Bravo (I Am Taking in Dangerous Goods)

You made me realize—
I’m taking in dangerous goods.

I see now I’m no longer an alpha
I’m a diver that you have to keep clear of.
(alpha means I have a diver down, keep clear)

I went overboard the ship
This is not acting.
I don’t need an Oscar.
(Oscar means man overboard.)

I hear your echo—
Altering my course to the right.

I called your Papa—
He said, “We’re all on board.
No turning back now.”

I asked if I should leave you.
He said, “He’s Charlie.
That answers everything.”*
(Charlie means yes.)

I saw your new girl, Sierra—
She looks like engines
Taking you back.
(Sierra means engines are astern.)

When I believed you were my Romeo—
(Though Romeo means nothing at all)—

You set me on fire.
(Juliet means keep clear—the ship’s aflame.)

It made me want to drink whiskey—
(Whiskey means I require assistance.)

It made me want to check into a hotel,
Fly off to India,
Or Quebec—
Just somewhere I can request free pratique—
Be the pilot of my own ship—
Out at sea, playing golf.
(Golf means I require a pilot.)

It’s too bad I don’t have an X-ray
To see your intentions.
(X-ray means stop carrying out your intentions.)

I thought about going back,
But I realized it’s November.
(November means no.)

I should move more like a man named Mike.
(Mike means stop.)

Even after doing the tango—
(Tango means keep clear)—

I’m still dragging my anchor—
(Yankee means I’m dragging my anchor)—

And I need your tug—
(Zulu means I require a tug.)

You did not defend me.
What happened in that moment
Was a test of character
And if this was a book
You wouldn’t even be
a supporting character
Not a sidekick.
Not a subplot.
Not even mentioned in the acknowledgements.
You are a footnote
In a chapter I’ve already turned.

I walk this world knowing I am not merely a name or a reflection in glass—I am thought, will, and wonder housed within a vessel of flesh. It is my mind that leads me, my soul that stirs me, and no one else bears the burden of being me. No one else breathes my breath, thinks my thoughts, or wrestles with my truths in the quiet hours. I am not just a being—I am the keeper of a brain, a heart, and a soul. And that sacred fact is not up for negotiation.

Today, I conducted an experiment.
I really like pomegranates.

I asked my mother to prepare some.
She peeled out the seeds
very carefully—
using a spoon
to keep the process neat,
precise, and clean.
But in the end,
there was a little less fruit.

Then I asked my father.
He peeled out the seeds
roughly—
with his bare hands,
no tools, no caution.
It looked like a ****** mess.
But there was more fruit to eat.

I realized their techniques
shaped how much I got—
one careful,
one bold.
Still, I enjoyed both.

And that’s when it clicked:
though my parents approach things differently,
the result is still the same.
They both made the effort
to bring me something sweet

I’ve got the world in my hands—
but that means embracing both the good
and the flaws of every man.

Right now, the world trembles at the sight of blackness.
But let me reintroduce it:

Darkness is beautiful madness
when you learn how to use it.

It isn’t the absence of anything.
It’s a color full of meaning,
a presence rich and deep—
not empty, but complete.

It’s the ink of ancient tongues,
the rhythm in survival songs,
the womb of galaxies,
the balm of activated charcoal
that quiets your uneasy stomach with ease.

The stars in the universe wouldn’t dare shine so bright
if black weren’t the color that cradles the night.
Without it, light would lose its purpose—
and that,
would be the curse.

So I carry the world in my hands—
its bright sides and its heavy demands.
And still, I hold my head up high:
black is the color at the center of every eye.

I know the truth that lies within—
that just because light is beautiful,
doesn’t mean blackness was ever a sin.

You judge me
for the way I look—
but this is my face.

You point fingers
like I’m a science experiment.

But what about you?
You don’t speak in pretty things either.

Imagine—
if there were a transcript
printed on your body
of every word
you’ve ever said.

Would you look
so pretty then?

I’m a prime number
I remain unfazed
Until I meet my reflection
And finally crumble