Customer Reviews:

• "Ms. Butler-Mendez has submitted a variety of poetic styles on a variety of subjects, which retains the reader's interest throughout. She is especially good when writing about racial minorities (e.g. "Bite My Tongue") love for her husband (unusual in this day and age--e.g. "Here He Comes Again") and humor (e. g. "Extra Marital Love Affair?"). The book is well worth its price and can cheer the reader up in less time than a sermon or a psychotherapy session. I look forward to reading more of her work." - Alvin Thomas Ethington

• "Utilizing a variety of poetic styles, Ms. Butler-Mendez reflects upon the human condition with a clear eye and writes about family, friends, love, betrayal, suicide, and war with emotional depth or humor.

"Caught" metaphorically tells the tale of a games-playing man who lures and baits a trusting woman. I chose one verse in excerpt:

        Fished from a sea without a life raft or dingy,
        she clung to his lifeline without questioning,
        too scared to face a fierce, tumultuous sea.

"Was It You?" is a quinzaine – eloquent thoughts, simply expressed:

        Someone stole my zealous heart.
        Any witnesses?
        Was it you?

These two excerpted verses from "Egg Foo Young, Cabbage, Pasta, Rice and Beans and Collard Greens" reflect the poet's humor and dialectic skill:

        I'm Silly Cele, and all i wanna do is eat!
        i never cause no problems, never cause no scenes,
        just wanna eat my egg foo young, my cabbage, pasta,
        rice and beans and grandma's collard greens.

        then after that i think i'll take a drink
        and Hennessey myself under my kitchen sink.
        how many think it's something wrong with that?
        that i keep getting round, OKAY! i'm kinda fat.

"In Growing Old" is a reflection on the progression of life, from youth to old age. I quote the last verse of this fine poem here:

        Their years have passed, but while they're here,
        cherish the ones who are old but dear.
        For blessed is he who does indeed
        comfort them in their time of need.
        In growing old, no man stands tall
        since it comes to one and all.

Celeste Butler-Mendez is a storyteller in the time-honored tradition. Her poetry flows naturally and has the distinct ring of ancient stories passed down from ancestors who saw life as it was and accepted everything, the good and the bad. The message here is to seize life while we can." - Laurel Johnson, Midwest Book Review