{......} once and for ever
Shelton Street
with the mysterious light
during the dawn hour/
still dark /
but not dark completely/{,,,,{
Shelton street


By Maria Panoutsou.

Big ideas and big plans often yield grand results for the nation’s most prominent African Americans of influence. In the complex world of high society, often viewed as one of privilege, there is more to being a socialite or a “black socialite” than a strong fashion sense or having a triple-booked social calendar—true philanthropic efforts are often involved. The philanthropic season, in full swing twice a year—generally March to May and again from August to December—equals no more than six to eight months total. The entire high society and or philanthropic calendar can often appear overwhelming. However, giving, and getting others to give, is the name of the game and it takes more than one would imagine to make the magic happen.

In New York City, the noteworthy names such as Alicia Bythewood, Kathryn Chenault, Susan Fales-Hilland Grace Hightower De Niro immediately come to mind. On the West Coast, by way of San Francisco, it’s Pamela Joyner who dominates both the society and philanthropic circles with her art world successes—which often make national headlines. We recently consulted Ivy Leaguer, Delta Sigma Theta sister, and Links member Helen Shelton of Finn Partners, a well-seasoned PR expert. Additionally, we spoke with rising New York socialite Dr. Shirley Madhere, a highly regarded cosmetic surgeon and lady of leisure on her favorite philanthropic causes. Each provide valuable insight and key elements we all must concentrate on should we wish to head up our own charitable event.

How long have you been involved with charitable events? What aspects of planning events do you enjoy most? How do you determine which organizations to devote your time to?

HS: Professionally, 15 years; personally all of my life. From a professional standpoint, my favorite aspect of production has always been the creative process. I am always thrilled to see an actual campaign I’ve created come to life.

SM: The cause must resonate with me with substance on many levels: the people. the purpose, and the spirit.

What are a few of your favorite African American organizations?

HS: I am a proponent of what I call “mothership” organizations, such as the NAACP and the New York Urban League. I’m a board member of ColorComm, the national organization that advances women of color in the communications industry.

SM: The Studio Museum in Harlem and various Haiti-related organizations.

What host committees have you been part of? If applicable, how does it differ from working from the PR side?

HS: ColorComm, The Links. In my personal charity work I somehow end up playing the role of communications chair, on top of the duties of actually facilitating the event and working on behind-the-scenes production aspects, such as video production.

SM: I must admit, the recent Youth America Grand Prix an event that I co-chaired at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) was breathtakingly inspiring. I have supported, ABT, Beauty 4 Empowerment, and the Smart Woman Project.

What prominent African American women do you feel are true leaders in a hosting/socialite capacity now? And who are historically influential?

HS: Dr. Marcella Maxwell (a Delta Sigma Theta member like myself), Alma Rangel (wife of Charles Rangel), Kathryn Chenault, Leslie Lewis Sword, Susan Fales-Hill, Pamela Joyner, Desirée Rogers, Cathy Hughes, and Sylvina Shelton, wife to Charles E. Shelton formerly of The New York Times.

SM: My mother, my aunts, fashion designer Stella Jean, Oprah, Beyoncé, have influenced me positively. Numerous other women of various other cultures who have created, disrupted, fallen then risen, enhanced the game, shifted paradigms, and continue to astound with their contributions to humanity.

How can YOU be a success heading up your own charitable event?

When it comes to successfully heading up your own charitable event, Madhere suggests you “become engaged, committed, and excited.” According to PR expert Shelton, follow these essential steps to be a success heading up your OWN charitable event…

Have a great cause that people can relate to. This is a competitive environment and every sponsorship dollar or investment needs to be accounted for. Accountability, is of the utmost importance so delivering on return for your sponsors is essential.

Create a fabulous environment and offer a wonderful experience. Sometimes less is more , so it is not always necessary to have champagne flowing—as an example—if you have beautiful florals, delicious food, and wonderful entertainment, you can’t go wrong. If people are having a great time, they have no problem returning and becoming long-term supporters of your cause.

Set realistic fundraising goals and have a sponsorship package that is appealing to a cross-section of interests and above all, network, network, network!Read more at:http://www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dresses-adelaide | www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dresses-perth

weaving these paths with a lost sense of compass
insouciant stroll when leaves crunch under toe
earth and dirt, green smell

the sign says no horses
and an arrow points up

the sun's fingers comb
dry wood and ask:

what is complacency?

