IS IT MY NOW? - Inspired by Jordin Sparks 'THIS IS MY NOW' by William Fredrick Cooper
(Written: September 26, 2007)
The Dream starts in your father's living room
Writing longhand in 1996
Borrowing lap-tops with no computer skills
Daring to learn WordPerfect tricks
Your family thinks you're crazy
No support coming from there
So you realize you're alone from conception
Dreaming while no one else cares
You somehow find a writing groove
With Phyllis Hyman soothing your pain
An office floor becomes your bed away from home
Through many months of rain.
Tears fall as you complete the initial draft
Back in the dawn of 1998
Six Days In January sounds better than Two Sides
Emotional closure while finishing a book is great.
You spend two years of shopping
for seventy rejections in all
Write Like Dickey or Tyree, agents said
Black Men don't have feelings at all
Destiny screams do it yourself
Sixteen hour work days to get it done
Print-on-Demand is a viable option
The first version is published in 2001
College Park Morning that April
While telling my story from the heart
Zane entered my life with an offer
Out of distrust, I rejected it from the start.
I came this far by myself, I said
I think I can do this alone
Pride comes before a fall, God said
You better take this freaking bone
Pause for the cause... We all make those mistakes, but the beauty in life in that when things are destined to happen, they have a way of coming back around. Back to the flow, ya know?
Summer days and nights with Drum and Spear
We pushed my writing dream
Establishing an audience of writing peers
Who saw talent I refused to see
Timm McCann and Tracy Thompson
Sang my praises through the night
A beautiful Flower named Nancy
Had me Water A Garden at Twilight
So around came Zane for a second time
Asking if I had a story to tell
Legal Days And Lonely Nights For Sistergirls. com
My own computer finally arrived as well.
In 2004' she re-released
the beginning of my dream
A Black Expressions feature the first time out
My vision was finally gathering steam
That summer and for two years thereafter
Literary goals were packed away
Losing my job. almost, then actually an apartment
Hold On, Will, your boat will definitely sway
Within those ashes lay a miracle
Forged from destiny was a story of love
Up came There's Always A Reason
A novel that was a gift from above
Taking another step of faith
Again I began to write
Praying my tale would help a community
The completion would not be without a fight
Running through emotions once more
Many deadlines come and go
See Zane on the street, she demands my book
Do I have a dream no mo'?
Two weeks later a novel was produced
And I prayed that it was worth the wait
I find out through my publisher and peers
Man, this story's great
The early reviews were tremendous
Adding to my worries and fears
Have my writing skills improved
After all, It's been so many years
The readers, always wanting change
Would they appreciate something from my soul
legion of new fans adored the book
readers both young and old.
Fighting through online jealousies and vicious abuse
You finally find your stride
With a story that touched so many lives
One that sends you on a ride
In your heart you are humbly thankful
For each journey has its rewards
On September 26th, 2007
I may actually win my first literary award.
Even if I'm not that lucky
In my heart I've already won
Because its my journey, not the end result
That might inspire or help someone.
So for anyone out aspiring authors out there
Who might be discouraged by their fate
Hold tightly to your dreams and never give up
For a great destiny never comes too late.
If September 26th, 2007 is my now, Father, let me accept my gift not only for myself, but for everyone I know that has a dream. And if it's not my time, please let the recipient of the Breakout Author Of The Year award be humble enough to acknowledge you, Lord, as the bringer of all good things. So many of us in this industry think selfish thoughts and forget where our blessings originate, but know that in my heart I know it's You that has guided me through storms, forgiven me for my mistakes, and it's You who created my dreams. You have given me a way when no one else believed in me but me, and it's because of your will I've made it this far. And I know that my accomplishments are your victory, for your greatest gift is love.
And I thank you so much, Father, for everything.
William Fredrick Cooper
(FOOTNOTE: While I came up short that night, someone in the industry paid me a great compliment by saying they saw 'James Baldwin" in my writing. The best in life comes without the applause sometimes.)
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