Sharlene Alba
Bio
Full of raw and unfiltered fluid poems, short stories and prompts on love, sex, relationships and life. I also review haircare, skincare and other beauty products. Instagram: grungefirepoetry MissBeautyBargain Facebook: grungefirepoetry
Stories (287/0)
Avenues: Ch. 6
Chapter 6: Aquinas High School, 685 East 182nd Street Thinking back on my four years at Aquinas High School, and the self-destructive asshole I had been during my stay here, there was no question as to why I felt the overwhelming consumption of regret the second I entered through the broken gates that would lead to the basketball court near the back of the school. The school was still standing proudly at Six Eighty-Five East One Eighty-Two. Luey played here with the neighborhood kids and the rest of our old crew whenever he got the chance. There were perfectly good basketball courts where he lived, but he always came back to play in this one. He claimed this court always gave him luck and kept him safe when the streets got too heavy to carry.
By Sharlene Alba4 years ago in Filthy
The New Valentine
What was it about me that made all men scurry away from the potential of something real? I didn't want to be bitter. But the aftertaste of being stood up once again, and on Valentines Day no less, planted itself within my taste buds along with the last glass of complementary wine my best friend's restaurant was allowed to offer me. I hated sulking in front of strangers. They'd witness my pathetic attempt at dismissing my misery in between snacking on appetizers and re-reading the same menu I've read over hundred times. I knew I shouldn't have agreed to go out on a blind date set up by my absent best friend today of all days.
By Sharlene Alba4 years ago in Filthy
Avenues: Ch. 5
My thoughts were still having trouble processing what I’d just heard from Detective Johnson’s mouth. He’d been the go-to guy in Willie’s case since its inception and had thought it was a simple open-and-shut situation. Willie had been at the wrong place at the wrong time when he was shot. The assailants had been apprehended at the time and were sent off to county for further processing. Apparently some new information had been sent to him anonymously pertaining to Willie’s case, which led him to re-open it for further investigation.
By Sharlene Alba4 years ago in Humans
Avenues: Ch. 4
The holiday season only served to intensify how much I missed my mother now. Her laughter as we assembled our store-bought Christmas tree, echoed inside my mind the second my cousin decided to open the door to her apartment, and I spotted her own decorated tree. It’d been two weeks since I dropped off Willie’s laptop and since I hadn’t heard any updates from my unusually quiet cousin, I decided dropping by unannounced was my best option at getting the answers I needed.
By Sharlene Alba4 years ago in Humans
Avenues: Ch. 3
As soon as you drove into East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, you knew you were in a different world. The Puerto Rican culture was strong here. You could feel its rich history ingrained within its streets and its proud residents. The scent of authentic Puerto Rican food flowed out of smaller restaurants like Cuchifritos, and blew throughout the area, making the rest of us realize how long it has been since we've eaten something homemade.
By Sharlene Alba4 years ago in Humans
Avenues: Ch. 2
I was twenty-three when I received the keys to my first studio apartment at Three-Forty-Seven Manhattan Avenue. No kid my age could afford such a thing. Especially with a record under my belt. But with Willie’s help at the time, he managed to get my record expunged and forced me to use the certification I gained during my two year stay in jail to get the kind of job that could help me pay the bills. Who knew learning about how to fix computers and shit would come in handy. Of course just fixing broken screens and replacing dead batteries weren’t enough to sustain the rent alone. Willie helped me get into a city program that paid for at least half and the rest I had to cover. Hence where RideShare came in. I’d heard about it one day while grabbing a quick bite to eat downstairs at the corner store and managed to get the details from the store owner who frequently used the ride service. Not too long after that, I was part of the RideShare explosion and picked up passengers from the airport almost every weekend when I wasn’t working at my other job.
By Sharlene Alba4 years ago in Humans
Avenues: Chapter 1
New York City streets had a habit of forcing you to grow up faster than mentally capable and in the end that was the problem wasn’t it? How do you coerce the five year old inside of you not to be afraid of the drug dealer claiming corners on your block, while you’re on the way to school? How do you tell the pre-pubescent teenager use to the second hand smoke from the hallways of the poorly ventilated and maintained housing projects in the hood that you can’t run away from a knife fight because well, you can’t have your manhood questioned now, can we?
By Sharlene Alba4 years ago in Humans
Aches and Memories
The sound of your name used to send shock waves throughout my body, informing me of your invading presence and the paradise that followed. Which was why I wasn't surprised at the inner turmoil coiling about inside me as I turned to catch your gaze from across the room. The gallery was crowded tonight, full of potential clients and investors, friends and family as well. And yet all that seemed to capture my attention was the wildfire in your chestnut eyes, tempting me to get lost in them once again.
By Sharlene Alba5 years ago in Filthy
Precious
My heart was beating a thousand miles a minute. My hands shaking with anticipation of what was to come. The moment the cab driver pulled up in front of your house, I stopped breathing. I felt you before I saw you, my breaths coming in slower pants, my tongue darting out to lick my lips. You were leaning against the front gate, looking as sinful as ever. We locked eyes as soon as I stepped out of the cab and you paid the driver. We didn't have to greet each other. Our heated gazes did that for us. And you obeyed the eagerness in your eyes by placing your hands on my waist, pulling me closer to you. My arms wrapped around you, the scent of your cologne making my clit throb with need. I inhaled your scent deeply and buried my face into your neck, my grip on you tightening, yours on me as well. Your crooked grin could kill me alone. Just like it always has. I kissed all the way up to your lips, but you stopped me before I could devour them. You took my face into your rugged hands and looked into my soul before you spoke.
By Sharlene Alba5 years ago in Filthy
Vanilla Secret
You reminded me of New York. Where the filthy and sleepless streets sparked the recollection of your mouth between my thighs, while our bodies were parked in an alleyway at night. The gritty sounds flowing throughout the city made my pulse race, thighs quivering, while eating lunch on the freshly cut grass in Central Park. I haven't felt you this much in years. But just like this infectious and addictive city, you have a way of making me feel at home even when I'm lost.
By Sharlene Alba5 years ago in Filthy
Her Dragon
"It doesn't matter," I insisted, as soon as he closed the cabin door behind him, sending a cold draft throughout the eerie place. Its been in my family for many generations, and the residual energy crawling out of every crevice was slowly seeping further into my skin every second I stayed in here.
By Sharlene Alba5 years ago in Filthy
Embers (Ch. 13)
GISELLE I chose the worst possible time to try and quit alcohol, weed, and cigarettes. The party I was hosting at the old welding factory had grown in body count within the last hour and I had no idea half of them would even show up, much less know they'd be passing around drugs like this was ninety eighty-eight. All of the high school cliques were in the same room, getting wasted, dancing to the same music, embracing the same false freedom that came with drugs and alcohol. It numbed you for the time being of course. But it wasn't a long term solution to the shit we constantly walked around with all day, and every day.
By Sharlene Alba5 years ago in Humans