From Small to Tall

By Christina T. McGriff

A book of poems with practical, inspirational, educational, and spiritual tips on how to navigate one's most significant journey of transitioning from a child to a responsible adult.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ReadersMagnet LLC
• Release date: Dec 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798890913326

Christina T. McGriff

Christina T. McGriff enjoy writing poems and accepted the commitment to document and compile a series of poems focusing on the 2020 global pandemic and its unprecedented, unchartered times with challenges that the world experienced with patience and instructions to get through the deadly virus alive.

Book preview

FRONT.jpg

This e-book has been given to you by the author and publisher solely for your own personal use. This e-book may not in any manner be made accessible to the general public. Infringing on someone else’s copyright is illegal.

Please contact the publisher at www.readersmagnet.com if you think the copy of this e-book you are reading violates the author’s copyright.

From Small to Tall

Copyright © 2023 by Christina McGriff

Published in the United States of America

Library of Congress number: 2023922386

ISBN Paperback: 979-8-89091-331-9

ISBN eBook: 979-8-89091-332-6

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of ReadersMagnet, LLC.

ReadersMagnet, LLC

10620 Treena Street, Suite 230 | San Diego, California, 92131 USA

1.619. 354. 2643 | www.readersmagnet.com

Book design copyright © 2023 by ReadersMagnet, LLC. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Christina E. Trezevant McGriff

Interior design by Don De Guzman

Contents

INTRODUCTION

DEDICATION

SMALL

ABC

ACTIVE SHOOTER

AGING

AM

AMIR

ANCESTORS

A NICKLE OR A DIME

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE

AVOIDABLE

BAD DAY AT SCHOOL

BEST IS BETTER

BREAKING BREAD

BULLYING

CAMERA, ACTION!

CARPE DIEM (Seize the moment!)

CEO

CHASING

CHECKING IT TWICE

CHORES

COLLEGE

COLORS

COMMUNICATION OVERLOAD

COUPONS ANYONE

CRITIC IN YOU

DECISIONS

DONE

DREAMS

DRIVING

ENTITLEMENT

EXPECTATIONS

FATHER TIME

FIRST YEARS OF SCHOOL

FLY

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

FORGIVENESS

GO ALONG

GRADUATIONS

HEAT

INFLUENCES

INSPIRATIONS

KARMA

LITTLE ROCKS

LITTLE STINGLESS BEE

LITTLE TYKE

MANIPULATION

MASK

MISTAKES

MOM AND DAD

NUMBERS

PEOPLE

PHOENIX

PLACES

PLANETS

PLAYTIME

PLEASE AND THANK YOU

RAINBOWS

READING

REASON FOR THE SEASON

REST

ROBOTICS

ROUTINE

SAY SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING

SEASONS

SHARING IS CARING

SING A SONG

SMILE

SNOWFLAKES

SPRING

STILL BUZZING

STINKIN’ THINKIN’

SUMMER

SUPER KID

THREADS

TRUST

TWO, FOUR, SIX

WAITING

WAR ON DRUGS

WHAT TO DO

WEBBING

WEEKENDS

WHAT IF

WHEN YOU FEEL

WRITE IT DOWN

WRONG TURNS I

WRONG TURNS II

YOU ARE NOT ALONE (The Force)

TALL

ANXIOUS

AS-IS

BALANCE

BECAUSE

CHEERS

CONNECTIONS

CULTURE

DIAMONDS

DO YOUR THING

DREAMS

DREAM CATCHER

DRUGS, RAP, AND ROLL

ELEVATE

FALL

FOBO IN YOU

FRIENDSHIPS

GET HOME SAFE

GET YOUR MILLION

GOVERNING

GREATNESS

GROWING

HUMANITY

IF ALL THINGS WERE EQUAL

INSANITY

JUST SUPPOSE

KIND of SORT of

LIGHT

LIMITATIONS

LOUD CHATTER

MEMORIES

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

MORNING MERCIES

NEW DAY

NO MEANS NO!

