Author Archives: Orlando Ceaser

A Voice in the Wind, Calling to be Free

Posted on by

A Voice in the Wind Calling to be Free

A Voice in the Wind Calling to Be Free is the title of a poem that took decades to complete. The inspiration surfaced when I was in high school. The title summoned me to speak and tell its story. Initially, the idea had numerous possibilities. Its profound potential for simplicity filled me with enthusiasm. I wanted to craft a powerful declaration about freedom. I visualized a story that could connect with people all over the world. However, I was unsuccessful and never seriously finished a paragraph.

Weeks of frustration forced me to abandon my pursuit. I set the title aside for another day, unfortunately postponement was a routine act. Life took the lead, and the poem became out of sight, out of mind. Periodically I would return to the title to see if it provided inspiration and information.

During the dormant years, I made many attempts to complete the poem. But there was significant writer’s block. I could complete many blogs, articles, and books, but not this poem.  I was frustrated. I felt like Captain Ahab chasing the elusive Moby Dick in Herman Melville’s novel. I wondered if I would ever achieve success. The title was an unfulfilled obsession.

More than 30 years passed. One day, the title arrived for another visitation. A Voice in the Wind Calling to Be Free. There was nothing special about this occasion. However, I meditated on the title, changed my thinking, and finally, a breakthrough.

A Voice in the Wind Calling to Be Free became a reality. It emerged with three perspectives. The perspectives were as follows;

  1. People confined to destructive and nonproductive relationships
  2. People trapped in dead-end jobs and unfulfilling careers
  3. People in dangerous countries/surroundings with oppressive circumstances

These multiple voices were in turbulent situations, environments, or circumstances. Their emotions were in turmoil and shrouded in fear. They were examples of desperate people seeking freedom. Neighbors who were near and far, with similar circumstances, vying for their freedom. Individual and collective voices formed a chorus. The voices were captured and were in solidarity with freedom seekers from all corners of the earth.

A Voice in the Wind Calling to Be Free is a poem about perseverance, stamina, and persistence. It urges individuals to have hope, grit, commitment, consistency, and empathy.

The poem took over 30 years from concept to completion. I was anxious to share the story with others. I chuckled when I imagined a potential response; “It took 30 years, and this is the best you could do? “

I humbly submit, A Voice in the Wind Calling to be Free. I am hopeful that you can identify with the scenarios presented.

Copyright © 2024 Orlando Cease7

A Voice in the Wind Calling to Be Free

Solitary confinement
In a relationship going nowhere,
Out of touch,
No alignment
Or gentle words to share;
Addicted to nostalgia
To lift you from despair,
It is replacement therapy
When intimacy is not there,

There’s a voice in the wind
Calling to be free,
To release you and put an end
To misery.
A voice in the wind
Falling on history,
A voice in the wind
Calling to be free.

Every day in a dead-end job
Where talent is inconsequential,
Frustrated by scenes that rob
Your skills and your credentials,
Confounded by the rhetoric
Of those who are influential,
Restricted by the politics
That tries to nullify your potential,

So, there’s a voice in the wind
Calling to be free,
A choice to transcend
The misery.
A voice enthralling
As a whispered plea.
A voice in the wind
Calling to be free.

On the outskirts of hamlets burn
The unquenchable desire
Of villagers who seek their turn
To join the liberation choir.
The countries learn that tyranny
Can not extinguish the fire,
The cries of freedom and liberty
That instigate and inspire,

Through voices in the wind
Calling to be free;
To honorably defend
Expressing autonomy;
A voice in the wind
Installing the victory;
A voice in the wind
Calling to be free.

There are voices in the wind
Calling to be free,
A choice to put an end
To bigotry.
They would rejoice
And cheer triumphantly,
Celebrate independence,
Celebrate being free.

Copyright © 2004 Orlando Ceaser

Reprinted from the book FREE which can be ordered at OrlandoCeaser.com


http://www.watchwellinc.com

OrlandoCeaser.com




Mr. Alien, Nate

Posted on by 
Mr. Alien Nate 
A dialogue beween an individual and an extrterrestrial debating issues of hate and its destructive nature.

