i try to break into your safe each day but skeleton keys don’t work for all locks ive found the hard way.

your meekest times are the twilight hours swept into the blankets drunk with orgasm,

I pray I am the only one who gets to see that kind of gentle lingering on your breathe, between your fingertips and in your hair

but you secrets provide no balm for the burns.

You, constantly dancing through life balancing on your youth and reeling in harlots with the sex and brandywine on your tongue,

me studded in emeralds… sour inside, blood rich and full like garnet syrup pains my arteries with each pump.

You, cloaked in black coaxing everyone’s curiosity, lay next to me, I’m dipped in milk and honey to please your taste buds and make you stay.

Its hard to love the scent of you that lingers on my sheets when the rain pours on me here and the sun shines on you there.

Its hard to love you when My trust wraps around memories of family and the home we’ve made inside my heart

but your duality loses me sometimes and I am left to be torn apart in gale force winds when you see no need to drop a line for minutes, hours, days…

tripping on payote trying to escape your anger…smoking away your reality.

And hear I stand with the comforts of Christmas, the smiles of your future children and the nurishments of Dionysis to please loins to ribs to heart

yet you search, yet you seek,

all you are looking for is laying beside you tracing your lips with silken fingertips.

as you sleep.

So bashful in stature shoulders dipped- satisfied in subtle touches; glances in the darkness masked by shadow, do exist

And rain may cool the heat but the energy is never destroyed.

Should I leave the latch open on my window and wait in the sill by moonlight

biting my tongue every second

hoping you don’t see my imperfections glowing all over my transluscent skin

it hurts holding my shoulders extra straight everytime you walk by

i wish i could let my butterflies go, set them free in the sunlight

no matter what day it is or how early my pulse races when our paths cross

and the best part of the day is putting on my make-up

surrounded by the steam and bath gel you’ve left in the air

i could sit and preach about how i’d love to take care of you

but who would i be fooling

i can’t even tell you you make me smile

but hopefully you know…

LOVE WILL NEVER BE

AS PASSIONATE AS IT IS WHILE IT IS HAPPENING

AS IT WILL BE

ONCE IT IS GONE…

- Ambre-Kohl

Tears streamed down the faces of African Americans, Latinos, Caucasians, Native Americans and a variety of other races when they had realized this time it had actually worked- they had pushed for a change and it was going to happen.

President Elect, Barack Obama is considered the hope of tomorrow. He is highly educated from one of the countries top Ivy League colleges, witty and charming, a family man and seems to take a genuine interest in the people’s concerns. Some would say his race is such a small part of this decision process considering the other positive aspects of his candidacy but they would be wrong.

In a country where the minority has been under constant scrutiny and oppression since the ships of European Countries invaded its shores life has been a struggle of enormous proportions.  As a black man in America you are born with a strike against you immediately. The lack of stability in African American homes, as well as poverty in urban areas is not coincidental.

The misfortune of the Black family stems from very powerful ambushes in history but most recently it has been the Black Panther massacre and the introduction of controlled illegal narcotics into predominately urban African American and Hispanic neighborhoods.  The Panther’s were formed as an organization that was sick of seeing their people slaughtered in vain in their own streets- in their own homes. They were tired of watching their women endure disrespect and random acts of rape and violence and they wanted their children to be free. This organization was considered to be radical but one must realize the time period was dangerous. A black woman alone in the street was under serious risk of police brutality just because f her skin-tone. The actions taken against them were inhumane. COINTELPRO, a government agency massacred influential leaders of the Panther Party.

Shortly after the black power movement had been subdued there was and introduction of crack-cocaine and heroine into urban neighborhoods and this time the powers that be didn’t need Willie Lynch to teach them how to separate families- this poison did the trick just fine. The crack epidemic turned regular citizens into monsters and drained their souls.

Now fast forward to 2008. The Black man is still striving for the equality that four hundred plus years of slavery and another sixty years of oppression just would not provide and as a people they are tired. Tired of being held back tired of fighting to be treated with respect, so tired they are starting to give up. The media/recording industry influences Black men and women to disrespect themselves and their counterparts. Woman, are dancing naked in music videos and television programs and latch-key little girls are home in front of the screen staring in admiration of her because of the jewels that adorn her neck. Men are taught to be promiscuous and forsake the mother of their children or their significant others and have indiscriminant unprotected sexual experiences therefore spreading disease among his own people.

