Why is this so important...

Schiavo Dies 13 Days After Tube Removed
48 minutes ago

U.S. National - AP
By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - Terri Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged woman who spent 15 years connected to a feeding tube in an epic legal and medical battle that went all the way to the White House and Congress, died Thursday, 13 days after the tube was removed. She was 41.

I don't know. I believe her parents should have had the chance in these last 15 years to have her thearpy applied. I don't like Michael S and I don't believe his intentions with Terry were honest and upfront. I also know that those children shot and killed on the indian reservatin deserve this type of press and mourning, I know that if this had happened in a all white school, Terry Schiavo would ahve been moved to page two. I know that human life is valuable, but somehow I don't believe the main stream media cares too much. It took Bush a week to address the reservations loss, and countless news medias have not addressed it at all.

My heart goes out to those victims, grandfather, Daryl "Dash" Lussier, 58, a veteran tribal police officer, and his grandfather's girlfriend, Michelle Sigana, 32, at their home on the reservation.
Weise then went to the school, where he shot and killed teacher Neva Winnecoup-Rogers, 62, and Derrick Brun, 28, a security guard. The first five students killed were identified as: Dwayne Lewis, 15; Chase Lussier, 15; Alicia Spike, 15; Thurlene Stillday, 15; and Chanelle Rosebear, 15.
Five victims remain hospitalized with two in critical condition. (I'm not told which two died.) Steven Cobenais, 15, took a gunshot wound to the side of his head. Jeffrey May, 15, was shot in the face and has suffered paralysis on his left side. Other hospitalized victims were identified as: Ryan Augunash, 15; Lance Crowe, 15; and Cody Thunder, 15. My heart greeves for the gunman Jeff Weise, age 16, I pray you found what you were hurting after. Terry Schiavo, I hope you can get some rest now, and console your parents. RIP and my prayers to anyone who has lost someone.

Why I like Taylor Mai

He teaches me cool words like "epithalamium" You just gotta love that!!!.

The time line of my life and beyond..

Since I've got so much time on my hands lately, I've made my self write more often, Thus the purpose of this blog, I'm trying to write more poetry but I must wait for that to come so in the mean time this and journal entries to my daughter are gonna have to quench my thirst. I'm also trying to read more often but since I am still in cooperate America reading blatanly would be disrespectful so I look busier if I am reading from a computer screen so I am hunting up poems left and right, reading other blogs, and poet online journals. I work for the phone company and My training for my new position doesn't start until June 6th so busy work is what this is Turning out to be. Wake up my poet-self and get paid for it, a poets dream. Anyway one of my favorite poets - written and performing is Taylor Mai. If I could steal someone's career and drive it would be Taylor's. Maybe just the drive. Anyway I haven't kept up with his site so I was reading his archives since the last time I saw him, at the NPS nationals here in St. Louis, and he asked the question which now poses as my blog title so here is my answer.

I was born April 11, 1977, I would prefer to die October 30th 2073, on a drive down some tree lined highway. Maybe not as it may freak out my driver, anyway. I will be a hearty 96 1/2. My great grandmother bless her soul is alive currently - despite yearly declarations that she won't live to see (insert life event here i.e someone's graduation, wedding, birth of child ect) is still hanging around and living well at 89. So 96 doesn't seem like that big a leap, plane crashes withstanding. I will marry June 25th of 2005, to a man, Jerry Henderson III, who God willing will out live me. If he has his way we will have three children our daughter Camille who will be a spry 69 when I pass on and her twin brothers Jerry IV and Jarrod, probably around 67. (twins is the only way he'll get the three kids he's clamming for. I will receive the teaching degree I have so long lusted after in 2009, and teach honors English to high school seniors. I'll be the teacher sponsor for slam teams and some other language based activity and try my damnedest to help children find their voice. While working with the kiddies, I'll work on my masters in poetry and creative writing, work on being published, putting together my novel, and possibly a screenplay. I'll retire from teaching in 2044 to travel with Jerry full time and hit open mics with the intent to be the oldest person on mic, that night at least, and continue to write. My children will be very successful in what ever they decide to do, my daughter loves to sing and talk so at this point she'll either be the next Oprah or maybe Kathleen Battel. (did I spell that right) My sons will each cross the gambit, one will be the shortest NBA player to score 60 pts in a game, and he'll do it regularly, and get his masters in sports management in the offseason. His brother will either be the brain his father would love (engineers or something like that) or the brain that I would love (a writer) he will teach college instead of high school, be published before he's 16 and like to paint a little for stress relief. He will win the Pulitzer Prize in 2060 and dedicate it to his mother. My grandchildren will love to travel with me when school is out, or perhaps I will stay with them s my grandmother is staying with my child and pass my legacy on directly for as long as I can. What's the timeline of your life?