Me

I met an alien, his name was Nate,
It is short for Nathan Nathaniel
The Great.
We could relate
On many issues,
We could contrast and compare.
We were so different,
But eager to share.

I met him one night during
A lightning storm.
The temperature in my room,
Tepid, warm.
I saw this figure slowly transform;
A whirling dervish
Swirling in a swarm of energy
That slowly converted to look like me.

Nate

She told me honestly
How she was surprised,
By my normal shaped head
And regular eyes.
I asked why she labeled me 
Insidious
And I asked why the unknown 
Is always hideous.
 
Me

I met an alien his name was Nate,
I dealt delicately with his confusion.
He could not understand man’s rate
Of arrogance and exclusion.
He said that we were granted dominion
Over the animals and the elements,
Yet, we performed in his opinion
In ways illogical and irrelevant.

He was inquisitive
And picked my brain,
For reasons that could contain
The roots of logic,
To examine what he sees;
To justify the behavior of my species;
Obsessed with the will to win;
Soaked in selfishness,
Programmed to sin.  

I met an alien his name was Nate,
I asked him to be clear and elaborate,
On the planet he left to visit mine,
To learn about his culture and refine
My understanding, so I could immerse
Myself in knowledge of his universe.

Nate

We are united with similar goals.
We have our differences in actions and roles,
But we are not competitive,
Striving to be superior;
Beauty and love are on the interior
And exterior,
Without the need to make
Others inferior.

I can elaborate about the atmosphere.
We take care of our planet
And our work and careers.
We are focused on loving one another.
It is not merely a logo or slogan.
Once our civilization was broken,
Then we arrived at a point
Of being outspoken
About love being our salvation,
So we became open
To our sisters and brothers,
And working together to
Thrive more than survive,
Enjoying life and grateful 
To be alive.

Me

I met an alien, his name was Nate,
Who wondered why we discriminate.

Nate

Why do human beings with similar stories
Place each other in categories?
And why do you differentiate
And through differences 
Fail to communicate.

Why wouldn’t you work as a union,
For the improvement of all mankind,
Or engage in sweet communion,
Respectful of each other’s hearts and minds.
Why do you shun equality
Where some have to be on top
And some below?
Why is it difficult to give an apology
When guided by the id and ego.

How can you sleep when refugees are displaced;
Nations are plundered and disgraced?
Why are you personally locked on greed;
Ferociously protecting selfish needs
And reckless with animosity; 
Dismissing love and generosity.

Me

He wondered why we pillaged and plundered 
And raped the residents of the villages under
Our judgment and jurisdiction;
Why we conquer with conviction
And savagely dismember our own
With brutality that animals have seldom shown. 

Nate

How can so many people ever come together,
Unless you had to face invaders from science fiction?
Must a catastrophe reveal common convictions,
To successfully navigate and avoid
Attacks from pestilence or asteroids?
You must unite around a common threat.
Must you fear total annihilation,
Before you address
Violations against a universal moral code
And barbarous acts and heinous crimes
Perpetrated in these scandalous 
And perilous times? 

Me

I met an alien, his name was Nate
Selfishness he felt was
An inefficient use of resources;
A waste of potential and energy.
It did not maximize the forces
That existed, the synergy,
Inherent within our legacy.
Speak to us about your success,
Eliminating hopelessness and bitterness.

Nate 

We banished hopelessness and bitterness.
They vanished when dreams were subsidized.
We would not let people consider less
Than their potential fully utilized.
We do not have sex trafficking or genocide,
Nor a slave trade or exploitation, pride
Is practical to cause and we abstain
From harming others for personal gain;
A fanatical focus on pleasure,
Is illogical, but we treasure life. 

We have found purpose and do not rush
To the end of the day,
Crushing competitors along the way,

We do not disrespect with incivility,
Armed conflict and hostility.
When people challenge their institutions,
We don’t let them dismantle and destroy.
They look inwardly for solutions,
They look inwardly for morality
And character to build their personalities.


