Tag: #BlackExcellence

The Residence

trE

NaPoWriMo #30

Uzo Aduba as Detective Cordelia Cupp in Netflix’s The Residence

Because the dog was
having trouble breathing,
I didn’t get much sleep.

I stayed home from work
to monitor her – the love
of my life, my little monster.

And when she finally found
sleep again, I drifted off, too.
I couldn’t pin down an hour
of sleep, so I got up.

I read. I wrote. I checked
the dog’s breathing.
Her allergies aren’t our
friend this season. Benadryl is.

She dozed off again.
I read. I ate lunch.
I Netflixed by watching
The Residence. 4 episodes
in, and I am hooked!

Cupp is particular. She is
calculated – a perfectionist.
She questions everything.
She examines the unimaginable.
I understand her.

I’m falling in love with a show
that plays hide-and-seek with
my thought process and
places me on the edge of
my seat.

I wasn’t searching for a series
that would be both intriguing
and shocking – I loathe series.
I have to be moved, perplexed,
mesmerized, and changed.

The Residence dishes out
all of this and more.
It is the quintessential mainstay
of perfection in a comedic
mystery. I found my
happy place while my
dog struggled to breathe.

And I almost lost my breath, too.

NaPoWriMo is finished. I survived 30 days of posting poetry every day for another year. And to end it with this one feels magical. Thanks for doing April with me, folks. I appreciate you.

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.

Peace and Blessings!

spinning (again)

trE

there is no peace now
one person has damaged us
our higher ups f a i l e d
a meeting brought out our beasts
an unsolved problem lingers

On Thursday, March 27, 2025, we received an email from HR about their “investigation”, and I’ll simply say it was a waste of my time. So, I spoke with the center manager of the site where I am placed, and she’ll be working on creating a job for me so I can stay at the facility.

But she’s already said if I’m not doing the genetic testing for cancer screening, she doesn’t want the testing and company connected to it there anymore.

These people have forgotten that I was an employee at the site where they placed me for over 2 years. Upper Management loves me. The staff love me. I interact well with the patients. I am a valuable asset and they know this.

So, prayerfully, I’ll be putting my notice in with my current company in the next month, maybe two, at the latest. And it may not even be that long. The beauty of it all is that I get to stay at a facility where I feel at home because of my history there.

The center manager is going to start getting things going early next week. She was off yesterday and will be off again on Monday. I am prayerful she will be able to iron out all kinks with those in positions above her to keep me there. After she explains what has taken place, I am sure their organization will want to detach themselves from my current company.

My co-worker will be working with her center as well. Her center manager is doing the same thing for her. Our other co-worker has a great rapport with her previous job. She simply wanted to try something new. So she can return there.

And it’s best for us because yesterday, Friday, March 28, 2025, we had another meeting with our supervisor and a rep from HR was on the call – they wanted to monitor us. And the supervisor has no wherewithal of what she’s done wrong, just ignorant, and must’ve thought we were going to just sit there and take her power point explanation and the act of trying to gaslight us.

NOPE! She got her hind-end handed to her professionally by all three of us. We came correct in our interaction with her and called out her lies while holding in our anger and forcing ourselves to be polite under the active re-triggering we had all been subjected to.

She said something offensive that truly struck a chord in me and before I knew it, I was breaking her down like IKEA furniture, and my younger co-worker (she’s in her early 20s) said to me, “As soon as you started talking and using all them big words, I know you lost them cuz it went over their heads, but I was listening, and I was like, “YES, TRE!” Needless to say, she was proud of me.

I am proud of both of them because we have endured an event in the workplace we never wanted to and now the damage is done. Our image of Human Resources is sullied and is forever etched in our minds as a department WE (women of color; Black women) cannot trust.

spinning (the beginning)

spinning

trE

spinning from hatred
reports filed for one’s own good
human resources
a department that brings calm
or can disrupt peacefulness

It’s World Poetry Day! I hope you can find the time to birth a new poem from your beautiful mind. 

This tanka was written to briefly describe the fact that I recently filed a report to HR for the racial tension and discrimination my co-workers and I have experienced regarding our new supervisor over the last few days at work.

I have NEVER had to involve Human Resources at any job I ever had. But, unfortunately, there’s a first time for everything. Happy Friday!

Peace and blessings.

“You Learn To Accept Things” Damon Wayans

trE

I’m ignoring the elephant in the room for now . . .

Damon K. Wayans, Sr., speaks briefly about accepting things and expecting nothing in a recent interview.

What Damon has shared in this YouTube short from a recent interview will remain with me for years to come.

How apropos is this right now at this very moment?!

Millions of people will have to accept what has occurred, endure it as best as we can, and eventually come out on top.

Hold on. Be strong. Don’t ever let go.

Peace and blessings.

Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn In School

trE

Yecheilyah Ysrayl of The PBS Blog has launched a new work of art. Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn In School is available on all purchasing platforms!

She has spent years researching the history facts she shares in this book, including traveling to several places to dig deeper into some of the things she discusses within it.

I’ve just carted my copy on Amazon, and I cannot wait until it’s in my hands.

Black History is America’s History! Sadly, much of it is being buried or lied about or banned, and this disgusts me, but the work must be done.

Happy Saturday, beautiful people!

American History X