I just want to ask one question
Is the human race obeying the mathematical rule called BODMAS?
Just a refresher...  
Brackets, Orders, Division, Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction

We have created different brackets
where we enclose people like casket
He's black, she's white, they are rich,
those are poor, she's educated, he's religious, he's fat, she's slim... Brackets

People are treated differently
Based on the class that we've put them in
Some are raised to power like exponents
Others are trapped in like square roots...Orders

The segregation has only intensified our division
I don't fit in here, I belong over there
My group is stronger, those ones are losers... Division

Disunity and absence of love has caused
A multiplication of our problems
Threats, deportation, persecution
We don't like them, we'll bomb them
War, insurgency, terrorism, hate speech... Just problems Multiplication

Every second, our population is experiencing several additions
Our population keeps growing while
Our natural resources are being exploited
And depleting at a rate faster than our population growth
Our resources are experiencing severe subtractions

I just want to ask one more time...
Aren't we obeying BODMAS?

Master the art of
Flipping your L's (losses) into lessons
Because more often than not,
They are disguised blessings

If they sort of set you back
It's for you to bounce back
Like a catapult or slingshot (or Big Sean)
But never lose sight of your mission

The flying beautiful butterfly
Once crawled as a caterpillar
Think about the trees,
They never give up during the wintry days
They only shed their leaves
(For humans, drop the extra baggages)
But trees bounce back during spring

Sometimes, you just gotta
Take a deep breadth
And exhale peace
Ensure to keep breathing
And you'll sure get back on your feet
Calm the nerves,
Take a deep sleep
But don't sleep in the deep

You didn't fail
You only found ways that would not work
Credit to the man that invented the lightbulb
Take the blows but get back up
Very soon, the hardwork will pay off
Put in more work
And relent not

Naysayers will always talk
Don't be discouraged to put in work
Your success will soon prove them wrong
There is light at the end of the tunnel
As there is light within your spirit
Flick it on
And you'll be on a winning spree

He has a bad attitude
But he wears the blame on other people
He never tried the blame on for once
Maybe it never crossed his mind
Or he thinks he's too right to ever do wrong

I liken him to a blind man
Looking at several mirrors
But could never see himself
And calls all the mirrors blind

Maybe the bad attitude is not the problem
But that he is blind to see himself
Or arrogant to accept his wrongs
And that he's not a flower but thorns!

Women are very strong and powerful
No one can convince or confuse me
to think otherwise

I think Nature is not very nice to her
When she chooses to not fertilize her eggs,
she goes through pain every month
When she fertilizes her eggs, she has
to deal with changes in her body for
nine months. And then, childbirth pain.

Even the society is not very nice to her
If she's qualified for the job,
give her an equal chance
And pay her what she truly deserves
Also recognize her for her hardwork
But we know that's not how it goes

Against all odds, she still stands strong
Lots of accomplishments in this world wouldn't have been possible without her
Without her, the entire society will fall to the ground

Let's give her the respect and
credit she deserves.

Trials and tribulations
Tests and persecutions
Trying times
Tormenting periods

They are all for a season
For faith workout reasons
My friend, do not cower
Let your faith rise like a tower

I won't give up
I won't give in
I won't cave in

This is my faith
And this too shall pass
Soon, I will look back and say
Yay, Season has changed!

Woke up in the middle of the night
Reached out for my phone to check the time
Two notifications from Instagram
Quick check and now it's 30mins on the Gram

Decided to put the phone down
Then came a message from a buddy from another town

We texted till the dawn of the day
Oops, I think I forgot to say
It was 3am when I checked the time
****! I couldn't think straight for the rest of the day!

Criminally minded politicians
acting saints
Evil doers getting praised
Innocent ones stuck in chains
The rich and ***** go scot-free
While the poor is severely punished

On the streets, cops ****
Skin color is still an issue
Several hundreds die 'cause of their religious beliefs
Drug overdose is on the increase
Gangbanging in the hoods still claiming lives
I hate guns
but a gun is not killer, humans are!

Genuine trust is as rare as the Unicorn
Maybe the beautiful souls are yet to be born or they are long gone

What of the epidemy of baby mama and baby dads
Kids raised with no father figure in their lives
They’ve got to find their way in a world so evil
They end up been taken advantage of and
Many becoming parents in their teens

We live in a society
Where getting money is rated higher
than living with integrity
Who cares if someone is getting hurt,
so far my pocket is getting fat
The thoughts of a self-centered heart

Even the environment is suffering
Global warming
Plastics in the oceans
Tons and tons of trees are fell
Our rivers and seas are polluted
At the end of the day,
We all face the consequences

Computers are helping a lot
But also taking people's jobs
A lot are depressed
From spending too much time on the internet
Tortured by other's fake online presence

