My good friend, fellow poet and gifted narrator, Navin Manik, has posted a fantastic reading of my poem, Open Casket, a poem from my upcoming book, “One Petal At A Time.” He did such an amazing job, putting in appropriate pausing and inflection, he captured it beautifully (disclaimer at the end of the video). However, be prepared, everytime my husband and I watch it, we get choked up and need to get tissues.
Heart wrenching words and oh so powerful too. Sending you that inner child comforting hugs, great writing ♥️ I love the reading of your poetry too and can understand why you and hubby needed the tissues.
Thank you so much for watching Navin’s beautiful reading of this piece of poetry, found within the pages of “One Petal At A Time.” As a kind and gracious gift using his voice, he has turned this piece into such an enormously and extraordinarily powerful piece. Navin is a brilliant poet with a heart not found as often as we would all like to see in our world. However, I have been completely overwhelmed by the impassioned love this community and my friends are showering me with during this very important part of my life. A dream I have had since I was seven. Everything in God’s time.
I listened to this three times, it is so raw & beautifully written. If it were your own voice Joni, I would have had to take multiple breaks to gather my tears back. Thank you for this reading Navin.
Thank you so very much my dearest friend in the world except for my husband. I did try to get through this poem on my interview which will air tomorrow and could not. There are three people that will be doing readings and two of them have the most talented narration voice I have ever heard, even Scott agrees and he has a wonderful voice. Navin did such a brilliant job and a woman who lives in Costa Rica, Karima, is also going to do a reading, she has made money with her voice, also tremendously beautiful voice. Then Carolyn will read a piece from my book. So thank you so much for your comment Janette and always for being such a shining star in my life my soul sister. Navin did a fabulous reading, I wrote the poem and it made Scott and I cry three times listening to it ourselves. I love you sweetie and we should talk soon. Big hugs, and both Scott and I send our love to your whole family along with our prayers always. ❤️
I’d never read this one, Joni, and while I wasn’t able to experience the audio of Navin’s reading (deafness), the subtitles were heart-wrenching. I don’t know what else to say other than you have a sublime gift that very few possess, and we’re all so fortunate that you share it with us. Thank you kindly, my dear friend. 😊
Oh Mike, thank you so much my friend, Navin has such an engaging voice, I can’t imagine what it is like to be deaf. When I was a young girl and so much closer to God, I could feel God’s presence and I often had extremely loud angry arguments with God. However, all through my teenage years included in my prayers, and also through my early twenties, to thank God everyday for the ability to touch, feel, hear, see, walk, talk, and smell. It is so easy to take these things for granted for many people until you don’t have one of your senses anymore. Mike your words flatter me so much and there are many reasons why. Most importantly that you are such an incredible poet and you are a kindred spirit of mine. Sending my love, hugs and blessings your way always my dear friend. 🌹
So sad and moving. You brought tears to my eyes too.
Hello dearest Mary, what a sweet gift you are my friend. Navin has such an incredibly captivating voice and I was so blessed to ask him to read and immediately get a very gracious response. My husband and I listened to three recordings prior to it going live as Navin is a bit of a perfectionist and you can see that in his powerful and beautiful poetry. All three times my husband and I cried. That is how moved I was by his voice and I wrote it. I wanted him to read it because I tried to in my interview and did not make it with out kind of losing it. Mary I pray that life has been good to you and that everyday is a blessing. I don’t know if you knew this but one of the reasons I have not been on WordPress much is that we sold our home in NC, I was writing a book, we packed ourselves up – then we bought a house in VA and moved in here. So much going on at the same time, it was a tremendously stressful time for me. Big Blessings and love to you Mary and thank you again.
Wonderful, Joni! ❤
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This video, this voice, this poem. THIS.
Because I wasn’t able to pull it off in my interview, I wanted my dear friend Navin to use his compelling and powerful voice, with his perfect inflections, an amazing narration skills. A beautiful man with the tenderness and kindness that is truly hard to express. I hold Navin in great esteem for his magnificent work. A brilliant poet. ❤️🙏❤️✨✨
He did it perfectly.
Right, I knew you would be pleased. He is a talented poet but also has this voice that is so dynamic it literally induces one to listen so attentively. Thank you Lisa, I am so glad you thought it was perfect. Blessings and inspirations coming you way for this week. ❤️🥰
Wonderful reading of a moving poem, Navin. 👏🏻
Isn’t Navin amazing!! I felt so honored to have him read my work. He and Karima have the most dramatic and captivating voices on line today, at least that I have heard. I am sure there are others, my husband has a great voice but he agreed with me. When we both listened to three prior readings we cried every time. He packs a punch and I always love it when he reads his own powerful and insightful works. He can answer your comment too. He taught us about how to do a collaboration. Thank you Michele for listening. Big hugs and lots of love Michele!
