November carries a softness in its air. A reminder to pause, to gather, to give thanks for the hearts that make our journeys whole. As I sit with this month’s issue, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude for every single one of you who make Pulse Poetry Magazine what it is. Which is not just a publication, but a heartbeat that refuses to fade. When I first began this journey, it was just a dream and a whisper of hope that poetry could be more than words on a page. That it could be a home. And now, over a year later, that dream has grown into a family. We’ve lost some voices, gained new ones, and through it all, the rhythm has never stopped. It beats in every poem shared, every emotion felt, every reader who comes back month after month to listen with their soul.
To the poets: Thank you for trusting your truth with us.
To the readers: Thank you for returning, for holding space for these words, for letting poetry move through you. This space exists because of you. Together, we ’ ve created something that speaks, heals, and breathes.
From the deepest part of my heart, thank you for keeping this pulse alive and for turning every word into connection, and every connection into love.
With endless gratitude and warmth,
Ashanti Taylor-Alexander Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Pulse Poetry Magazine
Mommy (An Ode To Ur Life)
by Lisa "Lipps" Davis
We had our differences, But these last years have shown me that we were far more alike in spirit than I realized.
Most saw u as an unassuming wife. But few understood that Dad was more a reflection of ur grace. See, u had no need to be seen...
So he could run out in front all he wanted... Til u were ready to bring it in....
I remember once Dad wanted a Geo Trakker.... He talked about it daily.
So on that Saturday morning when he finally decided to go try one, he asked me to go with him...
(See he thought it would look better if he could say that it was for me...)
But as we were walking out, Ur voice from the kitchen said, "Don't u bring neither one of them things in this yard..." He mumbled and fussed all the way to the dealership...
"I don't know who she thinks she's talking to... I make this money... I can spend it however I want!"
So we found one he loved and we took a test drive...
We rode all over town... Kept the truck for nearly 2 hours....
But when we got back to the dealership... He declined the sale, although he could well afford it.
The ride home was quiet...
And when we walked in no words passed...
U just stared at him as he averted his gaze...
And I saw a little smile form on ur face..
It was that day that I began to understand how ur dynamic really worked... Dad was the celebrity... But u were his handler .. he couldn't do anything without ur approval...
U were the engine that kept our family running...
And u were the voice of reason when Dad got too fond of the spotlight and forgot what really kept things rolling smoothly.
We developed this little habit that I pray I never lose...
No day passed that u didn't tell me u loved me... And I u.....
So in this new way of life I'm embarking on... And in whatever it brings...
I hope to find genuine love...
As pure as ur love for us....
U taught me, that that's all that's real in this world.
All my life I thought u were kinda childlike because ur views we're so basic and simple...
But now I realize u were more woman than I ever hoped to be... Cuz our world was in ur hands... And u kept it spinning... And u prepared me well for the rest of my journey... And I'm forever grateful for all the lessons I've learned...
Because of who u were.... I love u
Mommy....
Enjoy ur new journey too... I promise u
Ur girls r ok ...
©lgmghe
04/04/2019 @ 10:04am
Blood Don’t Always Bond
Tiffany Mariie
They say blood thicker than water… but I done drowned in some family tides. See, love supposed to lift you, but some kinfolk just watch you sink call it baptism by betrayal, smiles drippin’ holy water and hate at the same time.
I stopped prayin’ for tables I ain’t welcome at, started buildin’ my own set the plates with peace, and told resentment, you can’t sit here no more.
Yeah, we share DNA, but that don’t mean we share values. I done seen cousins act like critics, siblings play God, and aunties preach forgiveness but never swallow pride.
Family photos full of fake love everybody say “cheese” but nobody ever fed me. They took from my plate, then complained about the portion. I learned some bloodlines just pass down pain like it’s a heirloom.
Now I don’t chase connection, I check energy. If your spirit feel like gossip, keep that bond in the group chat.
’Cause loyalty don’t run through veins, it run through actions. And I been cut deep enough to know sometimes the bloodiest lessons come from the ones you called home.
By:Tiffany Mariie
My family ain’t perfect but the ones I chose? They the realest.
The ones who pulled up when I was pulled apart, who ain’t need no DNA test to know I was theirs.
We built a tribe off trust, not tradition. They love me in all my shades from holy to hood, from Sunday dress to side eye sass.
I done learned: kinship ain’t always birthed sometimes it’s built.
Through late night calls and ugly cries, through “girl, fuck them, you got this” affirmations, through showing up without asking what’s in it for them.
They seen me raw, no lashes, no filter, no front. Still looked at me like I was worth every unhealed scar.
See, I got tired of trying to fit into bloodlines that cut me, so I drew my own. Linked arms with souls that matched my fight, my flaws, my fire.
