JQ

a product of the culture. i tell stories and turn them into poems. hip hop nerd. #iHoop. vagabond. my spirit is free. maybe we can do life together

[viewsfromjq]

less whining, more wining

[viewsfromjq]

who do we wanna be ?

[jheneaiko]

guess who's back?

[velvetmysoul]

[viewsfromjq]

[viewsfromjq]

What makes a picture so beautiful?

Is it the frame? Or is it the photo?

The frame is stunning. Drawing you in with her elegance, the frame catches your eye. The frame is gorgeous; certainly as if God broke the mold and created a work of perfect art. The frame reflects light. Illuminating all that’s dark in the world. The frame is strong; standing by herself without the support of anything, or anyone. The frame never changes; her consistency remains constant, holding the photo down when she wants to unravel on the inside. The frame is versatile; and no matter the size of the space, her presence automatically makes the room better. The frame is undefeated; but isn’t what makes the picture beautiful.

The photo is invigorating; taking you on a roller coaster of emotions that will leave you never wanting the ride to end. The photo is warm; she creates a comfort level that will make a man want to stay there forever. The photo is friendly; and when you can feel her smile you can’t help but effortlessly smile back. The photo is complex; not everyone can see her bigger picture but those who do are highly privileged. The photo is lovely; and you can feel her emotions rather than see them. The frame might be encasing the photo, but the photo possesses the substance, essence, and reality of the picture. Like the frame, her photo is undefeated.

You can’t have one without the other; and I wouldn’t have it any other way. When a photo of this level of soul is shelled by a frame of perfection, the picture could never be any better. And the picture has never been clearer.

[shareaquote]

when driving to a certain destination, we don’t stay the whole time on one road

on change, and why you shouldn’t stop moving forward // A.M.Z (via wnq-writers)

[viewsfromjq]

New Clarity Interlude

Calm. Calculated. Collected. Mild-mannered. Meticulous. Meek. These are all characteristics that described the kid from before he could even form words. He wasn’t much for expressing himself. He wasn’t much for acting on impulse. He was the kind of child who wanted to study the roller coaster before determining if it was safe to ride; and he always opted against it. Not because he didn’t like them, but because he could get hurt; and it just “wasn’t for him”.

As the kid grew up, he wasn’t much for girlfriends. But it was only because he hadn’t seen the big picture yet. Either that, or he was yet to be shown the big picture. The kid viewed girlfriends as someone who would bake you cookies before your big game. The kid saw girlfriends as someone you take pictures with during the holidays while wearing ugly sweaters. The kid viewed girlfriends simply as “something to do when there’s nothing to do”.

After seasons, the kid met a woman. She challenged his mind in ways it had never been challenged. She gave the kid a desire to look into his soul and learn about himself. She motivated him to put his body through unfamiliar rigors. She lit a spark that made the kid’s spirit want to search for truth. The woman was well positioned and the boy was at a crossroads. Everything he ever believed was veering off to the right. Everything he couldn’t take his attention from was on his left. Looking through the box, the kid knew he had to choose a direction. There wasn’t much time.

The kid made the right choice and went left without hesitation. The woman was everything he could have ever fantasized, plus a little more. The kid didn’t get to see the woman too often. But when he did, he wasn’t just visiting her; he was doing life with her. He loves doing life with her; a new life that he’s not prone to. A life where the kid speaks in first person with “we” instead of “I”. The kid loves being “we”. It wasn’t just her baking the kid cookies or posting pictures. It wasn’t just “something to do when there’s nothing to do”. It was “nothing else he’d rather be doing when there was anything he could be doing”. In a world where the kid had always been a lone wolf, he was now with the one person who made him feel a little less alone. And that “little less alone” was a lot of what the kid always wanted.

Calm. Calculated. Concentrative. Mild-mannered. Meticulous. Meek. These are all characteristics that described the kid from before he could even form words. He opted to never ride roller coasters. He didn’t want to get hurt, and he never considered them because “they weren’t for him”. She showed the kid the bigger picture. She showed the kid to enjoy the ride, because the ride is what’s important; not the fear of pain. She showed the kid that she was going to be riding with him the whole time.

He’s afraid, but she’s there next to him; he’s a little less alone. The kid holds her while she holds him, and they capture the priceless-thrilling moments with pictures on the ride down. Ironically enough, the kid never wants the ride to end. The kid doesn’t care about being upside down, jerked around, or stuck in place. The kid has new clarity.

[wnq-anonymous]

There are two types of ‘tired’, I suppose. One is a dire need of sleep, the other is the dire need of peace.

Anonymous (via wnq-anonymous)

[fyp-psychology]

It is well known that those who do not trust themselves never trust others.

Alfred Adler (via wordsnquotes)

[thequotejournals]

If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.

Nora Roberts (via wordsnquotes)

[wordsnquotes]

You are not free until you have no need to impress anybody.

