Poetry Collection

Bonjour!

After much encouragment from my didi(big sister) and much reluctance from me, I decided to share some of my poetry for #ThursdayThoughts

****NEWS

After six years of revolution and demanding for freedom, people in #Aleppo are being forced to leave their beloved city. 

My heart bleeds for their struggle & quality of life. Just because it isn't happening Here. Doesn't mean it ISN'T happening.

Bana Alabed is a 7 year old girl tweeting from #Aleppo

Dear world, there's intense bombing right now. Why are you silent? Why? Why? Why? Fear is killing me & my kids. - Fatemah #Aleppo

— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) December 14, 2016

Death I Shall becometh

Let the dead raise again,

And Death I shall becometh, lay your smoky ring upon my finger.

You are the entity of inevitable choice,

And from Chaos we were all born. It's what binds us, keeps us and forgets us...

There is but only one face I would condemn all of my humanity.

So I say this now. Yes, Hear Me!

Bring me the Doors of thyself,

So I may retrieve what was taken.

Lay claim to my soul and punish my sin,



But deny me none, for Death I shall becometh.

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The family portrait of Ma 

A family portrait stands, stuck to the left. 

Frozen and perfect are the united, 

In the wake of devastating bald evil and a bandana. 

She crouches, centered in the timeless beauty of an unaffected soul, 

Practiced smiles and joyful cheekbones reign over the blooming garden. 

While one stands alone, unimpressed, with eyes in curved shadows, 

He smiles for no one, for no one has him smiling. 

How to not cancer? How to, you say? 

He wishes to all seven heavens for an answer he knows not to come. 

An angel of frail and fractured bones looks up at her, 

Staring absently, lost in her mortal coil. 

A single obsidian strand of hair, 

Hangs twisted and woven, in silent prayer of Buddhist tranquility. 

How to not cancer? How to, you say? 

Hope…..you hope. 

Read more about this poem here: 

#ROAR4TCA with @TeenCancerUSA

The origin of first novel

A scene, for years, my mind protested.

Too frantic a life it shamed denial.

I would like to say a fire of will was ushered,

Truly it was the void, of no distraction left.

In curiosity, the scene became wanted

Yearning to witness the words, I exclaimed at the keyboard.

Passionate and demented strokes, driving their narrative in flow.

In hilarity, the scene became a chapter and that chapter became illuminated after twenty instalments.

A story was born, an origin story unlike any other but like some.

Characters became emotion, emotion became flaws and flaws became doorways to humanity.

“A cure exists! A cure exists!” I bellow to the skies,

Hurting ten ways to Sunday in no sleep patterns of pungent coffee and teeth-staining Death sticks.

I curl the fetus and clutch the airplane, headaches bruising my corneas.

The story was realized, without outright complaint, at twenty-six instalments.

A graph was thought into creation, a graph to illustrate both character tags and word counts.

It was not the summit that congealed the suffering to enjoyment and wonder,

But the under-looked journey, in all its extreme sweat droplets.

Written and Smitten,

A writer I am.



Words are immortal.

His no wife policy

Adopt a baby, toddler or teenager but tolerate no wife. 

A proposal of not, a bended knee on platitudes of love but one of mutual co-habitation. 

He gives out his heart, sliding down a sleeve, it ruptures and bleeds

These stitches, trembling hands unable to stop. 

Father always says, he did his job with them. He clothed and double shoe’d himself. 

Yet here they were, the father and the opposite of his daughter. Arguing,

In time, that adoption is another exciting leap for their family to encourage. 

He tries not to contemplate anything but the stork bringing him any such natural offspring.

Belief in miracles are slapped out of them as a time honored tradition among the realistic.

What does he want to do? Astronaut-not

What does he want to do? Neurosurgeon-not

What does he want to do? James Cameron-not

With quotes of the mundane thrust upon him. 

God’s hand is felt in wood with one final kick left in it. 

No one would make him do it but he did, in good faith of Church modesty. 

Chastity! She cries to the upside down ocean of Caribbean magnitude. White puffs are rare but they serve their purpose. 