We family now and if love got a last name, it’s earned.
Echoes of Release:
To all who resonate on this frequency, may these words carry blessings of healing and liberation.
I feel you reaching out across the ether, still trying to anchor me to a reality I’ve long since released.
Funny, how after burying the treasure and turning a blind eye, you’re reaching for something you left behind.
Transparency was my offering; avoidance was your choice. Instead of picking up the phone, here you are, circling back, seeking a line to my heart that you lost by hiding from truth.
But here’s the thing: I’m grateful for the role you played…Bound by a past-life contract that brought both lessons and release. Through that experience, I was cracked open, healing accelerated, and set free.
As a result of shadows cast, I released the weight of lifetimes, And now rise, wings spread, ascending to heights already destined Long before you even chose this timeline. What you’re searching for in caves of women isn’t there; it’s waiting within you.
Once you find it, you’ll recognize it mirrored in another, And maybe, just maybe, in divine timing, our paths might cross once more.
But if that day comes, know that it will be by my choice, not a pull from an un-rectified past.
Until then, I wish you healing.
May the grieving child within receive the love he’s been seeking. May the powerful man in you rise, and may each step forward be in light and truth.
You have what you need to create the reality you desire, But it begins with facing what lies within, not reaching out for something you let go.
May you remember the divine spark within, May your spirit rise to meet the light, And may all things be healed in the name of sacred love.
QueenEssence
Rooted in Resilience
That weight I carried was way too heavy For me to act like this assignment wasn’t given divinely.
As I’m being guided, I rise from despair, Stepping out of the shadows into the light, Confidence soaring in my spirit’s flight. As I walk through the remnants of hell, My path is lit by the lessons that swell.
You know afterlife gave me all she had to test my truth, Bellows of wind whipping my chin up, beneath the roof. I stood strong, didn’t evacuate, It’s woven in my DNA; One foot in front of the other, I carry my mothers, Clearing the line, gifts divine in their covers. With every step, their strength feeds my soul, Anchoring my truth as I embrace my whole.
When you listen to my speech, understand, This comes from deep within my heart, Born from the depths of dark, I faced my fears, carving out space, Transforming pain into strength, Releasing that which disturbed me, And shedding all that didn’t deserve me.
Divine union within, now successfully established, By myself, I put that work in—now I’m in balance.
Living a life in flow, I chose not to deviate From what I know truly counts. You know when nobody’s around, The words out my mouth, the resonating sound Of honesty, innocence in its purity.
With my heart open wide, I embrace my truth, This strength is rooted in my mothers’ proof. Rewards are coming; I’m eager to see The abundant blessings the Most High has in store for me!
QueenEssence
From My Lips to God’s Ears
from my lips to God’s ears
I submit my prayers asking him for his grace and mercy not for any gifts or extravagancy because I trust in him to provide for me giving me enough to keep my family may my supplication help me to reduce my anticipation so that I focus my energy on being an inspiration to many let my prayers reach his ears with tears not in sorrow – neither in fear instead fueled with joy and empathy opening my eyes so that I can see that God has always been there for me even on the days I wanted to concede from my lips to God’s ears
I submit my prayers pleading for his grace and mercy and his covering in my time of need
© Linette Rabsatt 7-8-2025
Long Way from Home
it’s a long way from home from my comfort zone from the people I love but what do I do? at least I’m blessed to have a good family who love me whether I am far or near because they love and care for me every waking moment but so many others don’t have that type of support system some are happy to run away from home into any zone that welcomes them even if it’s not good for them den of thieves lair of liars some people just need love and I am happy to say that even if I am gone for 1 day my family proudly says that they miss me and they know from my words and embrace that I miss and love them too
© Linette Rabsatt 9-3-2025
Dear Reader, Chronicles Where Shadows Breathe isn’t just a book it’s a journey through fire and ice, love and loss, joy and pain, light and shadow. This fifth edition brings together my newest works with pieces from earlier collections, blending poetry, stories, and reflections sparked by both word and vision.
Inside, you’ll encounter love that burns, battles fought within and without, and quiet moments that demand reflection. Some pieces pull you into imagination, others keep you rooted in raw reality but together, they carry not just my story, but echoes of yours.
With honesty, heart, and gratitude, Nelly Vee
https://kvinc.org
“Embers of Us”
Fifteen years, and the clock kept their laughter out of reach.
I was a ghost in my own life, their faces framed in memory, their names whispered like prayers I could barely speak.
Enemies tried to bury me, the devil built walls thick as winter ice, but God’s loyalty was a flame I could never extinguish.