Me

I met an alien, his name was Nate,
He wanted to learn why people hate.
We discussed the universal fears;
Death, the outsider, insignificance,
The future and chaos, the difference
Between the occupants of our space;
Insecurities in the human race.

Nate

I would think you’d want to
Advance the species and protect
The Earth,
When children are born,
From the time of their birth,
They should be protected
And given a chance to prosper despite,
Arbitrary systems of wrong and right.	

Me

He questioned our objectives,
When we were conditioned to be;
When we were zealots to our perspectives
The preoccupation with pleasure;
To supplant purpose, as its substitute
And the destruction of authority
And hammering our institutions
When they provide structure
And temporary solutions;
To the complexities of our existence,
Giving us the faith for persistence 
And resistance.

I met an alien, his name was Nate
He wondered why we chose to complicate
Relationships with insincerity
And live our lives without clarity;
When we could establish expectations,
To remove guess work and speculation.
He felt we human were precarious
With insecurities that were nefarious.

Nate

Why do you visualize the world
And unknown sections of the universe,
As frightening regions under a curse?
Why do you see yourselves as the superior race,
When technologically your advances
May be commonplace.
You may need your confidence restored,
For your progress maybe mediocre at best 
Among civilizations unexplored.

Me

I met an alien, his name was Nate,
It is short for Nathan Nathaniel
The Great;
An extra-terrestrial born and raised,
In a galaxy where they never aged.

Nate

My people learned lessons
By following instructions
That were gifts from our leaders
Of conscious deduction;
To steer away from actions
That lead to destruction,
For many things make common sense;
To love one another
And come to the defense
Of anyone for we all are neighbors,
Created by God to learn from our labors;
And granted with gifts
To nourish and enhance
Our species in order to advance.

Me

I met a man his name was Nate,
He traveled the world to penetrate
Man’s secrets and fear of the unknown;
His ego and propensity
To enslave his own;
His savage streak and need to rule,
His thirst for power and to ridicule.

Nate

I sat in silence, as she tried to explain.
Why human’s nature causes so much pain.
We had a conversation about fate.
I would not confirm or deny,
Her belief in a deity beyond the sky.
I take solace, as a humble visitor,
From my cosmological celestial shore.

Me

Was he an angel from the other side?
Was he a messenger,
A fugitive on the run,
Searching for a place to hide?
Or was he my imaginary rabbit,
Like Harvey in the movies long ago?
My new friend challenged my habits,
Tried to make sense of my world,
Which also helped me to grow.

I met an alien,
His name was Nate,
He asked me to contemplate
And concentrate
On poverty and starvation;
Distribution of wealth
And property,
Among disparate nations;
And man’s inhumanity to man;
The reality in our galaxy
That selfishness is a fallacy,
As a solution.
In God’s plan,
Love is the answer,
Only love can address our ills 
And give us peace
And the necessary skills
To live in harmony.

Copyright © 2017 Orlando Ceaser
Reprinted from the book The Grass is the First to Go by Orlando Ceaser available at orlandoceaser.com

We Ran

Posted on by 
Running was a significant part of my survival and development. I grew up in the city and running was an integral part of my being chased. People would see me and my survial instinct would kick into match their predator desire to bully me. We run for various reasons and in many situations. I wrote this poem which Char McAllister set to music with other creative elements.
https://youtu.be/AnZ8LF8qfVg?si=8E96zHPJYgz7JYou

We Ran



Long years ago,

We ran as children as a part of play,

In games of tag and keep-away;

On the bases and on the field,

We ran to win and never yield.



We ran for safety, to escape a stranger;

Across the street at the sight of danger;

We ran to let off steam,

For the space to scream,

To a place to dream,

As we release the anger.



We ran for advancement and achievement;

Into and away from trouble and bereavement.

We ran as a metaphor for being alive,

To express the drive,

So, we could survive.



We ran when chased with a weapon or gun;

When threatened by the gang of more than one;

From the jukebox to the club

As the singers sang;

Into the night and into the streets,

We ran to victory and from defeat.

We ran as we ached at our core;

We ran in fright, 

When we could fight no more.



We ran to hope 

And to separate from others;

We ran to discover and to recover.

