tongue, he’s from North Carolina. He’s also a part of Dungeon Family Second Generation. Snubb Zero is from Ohio. He started off on the battle scene and has

been doing a lot of shows out here. K.P. is known as the battle cat in the group. And then there’s myself. We were all pretty much doing our own things and we all met up and converged at the legendary Apache Café back in ’09. We always saw each other, and it

was a healthy respect that we grew to have for each other individually. Shred approached me after seeing me rock the stage and he was like, “Yo man, I’m

really feeling what you’re doing. I want to do a song with you. I got an idea.” After meeting at Apache he called me a few days later with the beat. He played it over the phone. The song was ironically about unity. It was called “Unify”. That is in essence what the 5ive is all about. The song that was supposed to be just a mix tape developed into a brotherhood.

C*: I wanted to speak on the RHHIB benefit concert that you had last week. How did that go?BR: In ’09 I had a show called Real Hip Hop Gives Back. It was at The Bench. The Atlanta Bench was another hub for a lot of the Underground Hip Hop community to gather at. I had a show that featured several artists, and they brought canned goods and we donated those canned goods to organizations to benefit the hungry. That was right around the time when my song “Real Hip Hop Is Back” was popping really heavy here in the underground circuit. I’ve always been one that’s service oriented and philanthropic in nature. My mindset was, “let me do something for Thanksgiving coming up, and if I can pull this off that would be

“Eric B. and Rakim’s song “Paid in Full” is when I fell in love with hip hop. It was one of those things where the beat came in (and the sample) and I was just digging the music.”

Atlanta’s Underground Quasar


dope.” We ended up having a packed house and it was a great success. We came away with several cans of food. I wanted to do something this year so I put together another RHHGB benefit concert. It was a wonderful.

C*: Tell us about the highly anticipated Doomsday project with the legendary Dia-mond D you have coming out? How long have you been working on that? BR: Man, that’s been about a year and a half to two years in the making. Diamond D ap-proached me about three years ago right after the 5ive got together. I had a solo show and he happened to be in the crowd. After I got off stage one of his people came up to me, and Diamond D told me he enjoyed my perfor-mance and wanted to work with me. Diamond initially started working with the group, but then we kind of hit a little lull where a lot of transitions were going on within the individu-als of the group. At that time he told me, “Like I said, I still want to work with you, so let’s go.” That’s when we started working on this project. It’s going to be really dope and people are going to gravitate towards it. That’s coming out first quarter of next year man. C*


Photographer - Jeremy BennettModel - Ryan LeighJackson, Mississippi


Photographer - BlackIce BellModel - Olivia StirbMUA - Patrice StoryHairstylist - Nina LeeWardrobe Stylist - Shante’ Wallican-Nesbit


Photographer - BlackIce BellModel - Paige JordanMUA - Patrice StoryHairstylist - Nina LeeWardrobe Stylist - Shante’ Wallican-Nesbit

ZOETICFeature: Amanda ThompsonWriter: Asif LakhaniPhotographer: BlackIce Bell


Unless you’re friends with your cowork-ers, their life outside of work isn’t all that important to you. Occasionally you may see one of them out at a bar or the

grocery store, but you may also work with someone who’s making a difference in the life of others. You just might not know it.

A city worker and artist, Amanda Thompson affects people in more ways than one. The Planning Director for the bustling city of Decatur, Ga., she sorts through zoning requests during the day and hears meetings on Monday evenings. As a result of a longtime passion, on select nights she teaches dance at Zoetic Dance En-semble, literally and figuratively lifting others up along the way.

The fact is, she can’t imagine not being able to dance for a living. A main stakeholder in Zoetic Dance Ensemble, Thompson says balancing the role of plan-ning director and troupe board member is “like two full-time jobs.” She loves both of them, though, which is the only way to explain how she handles herself so gracefully. Consistency in her weekly schedule helps, but it takes serious organization skills and attention to detail to make sure nothing overlaps. Oc-casionally, such as last November and this April, there’s performance planning and prep that needs to be worked in. The ensemble plans on adding more classes in January as well. Thompson is ready for the challenge, however. She’s been working with Zoetic since 2003, increasing her participation through the years. The decision to add more classes promotes the thinking that the troupe consists of artists, and “dance is our medium,” she says. Zoetic dances are a tasteful form of artistic expres-sion. Unlike what backup dancers for concerts do, the choreography stimulates the mind by mimicking real-life situations, such as children at play or bringing an artist’s exhibit to life. No movement is wasted on stage. Bending, twisting and twirling are all part of the act that speaks to life, as we know it. And it’s not just for fun, either. “Multiple members of the troupe, and once a member of the audience, have joined the nonprofit Zoetic to escape from drug abuse and abusive relation-ships,” Thompson says. Dance empowers the women, gives them a safe haven and serves as an avenue of