'Lost self-sense,' J said;
eyes drooping, Hoku mind heavy

if the turtle wants to feel the spirit
then he must walk slow

ride the current from
Indonesia to Ngulu
Jamming in the name of the Lord
like Robbie does

and identify renewed, redemption song
let us praise the Lord

the jungle is cleaning her feathers
she says: My favorite
I say: My pleasure

Laugh and pause--
no unheard cause

feel the light happening through you
and rebuild your pieces

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''­''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
­Written by: Vince Chul'theg, MasikaniCorcodile and CrackPipeKenny (SpiderManJump)

Everytime I hear that old song,
I picture the lyrics tattooed on your skin
And embedded all over
My every waking thought
Its like those calloused hands
Had more to say in the fleeting moments
That they held mine
Than I have ever heard in my life

A narcissist is a dummy bear on crack. They have gummies for brains.

Viewing the world with mooching eyes, flirting with greed and gluttony, playing games with the devil.

The narcissist is no friend
of the family.

They are crude and thick with pollution and toxic waste.

The Narcissist brings nothing but
suffering and pain.

If you bump into a narcissist
in the wild, run and don't
look back.

A narcissist wants attention and
they don't like bold and brave people.

They chose victims by kindness,
reputation and intelligence.

The smarter and more popular you
are the more likely a narcissist
will strike at you.

You have to be smarter than they,
set boundaries and strict rules.

Don't allow anyone to break your
security or your self esteem.

A narcissists biggest flaw is ego,
strike them in the ego ***** and
watch them turn blue and fall.

Find their weakness in their
gaslighting, use it to fight back.

They blame everyone but themselves for their actions.

©️ 2022 By Amanda Shelton

I stopped in a broken town called Shelton today,
everything dead and nothing at play,
every building was missing it's store,
And every corner had its own *****.
As I walked into the local shop,
grab a pack of cigs and a bottle of peace,
a man stood like a dog by the door,
begging for scraps and nothing more,
I grabbed him a sandwich and some water,
sitting with him I watched him become fodder.
The church let out and everyone came,
grabbing their food and never mentioning his name,
as he dug in the trash they laughed and pointed,
denying him his bone,
while taking a picture with their phone.
So as I watched him break down,
I wondered why no one took him off the ground,
And with a selfish realization,
no one wanted his contamination.
Losing what they have is what they worry for most,
And God forbid they become his host.

To relate,
to imagine something similar
to what is being shown,
to imagine what it might be like.

A metaphorical meaning is like
being a shadow
that tries to relate to a star.

A poem with metaphorical meaning
is written with more effort, research, and a deeper understanding
of language.

I have written more metaphorical
poems than average poetry.

I work harder on metaphorical
meaning than I would with basic techniques. I love a challenge
so that's why you see more metaphorical poems
written by me.

I have researched many languages
and meanings to words,
my techniques for writing
reflect my efforts.

I am a writer who writes with imagery and metaphor so often that
I am known to be an eccentric writer.
It's an exotic way of expression.

It helps my readers
to relate to what I am thinking.
Also, it is how my brain sees
the world.

I was not born with language
like most people are,
I am an autistic person.
I don't have a natural language
in my mind, I have learned how
to express myself through writing because of my handicap.

I am not perfect but
I try to improve myself
by learning and practice.

I am still learning not to criticize myself too much. I am never a good judge so I try not to think about it
too much. I analyze everything so
I think it's good for me to try
not to analyze my writing
as often as possible.
I end up changing my work
until it turns into something completely different than
it started out if I do.

I want people to see the effort
and time I give my poetry,
so I do my best to show it.
I am always happy to do
something new and challenging.

My grammar and spelling
has improved because
I am willing to take feedback.

I love it when people are honest
and tell me if I made a mistake because I can learn from
the mistake.

To grow and develop you need
a plan and a place to go
when you need space.
I have learned this and
I believe that is what helps me
to improve.

Metaphorically speaking,
I am like a leaf I change with the seasons and I am willing to grow
within a tight space.
I love being with other
leafs like myself.
That's why I join communities
like this one.

Thank you, Hello Poetry.

© 2018 By Amanda Shelton

At Shelton High School, some students were outraged to find out, just days before the dance in May, that they wouldn't be allowed to wear their dresses to the prom. A "prom gown panel" was formed to decide whether students' dresses were appropriate — more than 30 of them weren't.

The school told marieaustralia.com that it has updated its dress code for the new school year so it's explicitly stated that prom attire must fall within the guidelines.

The battle over leggings

The new(ish) trend of leggings as pants isn't going over well in some schools.

In April, a young woman's Facebook post went viral when she wrote about her little sister being sent home from high school for wearing leggings underneath a baseball-style shirt. And students at a Cape Cod high school weren't happy when the school updated its dress code this year to ban leggings and yoga pants unless worn underneath a skirt or dress, or with a long top.