No choice was left now when a hostile uterus doesn’t mean what it used to.

She clutches his hands and sobs right over it. 

He promises to make this a night she will never forget.

InstaGram Poems

I'm 1% sane

& the rest as Crazy as Crazy comes

Color me an inverse reverb rainbow 

Betwixed this bubble, bubble foil & stubble

Lay this, slay that

Humble bumble it's all but a mumble 

Be quickest my deafening Heart -E

Your beauty doth my heart ensnared
My life disarray, my soul alight
I love you now more so with each breath unto me.
I have to dare
I have to be
Your one true love from all loves to soul laid bare.
Take me or have me, I was yours always, now and forever. - €

Far fetched the winds of trade blow
Winged angel up above
How sweet it is you've come to show

Without you here all color faded
I was abreast
My heart all manner of desinflated

Now you're back, the world grows
The song melodies
Those dang'd birds churp
Mist covered droplets descend
Frost flaked butterflies ascend --- €








Dark destiny show me your purpose
Live now, live forever
Live for never
Whistle, it's not o'er the sundry summery bliss
Bounce! Bounce that ounce you malice of this Monday blue
Thunder through, least you die
Harder still is the After
Softer still is the Heart --- €

Whisper to my soul
Hush Hush skittle brittle
Little by little
Whenever darkness approaches
When shadows engulf the world
You battle, you fight, you endure
My warrior, eternal
And of light-stitched particles
This heart, this ventricular organ beats.
It beats, beats only for you -- €

 

Darkness colors my soul
in a way the light never could.
It binds, to coils, it fractures
Rage is all I feel,
Against those who harm
Harm those who cannot
Defend,
Protect
OR hide.
I want to defend, I want to protect
I want to hide
I must destroy.
-- €

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

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~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Steve Jobs - 5 Lessons You Taught Me

Aloha!

Half way through the week & it's #WednesdayWisdom

On this day I get to feature one of the most influential and unbelievably innovative men this world has ever known.

Steven Paul "Steve" Jobs (/ˈdʒɒbz/; February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American information technology entrepreneur and inventor. Jobs is widely recognized as a pioneer of the microcomputer revolution.

There was such undeniable power in his work ethic, belief, passion & posture that it's almost unbearable to imagine a world without him. Steve not only innovated but inspired change throughout the world. He opened it's eyes to true competition by only trying to be better than he was yesterday.
The lessons I share today, I believe, can be applied to each and every person on this planet. It's only a small testimony to his EPIC legacy.

5. Faith & Belief

"Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith."

Don't I know it, these past few weeks have been one helluva roller coaster & a half. But when you have a vision, a belief system & EPIC friends who support you wholeheartedly...You never lose Faith.

"I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance."

4. Work Ethic

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do."

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.

We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life. Life is brief, and then you die, you know? And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it.

3. #ShineThroughtheNoise with Steve Jobs & Akasha

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."

Have you ordered your copy of #ShineThroughtheNoise by Akasha Garnier yet?

Check out this awesome review of the book Here.

Akasha provides a brilliant action plan on how you can Shine Through the Noise.

2. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

Also remember that you could fail, even, at something your heart is not into. So fail at something worth failing At. Because every failure is just a stepping stone towards greatness. Success is happiness, Happiness is following your heart. Your Heart is your Family. 

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life."

1. Here’s to the Crazy Ones

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… The ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

I need not say more :-)

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

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~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Travel Tag: Camero Photography

Inspire. Create. Write.TM

Buenas Dias!

One of my favorite days of the week has arrived, iiiiiiitS #TravelTuesday
Travel is a Billion Dollar industry almost teasing at Trillion Dollar status, Why?
Because EVERYONE loves to travel!

Today I have the honor of intro'ing you to my photography sensei and good friend, Anesen Naidoo. We first met at a wedding I was doing camera work for. I was immediately impressed with his talent and enthusiasm. Anesen's passion shines through in his photos and I'm humbled to have had the privilege to work with him. He's also an avid traveler so I thought the Travel Tag would be the perfect way to display his awesomeness. 