We ran from the jowls of hate

And those who wanted to incarcerate.

We ran in sport, on the court, in the alley;

Ran from behind as we staged a rally.

We ran for recognition,

As if on a mission;

To run up the score on the competition;

We ran for it was in us to run;

For it was how, we got things done.



We ran to distance ourselves 

From the trader’s whip;

The ruthless profit minded invaders ships

We ran when they severed our relationships.

And took our loved ones to another plantation.

We ran from miscegenation

Without representation,

And segregation

Without explanation.



We ran with Harriet in the Underground.

We ran low, quick, and softly,

So, we could not be found;

When staying was costly.

We ran from the stories being told;

When we were tortured, beaten, and sold.

We ran from the fear of retribution;

From racist biases and institutions.

We run because the evil had begun

And wickedness preceded the setting sun.

We ran as being chased by the men in blue;

With the swiftness of a runaway

Being viewed as revenue;



We ran as a symbol of being safe;

To have the independence,

A chance to escape;

To bring a gold medal to our nation;

To be prominent and dominant

In professional sports;

We ran for office and to avoid the courts.



We ran as Barack and Brandon ran.

We ran as Shirley and Kamala ran.

We ran like Jesse to protect home; 

It was the GPS in our chromosomes.

We ran to greet our families;

To love and embrace,

Where home was a comfort place,

Surrounded by God’s living 

And saving grace.



We ran to and during our time on Earth. 

We ran when mobile after a blessed birth;

We ran to and from our comfort zones;

We ran in groups and ran alone.

We ran into and during the war;

When we did not know what we were fighting for.



We ran, reflecting on moments,

From the recent past.

We ran to clear our minds;

When we were outcasts.

To face the evil in front

And monsters behind,

Toward an unknown future;

Hoping that we would find

An opportunity,  

To be as neighbors in community,

Pursuing something,

Not from something,

But forward and toward

Not running away,

And seeking the bounty 

Of a brighter day. 





Copyright © 2023 Orlando Ceaser

My Prayers to Families when Death Arrives, Unexpectantly

Posted on by 
My prayers go out to the family,
For they must adjust to the fact
That he is not gone on vacation
Or a business trip;
That he will not be coming home
To equip them for tomorrow,
To replay his day and listen to their stories.

My prayers go out to the family,
For reality has rhythm, and the mechanisms
Sometimes strikes
And chimes for intermission,
But this time it struck
To announce the finality of
An earthly session;
His initial experience above ground.

My prayers go out to the family.
There will be repercussions and complications
That will pull at the strength
That challenges and encourages them
To show that they have found
Energy from his memory.

My prayers go out to the family
As they struggle with the shock;
The cruel truth of the matter,
The interrupted dreams;
The world that was shattered
And must be reassembled
Until it resembles a vision off center;
A hampered vision that must reach 20/20,
For he would have wanted it that way.

Although their bodies shake
And their wills tremble,
Each step will not be taken alone.
He is the shadow in evening,
The blanket on cold nights,
The beacon of hope,
The nourishment for their souls.

He walks beside them
Apologizing for his early departure;
Despondent over not saying good-bye,
As he caught the early train to heaven.
He sits in heaven immersed in tears cried
With those who have gone ahead,
For those who are still on the journey.

My heart goes out to the family;
The hearts opened wide
From the surgical incision of death,
As life absorbs the essence of love,
They walk around in fear as they reach
For hope in the darkness of uncertainty.

My prayers go out to the family
As they search for explanations
And signs of the inevitable, the “if only’s”,
As they doubt the fairness of life,
Scoff at justice, but rationalize that the Master's plan
Is written in a text we cannot decipher.
They vacillate between the stages of mourning,
Crying, how could this happen without warning,
As they ponder lessons from his demise.
They recreate the clues, retrospective revelations
To open their eyes
To things they could have done differently,
In an effort to embrace blame
They evaluate doing or not doing, knowing, or not knowing;
Things they should have added or things to replace.
They seek memories to live by and nightmares to erase.

My heart goes out to the family.
How would he want them to act?
How would he want them to handle the fact
That he is not coming home to them,
But waits for the day when they will come
To their new residence and live without fear
Of separation.

