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

A stool. That’s all it took.
A simple act of kindness, because that’s who you are.
And then everything changed.

I noticed your stunning eyes
And your beautiful smile.
I thought it was lust.
I wanted to run my fingers through your hair
And peel off your clothing one piece at a time.
But then I wanted to stare into those gorgeous eyes, stroke your cheek
And feel your warm skin on mine.
I wanted to make you smile
And hear the sweet sound of your laughter
Because it’s melody makes my day a little bit brighter.
And when it’s because of something I said
I know that just for that second
I crossed your mind.

If I reached out my arms would you hug me?
If I held your hand would you hold mine?
If I cried on your shoulder
Would you let me be there for you on your darkest day?

What would you have me do?
Who would you have me be?
If myself is not enough I will gladly change.
When will you see it?

When I look at you
I see us
But I know when you look at me
You see a somebody.
But I’d rather be your somebody than your nobody.

I know you don’t see any of this
And if you do
You don’t care.
It kills me a little more each day.
I look around at happy couples
And all I see is you and me
I know we could be so perfect.

So I put on a brave face
And tell myself to move on
Before I become addicted to this pain
But it’s too late.
Because the dreams still come
And my eyes still wander
And when your name leaves someone’s lips
And floats gently around a room
I catch myself looking
Like at the mention you’ll be standing there
Smiling and laughing with me.


I convince everyone that I don’t care;
tell myself I don’t care
But I know it’s a lie.
I care more than anything in this universe
And if you would just give me a chance
I think you might see it.

One night.
Just give me one night.
To be with you
To talk with you
To laugh with you
Just to sit with you.
And if, then, you still feel nothing
Maybe
Just maybe
I could let you go.

For now, though
My hair stands on end when I’m near you
Chills run through me
And the butterflies still flutter when you smile.
I love you
And I always will.
And maybe someday
You’ll look over at me
And you’ll see more than your friend.
You’ll see a girl who is head over heels for you
Who’d take a bullet
Or fight a mob;
Who would die for you
And your butterflies will flutter too.

I'll *******,
If you want.
Cause I want it
Just as bad as you do.
But I also want to hear the rustle of the sheets
When you turn over in the middle of the night.
I want to feel your hot breath on my neck.
I want the stubble on your chin to graze my cheek
As you kiss me gently on the forehead.
And when I whisper "goodnight," you don't have to reply.
Just nudge me with your knee
Or poke me with your elbow.

Trust was the question
Yes was my answer
Now I pay
I dance like a puppet in my own mind
Fully knowing I've got strings **I don't control

IT’S COOL TO BE BLACK

I can use the word ***** even,
When I’m talking about a TV character
It is fun saying it’s because I’m black huh
And no matter what race they’re they start laughing
I like hearing the saying once you go black you never go back
Because it’s usually true

I like President Barack Obama because he goes
Against the grain of those negative black stereotypes
It’s tight how even though people hate on black folks
They listen to our music, copy the way we dress, talk,
Slang terms and the way we walk
They pay a lot of money to watch us play sports
I love how when people want get a good laugh out of life they:
Watch our movies, comedy shows, plays and poetry

I love walking up to my homeboys, home girls, family etc.
Saying: What’s up, giving daps, hi fives, making crazy handshakes,
And sometimes nodding your head as a sign of respect
I love being black because we are a beautiful race.

Do you know what kills me more than all the others that walked away?
Your gentle sway and the way the light plays in your bright eyes,
The build of your shoulders and the sound of your sighs.
It puts me to sleep ends my misery ,the way your kissing me
Breaths life back into me, is creating a heaven out of my reality
And breaking my walls down to show me my opportunities.
It moves me closer to my light erupting into flame,
When I watch the way your tender lips -caress around my name.
The feelings I get when I’m so tightly pressed
Against  every sweet smelling inch of your broad lovely chest,
How it takes away breath at the beat of your heart
And  how every “ I love you” left its own mark,
From the first time you said it, when we met at the start.
Mingling nicely with your sunrays spraying sparks,
Your presence  in all when you’re standing so tall
Is so overwhelming, that look in your eyes,
Tells stories of desires and wanting that yearns
The distance between us screams while it burns
And when you walk away, you’ll **** me for sure.

and i never said goodbye
but i don’t know where to start, anyway
though you’ve never been more at peace
apart, we just fell apart

please, please send your guidance
and don’t answer with a question
I’m just naive
don’t forgive, just forget, forgive again

I watch the evening smoke fade into orange
and the reds into black
you’ve always been a lamp unto my feet
in a blank world
give me comatose joy
like recurring memories
well the snow is shimmering in now
slanting dark colors, shading my destiny

can we just rewind time while I watch you age backwards?
forever changing the shape of memory
again, just show me how victory’s sweet,
even in death

hey, this dirt road’s empty
littered with cans from summer nights
deliver me, make me honest, make me clean
take me home, tell me where

wait, calm me with your voice
take me back to the old willow tree
make me dizzy with laughter
push me in the creek, again

like 2008 goodbye,
give me tears of pride
soft winds are sweeping away my days
as evening fades to night
you’ve always been a empty book to me,
an empty box to fill with notes
I still feel you, like a shadow on the empty plains
you’re a gushing waterfall
that’s run dry

can we just rewind time while I watch you age backwards?
forever changing the shape of memory
again, just show me how victory’s sweet,
even in death

you never judged
never condemned, cause that’s not you
and I never asked enough,
sought what I should have…
and tomorrow is here, unknown
all these changes and time—
and it’s you on my mind

like the evening smoke fading into orange
while the reds are fading into the black
oh today is just a nightmare
chaos and uncertainty
your boardwalk isn’t the same.
as I give way to **** poor dreams
like jumping out of a plane, with no parachute

I feel like you constructed this universe,
had it in the palm of your aged, lined hand
this perfect society of infinity

I lay and watch the sky get darker
the sunset through the naked branches of our tree
the stars emerge like diamonds
I remember how you always wished on the ones that
“have the courage to stay where they are”
and I retrace our steps of old to your empty room
to the datebook you lived by
you missed your dentist’s appointment,
never made it to my senior night.

but today, just hear my call
send me your voice
guide my feet as i walk away
as i take my steps into this ever-changing
presence we call life
watch over me from above with your knowing smile
and show me how victory’s sweet
even in death