NAPOWRIMO 5/30: 411

some of them
won't like you
will think you're less than
will never be interested
in who you are

they'll sneer at you
your efforts
nickname you Road Kill
whenever it seems like life
is mowing you down

they'll cackle
like bourgie hyenas
at your misfortune
behind your back
sometimes right in your face
with their volatile breath
close enough for you to spit in theirs
and you will
but only in your mind

won't offer assistance
cuz they want you to fail
wanna watch you tussle
for your life
like the freshly pummeled road kill
they see you as
from the front row
shoveling popcorn and Bon Bons
into their scummy mouths
during the show
pointing out all your faults
yelling at you from their seats
about your screw-ups
how incompetent you are
how they would handle things better
if they were in your shoes

and you'll wonder
why these hooligans exist
why they chose you
as their daily entertainment
why with them around
your life feels like
a horror movie

BUT ...

if viewed properly
they can be the key
to unlocking your beast mode
unleashing your unlimited potential
all the confidence you think you don't have
the strength you've been challenged to muster
they can help you reach a level of badass
you didn't know existed

so use them
they're your reflection
sending you a message
one that wouldn't show up
unless it applied to you

you're not road kill
inadequate
a failure
but if we're honest
sometimes you feel like it
and you attract what you feel
even when you don't realize you feel it

people show up
to show you
you
to teach you
things you didn't know
about your state of mind

pay attention

cuz none of what they say
would affect you
if you didn't think it were true
on some level

people don't "make" you feel insecure
you wake up like that

you're a trove
of unfinished business
that needs to be tackled
in order for you to shine

your whole game will change
when you finally realize
hooligans
are nothing but you
pushing you
to be brave enough
to dig into your darkness
find your light

and blind them


Copyright 2014
Charlene E. Green
From the upcoming poetry book You Betta WRITE!