Joyce Meyer (via wordsnquotes)

[viewsfromjq]

a special day for a special girl

Part 1 • "I'll make it a priority" From the very moment I saw her, I knew there was something uncommon. Unique. Something extraordinary. Beyond her obvious exterior beauty, she glowed so much more. Her confidence and energy continued to repeatedly catch my attention over and over again. In my city, women tend to obtain attention from the most shallow places. So I typically remain reserved in club settings. Sticking to my friends; never really leaving my zone. But the more I noticed her, the more curious I became. She stood out in a room full of attractive people; and I couldn't decipher why. She was radiating such an energy; but it didn't come from a place of seeking attention. It came from a pure place of her simply just being. As I approached her I grew more curious. I knew nothing about her other than she wasn't going to be in town for long. And I was attracted to how straightforward she was. All that I knew was I had to make it a priority to see her again. I knew she was special; but I didn't know to what degree.

Part ll • "It'll be an adventure" Brushing my teeth. Putting gas in my car. Going to the gym. Eating clean throughout the week. These are all critical parts of my routine that I prioritize. Hiking in high altitudes, with my asthma, is not one of them. However, because of how intrigued I was by her, and the limited time I had to explore her nature, hiking with her undeniably jumped to the top of that list. Without knowing where we were going, we decided to walk blindly in a random direction; and thus began the first of many adventures. To understand the significance of me going on adventures, it's important to know my background. In 2008, one hit wonder, Baby Boy, released his hit where the main lyrics were "Get my money, lay low and chill". And that has been my routine. Work. Come home. Relax. Do it the next day. Rinse and repeat etc. But I enjoyed my time with her so much, and caught such an exhilarating thrill from riding the wave of her energy, that embracing the adventures has become something I eagerly look forward to. And seeing her flash that smile makes it all worth it. We got lost in conversation and talked about everything under the sun, all while competitively challenging each other's ability to climb difficult portions of the terrain. When we reached the apex of the boulder, we took our first (of many) pictures. It was a moment in time I felt I needed to capture. I was in the midst of an adventure with someone so gorgeous who was literally taking me to heights I'd never been before. I knew she was special; but I didn't know to what degree. Then her phone rang.

Part lll • "Work is calling" She had to cut the adventure short to go to a work meeting... on a Sunday evening.. The national day of the week where everyone is content with not acknowledging work responsibilities. Some boys would have been irritated. Some boys would have been intimidated. Some boys would have been offended. But I thought it was the most attractive thing possible. And it added on to the admiration I had accumulated in such a short time. I love someone who takes their responsibilities seriously. I love someone who stays on their grind. I love ambition. I was so attracted to this, because it reminded me of myself. I had no problem with it, and I embraced it. I welcomed it to the point where I wanted to drive her to the engagement so I could spend more time with her, and tell her I'd love to see her again. It seemed as if we were the perfect fit; in every way. I knew she was special; I just didn't know to what degree.

Part IV • "I hope you're not a player" We spent time with each other the next two nights while she was in town and my crush developed into profound feelings. We had a great time and things almost appeared to be moving in slow motion; I wouldn't have had it any other way. A part of me was extremely sad to see her leave. Part of me was excited to get back to my mundane routine. But suddenly my routine developed into one where text conversations and FaceTime calls became regular; and I liked it. It was brand new territory to me but I knew I didn't want it to cease. -Pretty strange for a guy who found happiness in repeating the same steps on a day to day basis. One day she told me she hopes I'm not a player. That made me happy. Not because I felt like my game was so incredible that I was too good to be true in her eyes..but because I had the same insecurities and that made me feel as if her feelings were mutual. I rested in the comfort of knowing that I was her man, and she was my girl. I was blessed enough to see her 5 more times throughout that summer. And every time I was reminded why I fell for her so fast during that first weekend. -the fun we had dancing. seeing how beautiful she was when she was having fun and simply just...being. -the adventures we had zip lining, sling shotting, bungee swinging, paddle boarding through vicious waves, walking through random trails, and exploring downtown metropolises. -fun competitions from outdoor games, arcade games, and simple bets. -finding opportunities to have fun with each other while being productive at work -having conversation that never grows dull and being able to simply enjoy the presence of one another. Best summer to date. This story doesn't end here. It's still being written. There's a lot more that is going to happen. I know she's special; I just don't know to what degree yet. To be continued...

[viewsfromjq]

views

[thelovejournals]

I wanted to tell her that being loved is a talent too, that it takes as much guts and as much work as loving; that some people, for whatever reason, never learn the knack.

Tana French, The Likeness (via thelovejournals)

[viewsfromjq]

wale said "spoil me with your consistency. always remain the same you and you won't have to worry about a different me"

Wale

[theliteraryjournals]

If I know what love is, it is because of you.

Hermann Hesse, Steppenwolf (via wordsnquotes)