Red Velvet

My friend and former teaching colleague from many years ago in Baguio, Jo-Ann M. (now based in Thailand), sent me--- not a cupcake, but a little tube of lipstick called "Red Velvet".

I got it in the mail today with a note that read, "Every girl should have a red lipstick! Hope it suits you!"

This is for you, Jo-Ann. Thank you for this little bit of mojo, and the caveat that goes along with it, about how not to underestimate its power :)

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And for those of you who may have been following my poem-a-day series (since November 20, 2010) at Dave Bonta's Via Negativa site, I want to share a link to a video poem (on both YouTube and Vimeo) that Dave created based on my poem "Reprieve". I hope you enjoy it.