expression. “Audience members are impacted by the work in a very human way.” For women struggling with domestic or substance abuse issues, it represents a proactive movement toward positive change. “Our work is about being human,’ she says of Zoetic’s in-tent. Some may feel uncomfortable with the nature of the troupe’s work, but the aim is to place a spotlight on real issues instead of shy away from them. As a dance teacher, Thompson connects with a steady number of people on a weekly basis. The classes are de-signed for intermediate and advanced performers, but anyone is welcome to join. As a performer, she and her troupe members are always looking to get the audience involved. Only a handful of troupe leaders, including Thompson, perform on the company’s behalf. Attend-ing a show is a true treat. The audience has to be ready for anything. The goal is “creating an experience for other people,” Thompson says.

Thompson came to Atlanta by way of Jacksonville and claims she loves the ‘A’. She went to a performing arts magnet high school in Mableton, Ga., where her love for performance really became a thing. While there she was tapped for the Governor’s Honors Program in dance and made serious strides afterward. Thompson

notched acco-lades on stages and in studios as a choreographer,

performer and teacher, and graduated from Agnes Scott College with a degree in International Relations. She followed up her first degree by obtaining a Masters in Public Administration from Georgia State. Not long into the conversation you realize she is very smart. On matters of political issues, she knows what she’s talking about instead of just giving you an opinion. In her role as a planning director, she doesn’t try to make everyone happy. She’s firm in the chambers of City Hall, but when it comes to dancing, she’s much more flexible.

Thompson adores the social aspect of Zoetic and cherishes the camaraderie that comes from performing with her troupe. On directing, she says the real chal-lenge is having it in your head and getting it out of the performers’ bodies, but it’s that creation aspect that she loves. It’s what makes dancing an art. When the challenge is overcome she feels a sense of accomplish-ment. At the end of the day, however, she concedes to the idea that the performances have a life of their own,

“Our work is about being human.”


and her hand in it is facilitating that process. The requirement of creativity in the studio has helped her when it comes to matters of problem solving in city planning.

Thompson’s ultimate goal is to one day be part of a culture where artists can make a living by per-forming or creating. In her view, arts in society is undervalued and underrated, and she wants to be responsible for changing that. She’s got the pedi-gree to do it too, with her government and artistic experiences that she continues to build on daily. Ideally, she would facilitate collaboration between artistic and creative business processes to “make [both sides] whole.” One thing that bothers her is the notion that something can’t be done. “Don’t let what someone hasn’t done stop you,” she says. Point noted.


Photographer - BlackIce BellModel - Olivia StirbMUA - Patrice StoryHairstylist - Nina LeeWardrobe Stylist - Shante’ Wallican-Nesbit


Photographer: Jerrica RaglinModel: Giovanni KirklandMUA: Renelle Atkinson


Photographer: Jerrica RaglinModel: Erica WoodsMUA: Renelle Atkinson


THE QUALIFIED’S CALLINGFeature: Jamal GordonWriter: Fanicia HowardPhotographer: BlackIce Bell

I remember reading a quote once that said, “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.” When I think of Jamal Gordon, the up and coming gospel sensation, I believe that quote

was referring to him. The 26-year-old Florida native was called by God to sing at an early age. It is his beautiful voice as well as versatility to sing in other musical genres that will leave audiences in awe of this gifted man’s talents. When God called Jamal Gordon to touch lives and connect with people through music, He knew what good He was doing for the world.

F: I must know: Are you a natural, or did you have to perfect your craft with vocal lessons?J: I am a natural, but I also did train in classi-cal and was a part of a concert choir.