NO NEW NORMAL

NOT THE ENEMY

NOW AND LATER (The Now)

NOW AND LATER (The later)

ONE DAY, ONE THING

PARENTING

PAST

POSSIBILITIES

PRAYERFULLY

SAGE

SHIFTING

STEP IT UP

SUM TOTAL

TAKE A LEAP, MAKE A SPLASH!

TALKERS

TIMING

TRADITIONS

UNITED WE FALL

UNITED STATES OF MONEY

VACATIONS

VILLAGE

VIOLATION

WE NEED YOUR VOICE

WHAT TO DO

WINTER

WORK IT OUT

WORRY

YOU

YOUR-DASH

YOUR LOVE

PROMOTIONAL

INTRODUCTION

This book was inspired by the births of my two much-loved

grandsons and my visionary Dad, who challenged me to compile

and publish my poems.

Christina Trezevant McGriff presents

FROM SMALL TO TALL

A book of poems with practical, inspirational, educational, and

spiritual tips on how to navigate ones’ most significant journey of

transitioning from a child to an adult.

I enjoy writing poems, and I accepted the commitment to write and

compile a series of poems focusing on the journey of growing up

from a small tyke to a tall adult. Hopefully, others can benefit,

share, and understand that they are not alone in the process. This effort of love has taken five years on and off to complete. If you

have an interest, write down your ideas, pursue, and persevere with

the fortitude to have the extreme gratification of saying done!

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my mother and father

Mildred Maith Trezevant (deceased)

Walter Seniar Trezevant (deceased)

Brothers: Walter Jr, Jerry (deceased), David, and Bill (deceased)

Sisters: Valerie, Elizabeth (Birdie) and Danielle

My children: Michael Troy McGriff and Miya McGriff-Lee,

Their father Michael J. McGriff (deceased) and son-in-law James A. Lee III

Their paternal loving grandparents Sheila and James Lee, II.

A heartfelt dedication to my two much-loved grandsons Phoenix James Lee (10 years old) and Amir Michael Lee (5 years old) and a host of family members and friends

PART ONE

SMALL

ABC

A is arrival into this phenomenal world

B is for bring it a boy or a girl

C is for the constant caring about life

D is for your duties beyond the strife

E is for the excellence achieved every day

F is for finished cemented like clay

G is the great theatrical style we present

H is for Hello stand tall and not bent

I is for an individual you will grow to be

J is for the fresh jasmine fragrance in trees

K is for the kindness given and received back

L is for love that is tenderly packed

M is for money used to buy and sell

N is for negotiations to confirmed then tell

O is opportunities that come your way

P is the pause when reflecting each day

Q is for the quirkiness we all have some

R is for rest needed to get things done

S is for simplicity concise and clear

T is for talk it out understanding is near

U is for unity together with like minds

V is for victory of the hard work that shines

W is for the wisdom of arguing waste time

X marks the spot where you want it to be

Y is for yielding to what you want and see

Z is for the zeal that carries the keys

ACTIVE SHOOTER

(Inspired by Homeland Security Reference Guide)

An active shooter will kill in a confined site

Victims are random, frightened, and take flight

The event is surprising and evolves extremely fast

We need to be prepared, be safe, to last

Last through an utterly horrible day

Gun laws need adjusting the people still say

You have three options; you pick the best

Run, Hide, Fight This is Not a Test

Run:

Help others if victims are nearby insight

Keep hands visible avoid mistakes on your plight

If you have planned a safe getaway path

Attempt it alone don’t delay, don’t ask

Hide:

In an area outside the shooters’ view

Leave no clues, leave no clues, leave no clues

Lock doors, access windows, silence your cell

The goal is to avoid any situation that tells

Fight:

As a last resort when in danger for your life

Improvise your weapons be forceful and fight

Throw items whatever needed to bring him down

Commit to your actions and use anything around

Be mindful that authorities were already called

Assistance is in route to safely handle all

Adrenaline will rush and survival kicks in

Think safety, survival, think focused to win

Hands visible until the law allows down

No questions now