I bet you, the list goes on and on...
It almost feels like a curse
How do we save ourselves from ourselves
How do we separate the chaff from the wheat?
How do we redeem the beasts in human skin?
I guess it all begins with you and me
Nothing but love can restore our sanity

You rise...
I rise...
We all rise...not to fall
That which seems like a fall
Is meant to be a bounce
To take us to greater heights
Far above where we ever thought

I'm sorry Mr Isaac Newton...
I have come to overcome gravity
Airplanes are doing it, so it's not a new thing
I know it takes a lot of energy
I have it in me and I will be using it

Yes, I'm aware it could get stormy
But that won't be enough to stall me
What is turbulence
Compared to my unwavering persistence

Upward and forward is the movement
These wings are for soaring
Outer space is where I want to be touring
No stopping...Just soaring!

I look inside, all I see is gold
I try to let it out but ain't bold
I got caught up in what I was told
On the outside, I start to grow mold.

My content is intact
But I couldn't get it out
Disapproval a major factor
Maybe I need a mentor
Or a mental restructure
Falling apart, I need a suture

Started to mine my reserve
I ensured to preserve
Slowly began to serve
All the negativity reversed
A lot blessed by every verse.

My black is beautiful
And there is nothing in me that is evil
My black is not synonymous to darkness
Look into my blackness and behold brightness

I have an unwavering consciousness of who I am
Self-aware of my innate abilities
I belong in a line of dynasties
Regardless of my height, I stand tall

No matter what they see through their lenses
I am a description of what excellence is
I don't crack
I lead the way, I create the tracks

I'm not from a dark world
I'm illumination in this shady world
Solution I am, dissolving any problem
I'm unstoppable... Greatness is my emblem

Opinions don't move me
I cruise my own boat
I love good clothings but
Melanin is my favorite coat

I'm a seed of greatness
And that's what I'm going to sow
My heart is clean and pure like the snow
Yes I'm black, if I come to this life again, it shall be so

Yea, I did make a mistake
Does it have to halt me like a brake?
Do I have to let it feed on me like steak?
Will I dwell on it till my life is at risk?

You said I failed
Well, that doesn't mean I'm frail
You can't get me off this rail
My goal is to accomplish this holy grail

I didn't get it right the first time
I'll do it one more time
Not right? One more time
I won't stop until I say,
"I got it right this time!"

Give us our freedom!
We want our freedom!!
Get away from our land.
We successfully drove them away
Many many years has passed now
Look at where we are today,
Are we doing well for ourselves?

Corruption rate has always been alarming
The rate of unemployment is at its peak
The future of the youths looking bleak
The entire nation is swept by poverty
Funds meant for the masses is shared
amongst greedy leaders and their families
Not a single arm of the system is working
I wish you were never free.

Sneakers, loafers, sandals, chelsea,
stilettos, wedges, platform, scarpin
I think it's fine to categorize shoes 'cause they serve different purposes

Dress pants, jeans, corduroy pants,
leggings, chinos pants, sweat pants
I think it's fine to categorize pants 'cause they serve different purposes

Black, white, brown, fat, athletic, skinny,
rich, poor, smart, introvert, extrovert, gay, lesbian, straight, Christian, Muslim
I don't think it's fine to categorize humans because we are all ONE from the same SOURCE with the same PURPOSE!

Acrostic poem

C

Challenges often hold within them opportunities
Changing the angle of view can make a lot of difference
Clean your eyes and clear your mind
Choose what you see amongst the myriad of images

H

Having a positive mindset
Half solves a lot of problems
Housed within you is an unimaginable amount of power
Harness it, choose not to cower

A

Attitude is everything, they say
Appreciate and be grateful that you can at least see this day
A grateful heart is positioned to receive answers
And blessings usually fall into such laps

L
Limitations are first created in the mind
Look always on the bright side of life

L

Lion (King/Queen) you are in the midst of it all
Life and everything in it works together for your good

E

Encourage yourself each and every day
Elevate God above what you're going through
Excellent He is in all His ways
Express your faith in Him and He will pave a way

N

Never succumb to the voices in your head
Never hesitate to ask for help
No single person knows it all
Night will surely pass for morning to arrive

G

Giving up is the easiest option but
Greatness doesn't lie in that route
Give no room to deceptive thoughts
Garrison your mind with positivity

E

Exude hope and faith from within you
Exercise patience, everything happens in its time
Excellent people are formed during tough times
Evolve, let these things build you up

S

Success is guaranteed at the end
Students of life, we all are
Situations teach us to be Masters
Summing it up...
Seize all the opportunities present in life's challenges

My perception of potentials...

Powers
On
The inside that
Emit greatness when
Not neglected but
Tapped
Into
And
Launched out carefully and
Seriously

This world is in a mess
I refused to be depressed
Just too many happenings to digest
Oh my God, this is too much stress!

