1)
An Angelic Hymn
(minus the fear):

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The -- made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
-- made their glowing colors,
-- made their tiny wings.

Gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell

That the -- didn’t do this
so we’d forget the God in ourselves.

2)
Like, is it cool to be “grown” and still have a soft heart?
Na, I’ll just be a chronic cracking dehydrated mirror
I’ll just beeeee
that guy who wastes his entire year...
Procrastination’s cooler than empathy huh?
and I tried so hard not to be in this poem
my laziness tried so hard to turn me into
the dude in the back with his head down
pretending to check his phone during any sign
of vulnerable
any sign of real

25-
the year I met my angel
the year I found out burning bodies smell like
burning bodies
the year I found out I’ve spent my whole life
thinking and leading with my 2 heads instead of my heart

and she had the audacity to ask me if I have a soft heart?
in public?
…
am I a broken thing?
or are we all just trained to be ignorant of our angel wings?
we are all angels for each other without even knowing it

my angel has a strong name
my mama always told me Benjamin is a strong name
I just have trouble remembering it

3)
Dear Benjamin,

little boy
cocoa skin
dry mouth
holy shoes
Summer smile
gap tooth
loose too
heaven’s proud youth

little boy
unironed shirt
muddy shoes
****** knees
scraped cheeks
paycheck teacher
aint pleased

But

crayon creations
self portrait
proud artist
proves darkness
must believe
in itself
or else
who will?

baby boy
with my strong name
child who was born in fire
you’re an angel
and you ask me if
I believe in angels…
tell God even my neglected heart still recognizes
that oldest trick in the book

and when you’re done
serving this undeserving world
your golden miracles
earning those wings
you were born with

we’ll only remember the time
you brought us all together
to sing songs and cry tears
and not even realize
that your life
and death
are proof
that our fears can not survive here

they can’t survive…
in the sun
in the rain
through the fire
through the pain


Rest in Peace
Protect in Peace