F: Who were or are the inspirations in your life?J: Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Whitney Houston, Kim Burrell, The Clark Sisters, The Winans, and Smokie Norful.

F: Did you always know that you would be a gospel singer? Did you ever consider breaking out in the secular market?J: I always knew I would be something along the lines of a gospel singer [laughs], and when I was younger I did want to be a secular singer because my father would listen to all the oldies. So, you know, I loved my Luther and Pattie LaBelle. Now, my mother was strict, and my father wasn’t really in the church at the time. She thought it wasn’t godly. Mama does not play! [laughs]

F: Oh my! [laughs] Well, do you have a target audi-ence your music attracts?J: I have a wide range because I can relate to a major-ity of people. I can sing contemporary gospel, but I can also sing such things as jazz.

F: How old are you?J: I’m 26, but people always think I’m younger than what I am.

F: Yeah, I thought you were closer to my age [laughs].J: [Laughs]

F: So what are all your talents or duties?J: I’m a manager, I’m a casting director, I write all my music, and I’m also a trainer and vocal instructor.

F: Wow! How do you find time to do all of this? J: You know, the Bible talks about in the New Testa-ment, when a man finds his talents, that he should use all of his abilities.

F: Amen. What’s a struggle in your musi-cal career, or life, that changed your life or evolved you into the man that you are today?J: Being rejected, and not (feeling) wanted or loved by family members,

friends and myself. Eventually, I had to realize who I was. I was stuck in a box; letting people play me. I had to mature my spirit and understand my purpose was for God, and to show that in my music.

F: Well, you can’t have a testimony without the test.J: Amen!

F: If today were your last day, what’s one word, quote, or phrase you would leave with the world to serve as inspiration to someone?J: “Trust the man up above who is Christ. Never count him out; never doubt what he can do with any predicament you’re in.”

“I had to mature my spirit and understand my purpose was for God and to show that in my music.”


Photographer - BlackIce BellModel - Tiffany Shadae MUA - Monica WilliamsAtlanta, Georgia


Photographer - Jeremy BennettModel - Maura MoedJackson, Mississippi


A CHAMPION’S DREAM

It takes time for great ideas to be set in motion. It takes diligence and hard work to build a name for yourself, and it takes patience and faith to trust that your dreams will transpire. If anyone epitomizes this philosophy it would be Travis Brown. The 23-year-old Atlanta native established his one-stop-shop company, Champion Dreams Productions a little less than two years ago and has been nothing

short of blessed on his journey of success. His company is made up of a team of passionate, young individuals who specialize in services such as photography, videography, web designs, as well as makeup artists, hair and wardrobe stylists to name a few. A recent graduate from Clark Atlanta University, it is his work ethic, his busi-ness mindset and his drive that will take him and his team to the top.

F: How did you come up with the concept of Champion Dreams Productions?T: During my senior year, I was going to Florida to celebrate Christmas with my family. I was riding in the pas-senger seat and was just thinking to myself, “What am I going to do with my life?” I was a business marketing

Feature: Travis Brown | Writer: Fanicia Howard | Photographer: BlackIce Bell


major at CAU [Clark Atlanta University] and teach-ers were saying, “Once you graduate, you’re suppose to have a diploma in one hand and a job offer in another.” I was like, “I don’t want to work in corporate America. That’s not me. I don’t want to have a 9-to-5 and work for somebody else. [laughs] I want to do something where it can be a one stop shop.” So basically that’s where I came up with Champion Dreams Productions, which is photography, videos, logo designs, websites. We have

makeup artists, djs (disc jockeys), hairstylists and ward-robe stylists.

F: So how did you pick the people on your team?T: First, it was my roommate because he’s an info tech major and he does website coding and logos. Then I picked one of my other friends because he was in the music scene and knows about different events and things of that nature, so I started with them. I was basically like, “I need to start somewhere.” Then I started brand-ing myself. I had done photography with a sports pro-gram at CAU and from there just started doing simple photography. At first I wasn’t going to do anything. I was just going to be like a…I guess you can say dictator. [laughs]

F: Castro! [laughs]T: Yes. Basically directing people on what to do and I was going to be the overseer of everything. Then I was like, “I need to learn these things,” because if you get someone to do photography or visuals you’re going to have to pay them, and that’s going to take more money out of your pocket. YouTube is actually a great resource for learning things because you really don’t have to go to school for anything. The diploma is just a paper stat-ing you’re certified to do something. I started teaching myself, and people eventually started noticing my work from me marketing on Facebook, Twitter, and Insta-gram.