November 4^th, 2008 marked an event in history that will never be forgotten. Finally we see a Black man is just as intelligent and hardworking, decent and kind, structures and organized as his white counterparts. For so long as black children we are told certain things will never happen for us, and finally we have been show the highest office in the nation has been offered to one of our brothers and the sky really is the limit. So what do I say now about the Black man’s responsibility in this matter. I say it is time to fight but this time not with guns or even harsh words but rather with the drive and motivation to succeed. I say we clean up our neighborhoods and teach our children that they are precious and smart and most importantly- able. I want the black family to come back together and fight the oppression of the workplace with love and support at home. I want our men to love and cherish our women and I want our women to love and cherish our men. If nothing else children should always have a support system.

We know the problems, we know things are not fair and there are powers that want to see the black family fail but with President Obama as a leading example I feel we should stop waiting for a change and make one ourselves.

The Eco-Fashion Designer

By: Ambre Kohl Tomlinson

Green is a term that is usually associated with solar energy or hybrid vehicles but it is much more than that. Those who live a green life incorporate environmentally conscious practices into every aspect of their lives, even the clothing they choose to wear. The fashion industry has come a long way and now there is a choice for the green “shop-till you-dropper”. Fashion designers all over the country are developing lines of clothing that are good for not only the trendsetter but for the environmental activist as well.

Don’t be fooled that this is a small venture; this line of thinking has already made it to New York’s infamous fashion week. Many designers even agreed to avoid fur and use only post-consumer recycled paper for invitations.

From Heatherette to Diane von Furstenberg famous designers are reducing their carbon footprint. We can be sure that no goofy, shapeless mounds of fabric will come from the likes of these fashion forward icons. The themes are still trendy and/or classic. They are made from materials of the best quality. But now there is a green twist.

Designers like Lynda Grose and Bahar Shahpar realize the importance of looking good, feeling good and making the environment feel the same all at once. Grose, eco-fashion pioneer, helped put together Esprit’s Ecollection. It was the first completely green clothing line distributed by a major corporation and it first appeared in the early ’90s.  Though the Ecollection was discontinued, Grose now teaches an eco-fashion course at the California College of the Arts and works with the Sustainable Cotton Project, helping to educate manufacturers about organic and sustainable options. Shahpar’s collection is made from environmentally sound textiles like organic wool, and even a type of silk harvested from discarded cocoons.

Karen Stewart and Howard Brown, a couple as well as business partners, produce their own casual clothing line called Stewart + Brown. They use eco-friendly materials and they donate 1 percent of all their sales to environmental organizations through 1% for the Planet.

What serves as more of an inspiration than our own musical activist Bono, who recently launched a clothing line with wife Ali Hewson? Bono, Hewson and clothing designer Rogan Gregory launched Edun in the spring of 2005. It is a profit business but it is founded on the ideals of trade not aid and nurtures sustainable communities. By encouraging business in Africa, it provides financial growth. This company in turn helps more African countries become self-sufficient thus less dependent on aid. There is a growing demand for organic cotton, which offers an environmentally and socially sustainable alternatives. All Edun’s t-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton.

When purchasing eco fashion there are several things you should know. Not everything that looks simple and comfy is necessarily eco-friendly. Here are some materials eco-friendly clothing is made of. Consider buying items that are positive for yourself and the environment:

Eco fashion is the dawning of a new age. It is just one of the many ways to make life a little healthier and respect Mother Nature in the process. The Eco Fashion Designer has the mindset of an environmentalist, the skills of an artist and the tools of nature. With that kind of talent who can go wrong?

Launching your own fashion label can be tedious. Most think you have to have an obscene amount of extra cash hanging around or an advanced education in fashion but for the average person trying to get their foot in the door here are a few tips:

·         Create a few sample garments and see if you can sell them to people you know

·         Expand your client base by advertising in the newspaper or in local target-specific publications that cater to your target market.

·         Call specialty and department stores in your area that sell the types of clothes you design

·         Schedule an appointment with the store’s buyer and show them completed samples of your work.  If you have a portfolio of sketches, take that along to show what else you can do.

·         If they place an order, make sure you can finish it on time and on budget.  Since most buyers impose a hefty penalty on tardy orders, never promise more than you can deliver.

·         Once you have four or five local stores selling your clothes arrange to have a booth at a local or regional trade show.  You’ll be able to show your designs to several buyers at one time, and can increase your income by adding more stores to your distribution network. Never take orders for more than you can deliver.

*If you won’t be handling all the manufacturing yourself, make sure the company who will be doing the manufacturing has the ability to meet your deadlines.

This and more information can be located at:

 http://www.fashionjobreview.com/Fashion_Designer.html

When contemplating where you will buy that new dress for that event in your schedule, or clothing made of organic materials safe enough for your new baby’s skin why not support fashion designers who are doing their part to make the earth a more beautiful place? Not only will you be pleased with the styles, but you’ll be pleased with the fact that your hard earned dollars went toward a good cause.