... and shoulders and collarbones

Some schools sparked criticism for dress codes that targeted a particular part of a woman's body — like shoulders or collarbones, for example. That's what happened when Stacie Dunn's daughter, a student at a Kentucky high school, got in trouble for wearing a tank top and sweater that failed to cover her collarbone. Dunn called the school's decision "ridiculous" in a rant on Facebook.

And earlier this year in Utah, a teen girl was told her dress for a school dance violated the dress codebecause the straps didn't cover enough of her shoulders. Students in New Jersey also protested dress codes this year, with one carrying a sign that said, "'Shoulders are so hot' -said no one ever.'"

So even as some schools reassess their dress codes, it's clear the debate is far from over. In the meantime, here's our guide to how to handle the "wardrobe wars" with your kids.

read more:www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dresses-perth

www.marieaustralia.com/backless-formal-dresses

"And I feel like I'm losing my mind
Banging my head up against the wall
Staring at nothing 'cause I can't sleep at night
Can't make it stop, yeah I think too much
What do I do? Falling apart
I need a shock straight to my heart
No one would want to be in my shoes right now, oh"

the tears run freely
my sweat makes me feel hot and stuffed into my clothing
uncomfortable in my skin
the pain isn't helping
the smell of burnt skin and hair
baby nobody even wants me

Depression,
I caught you swimming in my sorrow, you were drowning in
my tears.

There in my mind I laid down
my life but you stole my heart instead and I lost my mind amongst the shadows.

In the battle of my chemical imbalance I fight for my right to be happy again.

I am dancing in the dark
with myself, my heart beats
in the shadows as my breath
stands to the side, whispering
to me keep dancing.

Exhausted and frade sorrow
follows me, my flaws abuse me,
my mistakes scared me.

Society forgot about me,
I faded into the pitch of nothing.

A void of me, frightening memories
of taunting accusations from a
devilish monster.

Those eyes of blue devoured
my hopes and dreams,
he had no love for me.

His teeth bit into me,
his harsh lashing of accusations
embodied hate and broken ideas,
from the narcissist who said
he loved me.

The narcissist invaded my dreams,
with grinding bones from the
skeleton's he stored in his closet
of screams.

Scratching my brain with his
narcissistic rants and shoveling
wants trying to steal what
I achieved for himself.

The narcissist knows nothing of
love and passionate embraces.

For the narcissist only
knows how to break things.

A narcissist gaslights until crazy
devours everything.

©️ 2022 By Amanda Shelton

Maybe the program isn’t just
on the TV or computer screen
but our minds are the static
between the senses?

Your reality is not what controls
your actions, for you’ve been
given many different roads with
different views and people to meet,
so you are the programmer building
your code that dictates your direction.

God gave us freedom of mind
meaning you decide how it goes
and what you do is up to you
so use it wisely and you will grow.

Design a program that functions
well that grows from the roots
of your dreams.

Don’t expect happiness for that
grows from deep within and your
ability to let go, and you never
had full control, for life was
here before you were born.

You are your own faithful friend,
and others come along the road
of life, embracing their own
tapestry of code.

©️ By Amanda Shelton

I knock it out of the ballpark
by expressing myself with
just a few words.

I write poetry to show my emotions
that I have trouble expressing
through my actions.

I am autistic and my brain is wired differently than yours.
Emotions are like the ocean,
my tides might rise higher than yours.

I have learned how to ride the waves,
like a pro I surf as I ride with pride.

I am a poet not by choice but
by chance because I am an autistic poet and emotions are my tool.

**© 2017 By Amanda Shelton

The truth is easy to prove
for it’s right in front of you,
it doesn’t hide or keep secrets.

I am probably the most honest
person you will meet,
for I am an autistic person.
I will tell you as it is
no sweetness or sugar daddy
involved.

You want to know how
to be true? Learn how to
think like cats do. Don’t
worry about how others
feel, instead question
their motives but with
respect for their uniqueness
and views.

Don’t try to look through
someone else’s eyes without
asking them what they see
and then try to imagine what
it would be like.

You could also change
the way you view yourself,
stop seeing just yourself,
imagine what it would be like
to see like a blind mouse,
imagine the possibilities
are limitless, try to look
beyond the normal.

For normal is Technical:
(of a line, ray, or other linear
feature) intersecting a given
line or surface at right angles.

My autistic love is
normal for me. My love
is unconditional
because I love with
an autistic view,
you can trust I will
never lie to you.

We who have an autistic view
see life for what it is
and we will tell the truth
doesn’t matter if you wanted
it.

When I say I love you,
that’s the truth.

