I can’t complain
2My parents, grandmother and all my brothers are alive & healthy
I have a place to stay, clothes on my back,
Food in the refrigerator, socks and shoes on my feet
I can’t complain
I don’t have 4 babies kids that
I’m struggling to take care of
I don’t have any baby mama issues in my life
I’m not on the Maury Povich show because some women
That I slept with want me to take a blood test
I can’t complain
I have working arms, legs, eyes, organs,
And I can breathe without a an oxygen mask
I don’t have any mental or physical diseases
I’m not on probation, CCP
And I don’t have a misdemeanor or
Minor misdemeanor on my record
I can’t complain
I have 2 bank accounts with money in both of them
I have Jesus Christ and lots of other people who love me
I’m like Tony the Tiger from the
Frosted Flakes commercials
Yelling: I feel great
By Shannon Pollard
©Summer 2013

Sitting down all day just thinking doesn’t accomplish anything
Thoughts without action is no reaction
It’s waiting around contemplating about problems
But not doing anything to solve them

You have to think before you speak or write
Before you get on that mic
You strategize about what clothes to wear before you leave the house
Every day is a decision made with precision

Day dreaming is just dreams
Until it turns into actions that speak louder than words
Do something towards your goals
Before your old age takes is toll
Because trying to survive in this cold hearted world isn’t easy

But actions made just on emotions
Without thinking or planning
Leads to destruction of any production

So choose what’s best for you,
Wait on God as much as you can,
Stand for something so that you won’t fall for anything,
Always make a decision knowing
That the choice was your responsibility not someone else’s

Shannon Pollard
© May 12, 2007

I’m white and black
I am Belizean

I remember feeling like a prisoner
Locked up inside my own mind growing up

I believe in God because,
He saved me from major surgery a couple of months ago

I value trust and honesty because;
I didn’t see much of it in my family and neighborhood

I am from Belize City and Los Angeles, California
I come from God, He knows me better than I know myself

I learned how to fight through boxing class,
Now I back up what I say

I am ambitious because,
I am the loser that slipped through life’s cracks

I’m like an Octopus:
I multi task, I’m persistent and clever
About how I peruse things I want

I’m filled with joy and when I wake up every day
I am a work of art,
Chiseled from marble and granite                                                                            

Shannon Pollard
©May 2012

I write because if I don't
I would literally die go insane
From all the drama that life
is putting me through right now
I'm dealing with most of it on my own while
keeping everything bottled up on the inside
I can't make certain people listen to me
or care what I have to say

If it wasn't for writing
I would have never found out what my talent is
I always wondered what my purpose is for being alive
Am I just going to be another black
statistic with a chip on my shoulder

Not caring about myself or others,
just doing things that gives me quick gratification
Not knowing that I was
destroying myself internally
with drugs and alcohol,
or trying to satisfy this void
in my life with money .

I don't know
what I would do if couldn't write
This pen, paper and these words are the only
worldly things I can depend on.
There is never any
backstabbing or mistrust going on,
writing picks me up when
I'm down.

Shannon Pollard
© Summer, 2007

My mind has a million thoughts per second everyday
One of those seconds it dwells on you
Why you so cool, girl?
My heart defrosts when I see your pretty face, voluptuous
lips, black silky hair
And hear your soft, innocent voice
You get on nerves
I Wanna just leave you alone like everybody else I can't
stand
You never let things go
Knocking the walls I set up in this maze
You saw through all the smog and haze
Caught me on all my *******
Why do you consistently keep trying
Where someone else either wouldn't have given a **** or
would have given up?
I can count on you to always be there to bug the hell out
of me
Until you get to the bottom of the situation
Not because you want something or to make me feel bad
But because you cared to stare darkness in the face
We might have a lot of issues
We argue a lot
It don't change how we feel about each other
Regardless of what people think
Just wanted to say that I love you, my one and only
**** other people
We have spiritual attraction that is worth more than ***
I wanna be with you forever if I could
Shannon Pollard
© Fall, 2006