Each life teaches us,
Each life reaches us
And grabs us at the core of our being,
Each life touches us
And it clutches us
By our souls and begs us to pay attention.
For through seeing the greatness in others
And sharing their special gifts,
We are inspired to reach our potential.
We run as fast and far as our gifts will take us;
Soar as high as wings of talent differentiates us.
As we study excellence and the pursuit
Of standards that validate,
We justify our rung on the ladder.
The harsh reality is that we must prove ourselves.
We enforce discipline.
We can't succumb to the sadder side
Of issues for they makes us angry and madder inside
Which can breach our concentration.
Time is valuable
As each minute marks our place in line.

My heart goes out to the family.
Life places them on the journey
Afloat, adrift in a raft
Surrounded by loved ones
As they perfect their craft,
They watch others as they play out
Their love ethic and work ethic,
Knowing he is watching.
They study God
As He teaches them to row.
They consciously and innately
Take notes on their position
And how they manage the climate
And the changes in the tide.

My heart goes out to the family.
May they find comfort in his memory,
Instruction from his life
And faith from his source of inspiration.

Copyright © 2003 Orlando Ceaser  

This poem was written to the family of Mike Toupè, a friend and product manager for a major pharmaceutical company. He died suddenly of leukemia in his early forties, leaving behind a wife and young children. I thought of it when another young man Rev. Jared Wilkins, nearly twenty years later, died as he reached forty, leaving behind a wife and young children.

The Doctor Said the Word, Cancer

Posted on by

Many of us have either experienced the sound of the cancer diagnosis or heard of someone, as with the recent news about former President Joe Biden. I attempted to put these feelings into words a few years ago.

I worked for a pharmaceutical company that developed, manufactured, and sold anticancer drugs for breast, prostate, and bone cancer. I was a sales representative and product manager for our breast cancer franchise. Additionally, I’ve intermittently given motivational talks to a Cancer Support Group at my church for 20 years.

However, I was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer this year, received twenty-eight cycles of radiation treatment, and was given a clean bill of health. I am a motivational speaker, author, and poet who writes about many human experiences. I have added my personal experience with cancer diagnosis and treatment through poetry in a piece entitled, The Doctor Said the Word, Cancer. I encourage personal examination, with regular checkups and a sensible diet with exercise. Early detection continues to be the best protection in identifying and treating cancer.

The Doctor said the Word, Cancer

One day I had a few questions,
I needed a few suggestions,
To calm my mind.
I needed answers,
When the doctor said the word,
Cancer.

Suddenly and immediately,
The shock,
Hit me like a ton of bricks.
My chest was in a headlock.
I was knocked out of orbit,
As my world was rocked;
I felt pressured,
And noticed the clock.

Suspended in a freefall,
The disturbance
Was like turbulence.
I was not asleep, but this wake-up call,
Caused the earth to shake;
I questioned, “Was this a cruel trick?
Was this a mistake?”
Mortality and invincibility
Began to quake;
The news struck and I was stuck
In a moment of doubt;
As I struggled in a bubble
To figure it out.

What happened to others
Was happening to me;
Worst-case scenario thinking
Was entrapping me.
Life is not only about me.
I must be free to act,
Courageously.

I wrestled with my primary fear
Of doubting how long, I would be here.
The inevitable became near.
My instinct was not to be succinct,
But the goal of survival was clear.
Don’t let cancer hyphenate my name,
I pray it’s a disease I can tame.

I pondered the consequences;
My body’s natural defenses;
Which treatment options would be severe,
Which therapies would extend my years?
As I watched, my priorities changed,
Elements of my life were arranged
From the small to the significant;
To be bold, scared, and magnificent.

Copyright © 2022 Orlando Ceaser

Invasion of the Idea Snatchers

Posted on by

The Idea Snatchers invade our workspace. They sit next to you in meetings and slowly siphon your concepts and ideas. They steal them quickly in full view of witnesses. They sometimes collect them and stash them away when no one is watching. Later they will repackage them and pass them off as their own.

