Tears stain
mother's cheeks
as she
struggles
to fill
her child's
tummy.
She skips
another meal
and
feeds,
nourishes,
protects.
She hears
the moans
and cries
her
baby
exerts.
The dark
circles under
their eyes.
So tired
of being
hungry.
Hungry.
All other
thoughts
vanish.
Hungry.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fifte­en
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fi­fteen
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
million.­
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
milli­on.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
mi­llion.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen
million.
Fifteen­
million.
Fifteen
million.

After so many times of falling,
of getting back up and trying,
I fell down again today
and couldn't help but crying.
My face was pushed into the carpet,
I held back a stream of tears but
I couldn't stop it.
My arms were so sore,
and I cried tears of anger,
for looking in the mirror in horror,
and trying hard to stay clear.
Then I got so mad,
at my body and my past,
that I pressed back up, tears and all,
and did two more---fast.
I sat on my knees when I was finished,
I finally cried but I finally did it.

Drawing blank pages when my thoughts are crowded
Every step I take, the same person will doubt it
It's God's gift when I put my pain to paper
But these days, The mirror reveals a stranger
Had the Midas touch now it's writer's block
Hard to guard my heart when i'm fighting lust
Every face I gaze, I have no mind to trust
Every girl that I loved is every bridge that I burned
Time is a jewel that you lose or keep precious
My times now are more sins and less confessions
My dreams are silhouettes, only dark thoughts
My mind fears what the heart wants
To live and die young, If only I could help it
take these as my last words, the eulogy's poetic.

You were so unexpected.
We met and before I knew it you had wedged yourself in my heart.
But you don't care for me.
You never did.
But I'm stuck on you.
And I don't know if I'll ever recover.

I have a daughter, forget her age
She lives in Mali, makes minimum wage
I'm on a pilgrimage, to Mecca I will go
5,000 miles, how long I don't know

They say I'm crazy but I frankly don't care
For my Allah, I would go anywhere
Trip's been good to me so far...

I saw a mountain, a big falling rock
I lost my leg so now I don't walk
I have a camel, ride on the ****
Its fur coat smells like it came from the dump

We're making progress, my friends they can't wait
My wife's still mad that I came to lunch late
So I got her a mansion, gold nuggets on the wall
But knowing her, she'll just sell it all

I hope I'm saved after all I've been through
When I get home, oh what will my wife do?
Trip's been good to me so far...

I'm now in Mecca with my friends at a bar
We'd love to stay just right where we are
We'll have to go but I don't know when we will
It's hard to ride when your arms can't stay still

They say I'm lazy but I'm out on a hajj
For my whole life, I'll wear it like a badge
Trips been good to me so far...

You looked at me with the softest eyes I'd ever seen.
But while I was distracted you fell for someone else.  
And now that you're gone I'm still hung up on you.
After all of this, I still can't get you off my mind.
Won't you go bother someone else's thoughts?