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- Author: Linda Diana Franshun Callahan
- Illustrator: Linda Diana Franshun Callahan
- Publisher: MarketingNewAuthors.com
- ISBN: 978-1-7357470-6-4
- No. of Pages: 109
- Index: Yes
- Table of Contents: Yes
- Binding: Perfect Bound, Soft Cover
- Last Update: 2024
- Volume Discounts: Yes, call to inquire
- Shipping Time: 2-5 Days
Price: $15.00
Please limit to 3 copies per order.
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About The Book
This collection of poetry is categorized in seven sections, Pain, Legacy, Spirituality, Black Experience, World View, Love, and Musings. Every section is preceded by artwork by the author. Every poem is a literary illustration of the pathos of its section. This is a powerful work
that every reader will experience and come to love.
About the Author
Linda Diana Franshun Callahan was sexually abused at the age of eight. She overcame this trauma by earning her Master’s degree to teach students with special needs. She let her poetry and drawings express her personal challenges as well as those she taught. She wanted to put her works in book format. However, health challenges and her death in 2021 prevented this desire. Yet, a cousin’s love for her has made Linda’s dream come to fruition.
Sample of the Poetry Contained in Touchings of the Heart:
SAMPLE OF POETRY
CASTLES
A child on the beach builds a castle
He presses and molds the grains, a wave rolls in
The child begins again rebuilding
Time and time again a wave destroys the new beginning
The child moves to higher grounds to begin anew.
I, too, mold castles—castles of feelings and emotions
I embrace love with passion, yet waves roll in
The thunderous roaring waves of the sea
Seem to be totally against me
I begin again, once more the grains are molded and shaped.
The new beginning becomes an ending that builds a
stronger love
The tides continue to roll in, yet every new beginning
takes me to a higher level that builds a stronger
and binding love.
JEWELS
A smile is the jewel of a human face
Tears are the jewels of the eyes
Stars are the jewels of the sky
Rain is a jewel to the earths soil
Snow is the jewel of winter
Flowers are the jewels of spring
Warmth is the jewel of summer
Colorful leaves are the jewels of fall
Success is the jewel of labor and toil
Salvation is a jewel to the sinner.
RAPPIN’ HISTORY
Chorus: We’re the Greater Seth Temple rappin’ crew,
We’re learning Black history to teach it to you,
So, listen closely, boys and girls,
And learn about the people who shaped our
world.
Our brothers and sisters down through the ages,
Are now a part of history’s pages.
Be proud of your past, in all you do,
Live so that others will be proud of you.
The Church of God in Christ was founded in 1897,
Charles Harrison Mason had a vision from
heaven.
He was a grassroots poor preacher who
walked from
Town to town, connecting people of all races
with a
Doctrine that was strong and sound. He and
Pastor
Charles Price Jones, preached with the power of
Fire and brimstone. They later joined forces
with
The powerful William J. Seymour, and now the
Church has in the millions soared.
I’m sure you’ve all heard of Dr. Charles Drew,
A physician and surgeon during World War II.
He started a bank that didn’t take cash,
He collected blood to give needed veins a blast.
So, if you need blood, he’s the one to thank
Dr. Charles Drew founder of the blood bank.
Madam C. J. Walker now that’s a known name,
Hair care was her claim to fame.
Combs and relaxers have helped our style,
Nappy hair is neat not buck wild.
She was the first Black female millionaire,
And all because she with hair.
Matthew Henson was his name,
Exploring and adventure was his game.
In 1909 he reached his goal,
When he sailed with Perry to the North Pole.
On top of the world there stood a Black man
With an American flag in his hand.
Harriet Tubman was a nurse and a cook,
Now, a prominent part of history books.
She was also a rebel slave,
And to her people freedom gave.
She ran a freedom train from state to state,
The “Underground Railroad” provided the gate.
George Washington Carver had a plan,
World-renowned as the peanut man.
He had so much talent to spread around,
He labored continuously with the ground.
Seventy-five patents for pecans alone,
And other inventions too numerous for this song.
Marian Anderson with her Contralto voice,
Was the Metropolitan Opera House’s first Black
voice.
Her sister in song Leontyn Price,
Lit up the MET when they sang so nice.
They studied hard and practiced long,
And filled the world with beautiful songs.
The gas mask was invented by a man named
Garrett,
Morgan was the surname that he inherited.
His fame started like a flash,
With the invention of trafic lights so cars
wouldn’t crash.
Now speaking of Robinson, Jackie that is,
When he played baseball he was a whiz.
He was the first Black man in a National
League Game,
He also made it to Baseball’s Hall of Fame.
Also, there’s Wilma Rudolph—she was our girl,
The greatest female runner in the world.
She won three Gold medals in the Olympic game,
Only one other woman can make that claim.
There was a man named Coleman Young,
And to Detroit new ideas he brung
The first Black mayor of the Motor City,
Handsome, strong, and brashly witty.
He was truly a man who shot from the hip,
Sometimes, his words stung like a whip.
He brought beauty ad pride to this place,
Making Detroit a city that the world can
embrace.
President Barack Obama, a man of integrity,
Tried to return America to peace and
prosperity.
With his ideas of “A New Era of Responsibiity,”
He achieved a pivotal place in history.
He also gave us “The Audacity of Hope,”
And to look at life through a periscope.
Greater Seth’s Pastor, Dr. Phillip R. Jackson,
Is a man of great integrity and God-lead action.
He tells the truth; he’s a Bible man,
He preaches the word throughout God’s Land.
He takes your soul to a spiritual high,
You soar beyond the earthly sky.
He encourages all to do their best,
And believe in God when you take a test.
Now, boys and girls of Greater Seth,
Learn your history and never forget.
Study hard and always do your best,
And you can master any test.