The Idea Snatchers walk among us in our workplaces, homes, and relationships. They seem harmless, but they drain energy, engagement, passion, and creativity. As in the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers, these pods will lie next to you and pick your brain and replicate your ideas.

Ideas are necessary for growth and development. We have more than one great idea in us, so we must harness the ability of continuous generation. The process of duplication and replication of more ideas is a necessity. Ideas are in various stages of readiness. Some ideas should not be shared until they are fully baked and implemented. Others are resilient and modified and shaped into a form superior to the original. Many ideas have a shelf life and expiration date. If you sit on an idea and don’t release it, you will eventually see the idea expressed through the lives of others. An idea, like water, will seek its level and burst forth in time.

Ideas must live and we are the conduits to release them into a world waiting for their impact. We must, therefore, set them free and allow them to flow into the world. But we like to receive a credit; otherwise, we will shut down and shut off their supply.

Idea Snatchers may be ingenious deterrents for sharing ideas. They will question you to fully understand your idea and then use their gift of embellishment to enhance and disguise the origin of the idea. They are not concerned with plagiarism because they believe no one will discover their actions.

Idea Snatchers are prolific plagiarists. They may have the following traits.

  • Ruthlessly ambitious
  • Spontaneity
  • Opportunistic
  • Disloyal
  • Great at implementing
  • Poor at generating their own ideas
  1. Document and track your ideas

Nature channels feature programs about scientific experiments with animals in the wild. They may be tracking fish, birds, or large animals. To keep track of the test participants they will tag the animal with a GPS device to flag them later. They will tag the subject to flag the subject so when they bag or capture the subject to complete the experiment. You must utilize similar techniques to tag, flag, and bag your ideas. It would also be helpful if you could document your idea with a follow-up memo or handouts. Preparing for the meeting will enable you to claim the idea as your own.

  • Circulate your ideas

Make your boss or others aware of your ideas and contributions. Write your ideas in a memo or in your journal with the date and time of origination. Take your idea from concept to potential utilization. The level of thought put into it will identify you as the creator. Think through the ideas and the value they can provide to the enterprise or the area that can benefit most.

In a brainstorming session, it is hard to determine who generated an idea because they bear the fingerprints of many potential owners. A solution is to make your idea the center of the discussion so that it stands out from the others. You can also set up the idea by saying you thought about the idea a long time ago and list the advantages and disadvantages in a full-blown presentation.

  • Captured in performance evaluations

Submit your ideas when you provide input for your performance evaluation. Be sure you are claiming credit for your ideas only. Make sure your boss is aware of your ideas before your input. You do not want to be an Idea Snatcher.

  • Share your ideas

Be careful how and where you share your ideas. Networking events are promising environments to collect the ideas of others. You may willingly share ideas, concepts, and suggestions believing in the Law of Reciprocity, what goes around comes around. You will be rewarded for your generosity in helping others. When you pollinate ideas, don’t be surprised when your ideas come back under the name of someone else. A professional speaker said, “the first time I am quoted, the speaker may mention my name and give me credit. The second time it was something the speaker read. The third time the speaker was just thinking about a topic, and it popped into his head.” The only time you may get full credit is the first time.

You are the conduit, the vehicle to release ideas into the atmosphere. Victor Hugo said, “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” Consequently, if you generated an idea, you want to get credit for creating it and keeping it safely out of the hands of the Idea Snatchers.

 Copyright ©2011 Orlando Ceaser

I Watch in Awe as Children Play

Posted on by

The Chicago Afterschool Development Working Group, under the leadership of David Cherry and Julie Lenner, is a grassroots group of afterschool, education, civic, and nonprofit leaders and practitioners working together to strengthen the voice of impact of afterschool development in Chicago (www.allstars.org). Their work inspired this poem.

I Watch In Awe As Children Play

I watch in awe as children play;
To see them run beneath the sun.
Laugh at the crazy things they say; 
Life is carefree and full of fun.

Creative minds that will amaze,
In formal games or make believe;
Resourceful in so many ways
They achieve what they can conceive.