Terry Schiavo.. I have 36 minutes to speak

The entire country is up in arms about Terry Schiavo. I have my opinions and I'm sure I will get to them, as that is the point of a blog, but I must first say I'm so sorry this whole thing has come to this. I have been watching the Schiavo situation for years literally. I came across her family's web site when I had just finish having a heated discussion with my now fiance about my life should it be found in a Broccoli like state. So unlike most of America I have followed for a little longer than most.
My opinion is that Terry Schiavo is not in a veggie state, and should be given over to her parents. Why for two reasons, if she can breathe on her own the she should not be starved to death, and if there was no written living will then refusing nourishment is not a humane way to die.
Personally I don't believe Michael Schiavo has exhausted all physical therapy options for Terry, I don't care if there is money left for him to inherit, he got enough in the judgment that went directly to him, and spent her medical funds on legal fees to win the right to terminate her life. If there is a chance, a shred of hope that she can be rehabilitated I think she should be given the chance. Michael says she doesn't move or respond to him, in a room with a man who doesn't believe in me, wants to kill me I don't think I would be too animated with him either. I don't like Michael, I just don't. He has his life and he comes off as though Terri is a burden, and as a woman and mother I can identify with her and her parents on so many levels. If I were terry I would want my parents to work with me and wish Michael the best. I am not a republican and prefer not to be thought of as a democrat. I don't agree with Bush and Congress on their interference, because I don't want government interference in these types of situations to become the norm but if I had that power I probably would have tried too. (never thought I would agree with Duba) If those tapes on her families site just show one percent of her possibilities I think she deserves that chance. But that's just me.

Wedding moves forward... kinda

Alas, I have spent this day the way I long to spend the rest... making progress! gotta love that! I have found a lot of little details with the wedding, and have been able to move forward, and in wedding planning, shoot life in general, its all about moving forward.
SPIFFY!!!
I found the sandals I want to wear on the beach. Barefoot sandals. Jewelry for your feet. Silver and crystals all draped daintily across your ankles, a little expensive but once you get bit by this wedding bug, you'll buy anything! figured out how to get the flowers shipped to the resort and get the bouquet I want. Figured out that in the end I just want to marry him, so what ever doesn't happen as long as the I do's do, then everything went perfect. Got an apointment with the dress maker who was like "I can make your dress I don't care what size you wear," So she rocks, even if I don't have her make a dress, she made me feel better today and that's good enough. I got the details on the photographer at the resort- a little costly but that's okay.
I've decided however to just forgo the whole wedding dress fiasco and just get married, i may regret it late but I'm just not up for it anymore. So I will fins a cute outfit to marry the love of my life in and call it a day- Man NOW that's making progress!!!

The second beginning.....

Truth of the matter is I have no idea what the purpose of this blog is or will be. My pen has been dry for so long I am itching to write with no subject matter at hand at all, I am dying to be near writers, poets, anyone with ink in their blood stream or staining hands, but my sun has set on my time as a poet, anyway that's how it feels most days. I am so busy being a Mommy (daily diapers and pacifier hunts- but she is so worth it) and a fiance (planning a wedding out of the country - of which the groom simply says 'I'll let you talk to Raquita... when asked anything about it) and a daughter (buying her first home from her mommy realtor - self explanatory) and a sister (being supportive during her wedding planning and his life crisis) , and I'm sure I've forgotten at least three hats I try to wear instead of just trying to be me. But alas I am aware and this is my first step in trying to regain my footing, regain myself.
I guess I should start from the place I was most happy and introduce myself. I am Raquita, A poet / spokenword artist from St. Louis MO. I was commonly know as Queue. I performed regularly and wrote more than that. I love animals, dogs and ducks particularly, and art of all kinds. I can be rather opinionated and stubborn. I am a procrastinator of the worst kind, I lose things and forget more often than I care to admit, I have let down my friends more times that I care to remember. (My sincerest apologies to anyone I have not had the opportunity to address personally) I am not tall not short not note worthy except for my passion and heart, so most people miss me for what I am. I'm okay with that. Biggest flaw, I can't spell - figures.
I spend my days knee deep in my child Camille. She is every dream I ever had of motherhood. We talk and laugh and this, our first nine months together has been everything. I am knee deep in wedding plans, and a bit frustrated with the entire industry of wedding bliss. Why? Wedding dress shopping.
I am not small, and have never been. I am of ethnic descents African mostly, Native American cause I combed that great grandmothers hair, so I got what I needed; the hips and ass necessary to be a black woman. And that automatically makes me too big for standard society. I went dress shopping but unless you are a size 8 you can't buy a dress off rack in the wedding wonder world. Shoot if you are bigger than a twelve - you can almost forget about it. I almost forgot that I was primarily dress shopping because my mother and sister are so gung ho about this part of the wedding process, and started to get really upset about the lack of availability since your average american woman is a size twelve, (which is a size 16 in wedding gowns, who said wedding dresses are good for your ego?) My sister is a size 6, and ever the trooper, she came as my personal mannequin. But no matter what dress I liked they just didn't come in my size. I'm thick so poof is out, anyway it was snowman looking- no good. All I wanted was a simple A-line silk thingy with minimal stuff on it, that will go all flowy in the breeze since I'm wedding on a beach- is that too much to ask? Clearly the answer to that question is YES, or at least maybe - today anyway. I'll try asking again and come back to let you know how that goes....