Sparks fly, and people die;
A cycle that tends to repeat
Endlessly.

Bullets fly, across the sky;
People mourn and cry for love lost;
Grieving for their future days
That would never come,
That has paid the cost.

The cost of what may you ask?
The cost of being black.

Sparks are shot into the sky;
Blood is shot into the sky;
Sweat is shot into the sky,
Tears are shot into the sky,

For being of color,
An eye for an eye?

No? / Then I wonder why?

Why nothing is done until
A fatal outcome?
Why peaceful protests urge uproar,
While unarmed men lay pinned
In the street...
Beneath someone’s knee,
Unable to breathe?

Tell me.
Tell me what the answer is,
To stop the violence,
But most importantly,
To feel safe in my skin
With my melanin.

I love humanity, but this is a message
That needs to be known;
In hopes for all to be seen equally;
Not to feel estranged,
Or be a victim of prejudice,
Or alone.

Force visions like a dream
Knighted awakenings through Jedi conquest
Council round tables that serve to protect
Though some minds are subject
To be manipulated and left to resort
To darker prospects

Discourse of a Sith
Internal infection
Darth plagues that cover the brave
Leaving their lightsabers broken
As they bow their heads in shame
Their wills of light, unspoken

The Force is strong
It's our choice to be the one
That it belongs.

This is the world we live in
Where chaos mimics a negative nature
And dreams lie in the silence
Nightmares come alive at night
And people become criminals
In order to embrace the violence

There is no escape
There is no hesitation

This is where we make choices
Even if it takes that choice
For us to learn our lesson
However, beneath this stigma
There is hope
There is a history, surveillance
Of our overcoming and persistence

It's things like this that make our world
So beautiful, yet so fragile
This world is nothing more than a grain of sand
In a beach full of stars
So before it's too late, we need to break free
Of our outer demons
And embrace our inner angels
For today, we are alive
In a world gone awry.

This is the second day of discourse
And I'm still feeling worn
My heart is torn, crying tears
That mirror melting paintings
And feet withering away
On paths they tread on

My eyes are closing
Only to dream of nightmares
And these words unspoken
Are all but ideas now

That have left their
Stations of innovation
Further to fade in my mind
And further to drift apart
From my creation.

Not that I haven't said this before
But recently, I've felt the need to say it more
My emotions are running deep, like a river
That treads off course, and images are cutting me
Like paper cuts that make the insides of my skin
Sting of soreness

A fortress of imagination
Broken down in a moment's instant
I feel almighty, on top of a mountain's point
But like a pencil sharpened too loose
I break, falling off this high-rise
And feeling my moment lose its momentum
A totem that has stopped spinning
As I lose control into the waves
Of another current, down below

Its purpose?

To slow me down
But how would I know...?
I'm just another moment
That has turned upside down
With only places left to fall
And nowhere left to go.

Ornaments and lights decorate trees
Traditions that we've made this to be
Presents are generous, but to be alive

Is the gift that continues to give
Because your presence
Is a present

Focus energy not on tensions
Or frustrations, but realizing
Appreciations for each lesson
Blessing, and silver lining

For Christmas cheer, is to be kind
To unite love like peace signs
And as we celebrate his birthday
To keep the good faith in mind.

I'm thankful for the time to reflect
To feel warm embraces of memories
Emotions of lighthearted joy, and
Scenes of my life that conclude with
Their own heartfelt epilogues

Thankful to shed tears
Serving as reminders
That no matter the hardship
We are one as human

Keeping internal connections alive
Breathing in this life to the fullest

I explore in self
What I can give
Back to this journey

My eternal gratitude
For moments like this
And loved ones like you.