True people are rare as a Unicorn
Maybe beautiful souls are yet to be born
Or dead in the tomb
Are we corrupted from the womb?

Selfishness is the order of the day
We care less if it doesn't pay
All I see is mere pretence
Been a while, I heard a true sentence

I cry, we need a Messiah
I lie, we are the messiahs
A better world starts with me
And continues with you

We are "messiahs"

Take off your robe and wig
And quit being a Judge
The person you are judging
Is at the peak of his battles

His guns are running out of bullets
He's losing it already
Your words and actions are missiles
You could be on his team,
Instead of aiming at him

Stop pressuring him
You are taking camouflage off his face
You have no idea what he's going through
The least you could do is let him be.

Dear Excuses,

I'm writing you, to bring something to your ears...
Do you know that you have been cheated?
You deserve to be awarded
As one of the most produced products through the years

You are one of the most diverse brands that I've ever seen
That's what you've always been
And sadly, you will ever be

Let me make this clear
You are manufactured everywhere
From the North to the South
From the East to the West

You are very very versatile
An easy substitute for plans, goals and desires
You have trampled a lot of dreams
And caused them to retire

With all your forms of existence
You are easily delivered in a simple sentence
You have affected many in different areas
You have ruined a lot of careers

I wish you could be banned from production
But making you is a choice
Avoiding you requires determination
Determination is also a choice!

Why do we keep how we truly feel
under lock and key

Society has trained us that
to express your emotions is to be weak

How sad that we are somehow fooled that
realness means weakness

Maybe some of us already lost how to be true

Does it not burn within you
when you act a certain way
but you know deep inside that
that is not who you truly are.

I was on a journey to being perfect
On this road, the landmarks were my defects
The walls were painted with my mistakes
Passersby constantly hailed my weakness

The path was dark and lonely
Felt so ugly, those comments really bruised me
Was eager to fight like I was Bruce Lee
My thoughts said everybody ******* me

Definitely, my saddest venture ever
I thought I was very clever
Gladly, I found an escape through the sewer

Oh, What an awful adventure
Welcomed myself back to reality
Learnt to appreciate my inner treasure
Helped me live above mediocrity.

It was 9 hours drive to Chicago
From my base, Toronto.

On the first day of the trip
It was 30% chance of rain but it rained heavily
My first lesson, I don't need 80% chance of success before I make a move.
We went under the rain and visited all the places we planned to, it was a lot of fun
My second lesson, don't let obstacles hinder you from making your moves.

On the second day of the trip
We were at Sky Deck, a tower to view the entire city from the top
But the weather chose to be foggy with zero visibility for the entire day
We left Sky Deck and did other things

On the third day of the trip
We faced Sky Deck and the weather was bright
My third lesson, sometimes you just need to be patient
We were at Sky Deck and the queue was the longest I've ever seen
And we couldn't get in
My fourth lesson, some things won't just work and it takes courage to accept that and move on.

We left Chicago and returned safely to my base
Grateful for a peaceful and fun filled trip.

Communication is the backbone of a relationship
Maybe not always about the talk frequency
But more about the authenticity
Communication driven by mutual understanding
Fuels a relationship that is outstanding

Undivided attention
Effective listening
Seeking to understand rather than listening to judge
Seeing with their eyes and not our heads
Respecting feelings and emotions
Finding common ground during disagreement
Disagreeing to agree

Effective communication is the ballast of a relation-ship

Every morning,
I make me a cup of smoothie
It helps me get through the day
Regardless of what people do to me or say

My ingredients, I want to share
2 cups of love
2 cups of faith
1 and 1/2 cups of empathy
1 and 1/2 cups of confidence
2 cups of optimism
1 cup of dignity
1 cup of tolerance
2 cups of wisdom

Yummy, it tastes so good!

I've got a lot on my mind that I want to achieve
I've got nieces and cousins that are looking up to me
I've got folks asking me for money
They think I'm in a country with the money-growing trees
But they aren't aware of the stinging bees
Or the super long queues that leads to the trees if they actually exist

It's not as easy as many picture it to be
As I'm also trying to make a mark (in this life)
I've got targets that I'm trying to reach
Still stretching, I've considered using stilts

I've got to keep pushing for my goals
I've got to keep pulling folks that are below
Definitely, I see a brighter tomorrow
Yes, we'll all make it to our promise land
If we don't give up at the times we feel low.

.............
Safely
Evading
Cones and rods of the eyes,
Running away from
Exposure until
Time runs out and it's
Show time!

I'm thankful for my birth
'cause there are people born into violence
Making it hard to navigate another route
They didn't choose it like I didn't choose mine
They were born into it and grew up in it
Grateful for my unchosen inception.