How simply they can make a toy
From articles within their reach;
Amuse each child as they enjoy,
Lessons that teach and shape their speech.

Some fix objects that are broken,
For they have the proclivity
To solve problems, be outspoken
In their childlike activity. 

I watch in awe as children play;
Especially as they excel;
Imagination on display
With stories used to show and tell. 

They don’t see walls they cannot scale
Or the boundaries of a box.
They do not think that they can fail,
For they are keys in search of locks.

And boundaries don’t need the lines,
For they will color as they see
The picture they want to define,
Is the masterpiece it will be.

Quietly they engage in thought;
To solve puzzles and figure out
The answers that were never taught;
While never focusing on doubt.

I watch in awe as children play,
The purity of inquiry;
The innocence that they convey;
To move with boundless energy.

Their cognitive development;
The social skills that are increased;
In their natural element
Where intuition is released.

They will play it forward if we,
Allow them the chance to explore
The land beyond the boundary
That will refresh and teach them more. 

As they sit alone or in a group,
Playful adventures never cease.
They will jump ropes not jump through hoops;
Exertion is what gives them peace.

I watch in awe as children play, 
One continuous exercise;
We try to regulate their day,
With structure, but they improvise.

Intuitive they get things done,
For they are focused on results,
That’s measure by the kind of fun,
That could teach something to adults.

Copyright © 2016 Orlando Ceaser
www.watchwellinc.com

    For The Children – Read by 5 and Lead by 10

    Posted on by

    The Read by 5 and Lead by 10 mindset will give parents and influencers a guideline for the intellectual stimulation and development of children. We know that children have an amazing response to stimuli and their knowledge grows exponentially in the early years. Read by 5 and Lead by 10 could be a slogan, a mantra, helping parents focus on two aspects of the development of their children, which could reap phenomenal rewards.

      In the first three years of development
The brain in a rapidly growing state 
Responds to training as a stimulant
Allowing knowledge to accumulate;
If given structure and taught discipline,
Children can read by five
And lead by 10.

Mental synapses grow at lightning speed
Teach them to think, read, write, speak, play and do.
As time elapses give them what they need
A foundation to flourish because you 
Will nourish and love them as they begin 
The work to read by 5 and lead by 10.

Their mind’s receptive to information,
Absorbent as a sponge, eager to learn; 
If properly pushed through education,
If given an environment to earn,
We will raise stronger young women and men,
If they can read by 5 and lead by 10. 

Reach the children, when it is easy to shape
Their thinking, be intentional and find
Learning is a habit they can’t escape;
It helps them compete and not fall behind;
Success is a given, not if, but when 
If children read by 5 and lead by 10.

Ensure they are active during the day
And constantly find ways to train their brains.
When their imagination is on display,
Let them grow socially for it ingrains
The passion to help them network and to win,
Able to read by five and lead by 10.

Libraries say that “readers are leaders.”
But they need encouragement to succeed.
The leaders are not the bottom feeders,
They point to the mountain and take the lead.
Their vision is simple, they want to win,
Teach them to read by 5 and lead by 10.

You want the child to face competition;
Confident they can keep up with the class;
Training puts them in position
To grow their intellect and to surpass
The average with the power within,
As they read by 5 and lead by 10.

Copyright © 2014 Orlando Ceaser

      Everyday is Children’s Day

      Posted on by

      Growing up we were very aware of special days where we could them to hone our presentations skills. For example, Mother’s Day was the second Sunday in May and the Father’s Day was the third Sunday in June. We did not spend much time on Children’s Day because everyday seemed like Children’s Day and the Covid-19 pandemic made this very clear. I have created an anthology of poetry to supplement our focus on their growth and development.

      Teach the Children to Dance – CD

      Monologue – Dance Instructors

      We are dance instructors, gifted by our Creator with talents and abilities that make us unique. We have practiced our craft in church, in school and at work. Our dance routines were honed on street corners, playgrounds, in living rooms, beauty parlors and barber shops, wherever conversations were held. We have learned new moves and perfected our signature techniques along our journey, developing our own sense of style.

