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"Child You Ought to Listen!" Quotes, Short Stories & Poetry of Love and Guidance From our Mothers

by SaRob

195 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #01-0131; ISBN 1-55212-732-X; US$21.00, C$24.99, EUR17.50, £12.00

An empowering book with wonderful dialogue encompassing quotes, poetry and short stories that will make you laugh, cry and remember some of life's most important lessons.

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about the book      about the author      Table of Contents and excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book "Child You Ought to Listen" is a collection of quotations, short stories and poetry that will warm the hearts of its readers, but also will remind them of the teachings and guidance instilled i nthem from their mothers. For some of us our mother figure may have been an aunt, grandmother, sister, or friend. But through their instructions and diligence we were taught about the values of love and family, courage, loyalty, and spirituality. "Child You Ought to Listen" demonstrates that learning never ends (no matter what age you are). It shows that learning can come from many different avenues including: ancestral sayings, hand-me-down quotations and stories told from generation to generation. Since learning is an adventure you will embark upon throughout your lifetime, this soul inspiring book, filled with love, pain and other tidbits, is a great place to start another exciting, fantastic journey. Recommended to all individuals whether you're eight to eighty years of age. There is something in this book for everyone. This book is written in a simple, down-to-earth language and offers wisdom and lessons on how to live your dreams and may inspire you to never give up hope for a better tomorrow. This book can be a gift that you give to someone you care about. It will keep on giving and teaching life's lessons on a personal level. Remember, "You have to go through some things to grow through some things!" Last of all, these stories are meant to uplift, inspire, entertain and motivate any "Child or adult that just might listen."

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About the Author SaRob was born as Sarah Lee Robinson in a small southern town called Eden, Mississippi, in the early fifties. She is the second child in a family of eleven children. SaRob migrated to the city of Detroit, Michigan, in 1954 with her family. SaRob graduated Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Detroit Mercy in 1992 with a Bachelors of Social Work Degree. She had returned to school at the tender age of thirty-nine. She overcame her fears regarding returning to school and becoming a student again, at her age. After receiving a 'merit scholarship' from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, she graduated with honors and received her masters of Social Work Degree, within eleven months. She has been employed as a Therapist, working with the mentally ill population, since graduating from college in 1993. SaRob is the mother of four adult children and the grandmother of ten. She is currently parenting four of her grandchildren and they help her stay youthful and busy. SaRob has been writing poetry and short stories since the early age of seven. She is a voracious reader and is currently working on her second book, Reflections From Mama

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Excerpts

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to:
My children and Doc     To all my family, friends, and acquaintances who helped to make this book possible by sharing their stories of love with me. Especially to my Mother and all the Mothers of the world and universe, who through their love, dedication and sacrifice, helped to instill values and beliefs into their children.
    They taught us to believe in a better life and a world filled with hope. Thank you all so very much.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LOVE
"A Way to a Man's Heart is Through his Stomach"---page 9
Eyes---page 11
Gentleman---page 13
In the Heat of the Night---page 14
It Ripens With Age---page 15
"It's not the Size of the Ship That Makes You Sea Sick, it's the Motion of the Ocean"---page 16
Love---page 18
Love Song for my Beloved (In the Name of Love)---page 19
My Sisters---page 21
"One Man's Garbage is Another Man's Gold"---page 23
Reflections from Mama (Beauty)---page 25
Reflections from Mama (Friendship)---page 27
Reflections from Mama (Lovemaking/Sex)---page 29
Reflections from Mama (Meditation/Prayer)---page 31
"The Blacker the Berry, the Sweeter the Juice"---page 33
The Gift---page 35
The Magic of Love---page 36
They do Come out at Night---page 39
Through the Gateway---page 40
"To My One-in-a-Million Husband"---page 41
"What you see is What you get"---page 43

PAIN
"A Caged Bird Knows no Songs of Freedom"---page 45
"Action Speaks Louder Than Words"---page 47
"All That Glitters is not Gold"---page 49
Anger I---page 51
Anger II---page 52
"A Piece of man is Better Than no man at all"---page 54
Blues From the Delta ("Keeps Makin' me Blue)---page 57
Button Pushing---page 58
"Cheaters Never Win"---page 59
Daddy Dearest---page 60
Death Comes Knockin'---page 62
Dedicated to Mother---page 64
"Get Your act Together"---page 65
In my Cell---page 67
Jailbait---page 69
Lament---page 71
Lament for the Child I Lost---page 73
"Love Don't Hurt"---page 77
Magnolia Tree--page 79
Open Letter to my Daughter (Who is Addicted to Crack Cocaine)---page 80
Pain---page 83
Reflections from Mama (Abortion)---page 84
Reflections from Mama (Drama)---page 87
Reflections from Mama (Tears & Crying)---page 89
"Romance Without Finance Ain't Nothing"---page 91
"There's a Thin Line Between Love & Hate"---page 94
"Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right"---page 97
"You Can't Miss, What You Can't Measure"---page 101
"You Can't see the Forest for Being Blinded by the Trees"---page 104
"You're Gonna Miss me When I'm Gone"---page 106