Last June, their voices returned, a tidal wave breaking centuries of silence. And now—November 24, 2024— a grandchild’s heartbeat presses against my chest, tiny hands wrapping around the promise of tomorrow.
I have walked through shadows, through fire and ice, and yet the embers of our love burn brighter than ever.
— ©Nelly Vee
“The Quiet Lessons”
Marriage is a mirror sometimes cracked, sometimes fogged.
I’ve learned love is not always fire, sometimes it is ash, and yet the warmth lingers if you care to remember.
We argued like storms, blew cold winds into each other’s faces, and sometimes the silence stretched like frozen rivers under winter skies.
Yet in the shadows, we whispered truths: patience is a spark, forgiveness a hearth, and every scar on our hearts is a page in the chronicles of us.
Marriage is not perfect. It is fire tempered by ice, a lifelong dance of shadow and light.
— ©Nelly Vee
“Bridges
Between Generations”
I grew up in the 80s and 90s, where streets were classrooms and music was a pulse we could feel in our bones. We built friendships with sweat, played under sunburnt afternoons, and learned resilience in ways no screen could teach. This generation? They scroll for life instead of living it, chasing shadows in the glow of a device. Yet I see sparks curiosity, courage, love still finds its way.
I want them to know what it is to fall and rise, to walk through fire and ice, to face the devil and still find God’s flame. Because our chronicles are not just ours—they are theirs too, and the bridges between us are built with stories, lessons, and loyalty.
©Nelly Vee
If Slow Burn Had a Name
If slow burn had a name, it’d whisper like Felicia. The kind of name that melts off the tongue Making patience sound like pleasure making time move softer just to please her.
We ain’t even known each other long, but when we talk it’s like rhythm meets reason, like our hearts got caught in the same song and refused to change the station.
You say you wanna take it slow, and baby, I can match that pace. But understand this there’s a fire in me learning restraint every time I picture your face.
You’re gorgeous I can’t deny that not just “double-tap on the pic” fine, but “this could shift my spirit” fine, the kind that makes a woman want to align her peace with your energy just to feel divine.
I’m praying this thing works cause you’re the type worth waiting for, the type no one in their right mind should ever let walk out that door.
How they fumbled you, I’ll never know ‘cause I’m still trying to catch my breath from a single conversation. You’ve got this calm temptation, a gentle vibration that feels like salvation in human form.
You talk, and my thoughts start tracing your tone like poetry finding its home. You laugh, and I swear my chest gets light like maybe love ain’t so far from sight after all Call it a crush if you want, but this feels deeper than a spark. It’s that slow, sacred kind of start that dances between heart and art. So yeah
I’ll take it slow, but don’t get it twisted every second, I’m craving to know how your lips taste when silence visits, how your skin hums when the night gets low, how your name sounds in the rhythm of my soul. If slow burn had a name, it’d still sound like Felicia soft, sweet, and dangerous enough to make a woman believe again… and maybe, just maybe, make her believe in me too.
The dream still breathing
Excuse me may i have your attention please
If you can hear the sound of my voice say “I’m here”
And you have breath with in your lungs say “I’m still breathing”
Now give yourself a round of applause because the battle is not over
Our ancestors paved the way for us to freely speak
Even when the world tried to silence black culture
But as artist we stand steady
Feet rooted deep in the earth watered by their tears
Pressing forward combining their dreams with ours
Black poets like maya Angelou, Langston Hughes
James Baldwin and Gwendolyn brooks
We carry their messages in our very souls
Walking a path they carved Their words passing through us like heirlooms
Their roots breaking through the concrete like hope that forgot how to quit
I can hear the beats of their hearts with every word i speak
As i move through life on one steady rhythm
Because even in silence our spirits dance
From the pulse of black jazz, the cry of black blues and the praise of black gospel
Each a language of survival from one soul to another
You are proof that our dream is still alive
The breathing continuation of a story they begun
Your not here by accident but you are here because you are necessary
So to the tired mother holding more than her share
To the young dreamer still sketching their tomorrow
To the man who feels unseen
To the the person in the back who doesn’t yet know they too are a poet
I see you , i honor you , and i am speaking to you
May you rise like morning
For you are the prayer your grandmother whispered
May you walk boldly like fire chasing the wind
Untamed burning bright and unbound by anything in your way
May you speak freely like birds greeting the dawn
Singing your song before the world wakes
May you enter rooms like a melody that demands attention
Carrying the rhythm of your truth wherever you go
We are not just survivors
We are the fire that wont quit
The ones they warned people about
We come through breaking chains meant to keep us tamed Ghost of our ancestors struggle
We rose from mud and into the kingdoms
Where they once served , we now own
This is our time and this is our thrown
By: G3mini