      As dance instructors, we must capitalize on teachable moments to pass our skills on to our children. They have challenges, as forces try to distract and devalue their potential. We are obligated to inspire, educate, motivate, up lift their spirits and self-esteem. They need to have the advantages of old school wisdom and common sense to complement their technology, to create their own dance steps and develop their own sense of style.

      We must teach the children to dance and give them the opportunities, resources and perspectives to succeed in a difficult world.

      Teach the children to dance
      (Reprise)

      We must teach the children to dance,
      To strut with eloquence and prance
      And flow with the rhythms of chance,
      To master each new circumstance.

      We must teach the children to dance,
      Present the tutor in advance;
      Choreograph their moves, enhance
      Their skills from structure to freelance.

      They should study life’s musical scores
      And synchronize actions with the beat
      Across school rooms and corporate floors;
      Developing new skills to compete.

      Adjust their moves in a meeting
      Or in the classroom;
      Raise the glass ceiling
      In the glass room.
      And slide from side to side
      And stand erect;
      And then provide
      More than some expect.

      Raise their hands in the air
      And declare victory.
      Drop to the floor
      And look back on history;
      Look forward to each new circumstance,
      As they add new steps, to the dance.

      We must teach the children to dance
      In a group or to dance alone
      To bridle their extravagance
      Until the time to set the tone.

      We must teach the children to dance
      Provide the tutors in advance;
      Choreograph their moves, enhance
      Their confidence and when it’s expressed
      A generation will be blessed.

      Excel as if the audience cares;
      Play to internal standards please
      Themselves as each one prepares
      To demonstrate their abilities.

      Adjust their moves in a meeting
      Or in the classroom;
      Raise the glass ceiling
      In the glass room.
      And slide from side to side
      And stand erect;
      And then provide
      More than some expect.

      Raise their hands in the air
      And declare victory.
      Drop to the floor
      And look back on history
      Look forward to each new circumstance,
      As they add new steps, to the dance.

      Copyright © 2001 Orlando Ceaser

      Teach the Children to Dance is available where you purchase your music

      Preview at

      Old School Leadership Practices

      Posted on by

      An organization will periodically engage in a campaign that focuses on fundamentals. The bedrock principles and skills necessary to achieve objectives, are put at the forefront of their practices, as they kickstart a pursuit toward excellence. I was involved, during my sales career, with numerous initiatives labeled, “back to basics.” They were a clarion song to get everyone on the same page, as one team of talented individuals, forging ahead to accelerate achievement.

      My generation speaks about the old school, which contains more than a reference to nostalgia. There were values and commitments we made that were universal and should be regarded as timeless in our pursuit of living up to personal and professional expectations.

      We are role models and must be aware of the fact that we are setting examples for our peers and the next generation of leaders. These old-school leadership principles should be brought into the limelight and used to improve our relationships, achieve our dreams, and improve the human condition, by acting positively and optimistically.

       
 
 Old School                         
 Old school is a working philosophy;
 Authentic, real without hypocrisy;
 A strategy for life and survival;
 A legacy to teach new arrivals.
  
 Old School, we are from the day we were born.
 With methods, that are time tested and worn.
 We fought and struggled, as we learned to spar,
 To work the system, so they raised the bar.
  
 Old School is determined by how we felt;
 Skillfully playing the hands we were dealt.
 We are classics that laid a foundation,
 They shaped a culture and built a nation.
  
 Our dances have a different groove,
 We are originals patented and smooth.
 You sample examples of our moves,
 Our repertoire is new and improves.
  
 We branded our system as Old School,
 For you to build on and follow the rules.
 The rules are structure to internalize;
 To help you learn and then improvise. 
  
 The Old School has powers of deduction.  
 We can explain the journey, as we go.
 The roads are always under construction.
 We are the guides to teach you what we know.
  
 We are ancestors who can be trusted.
 We played the roles of outlaws and outcast.
 The living legacies that adjusted
 Through practices that have worked in the past.
   
 We are Old School and we have explored
 And experienced, we’ve plunged and we’ve soared.
 We are Old School and should not be ignored;
 We have wisdom you may wish to record.    
  
 Copyright © 2017 Orlando Ceaser