NAPOWRIMO 10/30 (HAIKU): MORNING

Wake me with fresh-squeezed
hope flowing from my pores to
water my faith drought

Copyright 2014
Charlene E. Green

NAPOWRIMO 9/30 (HAIKU): RESTORATION

You are hurricane
powered to reset balance;
cyclone yourself new

Copyright 2014
Charlene E. Green

NAPOWRIMO 8/30 (HAIKU): PLACES, EVERYONE

Fine to admire
folks, but make room for yourself
on the pedestal

Copyright 2014
Charlene E. Green

NAPOWRIMO 7/30 (HAIKU): DEFLATE

They probably don't
notice you cuz your ego
is blocking their view

Copyright 2014
Charlene E. Green

NAPOWRIMO 6/30: TEETH

I've been using my teeth
to do more than eat
for a long time.

Truth is
I do bite.
I've been known to
escape from behind
my gate of civility
sink my fangs
into people's feelings
and leave more
than flesh wounds.

I've hurt many
with my
Quick Draw McGraw tongue.
Used to blast folks
without thinking
caring
cuz I felt like saying
what I wanted
and if you
had a problem with it ...
So.
What.

Used to say things
to vex people on purpose.
Sometimes ...
it was an accident.
I spoke when my emotions
were raw.
Made people cry.

A family member
disowned me for four years
after I ripped out
her jugular.

Came unhinged
in my mother's peaceful home
right in front of her
when I released all
of my unfiltered Leo
on an ex-boyfriend
and let the savage lion
living in the back of my throat
mangle his face
through the phone

Scared her speechless.

She had never seen
a tornado
until that day
when it whirled
from my lips
for five minutes
and blew her roof off.

She tried to stifle my storm
but was too verklempt
to fully interrupt me.

I was sorry I scared her.
Not sorry I pummeled him.
Still not sorry.

Those are the consequences
if you trample
on my boundaries
and my wrath
isn't properly contained.

These days
I'm wiser
more tactful
compassionate.
I reassess
the toxins
I wanna release
before they abscond from me
and ruminate on
the potential outcome
of my onslaught.

Then
I call on my teeth.

Thank goodness for my teeth.

They're my
referees
padlocks
prison bars.

When my tongue
goes all slip 'n' slide
and mean-girl words
pull out their shanks
climb aboard
and begin their descent
my teeth
are my saving grace.

I grind them
clench them
fake-smile
through them

anything

to trap the assailment
in my mouth
keep the words from
falling to my regret

and the death
of people's esteem.

Copyright 2014
Charlene E. Green

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!

NAPOWRIMO 4/30: SHERO

She says "up there"
is the only place her heart
is safe

says
when she looks above
and confides in the heavens
the clouds don't judge
they're superheroes
that rush to her rescue
absorb her anguish
like cotton
imprison it
in their puffy padded rooms
to keep her out of
the one she's on her way to
and keep her in her right mind

about

everything gone wrong
dreams that slipped through the cracks
cuz she hadn't found ways
or enough faith
to seal their fate

about

everyone who wants for her
things she doesn't
and wants from her
what she's never bothered
to give herself

about

having little to show for her life
cuz she's too busy
living for others
feeding their souls a sumptuous buffet
while she
pecks at their crumbs
after they've scarfed and run
without so much as a thank you
leaving her malnourished
they
fat and full off her care
she
emaciated
starved for her own attention
no energy left to even honor
her basic requirements

"no" is the only song
her esteem plays
cuz "yes" is the tune
she shimmies to
when they sing the blues
and she
is the only one
attending their concerts

but today is different

there are no clouds
to shelter her woes
nowhere to suspend her pain
nothing
but a vast expanse
of sapphire
a slate cleaner
than her own conscience

and the message is clear:
it's time to embrace this life
her decisions
her living in lack
for lack of courage
to be stronger
live better

and

superheroes only exist
within
when we become them
when we sew on a weather-proof cape
and fly to our own rescue
wielding inexhaustible superpowers

that the stratosphere
can no longer be
her enabler
will no longer play host
to her misery

it has done all it can
to trump the deceivers
lasso the villains
and slay the monsters

the rest
she'll have to handle alone 

Copyright 2014
Charlene E. Green

NAPOWRIMO 3/30: SCHOLASTICS

I’m not here to play

you

are not a childhood schoolyard game

a recess pastime

for kicks

and

this is not 5^th grade

I’m grown-woman status

I

graduated from puppy love

my pursuit is

doctorate

in your program

amass all facts

produce flawless dissertation

stay fully apprised

of your prerequisites

say nothing

I’ll know you

like my undisclosed next move

test me, love

I will ace you

closed-book

my hand

blanketing your heart

every night

while you sleep

thumping your history

your destiny 

into my grasp

where I’ll palm-read you
daily

across the grooves

of my lifelines

will be all the answers

I’ll need

to slide summa cum laude

effortlessly

into your soul

Copyright 2014

Charlene E. Green
From my upcoming book You Betta WRITE!