Meet Anesen Naidoo

The worlds most passionate Wedding, Portrait and Events Photographer living the dream of being able to do what he loves best and that is being able to capture amazing people, places and events like never seen before. Self confessed obsessive petrol head who believes cars have feelings too and should be photographed in a sort of emotional way.

Above all, Husband (Personal Photographer actually) to an amazing wife and father to the greatest adorable Angel the world will soon come to love.

1. Tell us about a recent holiday 

• Most recent Holiday was to Mauritius. It was the first “Overseas” trip after my daughter was born and decided it would be the best place to be together as a family to relax and enjoy some quality time with each other. Unfortunately, my daughter had other plans and had quality time (absolute FUN) with the pools, food and other people while the wife and I watched from the sidelines like deserted orphans.

2. Best destination to travel to

• Thus far, for me it is Mexico City. Yup. That’s right, Mexico city. You could really lose yourself (literally and figuratively). It has the trifecta of travel awesomeness: Food, People and Sights. Then there is this magical something. It is the way the city overcomes your senses speaks to your heart that makes you fall in-love with what it stands for. 
• P.Sxxx  Now that I really think of it, it might have reminded me about Joburg, South Africa – not the scared sh*tless after dark part, but everything the city stands for in the most honest loving way. 

3. Worst Travel experience?

• It would have to be when the wife and I were in Paris, France. After having the most exciting 16 hours at Euro Disney we were dropped off by our tour bus in the middle of nowhere at around 10pm at night, left to find our way back to our hotel. 
• We were SO tired, after the day, to the point that if I shot myself in the knee my nerves would have been too tired to send a pain signal to my brain. The only way we knew how to get to our hotel was by train, but then at that time they closed the stations. We spoke as much French as we did Tamil/Hindi (absolutely ZERO) and we could not find an available taxi anywhere. We walked in the direction of the Eiffel Tower using it as our bearing until they did an idiotic thing of switching its lights off at around midnight (Aaaarrrgh!!!). We ended up walking 13kms to our hotel through God knows what streets and realized that when we spoke to people it was something resembling Lassie barking at her owner about a lost South African couple…. But her owner was brain dead. OMG. I need a drink now. 

4. How has traveling changed your life? 

• It’s cemented my belief that there are so many amazing places, people and things in this beautiful world of ours. The one thing that it has changed my life about was that I love my home country, its people and especially my family now more than ever.

5. Where are you from?

• Originally from a small town (used to be 6000 people) in Kwazulu Natal called Stanger. 

6. Where have you been around the world?

• Not too many: 

Athens, Mykonos, Santorini (Greece); Paris (France); Rome, Venice, Florence (Italy); Atlanta Georgia, New York, Chicago (U.S); Mauritius; Swaziland; Mozambique; Zimbabwe and Nigeria.

• Give or take a place or two missing. 

7. What is your favorite City?

• Joburg! 

8. What are your dream destinations?

I dream of going to watch the greatest motoring event at Le Mans in France. I then want to visit the towns in which the factories of my favorite car manufacturers are. I am one of the biggest petrol heads, ever.

9. Best item have you purchased overseas?

• A camera, of course!!

10. What time of the year do you like to travel?

• In September. It’s quieter and the weather is always great. 

11. How many times a year do you travel?

• Once a year overseas and many times to places in country 

12. Show us your favorite travel picture? 

• There are many but to me this one would be the best: 

13. What are some new and exciting cuisines that you tried on your travels?

• I am SO not a foodie. When I travel, give me PIZZA!! Although, if I had to think about it, it would be Gyros in Greece and Nutella & Banana Crepes in France.

14. Have you ever lost something while traveling?

• HA!!! What a joke this question is. Losing something on a trip is a ritual with me. I lost a camera lens on my last trip. 

15. What are your favorite travel activities?

• I found that I just HAVE to swim in every beach or pool I come across. 

16. What are your must-have travel accessories?

• I could live without anything except my Camera Gear. 

17. What is your favorite accent in the world?

• German.

18. If you could live anywhere where would you live?

• Right where I am now. South Africa. 

