JUST FOR YOU: MY WISH FOR WOMANKIND

HAIKU: "COMPETITION"

Woman, love self like
none can match yours, and watch as
folks try to rival

How often do you really "do you"? When's the last time you said no when that's what you meant; put make-up on—or not—because you wanted to, not to please someone else; dressed or wore your hair the way you prefer, not how your spouse or lover prefers; gave your body the rest it needs; took yourself on your ideal date; did nothing but what you wanted all day, for one day? When's the last time you asked yourself what you need or want, and thought about providing it for yourself? Have you ever asked?

As queens of sacrifice, particularly mothers, you're wired to nurture others first; but it's healthy to seek ways to provide for others in conjunction with nurturing yourself.  Some may take issue with this, possibly people you know and love. When you've evolved, only those who are a match to your level of evolution can function properly in your space. The rest will tend to keep their distance because they don't know how. You'll receive what you know you're worth. If people can't meet the terms of your upgraded mindset, then they'll either drop completely off, or they'll only interact with you in ways they feel comfortable. It may hurt, but let it be okay. Maybe they'll catch up one day, maybe not. In the meantime, you've made room for the kinds of visitors that'll go out of their way to match your requirements. You deserve that.

I lovingly challenge you to make it your daily goal to give yourself as much of what you need for your peace of mind as possible; all things such as children, family, and jobs considered, where some level of compromise may be necessary. The mere commitment to consider your needs daily is the shift of energy needed to make way for your fulfillment. Every effort to "get yours" counts. If you're never or hardly ever attempting to live your ideal life, then you'll always be waiting for others to provide love, attentiveness, and approval for you.

Life isn't meant to be a waiting game. Wait for no one to love you properly. Figure out how to love yourself the way you want, on your time, your terms. You'll be amazed at how people will be willing to match the respect you have for yourself. You'll be so content with what you give yourself that you won't have time for or interest in worrying about who else is or isn't on board with loving you right.

Ladies, I challenge you to find the courage to live just for you, whenever possible. I encourage you to start a competition with yourself—to experiment with how much you can increase your own self-love and self-esteem each day. Have fun with your self-care; plan it; commit to it; deepen it. Be excited every day to wake up to the privilege of being in your own company. Be so adamant about your well-being that you absolutely refuse to allow into your life those who aren't bringing your caliber of love to the table. Set the standard. Raise the bar high. Be choosy. Choose you. I dare you to make these bold moves. Then, I dare you to feel great about yourselves and love the subsequent results.

http://www.honorthespirit.com

MY APOLOGIES TO THE WAR HEROINES

*Inspired by the last line of Mahogany Browne's poem "Working Title": I'm so afraid to have a son.

Dear [Black] Mothers,


I will now
refer to you as
Warrior
since you're at war
with your faith
in peaceful days
cuz you birthed black boys

I'm sorry
every time your black sons
walk out the door
you picture mine-filled streets
ensnaring them
bombs donned in blue
with loose triggers
suspect intentions
precise aim

you dread their steps
knowing it doesn't matter
how lightly they tread:
their existence
is the only weight needed
to split the thin ice
they're skating on

I'm sorry your hearts
are too fragile
for simple good-byes
see you laters
be right backs

I'm sorry they're no longer simple

they sound like lies
your sons have no clue
they're telling

fear pillages your heartbeats
dines on your breaths
siphons the hope from your soul
when you hear them

I'm sorry
that in your world
sending them to the store
is synonymous with sending them
to their grave

you weep
pray
second guess
before saddling them
with that lethal task
cuz these days
they're more likely to survive
a freeway pileup
than the trip there and back

I'm sorry you wake up every day
choking on the stench of fatality
the knowledge that your sons
no longer have to be incarcerated
to incur a death sentence
that their melanin
is the revised definition
of "dead man walking"

I'm sorry your love
will never be
big enough
strong enough
mother enough
to protect your sons
from blue-clad bombs
explosive-teemed clips
excuses
tales
jurors
and the rigged system

I'm sorry
there's a war on your sons
you haven't been prepped
to defeat

©2014
Charlene E. Green

Hear Mahogany's poem here: http://youtu.be/ygWnVzFbrN0?list=UU5DH3eN81b0RGJ7Xj3fsjVg