That’s autistic love
for you. We love like
cats do.

© 2019 By Amanda Shelton

Upon the night the poet writes,
within my darkened room
under candlelight all is revealed.

From my ink comes black and blue, with bruises from my passed I stain these walls.

Memories never leave me,
pain and suffering is like a
shadow always following me.

Writing is a release, a bandaid
to help me heal.

These emotional hills are a
struggle to claim, but I grew bat
wings so watch me fly.

©️ 2021 By Amanda Shelton

Don't believe the doctor
if they say no one can die
from a broken heart.

I will tell you why.

One day I fell in love,
I fell hard, so hard
I became blinded
by it's beautiful display,
it caught my attention
and my wandering eye.

But soon it caught me
by surprise, it was broken,
and no batteries were included.

It took all I had,
told me lies,
stole my heart and
damaged my life.

Though I was broken,
life always passes by,
time heals all
but scares are left behind.

I might be softer from ware,
but I am not going to be softer
the next time love catches my eye.

I know better.
For now I suffer from high blood pressure.
Doctor can't figure out why.

© 2017 Amanda Shelton

I take a deep breath into my nose
to smell the freshness of clean sheets.

Aw yes, I love that smell,
that warm fresh scent,
that crisp air smell.

There's nothing else that can compare,
to the smell of fresh clean sheets
it's an aroma I will never forget.

I remember when I was a kid,
my mother took me to the laundromat
to clean my sheets.
I couldn't believe the smell,
how I loved that smell,
my mom couldn't get me to leave.

We watched TV while the cloths were turning
around and around,
but I stared at the machine
when my mom put in my bedsheets.
I knew when they were through
I would be in heaven smelling the clouds.

I love clean sheets.

**© By Amanda Shelton

"Beauty bloomed once upon a summer's night,
only to wither on the coming of winter's bite."

**© By Amanda D Shelton

You cling to me like cellophane,
wrapping yourself around myself
with your electric forked tongue,
as you drag each of my neurons
out into the world;
exposed they are,
as I am left to feel their
nakedness and chills.

I feel their
bite and electric fields;
their pain has become my friend.

**© 2017 Amanda D Shelton

In between the teeth of weeping
angles lurks death and permanent
night. Such tragedy is this life.

Wolves vent their howls,
as I awaken.

Ti's a night of dark desire,
my weeping soul rises from the
depths of the earth.

As the moon bow's in its
throne of star's, eternal
darkness surrounds me
I arouse and the light
bends for my shadow.

Cold breath of winter shrouds
my form, a lurking beast
with a lust for blood.

My black ***** hair cascades
over tragic shoulders,
as my lips part slightly
revealing my true nature.

To taste the flesh beneath me
as blood streams from my plumped
lips, is ghastly and ghoulish.

But no peace do I ponder,
forever I wander.

Now a night of misery and plight,
I grow weary of the night.

So I go down to the river where
it is warm and green, and I enjoy
the night until morning brings
ash and light.

Goodbye! The end!

Au revoir! La fin!

©️ 2022 By Amanda Shelton

I am sitting by a fire with a cup of chai,
in Africa somewhere, thinking
of twenty dead children.
The Turkana women keen in the dark.
‘Woitokoi,’ they say, ‘Woitokoi,’
a call of lament.
Oh, mom.
It’s your babies
It’s your babies

I rarely turn on the radio, but do tonight.
14th of December.  Cooking coconut curry.
I watch the last red and gold fall behind skeleton trees
and step out into the cold with my guitar and Willie Nelson’s
‘Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.’
Is anyone watching the sparrows falling?

You mothers who have lost a child,
you fathers who have lost a child,
have gone where none can follow
but One who loves you, loves me,
even school shooters, maybe;
One who hates evil
for what it destroys,
One who
(for this love
and hatred)
listens to His son say:
Father
Father
Why have you forsaken me.
One who says to you now:
though father and mother forsake you
yet I will not forsake you--


I am sitting by a fire in Shelton, Connecticut,
thinking of twenty dead babies.
Oh mom.  Mom.
It’s your babies.
It’s your babies.
It’s your babies

I am not heartless,
life just taught me
to use my heart less.

I don’t always allow my heart
to make choices for me.

Life is saddened by love,
because when those
you care about die,
it hurts more than
if they were a stranger.

That’s why I always say,
love is not a happy journey
where the sun always shines.

It can be a barren landscape
wasting away with fattened pigs,
and chickens who lost their feathers.

Love can burn like the hot sun
in the Mojave Desert.

It can drink your blood
until you’re ready to pop.
Leaving you to die
from a broken heart.

© 2017 Amanda Shelton