Fake laugh and smiles are shown
But his true feelings will never be known;
To the world his life is so stable
But there is only a thread left on that steel cable:

It won't take much for it to snap
Then he'll lose it all, no way to get it back;
But that fool still puts on a show
Each day passing him by so slow.

All he knows are pain, work, and bills
No matter the harvest, he still has more to till;
The bounty of his wealth is quickly spent
All he owns are his pen and pad, just to vent:

Tired of the daily grind
No time for respite or to unwind;
He contemplates death, hoping for an out
With that smile, nobody knows what he really thinks about:

A coward that doesn't know what to do
He really doesn’t have a clue;
He just wants this to be over, this isn't a joke
So when he says he wishes he were dead, no truer words were ever spoke:

We as a people want to believe we are all free;
But are we, when people shout obscenities for me just being me?
I am a person of color, born to this nation;
But still disrespected and disgraced with no hesitation.

People still talk down to you regardless of education or how well you speak;
You have to prove yourself everyday, twice as much work it's not for the weak .
And on rare occasions told to go back where you came from;
So I go to my 2 bed room apartment with my wife, daughters and sons.

Afraid of what the future holds for my protégés;
Knowing they will have to walk in my shoes until the end of their days.
What makes a difference time spent in this country?;
Your families been established 6 generations, mines been here 4 doesn't that count for something?

I am a person born into this American Dream;
But not as equal as others, it's not as easy as "they" make it seem.

I've tried and honestly believe I'm still trying,
As I write these word I'm still crying;
You laid the foundation with the brick and mortar for these walls,
The old me from his cell tries to yell and he calls.

But his voice is slowly fading away,
I don't think he'll ever come out again to play;
Now the windows are being covered soon you won't be able to see him,
In this cell that is fast becoming his mausoleum.

He contemplates the crimes he's committed to be sentenced to death,
He can't think of any he was honest, faithful, caring, he really tried his best.
So no more visits no more time,
He sits in his  jail cell for something that wasn't even a crime.

A Man

 

 

A man is first born into this world

A small babe, a bundle all curled;

He lays there so gentle and sweet

Nothing to defend himself, no nails, no teeth:

 

A blank slate waiting to learn and absorb

They pick up on everything, like a glutton they gorge;

So who taught them to be so violent and bold

We watch as, boys will be boys the old adage is told:

 

A man is told he’s suppose to fight for his belief

So he’ll fight his best friends over a disagreement, no matter how brief;

But if that same man is also soft, caring, and sweet

He’s called a *****, a girl, proclaiming he’s weak:

 

Who came up with this definition of a man

Because I can’t follow this creed, it’s not who I am;

I cry at the movies, and get chills from a song

Having feelings and emotions, who’s to say this is wrong:

 

So I’m here for all the men, afraid to find their own voice

The wars we wage, and women we ****, it isn’t a right it’s a choice;

We all have a moral compass that should be followed

And never believe (their) lies, so easily swallowed:

 

A man is he, and he is I

We are all multifaceted, like the sides of a die;

A wise man once sung, he lived for the sake of others, so they could do the same

So I write this poem for him, myself, and you with no shame:

I want my soul to be free
Like a spring breeze out to sea
But that’s not really me
More like it's chained up tight
Like a bad dog that likes to fight
And beaten within an inch of its life
Pushed to the wayside
And at times it hides
And I rarely let it outside
The fire that use to burn trees
Can hardly spark leaves
And is slowly being extinguished but nobody sees
The inner light is not as bright
But there's still hope as long as there's sight
And those who won't let you give up the fight
The lair to the dragon's been breached
And his wrath will leave those without speech
And the only remains of his enemies are bleached
No longer obstacles to overcome
Thinking that they were more then their sum
Their plans have all become undone
The problems of his past are ephemeral
As he tears away the chains of which there are several
The beast is back and even more visceral