NAPOWRIMO 2/30: DESIGNATED DRIVER

It’s not that I'm short on daily narration

I got plenty of stories I wanna tell

thing is

these sagas

are sometimes like

an unruly gaggle

of drunken teens

stampeding out of

the party in my head

at the same time

stumbling over each other

my brain an unattended parking lot

that they trash

with incohesive dialect

that I scramble to gather

and turn into stimulating accounts

to no avail

and in this precarious state

I’m no longer their monarch

they have no respect for me

don’t follow my directions

don’t give a damn

what I want from them

that I expect them

to display decorum

show up for me

rep my position properly

instead

they’re my bastard children

on a rampage

refusing to be tamed

during their circus act

leaving me unable

to regain dominion

and drive them to my page

without incident

Copyright 2014

Charlene E. Green

NAPOWRIMO 1/30: SORRY

I will not apologize
for doin' me
tendin' to my business
havin' my own back
at a moment's notice
no regard for whether you
like
understand
approve
or not

won't feel "some kinda way"
cuz you're uncomfortable
with the pace of my life
the depth and length
of my challenges
my perceptions
how I embrace
what's on my plate

this
is my meal
and I'll season it
how I damn well please
it's supposed to be
to my liking
not
yours

if I feel I can benefit
from some of your flavoring
then I'll ask
for two shakes
but rest assured
I'll be monitoring them
to make sure
you only throw in two
cuz
I know how you can be
give you the chance
to spice things up
and start "accidentally"
tossin' in extra dashes
of all the substances
that upset my stomach
you know
the usual suspects:
judgment
sarcasm
ridicule
and dismissal
when what I invited
you to add
were
wisdom
and encouragement

two
shakes

but since you sometimes
don't know how to act
and forget who's head chef
in my world
then please believe
I won't be sorry
when I shut you down
mid-sprinkle
and tell you
the kitchen
is closed


Copyright 2014
Charlene E. Green

Sonnet #21 for February

DREAM WIZARD

I love the way you take over my dreams

In them you say all things I want to hear

My sleep goes to ’nother level, it seems

When you step on scene, nightmares disappear

We are a fairytale inside my head

All laughter, love and hugs, words candy sweet

No toss ’n’ turning, contentment instead

Cold nights don’t matter cuz you bring the heat

This kind of head trip I want on replay

Let’s get syndication crackin’ post haste

Energized when I rise to start my day

Time away from you while ’wake hate to waste

Countdown to bedtime, I anticipate

Affair in Dreamland sure to titillate

Copyright 2014

Charlene E. Green

Sonnet #20 for February

STRIVE

Great way to love self is stay true to word

Always attempt to see commitments kept

Self-esteem lowers when tasks are deferred

Don’t conjure up excuses to accept

Empowerment ensues when you exert

Effort to tackle all matters at hand

Never let ego cause you to divert

Push past its mind games; show you’re in command

Life can be challenging, sometimes you’ll find

May not be able to get it all done

No need to feel defeat, kindly remind

You did the best you could do, so you won

Solid impression of self is top goal

Build it through taking good care of your soul

Copyright 2014

Charlene E. Green

Sonnet #19 for February

POTENTIAL

You have a bad habit of coming in

And ripping apart lives of those in sight

Dealing with you it seems no one can win

They run opposite direction in fright

Maybe it’s due to your abusive past

Traits picked up from those in charge of rearing

Foster system where so many amassed

Lack of care left you in state of fearing

Now only side you can show is the worst

Cuz no one capitalized on your best

Undivided attention is main thirst

Hoping it will cure your soul’s deep unrest

Somewhere within lies a trapped heart of gold

To invite love into life you must mold

Copyright 2014

Charlene E. Green

Sonnet #18 for February

MISSION

She sings like butterfly, solely self-taught

Bring you to tears, captivate with rare voice

Since baby, belting out tunes she was caught

All who listen overcome with rejoice

Even with all due praise she did receive

Parents failed to encourage singing dream

Industry will corrupt her, they believe

Pushed hard to come up with new career scheme

Aiming to please those who gave her this life

She strayed from chosen route burning in heart

Only to find spirit teeming with strife

Since forcing self to divorce from her art

Unable to keep up painful charade

Remarried true path for which she was made

Copyright 2014

Charlene E. Green

Sonnet #17 for February

GRATITUDE WALK

Feeling so fortunate that I’m bestowed

With the senses I sometimes fail to praise

Race through life, time for gratefulness reload

Focus on wonderment, wipe out malaise

Strolling down street get whiff of rosemary

Jasmine creeps in and my nose is enthralled

Poppies in bloom such glamor they carry

My eyes so bedazzled, journey is stalled

Hear birds tweeting such a passionate song

Dogs bark in yards protecting owners’ wealth

Feel comfy shoes support feet through walk long

Sense perception great boost for mental health

So many simple pleasures we ignore

Keep faculties primed for gifts to adore

Copyright 2014

Charlene E. Green