THE CHORI-MAN CAN

The Chori-Man
has a fool-proof plan
to reel 'em in—
as many as he can
with unique specials
only he can create
and sizes so hearty
you can't resist the bait

It's for those who are aware
and those who are not
of how chorizo
made with love
will hit the spot
cure your hunger pangs
satisfy your craving
and before the meal is done
you'll surely be raving

He cares about how
your taste buds feel
wants your stomach so happy
it makes you dance and squeal
then run around town
loudly spreading the news
about how The Chori-Man's recipes
squashed your chow-time blues

Think you won't like it?
Think again!
The Chori-Man's flavor game
will make you scream "AMEN!"

Hard to impress?
No problem and here's why:
this guy has confidence
in every reply
has the perfect feast remedy
for Ms. Picky
and Mr. Side-Eye
with a sales pitch so convincing
you'll be excited to try
all the things you swear
you don't like and don't eat
but he'll win you over so hard
you'll be back for a repeat

So come on in
and bring your big appetite
for down-home Mexican food
that will thrill and delight
with warm greetings
from the staff
smiles full and bright
here to serve you the best eats
from morning till night

And get yourself ready
to become a huge fan
'cause when the others can't deliver
THE CHORI-MAN CAN!

©2017 Charlene E. Green
Special Order for
The Chori-Man Mexican Restaurant
San Pedro, CA

Visit www.hustledivaspeaks.com for more about me and my work!

INAUDIBLE

Love self out loud like
parade: joy and high volume
drown out disruptors

©2017 Charlene E. Green
from my upcoming poetry book
You Betta Write!

TOMORROW, AGAIN

Today
I will remind myself
of why I made myself
forget about you
in the first place

I will break out
the mental Sticky Notes
with the sobering cons about us—
not the pros—
scribbled across them
in my tear-stain ink
customized
just for "those moments"
the ones where I was
drowning in my ocean of reconsideration
trying to wrestle myself to safety
chunks of my heart
hurtling from my chest
sinking to the bottom
and there I was
again
for like the 89th time
making an executive decision
about whether
I should gather my breath
and swim after them
or stay focused on
making it to shore
let them float on down
in all of their shatter
with your indelible, guilty fingerprints
splashed across them
and see how long I could survive on land
with a vacancy sign
hanging from my abandoned cavity
and no thump
anywhere in sight

I will
call myself
into the office
to have The Talk
again
huff as I offer myself a seat
furrowed brow
eyes full of fed-up
and tenderness
objection seeping from my lips
in seven languages
pause as I take in my reflection
feel sorry for its naivete
shake my head woefully
at the morsel of pitiful hope
dancing in the tiny cup
it has brought to the meeting—
but know that I must be firm—
this is no time for leniency
to get bamboozled by my excuses—
we passed verbal warnings
a long time ago
this
is the final write-up

Recent musings
have led me to the most egregious territory:
serious misconduct
offense: self-destruction

blatant disregard
for the years of hard work
I've put into my arrival
at my personal best
when it comes to you

slow reflexes in my attentiveness
to the rapid unraveling
of the threads of love I used
to stitch up my spirit

a nose-dive right back into
the war with myself over you
that it took me so long to finally win

But since I got my back
and I've proven before
that I can do the job
that I can be about that life
my life
without you in it
I know
I will  redeem myself

So in good faith
and...
because I can't resist
the look of sincerity staring back at me
I'll let myself carry on with my day—
but caution myself
that if I don't see significant improvement
I'll have to revisit this conversation
with myself

tomorrow
again

©2017 Charlene E. Green
from my upcoming book
You Betta Write!

KNOWLEDGE

whatchu know 'bout not knowin'
when everybody else does

whatchu know 'bout how that feel

whatchu know 'bout wakin' up every mornin'
question marks creepin' thru yo' psyche
'boutcho journey
'bout where the support
from people who said they would
ignored you when you asked
when of the next pay
'bout
perseverance for breakfast, lunch, dinner
disappointment for a midnight snack

whatchu know 'bout that bein' the only meal you got sometimes

whatchu know 'bout a dozen cracks in yo' faith
'bout tryna glue 'em up wit' smiles 'n' hope
'bout tears that sneak up on you
when you tryna push thru
tryna hold on to yo' sanity
tryna enjoy the day
make it be the one you can finally write home about
sneak up and snatch the light
right outcho eyes
make it so you cain't see the one
at the end of the tunnel
make yo' soul slip, fall, 'n' shatter
in the river that slides off yo' face

tell me whatchu know

'bout this bag o' fuck-its
that keeps gittin' bigger
growin' heavier by the week
so many that they pokin' holes in it
fallin' out
and into yo' attitude some days
'bout walkin' 'round feelin' like
a tsunami
on a sunny, 90-degree day
like a 10-car pileup
too convoluted to free yo'self from

whatchu think you know
huh?

