Personal Poetic Perspectives

By Montrelle Jackson-Sinegar Ph.D.

Personal Poetic Perspectives presents a compilation of poems analyzing a variety of topics, including family, addiction, sexual abuse, and Black history. Each poem is presented in a rhythmic format that inspires you to examine your personal opinions. Taking both humorous and serious approaches, these verses seek to spur you to reflect on your past, present, and future and prompt you to question your feelings regarding personal, social, and current events. Some of the poems depict author Montrelle Jackson-Sinegar’s personal experiences, while others explore the lives and stories of other individuals—and all of them invite you to think carefully about life and your place in it. Appealing to a broad audience, this collection of poetry considers a wide range of subjects and perspectives, opening the door for reflection and self-examination. “Personal Poetic Perspectives is an informative read that puts a spin on poetry by adding taboo counseling components, which draws in the novice and experienced alike.” —Natasha L. Ballard, LPC “I really enjoyed Montrelle Sinegar’s book. Her poetry is both humorous and serious. Thus, it motivates individuals to think and laugh at the same time.” —Timothy Smith, Dean of Workforce Development and CTE, Arizona Western College

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: May 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665720199

Montrelle Jackson-Sinegar Ph.D.

Montrelle Jackson-Sinegar, Ph.D. is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. She completed her doctoral degree in counselor education in 2001. A retired middle school principal and counselor, she has always wanted to share her thoughts through poetry and has now achieved that goal. In addition to writing, her primary focus is her family.

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 Montrelle Jackson-Sinegar, Ph.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced

by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval

system without the written permission of the author except in the

case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author

and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of

the information contained in this book and in some cases, names

of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Archway Publishing

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

844-669-3957

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or

links contained in this book may have changed since publication and

may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those

of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher,

and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-1531-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-2018-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-2019-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022904581

Archway Publishing rev. date: 4/29/2022

This book is dedicated to my mother who has always encouraged me to fulfill my dreams; my sons, Matthew and Michael J., who serve as the motivation for all my accomplishments; Eteria, my bonus daughter whom I hope I inspire; my best friend and partner in life who displayed the quality of unselfishness to spur the completion of this project, my twin with whom I share everything; and my family that supports me in all my endeavors.

Author’s Note

This book reflects my feelings regarding a variety of topics. It also considers the views of other individuals with whom I have engaged in pensive conversation. Some of the poems included in this book depict things that I have actually experienced. On the contrary, some of my poetry is based on the lives of other individuals. They may depict stories shared by others, topics individuals suggested as worthy of discussion and attention, or current events. I chose to write many poems in first person to give the reader the opportunity to relate to each poem and engage in a more enjoyable and realistic reading experience. My poems are based on people I know, people I have never met, and people I may one day meet. If you see yourself in any of the poems included in this book, it is imperative to acknowledge why that poem is relevant to you.

Contents

Life

My Story

That Twin Thing

Just Me

Salt and Pepper

Reflections

Help!

Children of the Ghetto

Goals

People

The Essence of a Woman

Undercover Lover

The Black Woman’s Journey

Angry Black Woman

Fighting

Song of a Slave Child

Loneliness

Love

Hatred

Respect

Strong Black Man

Man of Mine

Vows

Keeping It Together

Salutations

Self-Respect

The Power of Words

Live Your Truth

Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool

Mother

Family

My Child

Independence

Daddy’s Little Girl

Laughter

Dreams

Teachers

The Art of Dance

Reading

Parallel Parking

Eat Me!

Working on It

Your Best or Your Worst?

Really?

It

Caffeine: A Stimulant

Revelations

Men?

A Married Woman’s Song

The Right Bait

Juxtaposition

Control?

Nosy People

Jealousy

Drugs

Depression

Insomnia

Anorexia

Lonely, Lonely Me

Unknown

Beauty

Caged Woman

Zip Tied Tongue

Mental Illness

Drug Addiction

Sexual Abuse

Perpetrator

Creation

Offspring

Ode to Father Richard Maughn

Ode to Baby Jace

Ode to President Obama

Ode to Serena Williams

Black History

Truth Be Told

Your Knee, My Neck

White Supremacy

Mass Incarceration

Think about It

I Will Not Back Down

The January 6th Insurrection

Generational Wealth

Courage

Big Girls Don’t Cry

Death

Life

A birthday usually brings great joy.

The delivery of every girl or boy.

Life is precious. What a glorious feat!

Sometimes a trick and sometimes a treat.

There are times the bowl of cherries is not sweet; it’s sour.

I look deep within myself for a source of inner power.

I’d like to be successful at what I do,

But at times the world can truly seem so blue.

Why, oh why, should I keep on trying

When I know I’ll inevitably end up crying?

Mother told me I could be whatever I wanted to be,

Yet the future my mother could not see.

Life is short. So make the most of it.

You never know when you’ll cease to exist.

Do all you can before you take your last breath.

Don’t leave an untouched bucket list for your funeral guests.

Yes, life can be sour, but it can also be a thrill.

When you get to the fork in the road, choose the path with the greatest appeal.

If you make the most of life, it’s like the sun.

Keep on living because the best of life is yet to come!

My Story

In the middle of October was born a twin.

Because her family was poor,

her objective in life was to win, win, win.

It was a long, hard fight,

for she would have to compete

and try to achieve greatness among the elite.

From both Black and white, she would take commands.

But white would not always attempt to give her a fair chance,

Black, on the other hand, would sometimes not want her to take a real stand.

She would continue to struggle to prove her self-worth,

knowing there was a reason