This is for my mom and grandma
You guys have been in my life since birth                
You taught me how to tie my shoes
When I had no father around to
Teach me the basics of how to be a man
You stepped up and did the right thing

When I fell off, my bike and I cried
Because I thought my arm was broken
You took me into the bathroom to
Get the rubbing alcohol and bandages
First-aid kit to fix my bruises and cut
But what was amazing was how safe you made me feel
By just saying that everything was going to be alright

You and mom have been the pillars of this family
Me and my 4 brothers learned that me mi ‘‘familia’’ is everything
In many ways we learned how to be men from you
I learned how to sew, wash dishes, bargain shop, ironing clothes and do the laundry
And clean up after myself and the house,
I know how to change a diaper and make a bottle from all those times that had to baby sit
My little brothers when you were working
I don’t know how to cook but I’m going to learn
Because you always told me that you need to know how to take care of yourself
What if you get a wife who doesn’t want to take care of you?
You would give me advice like don’t mess around
With a girl who has a boyfriend because you’ll get into trouble,
Respect everybody even if you don’t like that person
And finish school because nobody can take away what you’ve learned
You were right about everything that you said

I hope that when I have kids that
I’m half the parent that you guys were to me
Because you inspire me to create by making this family better,
You give me strength to fight by not giving up on me,
You showed me how to share love by showing me compassion
And I know how to have faith
By watching you live life facing your fears

You guys are the true definition of
What a strong, poor, immigrant women can
Become with a little perseverance
Happy mothers and fathers day
Because you did the job that 2 parents
Would have a difficult time with
I know that I don’t express my feelings a lot
But I am proud of you

By Shannon Pollard
© May 2013

One time I was texting my home girl
And she asked what your favorite kind of food is.
I said: barbeque, spaghetti, empanadas,
Burritos and Spanish girls
She text me back Hispanic girls are not food
So you should take that of your list.
I was. I responded no that’s not true I’ve had Mexican girls
Before they’re spicy I got heart¬-burn

Sometimes I want to be straight –up with a woman
Be like hey baby you’re gorgeous, fine, and ****
Were both grown-ups and
I don’t have the patience to lie or manipulate you into
Dropping your ******* or fall in-love with me
It’s less complicated to just be honest
Cause I'm broke *** college student,
I’m unemployed right now but I’m searching for a job

I want to treat her like I’m writing a resume and let the truth come out
If you’re LA single don’t be telling me that your celibate, the relationship is complicated, or that you guys broke up because that is *******
Cause many girls like to keep 4 or more guys at the same time in their life
To buy them free stuff, have *** with them if he’s hitting it right,
Keep in the friend zone if they need him,
Use him to make her man jealous or turn him into a love sick puppy

People assume that because I’m nice and I’m quiet
That I would put up with that behavior
But when I meet women like that
I quickly let my actions say you ain’t gotta go home
But you gotta get the hell out of here girl

I will make a dating profile that looks different from outer peoples
Instead of it saying some crap like I to take long walks on the beach, I’m looking for love on the internet, I’m an out-doors person, and I want to get married and have 3 kids

It’s going to say that I need to get back in the gym because it’s been awhile, I walk everyday but that’s usually because I have too, and I do want to get married but only when I met the right person

I want to be so real with her
That I tell her I catch the bus
Look I don't care what race you're
Because my second head is not telling me
Psst hey come over here

Don’t mess with her cause were not the same skin color
Or we don't speak the language
(In my head I’m saying how you doing)
I'm crazy like Steve Urkel
Who’s obsessed with Laura from the TV show Family Matters
"Did I do that?"
But if you stick by my unconditionally,
I promise when I come up it life you won't have to wonder
If I still care about you or if I'll turn into to a liar
Cause my actions will speak for itself
Even if you don’t like me or you won’t give me some
I’m not trippin because I told you the truth not what you wanted to hear
And at least I made you laugh but most of all I was real with myself
By Shannon Pollard
© April 2013