Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?
I recently signed up to write on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak about the most recent events with my place of employment, as it pertains to racism and discrimination. I welcome your visit.
I am in production and continued training mode at work. That being said, my focus is on the grind and perfecting the roles I am transitioning through. I am also searching for a part-time WFH job due to the impending rent hike that’s just around the corner.
Needless to say, I need a break.
I want to enjoy all that I can during this coming week at my job, learn more, and devote my time to our patients. I also want to maintain a sense of self as I come to grips with the reality of going back to working two jobs.
I will return to this creative space with the Sunday features: Opening Lyrics To Songs That I Love and Sunday Microfiction next Sunday, August 10, 2025.
For now, please enjoy this groovy tune and a few posts from the past in my absence.
What If We Could Haiku the Pain Away?
The Beauty of Love and Creativity
holes come at unexpected
times, bearing down
on weary hearts–taking
our last moments of peace.
the strong hold on–ending
the fight before it’s time
can place a wrinkle in the
waves of life.
we grit our teeth and lean
into every storm until
we ache from years of
battling–the war, never-ending.
the pull is a place we find
ourselves lagging in
navigation, stuck on
fear, and when we stay
there too long, it becomes
home.
the key to remembering how
to escape is to grab
the closest thing to you
and lasso it to your beating
heart–give it the life it
has no chance to steal,
and watch it falter
before your eyes.
you’ll defeat it, and it
won’t ever see it coming.
Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?
I recently signed up to write on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak about the most recent events with my place of employment as it pertains to racism and discrimination. I welcome your visit.
I recently finished reading a book by Joy-Ann Reid, one of my favorite journalists and all-around politically savvy Black women.
The Man Who Sold America isn’t your average informative novel. It has everything you want it to have. All the tea with a bit of spice, and the dark tales of a past that Trump doesn’t share openly.
I took my time with this book, and I am so glad I did. I wanted to savor it, understand the recounting of a number of important events, and linger with the metaphorical language and wit, too.
Below is my review, shared on Amazon and Goodreads:
It’s Exactly What I Thought It Would Be–Informative & Invigorating
Joy-Ann Reid pulls no punches in this book. She did her due diligence regarding research, and also weaved wittiness and metaphorical blends within every chapter, too.
Her journalistic history and editorial presence shines through on every page. Although incredibly informative, The Man Who Sold America isn’t boring. It is a book that will lasso you in, slap you on your leg, and bid you to pay attention.
It is a great reminder for a high percentage of Americans to remember “all that glitters isn’t gold.” Trump rode in on a golden horse, with a field of lies on his tongue, and shouted incessantly to a particular group of people who held the hem of his garments, and would not let go.
Reid does an incredible job posing different points. Bipartisan points were discussed and views and perspectives were shared from several people who were affiliated with Trump and found themselves in dire straits after their affiliation with him. Wherever he goes, trouble follows and it’s usually the monetarily destructive kind.
If you’re looking for your next favorite political read, this book is it! It has recaps of greed, lies & deceit, cover-ups, and a detailed overview of Trump’s past and claim to fame.
Make yourself at home with it. You won’t be disappointed.
I am reading Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump, Trump’s niece. And let me just say, I cannot wait to write the review for this book!
Both are going to go down as two of my favorite politically informative biographical-like novels!
Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?
I recently signed up to write on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a space for healing as I speak about the most recent events with my place of employment as it pertains to racism and discrimination. I welcome your visit.
Peace and blessings!
Some medically charged books help and there are some that harm. I can attest that this one has helped me.
Authored by the incomparable Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce D. Perry, What Happened To You? Conversations On Trauma, Resilience, and Healing is a page-turner. I highlighted passages, made notes in the margins, and became one with illustrations, diagrams, and charts. There is a plethora of useful information as it pertains to childhood trauma and how we advance in life from it as we age.
Below is the review I shared on Amazon and Goodreads:
“I Now Know Why I’m Resilient
And if you are a survivor of childhood trauma, maybe this book can help you understand why you can “bounce back,” and “endure” things even when you begin to believe there’s no way you can.
Reading What Happened To You? by Dr. Bruce D. Perry and the phenomenal Oprah Winfrey opened up a few windows to my heart and tapped into some areas that needed care and tenderness. I survived a whole heap of mess that could have been so much worse than it was, and I am glad it wasn’t.
Learning who we are and why we act the way we do starts with assessing what happened to us. What caused us to grow up with hardened hearts, lack of trust, unwillingness to love, fear of the unfamiliar, etc.?
This book dives into the many functions of the brain post-traumatic experiences and various methods geared toward healing and growth.
I love how both Dr. Perry and Oprah tag-team each scenario and offer their view of them and a way to move past the incidents and become somewhat whole again by learning how to regulate ourselves and gravitate toward safe spaces and environments.
If ever you feel as though you want to know more about why you continually hold on when you want to let go, reading this book is a great way to glean additional information about how you’re wired and why.
It is worth one’s time and attention, and you will certainly learn more about living through childhood trauma and how to maintain a positive outlook and a sustainable adulthood.”
Sometimes, we need a bit of guidance and a path we have not yet taken to show us who we are and why. This was “my yellow brick road.” Maybe you can benefit from it, too.
Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?
A Cornered Gurl 
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