DREAD: THE COUNTDOWN

How many more times
will I call your name: "Mommy,"
and get an answer?

Her Winning Life

Next to your fighting spirit
Your smile was the strongest part of you

The sprawl
Of your beam
Held a gallant celebration
Of life
Even amid your worries
When your mind
Played sad songs
And your body
Sometimes tried
To stop dancing

Though your frame was small
The prayer and perseverance
You constantly fueled it with
Made you a giant champion
And with that glowing smile
Lighting the path
Along your journey
You always saw a way
To tackle any obstacle
Trying to keep you
From the joyous life
You intended to live
And the people
Whose hearts you planned
To soften and heal
With its warmth

Although your visit
To this realm
Is now over
You left your smile behind
To remind us
That no matter what the road
We're traveling looks and feels like
No matter how many sad songs
May play as we travel
Or how often our bodies
Get low on spiritual fuel
Or even try to stop dancing altogether
If we too

Prioritize our grin

Use it to soften life’s blows

People’s hearts

And light the way

Along our own path

We will

At the end of our trip 

Have successfully guided ourselves

Into the next realm

As victors

Who loved

Inspired

And completed our mission 

With no regrets

 ©2019 Charlene E. Green
For Curita Harris-Harper

NaPoWriMo #1: OVERKILL (Haiku)

You don't have dimples.
That's cool, cuz your face has reached
its perfection max.

©2019 Charlene E. Green

YOU BETTA WRITE!

Happy New Year!! I hope you all had a safe and fun one! Let's get this year started "WRITE!"

Speaking of writing, my new poetry book, You Betta WRITE!, is coming out at the end of January! I'm so excited about this project because, in addition to my signature free verse, and my recently included haiku work, it will feature a new element of poetry that I haven't added to my books before now: Shakespearean sonnets!

I would love to have you all on board! Below is the order link; but first, here's the back-cover summary, so you can get a feel for the book's theme:

Adverse change in social climate often warrants a shift in tone when addressing it—one with a higher decibel than before. The level of anguish and overall chaos in our world has taken its toll on many. In You Betta WRITE!, Charlene E. Green gives readers a deeper, grittier poetic look at the challenges we've faced in recent years, using free verse, haiku, and sonnet to paint her picture of inspiration, justice, and resolution.

In "The Suffering," she boldly declares that we've "got hella PhDs in the suffering of others, but ... some of us still don't have a degree of comprehension about how to master our own." In "Accident Forgiveness," she shakes the abused awake by asking how many more "fist-on collisions with your face will it take for you to finally admit that this man is not accident prone, he is purposely reckless with your life?" "Curfew" is a heart-wrenching, parent-focused narrative about the more than 200 missing Nigerian girls, at the hands of Boko Haram. But since Charlene's work is never complete without the inclusion of wit, love, and fantasy, you can be assured of just the right amount of gentle to balance out her firm voice.

You Betta WRITE! is for the grown and mature, and for those whose lives are ready for a deep cleaning, upgraded perspective, and new direction.

For those of you who haven't read or heard any of my work, I invite you to check out my blog a little further; many of the poems that will be in the book are housed here (but will come down shortly after the book's release), so you can get a glimpse into the project.

If you'd like to put in an order, here is the link: You Betta WRITE!

Thank you for your time and support! I look forward to delivering to you a project that you'll be inclined to read again and again, and to share with others!

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH, DAY FIVE, NUMBER TWO

ACCIDENT FORGIVENESS

How many more
Fender-benders to your feelings
Sideswipes to your ribs
Rear-ends to the back of your head
And fist-on collisions
With your face
Will it take
For you to finally admit
That this man
Is not accident-prone
He is purposely reckless
With your life?