F: Who showed you the ropes on how to be a successful businessman?T: My mother. I was the only child, so just by watching her do certain things. I’m an easy, hands-on and interac-

tive person. Growing up, my mother had multiple busi-ness ventures. She was a masseuse, did nails, real estate, sold and traded cars. She also had a cash loaning busi-ness named, Cash Advance. Now she owns American Wigs and Fashion in which she sells wigs. Watching her, that’s how I became a businessperson.

F: Then you must consider yourself a jack-of-all-trades.T: Yeah, you’re supposed to wear multiple hats instead of

one.

F: How did you balance running a company and being a full time student at Clark Atlanta your senior year?T: Senior year was pretty hard, but at the same time, nothing happened over night. It wasn’t a day or week process, it happened in months. Also, this is only my second year, so I’m still not where I want to be, but it’s starting to grow. So I’m going to keep putting in the hard work in order to become a successful entrepreneur and businessman.

F: When you started out how many people supported the movement? Who were the naysayers? Did you begin to notice more people flocking to you?T: See, me, I keep a tight circle, and I know the real from the fake. I don’t call people my best friends. They’re either my brothers or my affiliates. I can really see when people are fake and I’ll distance myself from them, but most of the time I have true friends around me and I keep my circle tight. I never really had people bash me. I’ve had people be like, “Oh, your work’s aight,” but I also have people that are photographers say, “Hey, your work looks really good. You’ve been doing this for only a year and a half?”

F: Do you have frustrating nights learning more about your craft and perfecting it?T: Yes! With learning new stuff when you don’t really want to call on other people to do something, but some-times you have to ask just to learn from them. Also, you have a lot of people who say they’re going to do some-thing and really don’t come through, and I really hate that. That’s why I need people in my circle, or people I’m

“I’m still not where I want to be, but it’s starting to grow. So I’m going to keep putting in the hard work in order to become a successful entrepreneur and businessman.”


doing business with, to be able to come through with their word whenever they say something.

F: True, true. Ok, so you’re still young. Do you and your team know how to separate business from pleasure especially when going out to events?T: Well, I’m a business-savvy person, so I try my best to have professionalism in any and every circumstance. If we’re [at] some function like a listening party or social event, I would tell my team, “Go have fun, but at the same time this is a business and network opportunity.” Now, if we’re at a wedding or something major as to where we can get our company out there, we will not be turning up or none of that. So it all just depends on the atmosphere we’re in.

F: What are future projects Champion Dreams Productions will be working on?T: I’m looking forward to work with Capitol Records signee Corey Simms, Anthony Q from DAY26, and R&B group Hamilton Park. We’re also working on a campaign for weddings, so we’ll get more publicity within the wedding scene. Of course we’re always building our brand so that we’ll get more clients and more opportunities to work with people around the states and world so that we’re not just based in Atlanta.

F: If today were your last day, what’s one word, quote, or phrase you would leave with the world to serve as inspiration to someone?T: “On God’s will.” Anything is possible through God’s will. God will allow you to achieve, but He will also take you through the hardships just so you can learn from them and have a testimony.

Photo: Travis Brown


Photographer - BlackIce BellModel - Paige JordanMUA - Patrice StoryHairstylist - Nina LeeWardrobe Stylist - Shante’ Wallican-Nesbit


poW

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F W

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God bless me while I venture out on this road,That I might find myself traveling alone.This journey of success at an all time cost,Lord prepare me whether win or loss

Forgive me in advance for the ones I’ll trespassGive me strength to move on from friendships that won’t lastMake my foes my footstool if they dare do me wrongLet your Word be my guidance when my faith isn’t strong

Hold my tongue from speaking thoughts out of angerHeighten my intuition from unforeseen dangersMake money my blessing, but not my desireI hope envy and avarice from this won’t transpire

Lord, redeem me from my doings that may lead to self-destructionAllow me to be obedient and follow your instructionPut in my heart a spirit of faith and not of fearGrant me joy in the morning after the long night of tears

I won’t sell my soul for a contract or twoLord, I don’t want any parts of success if it’s not of youI know I’m not perfect, but I’ll try with all my mightTo travel this road, and to travel it right

Let this journey be the best thing my heart has knownGod bless this child that will hold her own!