OTHER
"A Bird in the Hand is Worth two in the Bush"---page 108
"An Idle Mind is the Devil's Playground"---page 109
"Blood's Thicker Than Mud"---page 111
Brothers oh Mighty---page 114
December Dreams---page 117
"Every Cloud has a Silver Lining"---page 118
Fish Fry---page 120
Frustration---page 124
"God Bless the Child who has got his own"---page 125
"Hard Work Ain't Never Killed Nobody"---page 128
Hair---page 130
Heritage---page 131
Hip Hop---page 134
I am she/Mother Nature---page 135
"If you Can't say Something Good About Someone, Then Don't say Anything at all"---page 137
"If you Don't Know Where you Have Come From, Then you Can't Know Where you are Going"---page 139
Manhood---page 147
"Opinions are Like Asses, Everyone has one"---page 155
"No man is an island"---page 157
Pandora's box---page 160
Random Thoughts---page 161
Reflections From Mama (Losing Your Virginity)---page 162
Reflections From Mama (Plastic People)---page 164
Reflections From Mama (Empty Nest Syndrome)---page 167
Reflections From Mama (Welfare)---page 169
"Share What you Have, no Matter how Little it Might be, With Someone who has Less"---page 171
Southern Psalms---page 172
Table Talk---page 173
"The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away"---page 177
"There are two Sides to Every Story"---page 179
"To Thine own Self be True"---page 181
"You Can't Judge a Book by its Cover"---page 184
"Waste not, Want not"---page 188
"Whatever job you do, do it to the Best of Your Ability"---page 190
"You Gonna Reap What you sow"---page 192
Back Talk---page 194

INTRODUCTION

    Every individual is unique and has a special reason for being a part of this life and universe. It is up to each one of us to find that special calling in our lives that is distinctly ours. We are all winners in this game, and it's a wonderful, special experience to fulfill your true destiny.
    Enjoy each day as though it was your last. Life is precious and should be treasured and enthusiastically savored. Death allows us the insight into reality what we only have a limited amount of time in order to motivate ourselves into doing something with our God-given talents.
    Live long and be happy. Because without love and happiness, what else is there?

REFLECTIONS FROM MAMA (EMPTY NEST SYNDROME)

    Girl, let me tell you my story about the empty nest syndrome. Some folks always talking about how lonely they will be when their children grow up and leave home. They think that the house will seem empty and desolate. These types of thoughts usually bring on sadness.
    Some husbands and wives may feel that their marriage will change drastically because the children are no longer there to hold the family unit together. Children are sometimes seen as a go between for the fragile bond that still exists between some married couples.
    This was not the case in my situation. When my children moved out into their own places, I jumped for joy and threw a party to celebrate the event. I was so damn happy I was almost giddy with relief. You have to understand that all four of my children were close to each other in age and when they all became teenagers at about the same time, my life was sheer hell. They fought over clothes, phone usage, allowances, girlfriends and boyfriends. They argues about everything all the time. I would try to hold family meetings at least once a week to let them vent and express their feelings both good and bad.
    Needless to say the family meetings backfired. They became an all out attack group against mother and father. They were screaming matches with me trying to remain in control and calm because after all I was the parent.
    When I would listen to their complaints (i.e. "You never buy us designer clothes and gym shoes; why can't we have our own phone; when are you going to increase our allowance. We hate all of your rules and regulations," etc). By the time the meeting had ended, I would have lost my voice from screaming the loudest of them all.
    When the time came for my children to get their own places, I was offering money for them to get their apartments, giving them items to fix it up, and promising to come cook and clean when I could. When the youngest child finally became of age and left, I looked at my husband and he looked at me and we went running through our empty nest house, laughing hysterically and giving thanks to the Creator for finally unlocking our chains of indentured servitude.

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Catalogue Information

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