Oh yes! Navin is a gifted and engaging reader, and poet. My pleasure and best wishes, Joni. 🌼 Big hug and love to you! 🙏🏻
Thank you so much Michele. I am behind an Instagram as I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed. I felt so blessed and honored that Navin did this beautiful reading. I just got the print or the proof of the book and I am looking over it right now. Exciting. Have a truly blessed day my beautiful friend. 😘
You’re very welcome and I doubt anyone can keep up with all the stuff. You are doing great! We do the best we can. Enjoy the process and take care. Happy spring to you! 🌼😘
You are right, it is difficult but I am overwhelmed with the love that I am receiving from everyone, so I am trying to enjoy the process my dear friend. I appreciate you saying that as well. As soon as Lisa Tomey my publisher gave the ok to release the cover page, Mich did a press release in Asia and woke up to it in an enormous paper. I was the second poet and book mentioned. So I was blown away by this as well. Such a support with this book, “One Petal At A Time,” because it deals with a problem that no country is safe from, women, men, girls and boys are being abused and raped and it is time to make it easier to convict rapist instead of putting on trial herself. I have worked with Rape Relief and Sexual Assault victims as a volunteer which took a tremendous amount of training, and you can not imagine the stories I heard. I will share a brief one here. A woman contacted us, we wore pagers then and went where ever the victim was. She was asleep in her bed, with her little tiny baby by her side. The rapist must have been watching her because he climbed through the window of her bedroom, while she was still sleeping. She woke up with a knife at her throat and she had no idea who it was (this is very uncommon in rapes today as most rapist know their victims and in some cases very well – even as coworkers) he held his hand over her mouth and told her if she made a single sound he would kill her baby and rape her anyway. So what choice did this woman have! Most women never feel safe again. So I am so grateful for all the awareness that Mich and Nigel have been sharing through words of young women as well as women of all ages. collaborating on this topic. Michele you have always been a bright light for me my friend – I hope you keep dancing and sharing your love for life and bringing us all a moment of joy. Love you always, Joni
Dear Joni, I am so proud of you and the most meaningful and impactful work you are doing – making a difference. I am sure every step of your healing journey, including writing about it, has been a difficult one. I commend you. Thank you for sharing your voice and giving others the encouragement and needed strength to share theirs. You are an inspiration. Thank you too, for always supporting my creative passions. It feels so wonderful to be sincerely supported by another woman, growing every day in her own strength and graceful beauty. Love you too Joni. Your grateful friend, Michele 🌻
Oh my dear friend and great dancer Michele, thank you for all these beautiful things that you said. You are such an inspiration and a positive influence yourself, that these words mean a lot and I appreciate that you feel that this will help others. This is definitely my prayer Michele. I truly am humbled by all your kind statements and thank you for listening and for this long and heartfelt comment my friend. Hope your weekend is full of inspiration and love, Joni 🌹
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This brought me to tears 💔🥺.
Navin is a dear friend. He is also a brilliant poet and narrator. His spoken word was so powerful that three different readings brought me and my husband to tears. Thank you for watching it was gracious of you as it is a big time commitment. Hugs love and prayers always my friend. ❤️🥰🤗
It’s my pleasure, Joni! Sending you lots of love and big hugs ♥️🥰🤗. Happy Sunday, my dear friend!
Thank you so much dearest Bianca and what a beautiful piece you have published today on MasticadoresPhilippines. Big hugs and lots of love my gracious friend.
Thank you so much for your kind words and your support, Joni! 🙏♥️
Have a wonderful and blessed day, my dear friend! Sending you lots of love and big hugs
It is always such a treat to see your name and always to read you dear Bianca. ❤️🥰❤️
I’m so glad to hear that, dearest Joni. I appreciate you very much and I adore your poetry!
Sending you lots of love and big hugs ♥️🥰♥️
It is the truth dear friend. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your week. Sending you lots of love. I have not read any of the blogs yet today but I will get to them hopefully before I go to bed. I hate reading in case someone I know is published. Love you, Joni
Wow what an amazing poem of yours that Navin did such an incredible job narrating in a way he does so very extraordinary. Your poem is beyond touching and heart wrenching, Joni. Honest, real, raw, relatable.. so wonderful❣️🙏🏼❣️
Oh thank you Cindy. I was so honored that Navin and Karima were willing to read a piece for me. I think they have two of the best narration voices on line within my universe. By the way I know you are a friend of Karima too, her beautiful cat was killed last night by dogs. Thank goodness her son was there and took care of things. I thought you might want to know. A sleeper curled up on you and I am guessing your beautiful white cat does the same thing. So hard to lose an animal. Thank you so much for listening to Navin’s reading. We listened to two readings and they both made us cry. It was such an honor to get them both to use their voice, and their love. I really appreciate that you enjoyed the poem too. 🌹
OMG, I soooo agree!!! ❣️ No one does it better than those two. There voices, their hearts, their depth of truth and living are piercing and palpable! My heart is aching for her and I can only imagine the pain and loss …… sad beyond. Oh good to know her son was there with her.. I had no idea.. that’s good to know. Yes, I so know the of an animal who is you 4 legged child. Congratulations on this wonderful reading. Cheers to Navin🥂💓
I know she loves you and I thought you might want to know. I have seen you with that gorgeous white beauty so much, probably a bit jealous of those little one. 🌹
A beautiful reading, such a beautiful poem Joni! Xoxo
Thank you so much dear Carol anne. Sending you love and many hugs. Navin has the most wonderful voice and he is an incredibly kind and talented man. Thank you so much for listening. Love Joni