Don't wait for him to stop
Make your move
When he pauses between hits
Eject yourself from his joyride
And find a safe companion
To travel with
On your journey to love
Before riding with him
Makes you a casualty

©2018 Charlene E. Green
www.hustledivaspeaks.com

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH, DAY FOUR

(After Ollie Woods's day-three poem "Free Write for Queendom")

BLACK LITERATURE 

You're my favorite free verse
Been studyin' you my whole life
Amazed at your levels of fortitude
How you wield your brilliant mind
Over so many matters
Ones that have killed others
But only made you stronger

Been watchin' you work that secret ingredient
In your DNA
Making you phoenix
Hugely sought
Flavor and favor unlimited
They all want it
But it can't be bought
You're no longer being sold
You're a free verse
Striding uninhibited through life
Sporting your melanin
Like the finest African couture
Telling the kinds of stories you want
With the endings you deserve
Baptizing souls with your zest
Stardust, they should call you
Cuz their systems call for you
Cry and reach for you
Yet they can never get high enough
To reach your heights
Can't get your potent effect
Anywhere else

Neither can I

Your embrace
Organic
Robust and consoling
Pure in its intention
To showcase love
Your gentle graze a light sweetener
Your aroma arousing my senses
Your steady breaths
A mood elixir
I wanna savor
So my pores sip your clutch slowly
Consume all your medicinal properties
Make sure my spirit is quenched and healed
Before you're gone

Your laugh
A djembe rhythm
Pulsating in your throat
Powered by generations of triumph
Ancestors Zulu dancing
In your belly
Stomping out your stress
Making your roar
That much more vibrant
Your joy contagious

Your smile
An eighth-grade dance
Filled with mystery
Mischief
Chance
Serving me all the feels
Giggles and butterflies
Baiting me
Luring me closer
Urging me to relax in your space
Your eyes
Strobe-lighting my path
Inviting me to engage
In your lively offerings
And enjoy my stay

I accept

You're my favorite free verse:
Uncensored
Unpredictable
Perfectly unstructured
With a message of omnipotence
Made clear

©2018 Charlene E. Green
You Betta WRITE!

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH, DAY THREE

THWART

Always bring love to
a hate fight; shift bitter hearts
with spite Kryptonite

©2018 Charlene E. Green

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH, DAY TWO

SURROGATE

Nourish your heart via
mine; feed on its beats when yours
needs strength to push through

©2018 Charlene E. Green

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH, DAY ONE

GARDEN

Scorned my growth process,
now wanna reap my beauty
and favor? DENIED!

©2018 Charlene E. Green

TIME CHANGE—HAIKU

Spring forward from their
dark views, spite. Slay, prolong your
light. Make them fall back.

©2018 Charlene E. Green
from my upcoming book
You Betta WRITE!

THANK YOU! MORE, PLEASE!

Asking for more of something isn't a sign of being ungrateful; it's a sign that you liked it, that it felt good, brought you joy, enhanced your life and/or someone else's, and you want more of it so you can continue experiencing those great effects. You can be grateful for what you have and still ask for more. There is nothing wrong with asking for more—a whole lot more—of what you already have, just had, or maybe haven't even experienced yet (in which case you would ask for the initial experience).

When you enjoy (or need) something, asking for more is a natural response. When you're a guest at someone's home and they feed you really awesome food, and you want more, you politely ask for it. It's a compliment of sorts. It says, "Hey, you really did the damn thang with that food, and I enjoyed it so much that I'd like to do it all over again." People generally like it when you express that something they have given you was not only appreciated but also that more of it is desired, if possible. The universe is like a big "all you want" buffet, where there's no limit to what you can have. You're a guest here, and if you need or want something, all you have to do is ask.

Settler's Gratitude is when you're playing small, not confidently and passionately asking for [more of] the things you need and enjoy (things you know deep down that you deserve). It's equivalent to quietly accepting an unfulfilling relationship, being meekly grateful for the [inconsistent] times your mate actually treats you the way you want, and hoping that one day, if you're grateful enough for "the little things," the person will kick that good treatment into overdrive. Because you're afraid of being an ingrate, afraid that asking for more is tantamount to balking at your [lovely but inadequate] blessing, you lack the courage to assert yourself in said relationship and make it clear that being treated well "sometimes" isn't acceptable, that you enjoy and deserve being treated right all the time. If, when frustrated enough, you do try to assert yourself and pursue your ideal relationship, you do it while feeling apologetic and guilty. Part of you is like, "This isn't working for me; I deserve, need, and want more"; the other part of you is like, "Dang! How ungrateful are you right now? Think about that good thing your boo just did for you last month! It was so special, and now look atcha! You can't be content with and focus on that goodness, that blessing; you just gotta be negative by thinking about how this isn't enough and how you want it to be like that all the time. See, that's what's wrong with you; that's why you can't get ahead in this relationship. You just refuse to be happy with what you have. Ole ingrate."