you don't know like I know
'bout purpose
passion
sacrifice
'bout trustin' destiny
'bout loyalty to yo' spirit
to yo' craft
'bout the repo man
'bout eviction
'bout stand-alone spirit
in the midst of side-eyes
and critical commentary
'bout rememberin' whatchu had
wonderin' if all this
is worth losin' it for

you don't know

you don't know a damn thang
'bout this

you don't know 'bout
the power of purpose
kinda hold it has on you
how it make yo' spirit swoon and sway
every time you think about it
breathe new life into you
whenever you touch it
whenever you bless people with it
how all you wanna do is be up under it
all day
at all costs
like a new lover
gotchu whipped
you are
its bitch
in the most gratifying way
hell yeah you take orders
gladly
jump high as it wants
giggle like a silly, lovesick child
when you do

this purpose

nothin' else matters when you in it
distractions have you salty
cuz the sensation it gives you is the sweetest
greatest joy you ever feel
joy that cain't nobody take from you
this that DNA crack
leave you wit' that healthy high
all-natural drug
you came from the womb wit'
runnin' thru yo' bloodstream
narcotic that give you all yo' act-right
yo' greatest shine
finest temperament
the only drug to cure
what ails you
cain't nothin' but death
keep you from it
ain't no pain
no stress
no obstruction
wicked enough
to derail that train

that train go
regardless

ain't no escapin' this thang
ain't no
walkin' away
cuz you frustrated
cuz the road bumpier
than a 5-mile construction zone

where you think you goin'
where you runnin' to

you think you 'bout ta
dodge heredity
that ain't how this works
you cain't leave

how you leave yo'self
where they do that at

this thang
is home
emotional security
comfort food
extra helpings of dessert
shelter from cerebral storms
even when
it is the storm
even when it's disorder
and spilled milk
oh you can cry—
gone 'head 'n' cry
over that milk
but I betchu clean it
right on up
git right on back
to task

cuz
you here
with this purpose
conjoined
thru all yo' numbered days
to let it serve you
so you can serve it to the world
wit' all the bells 'n' whistles
it lets you create
till all who need it from you
get it
till you get
called home

now
tell me whatchu think you know
'bout this double-edged sword
this purpose
all up in you
thatchu cain't undo

whatchu know
'bout that daily keep-on
'bout the strength it takes
the balls you gotta grow
the spiritual judo you need ta know
to overthrow the devil
on this path every day
so you can deliver these goods
to the people
for the people
for yo'self
to leave yo' mark
convenience these lives
heal these hearts
soothe these minds

and show up
every time
lookin' like
you never
even
broke a sweat

nah
you don't know

you don't know a damn thang
'bout this

©2017 Charlene E. Green

SPECIAL DEAL FOR THE MONTH OF MAY!

I was reminiscing about how much fun it was to write my two novels, One Man's Treasure & And They'll Come Home (the latter was the most fun I've EVER had writing, by the way). I enjoyed the writing process for all of my books, but the novels were SO FUN!! I was thoroughly entertained by the memories, and then I thought, "Man! Everyone who wants to write a book should experience this!" And then I thought about all of YOU out there who WANT to do it but are on the fence, for whatever reason, or you've started it and are stuck, and how unfortunate that is, because when you publish a book, no matter what kind ... it just changes you, spiritually. And when people enjoy and leave great reviews about that book, or those books, you go deeper into that place (NOT the "sunken place" either!); you feel so amazing!

Then I had an inspired-thought moment about how I could spur all of you on—those of you who need to get off the fence and WRITE THAT BOOK. And it came to me. So this is what I'm gonna do. Y'all ready?

For the rest of this month, I'm gonna have a Creative Consultation Special called "May I Help You Write Your Book?" Get it? Cuz it's May, and ... yeah ... you get it. Anyway, here's how it goes: I'm offering 30-minute Creative Consultations for the price of whatever day you actually DO the consultation. A 30-minute consult is normally $75. Today is the 19th. If you sign up and do the consult TODAY, you pay $19. If you sign up to do it tomorrow, you'll pay $20. Sign up to do it on Saturday, pay $21 ... on and on through the 31st.

If you're really serious about getting your project done, then I can help you. Do you want help? Do you wanna see your words in print and share them with the world? This kind of offer probably won't happen again anytime soon (and I've never done it before), so now is the time to take me up on it. After the 31st, it's over.

Whoever is ready, contact me HERE. ONLY if you're serious, though.

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH 1/30: JEOPARDY HAIKU: DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR FOR $1000

"Beat, smash, pound, bang, hit—"
"What is: No love from men for
women's vaginas!"

©2017 Charlene E. Green

RENDEZVOUS

Let's meet
At our spot
The one with our initials
Already carved
Into the Universe's memory

It won't forget
That we belong together
No matter how long
It takes us to arrive

And we'll show up
Fueled with esteem
Complete sentences
Ready to punctuate each other
To clarify that we
Are the appropriate marks
To leave on each others' lives

Just the right emphasis
That our hearts need
To sing in eclectic keys
Notes that only we'll be able to hit
Belt the words to our song
In a language we'll create
As our journey unfolds
And we learn our respective
Lyrics
And rhythms
Learn how to hum each other gently
Through the rough days
Back to a peaceful melody
Commemorate the good days
Remix and rewrite them
Into extended versions—
The best versions
Of ourselves—
Playing in the background
Of our union
At all times
So we'll never forget
Who we really are
To remind us that we're
Always more high quality
Than unmastered

So when one of us
Skips a beat
And the other
Botches the bridge
All we'll have to do
Is pause
Tune in to each other
Return to the hook
Together
And let it guide us back
To singing in harmony

So I'll meet you there
No directions needed
The Universe is our DJ
And will lead us
To our sacred space
In the middle
Of the dance floor
Right on cue

©2017 Charlene E. Green
from my book You Betta Write!