PRAYER FOR SAFE TRAVELSFanicia Howard


society calls me fat but I say that it’s fabuloushoney, I got hips for days and my breasts are always sitting up highlike my standardsexcuse me if I ate breakfast this morning as I played my Jill Scott inthe backgroundexcuse me if I decided to look into the mirror and admire the creation of God

there is nothing more sexy to me than a woman who is confidentyou think I give a fuck what people say about mewhy?why should I care?simply because the media tells me that I’m overweight or obese?now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for being healthy but I refuse to bea stick to be considered sexy

society calls me fat but I say that it’s fabuloushoney, I got hips for days and my breasts are always sitting up highlike my standardswhat makes you think I have low self-esteem?so what if my stomach doesn’t touch my back,so what if my rib cage doesn’t showI’ve got more cushion for the pushing,that’s what the old men tell mewhen I slip on a dress or a skirt, I’m liable to stop traffic with allthese curvesI’m not bragging or boasting,just expressing on how I feel about my body

I won’t dare think of myself lower than what God tells mehe said in his Word that he made me in his image and his likeness,therefore, I will believe just that

so to the spectators and people with lesser opinions of dirt on the ground,I’m not FAT, but FABULOUS

Essence FranklinF.A.T.


poW

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nobody ever told me unloving your own temple was religion toonobody tells us that bodies arebuilt in bone, but break in more ways than onethat your spirit is a bent spine, curving its way around your thoughtsThat sometimes, sometimes the bathroom scale is the only God you needmirrors, when peered into with slitted eyesare but shards of glasstaunting the blue veins of your wriststhe curve of your hipsyour lipsand all other things you wish you could break free from alreadyYou can hate yourself so wellits become an art form,the symmetric shape of bruises from pressing yourself togetherthey look a little like saints the way they wring and sting and make you feel alive, atleastyou’ve raped the shape out of your thighs for so longthe diamonds have turned to dusthow holy can you be, when filled with so many holes?you rise with the sun, wishing that last night was your last nightbecause here you are, taking up too much space in that empty bed of yours againI know what a body battle feels likethe cuts and scrapes to shape your shape,silhouette six sizes too bigyou want to fit in so badgot denim jean dreams, but are sick of double digit stitchescut and paste those pictures, girlyou too can be beautifulWhen that bodyIs only two fingers awayOr two miles, every two daysOr two months, no sugar…Just water every two hoursI’ve worshiped them allThe diet deities that don’t hear me prayingJust chant, don’t you want to be a size two, too?you are reminded of that childhood summerwhen everyone wore shorts but you

Elle Boogie, Atlanta Word Works LLC, affiliate of Primepoets.comTEMPLE


How do you love the roly poly mess you’ve made of yourself?How can you walk so light, yet weigh so heavy?The scale tips low, how do you hold your head high?How do you not make a massacre of all the muddy mounds of you?How?Tell me. The willows heard me weeping one nightCrumpled in a cornerTrying to crunch away my imperfectionsThey gathered me in their armsPassed me to Mother Nature who stripped me naked and sat me by the seaLook, she said, You look just like meAll my mountains and deserts and hills and riverRun in youMy darling, you are beautiful tooHow dare you loathe your cardinal curvesYou are a northern saint with southern charm, with hips from east to westYou are an earthen goddess, a terracotta templeMy sun sets on the tip of your teethAnd rises in those irisesDon’t curse the clay fortress I have given youMy hands carved grooves into the handles of your hipsSee the rise and set of my thighs on the horizon,how man praises all the rough and rugged parts of meeven the bumpy brilliance of my backsideI am the first woman to climax every morningLove begin and ends in the folds of my fleshFind yourself hereYou were built hereYou belong here, toothe next morning I woke up, nakedthere was sand in my hair,clay in my palms,the sun in my eyesand all seven of my stretch marks were smiling


Photographer - Jeremy BennettModel - Ryan LeighJackson, Mississippi


INSPIRE Magazine #14

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Transcript of INSPIRE Magazine #14