No matter what disheartening drivel your ego tries to get you to believe, the fact is this: you deserve the buffet of wonderful treatment and perks in your relationship, and in all of your life's scenarios.

Now, don't get it twisted: gratitude is always crucial, and it's a major key to getting ahead in life quickly. Gratitude is encouraged to be in the front seat during your journey, and you're urged to employ it daily. As a matter of fact, the truly courteous thing to do before you ask for more of something is to say thank you for what you were given or experienced. If you wanna uplevel your request game, you can say, "Thank you [Universe/God]! I enjoyed that! I'd love an unlimited supply, please!" And you know how sometimes when you're asking someone for something, and at the end of your request you say, "Thank you, in advance"? You can do that with your source, too. "Universe/God, I need/would like XYZ. Thank you in advance." I know these options may seem extra'd out or silly, but remember that the idea is to help you learn how to confidently do two things simultaneously: be grateful while requesting more because you comfortably acknowledge that more is not wrong, especially when it's necessary to function at full capacity in life. Some people have no problems aggressively asserting themselves in pursuit of more when something's not enough. Good for them. Maybe that's not you, though—but you need to get better at your asking so you can advance in life, so, hey, maybe you have to start off being a lot more diplomatic than the veteran guilt-free asker. The point is to finally feel good about your request, to not feel like you have no right to be asking. If you have to pretty-up the language a bit in the beginning, then so be it.

You can totally go about getting more while being grateful and courteous.

Another important aspect of this concept is that it's important to keep asking for more (in life) when your whole need or desire isn't met. Nobody but you can properly assess when your needs and desires have been fully met in your various scenarios. If they're not, then yes, give thanks for all the parts that are, the steps that are leading to the full fruition of your needs and desires, but definitely continue to pursue the rest. It's your job to make sure your best interests are tended to, so don't apologize for doing so, and don't let people make you think you shouldn't be asking for more or better for yourself. What you want or need for you is none of their business.

Now here's the hard part: Not asking for what you need and want is a sign of low self-esteem. Huh? How, Sway? Because encompassed in self-esteem (which equates to self-respect) is self-care, your depth of it, and how you feel about engaging in it. Self-care involves doing and pursuing all the things that are in your best interest—confidently, not timidly or halfheartedly. Any time you're struggling to do what's best for you, it means your self-care meter is out of whack. You are really the only person who can spearhead taking care of yourself properly (unless you're having a medical emergency in which you're unconscious and need medical professionals to decide your best interest for you). You're in charge of making sure to initiate and follow through with your pursuit of happiness. If some part of doing that makes you uncomfortable, it's time to dig deep and ask yourself why. Because you have every right to be happy in this life. Going after it, asking for it, and feeling good about making moves toward it, isn't intended to morph into an emotional crisis (which subsequently blocks your advancement). If you're not passionately and unapologetically compelled to pursue the peace of mind and overall life you want, then what's an even more painful pill to swallow is the fact that you'll be hard pressed to acquire the [full] outside support you need to get there, because what you get from your environment is a direct match to what's going on inside of you.

Getting yours begins with your having a high level of determination to do so. Look around you. What do you have that you enjoy, love, appreciate, and desire more of? What in your life makes you feel your best, feel at peace, feel confident, and helps you feel like you're adding value to the world? Whatever those things are, I encourage and invite you to practice expressing your appreciation for them, and then having the chutzpah to ask for more—as much as you think you'd like, that will allow you to keep that smile on your face and that contentment in your heart. You deserve it. Every day.

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!

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