19. Why do you enjoy traveling?

• It’s spending time with types of people and places you see in movies and magazines and finding out whether what you perceive in your mind about the place is actually true. 

20. Do you have a travel buddy?

• Yes. My wife. 

21. What are some of the interesting places you've visited and the different cultures?

• Culture and place is Mexico. What an interesting type of culture they have. The beaches are amazing. 
• Chicago, vibey and Artistic city that I loved for the short time I spent there. 
• Zimbabwe, the people are beyond friendly, hardworking and fun. 

22. Have you ever had any bad travel experiences?

• No, its all been good, great even or an adventure. 

23. Advice for those who want to travel but think they can’t?

• The only reason why you can’t or won’t travel is because you would be too afraid to do so. As a South African, there is NO place you cannot visit or experience that is too tough for you to handle. 

Quick Fire 

Road Trip around your country or Plane ride to an exotic location

Hotel or Hostel 

Summer or Winter 

Window or Aisle seat 

Book or Movie on the Plane 

Time to share some of my favorites photographs by Anesen:

Baby Portraits

Adorableness Overload: Kitara

Wedding Photography

Family Photography

Landscape Photography

If you'd like to hire Camero Photography, you can Email Anesen at Anesen.Naidoo@Gmail.com

For a quote. 

Keep up with his digital uploads here:

Instagram

Twitter

Google +

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

Follow on Twitter | Like on Facebook | Join my Instagram community | Watch me on Pinterest | Subscribe to blog post Updates |

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Ellen Degeneres - 5 Lessons You Taught Me

Aloha!

Half way through the week & it's #WednesdayWisdom

This post has been a long long time coming, in fact when I started blogging in April 2016, I promised that I would do a post on Ellen Degeneres. Now 50,000 page-views in a month later, on the way to 100,000. It feels like the right time to do this.

Her show has been an unbelievably massive beacon of hope in my life, shining light into the darkest corners of my psyche and bringing out such laughter, I’ve never known. I truly believe that Laughter & Fun are absolutely necessary for the formula to happiness, Ellen excels in not only living both of those values but in bringing it out in other people from all over the world.

"Just keep swimming": An emotional Ellen DeGeneres held back tears as she stood next to President Obama and received the highest civilian honor given by The White House, the Medal of Freedom

Watching her show has brought untold joy into my life, not only for the exciting guests she has had but also for the reprieve she facilitates. Wherein, all my worries, all my problems seem to dissolve in her presence. Am I alone in this feeling?
So on this day of days, I share with you 5 Lessons Ellen has taught me.

5. "If someone says you’re weird, say “Thank You”"

True Story whenever people have told me this, I’ve replied, "thanks for the compliment." 

I enjoy being different, I revel in it and so should you. Why would you want to be anything but unique and awesome?

4. “Find out who you are and be that person. That’s what your soul was put on this Earth to be. Find that truth, live that truth and everything else will come.”

The two most important days in your life are the day you’re born and they day you find out why you were born. Find what sets your soul ablaze with passion, what motivates you to go above and beyond to achieve your dream life. If you ask Ellen’s family they would’ve said her brother Vance was the funny one. You’re meant for more than the 1’s and 0’s in your bank account. 

3. "I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated & helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values. That’s what I stand for."

What are your values? What do you stand for? 

To me these are the best values to have, period.

I stand for a life uninhibited, a life of freedom, a life that I choose and no one else. 

2. "Just Keep Swimming."

Such a simple phrase yet so profoundly effective in its motivation. Ellen has worked as a waitress, painter & even a bartender. My point is, like every single successful person she started out as a normal working class citizen. With dreams so BIG that, no one could’ve denied her even if they wanted to… try as they might. Life is all about choices and your choice to stick with it, to push through, to struggle, will be the very penultimate contributing factor to your Success. Whenever you feel down or lacking, sing that song in your head. Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming.

1. "Be Kind to One Another."

As evident by being number One on this list, this is my favorite lesson and favorite quote by her. It’s also the phrase I use to end every single one of my blog posts. This ties in to lesson number 3 and could be the condensed version of it, in fact. Another simple phrase but when repeated and practiced, has become a powerful force of good in this world.