Sonnet #7 for February

CARDIOLOGY

Normally I’d say don’t play with my heart

But I’m convinced that you deserve a pass

You came with special tactics from the start

Your type of game is amusement in mass

When you gaze at me in that sexy way

My heart dances to a jovial beat

Comedy you bring tickles it all day

Making my cares finally take back seat

Your hands envelop me and my heart skips

Like a buoyant child on schoolyard playground

Each time you smile it does cartwheels and flips

This frolicsome love is mighty profound

You in my life is like lifelong recess

My ticker’s free of drama and distress

Copyright 2014

Charlene E. Green

Sonnet #3 for February

NO OFFENSE

You’re cool to be with but my bestie is

Someone I know I cannot live without

Whenever needed, she’s there in a whiz

My number one fan that I'm proud to tout

There was a time when I did not know her

Like I do now because I would only

Rely on others by thinking they were

The best cure for moments I was lonely

Soon our lives changed and they were not around

And I noticed she was still by my side

Solid as rock with devotion abound

I realized then she would not be denied

There’s nobody better; now I can see

The friend who has all that I need is me

Copyright 2014

Charlene E. Green

Sonnet #2 for February

MAMA KNEW

The stress of her world is almost too much

Day after day she fights feelings of shame

She planned a life that she almost could touch

Now things are ruined and won’t be the same

                     

At first the pressure wasn’t very strong

Seemed as if it was all under control

He showed his true colors before too long

Suddenly he was always on patrol

She and the kids can barely make a move

Without his questions and suspicious craze

Feels like she always has something to prove

It's been a nightmare getting through the days

If she had acted on mama’s advice

Maybe she wouldn’t be paying this price

Copyright 2014

Charlene E. Green

MISINFORMED (IF THE SHOE FITS)

                                               

I guess you thought

That after we were done

My world would fall apart

Crumple to little pieces

Like, like...

You know like

When an earthquake hits

And the ground breaks

And buildings, they separate

Then come tumbling down?

Yeah, like that...

But somebody dun told you wrong...

See, I just wanna

Set the record straight

So you can tell the story

The way it’s supposed to be told

Not with your own twists ‘n’ turns

Embellishments and enhancements

Tryna puff yourself up

And deflate me in the process

The real story goes like this:

I knew I was in too deep

Real early on and was gon' hafta

Back that thang up...

And out the door...

Right around the time

You started treating me like

Some old hand-me-down trinket

Or better yet

Like that old, dusty pair of shoes—

You know—the ones waaaayy

In the back of your closet—

The ones you only

Pay attention to every blue moon

‘Cause you got fifty-'leven

Other pairs of shoes that are

So much more important...

Yeah, like that...

And I guess you thought

Just because I loved you

And I really did want us to work

That I was gonna let you keep

Shoving me in the back of the closet

Allowing dust to collect on all my good love

While day after day

You chose other shoes over me

But somebody dun told you wrong...

‘Cause while you traipsed around town

With your feet in all those other shoes

That didn’t even fit you right

That gave me time to breathe—

To air out, so to speak—

You know, like neglected shoes

Have time to do when

They’ve been cast aside—

And I started makin’ plans to

E’hem...git ta steppin’...

To another closet...

Where I would no longer be

The old, forgotten and mistreated shoes

But instead I’d be ... 

The all-purpose shoes

You know the all-purpose shoes—

The ones you love so much that

No matter how many other pairs you have

You just can’t seem

To keep your feet out of ‘em…

Yeah, like that...

And I guess you mighta

Got beside yourself...

Started thinkin’ you were cute

And thought that no other feet

Could replace yours

But somebody dun told you wrong...

‘Cause what had happened was:

One day while you were out

Wearing down the soles

On one of those other

Unfortunate pairs of shoes

I got up, blew the cobwebs off me

Laced myself up nice ‘n’ tight

And eeeeased on down

The Yellow Brick Road

And what I found

When I got to the end

Was more love, respect

Admiration, honesty

And special treatment

Than I ever knew existed—

And you know what

The best part was?

There were no other

Shoes there but me

So I know once you realized

I was long gone

And what you had lost

You kicked yourself real hard

And then, not understanding

That whole concept of appreciating

And nurturing 

The exceptional relationship you have

'Cause you rarely find true love

More than once in a lifetime

You thought you could just

Run out right quick

And find all that you had in me

At the drop of a hat

But somebody dun told you wrong...

‘Cause when you got out there

In that vast sea of shoes…OOPS!

Surprise, surprise…

You couldn’t find the right size

There were none out there

That fit you as perfectly as I did

And there you stood...

Barefoot and outta luck...

While I was off

With my new boo

Gettin' shined and polished and buffed

On a regular basis...

And lovin’ every step

Those new feet and I took together...

Yeah, like that…

I know you thought that in time

You’d be okay without me

‘Cause you had all those other shoes

Lined up waiting to be the new me

But guess what?

Somebody dun told you wrong…

You’ve been misinformed

Copyright 2008

Charlene E. Green

From Me to You ... Through Mine Eyes: Visual Expressions
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