Meditation for Obama

Book by Jeannette Drake

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Books by Barack Obama

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance / The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

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Meditation for Obama

By Jeannette Drake

Twelve-noon.
Cross-legged I sit
in Silence, close my eyes.
See my brother-son
encased, enfolded
in a bubble of Golden Sunlight,
Holy Spirit comes
when I call to triple seal;
repel may-the-force-be-against him arrows.
Barack stands tall
in his blue suit, a red white blue flag
behind him. He listens
to the roar of “Yes We Can.”
My eyes do not open.
Holy Spirit circles one more time,
Ribbons of light dance
along edges of the bubble.
I raise my arms high, lifting
the bubble to heaven.
A bird chirps “giddy-up,
giddy-up,” transports me
to Poppa’s wagon,
the grind of rusty wheels,
a dusty North Carolina road,
fields of yellow corn. August sunlight
bathes my skin. I am blacker
than a week ago. Still, “Jesus loves me
this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
Red and yellow, black and white
all are precious in His sight.”
Harry Truman’s ghost wants to jump
on Poppa’s wagon.
I tell the ghost no. Go.
I am being.
Barack is being.
You, I, We are being.
All will be well.
We have drunk Mahalia’s healing waters.

4-5-08

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posted 6 April 2008

Jeannette Drake, a licensed clinical social worker, specializes in Dream and Expressive work in group settings. She has conducted individual and group sessions with adults, adolescents and children in schools, colleges, hospitals, prisons, churches, shelters, and art galleries as case worker, counselor, psychotherapist, teacher, tutor, and writer.

Her writings have been published in Honey Hush! An Anthology of African American Writer's Humor, Callaloo: A Journal of African American Arts & Letters, The Southern Review, New Virginia Review, The Book of Hope & The World Healing Books, The Sun: A Magazine of Ideas, Richmond Free Press, Coloring Book: An Eclectic Anthology of Fiction and Poetry by Multicultural Writers, DisabilityWorld, a bilingual international web-zine and other journals and magazines.

She has performed as a gospel soloist, acted in James Baldwin's The Amen Corner and leads a monthly book discussion and creative writing group at her church.

Her visual art has been exhibited at Richmond City Hall, the Carillon at Byrd Park and the Richmond Public Library (July 1-August 3, 2005).

A graduate of Hampton University and Virginia Commonwealth University, she lives in Richmond.

May 2005

Journey Within: A Healing Playbook

By Jeannette Drake

Journey Within: A Healing Playbook is a fun tool for anyone interested in personal growth, learning how to be more creative or gaining a deeper insight into The Divine. Section One includes 13 original color abstracts that invite the viewer to intentionally go on a playful, inner journey. An optional guide of play instructions is included.

In Section Two the author's spiritual autobiography provides an inspirational explanation for each drawing.

This Book Is for Someone You Love!