Now for the FUN :-)
What would any Ellen Post be without DANCE!
On Monday I posted an inspirational story of a Mother's wisdom through her 3 year old daughter.
All about seizing the moment and Dancing like no one is watching. No one rocks out this more than Ellen
READ: Mommy Life Lesson with Shakira 

Who could forget this Iconic moment with Barack Obama, then Future First Black President of America. As with recent events where he literally Dropped the Mic. Barack has an awesome personality and the very kind of person I would love to have as a president.

Barack Obama Dancing On Ellen Show - 2007

For more inspirational & motivation, I recommend you Watch & Save this Video

Bruno Mars' Inspiring Speech

Other awesome dancing videos include:

• Three-Year-Old Beyoncé Dancer Is Heaven!
• Ellen Degeneres dancing / Season 7

Or Watch this video, which is probably Ellen's Most Watched Video 

• Nicki Minaj Sings 'Super Bass' with Sophia Grace

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

Follow on Twitter | Like on Facebook | Join my Instagram community | Watch me on Pinterest | Subscribe to blog post Updates |

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Raimundo Arruda Sobrinho - Homeless Man's Dreams Come True

Buenas Dias!

Yesterday I came across this tweet & felt immediately compelled to read the post attached. 

This will inspire you to never give up on your dream to publish your work: https://t.co/70rx9xbyKb #amwriting... by @lorettamilan

— William Scott (@TheCuredRebirth) September 5, 2016

What a touching & inspirational story! I couldn't wait to share it with y'all.
This is a MUST Read for those working towards their dreams.

Meet Raimundo Arruda Sobrinho

This #TravelTuesday I want to you journey with me to São Paulo, Brazil.

Born 1 August 1938, Raimundo worked as a gardener & bookseller. However, in the late 1970s, early 1980s, nearly at the end of the military dictatorship of Brazil, he became homeless.



Raimundo Arruda Sobrinho lived in anonymity for 35 long years, just one more faceless member of the thousands of people that make up Brazil's homeless population. Every day, he gathered whatever paper he could and honed his skills as a poet and philosopher. He sat in the same spot every day, his "island" as he called it, and every day people walked by without giving him a second thought. To the world, he was just one more dirty old homeless man occupying the streets.

It only takes One. One person. One encounter. One conversation.

Raimundo's wildest dreams was that maybe his words would be remembered one day, maybe they might be published, but he knew deep down that they would probably never be read by anyone at all. Then, one day, in the spring of 2011, something happened that changed his life forever.

A young woman named Shalla Monteiro took notice of him and befriended the old man. She would stop by every day to chit chat with him, and one day Raimundo gave her one of his poems. She decided to make him a Facebook page so his poems and stories could be shared with others. What happened next is a miracle. Watch the video below to learn more.

The Conditioned or #Incondicional  tells the amazing story & friendship of Shalla & Raimundo. It's now available on Amazon for purchase (Portuguese Edition)
You can also read the First Chapter Here, English Translated.

The power of connection. It could be as simple as pausing to chat with that person on the other side of the room. Or sending an encouraging text to a family member. Or introducing a friend to a fellow colleague.

We never know the ripple effect as we create points of association between ourselves and others. The world isn’t as separate as we imagine it to be.

So why not take the time to hear each other’s stories? And even champion each other’s dreams? Who knows–the doors we unlock for others may just swing wide open to usher us into our own destinies.

"They say that when the disciple is ready, he is the master."


Thanks Oprah Winfrey for posting our story at The Huffington Post!!

Man Homeless For 35 Years Reunites With His Family, Thanks To A Stranger’s Kindness

No longer homeless, Raimundo was able to take his poetry to the next level, with Monteiro’s help: His book of poetry, #Inconditional, was published in December of 2015. 

One of Sobrinho’s own pieces of poetry beautifully sums up the power of his story.

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

Follow on Twitter | Like on Facebook | Join my Instagram community | Watch me on Pinterest | Subscribe to blog post Updates |

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres