I can see
Into the light
And into the collective

I can feel
A new day
A new dawn on the horizon

I will be
Greatness running forth
Try and catch me as I fly by

I will sound
Like a whirl of fury
A powerhouse so deep
It’ll make your knees weak
Like effervescent singing
Like cool waves softly crashing

I will feel
Like a ******* woman
Thick and strong
Unmoved like a tree
Growing up and beyond your vision
Your view of the unseen
Offering you shade
A soft place to lay your head
A cool place to sit and dream

I am
Something on the rise
A woman just beginning
To take heed
To feel her birthright
Finally demanding justice
And offering it to only myself

You can’t stop me now
Because I’m on my way
I bet you thought you could
But no
I’m good and gone
Away and above
This dark place where you lay
The sticky sweet where you go to die

No longer do you bind me
Pain so powerful and bittersweet
Because I’m stronger than you know
And nothing’s holding me back

I fell asleep at noon
To that good ole’ familiar tune
To the cicadas
Buzzing and humming
Down by the bayou

I know today is gonna be the day
That the good lord coming to take me away
Jesus, he gonna come down and save me
He gonna come down and set my soul free

To the cicadas
Buzzing and hummning
Down by the bayou

I fell asleep in the hot sun
With the air around me sticky and sweet
I hear those boys comin’ with that gun
But I’m just too tired to get on ma feet

I know today is gonna be the day
That the good lord coming to take me away
Jesus, he gonna come down and save me
He gonna come down and set my soul free

I was lulled to sleep by that seductive song
It was soft and dreamy
And I was humming along
Down by the water moving slow
On the banks of the bayou
Don’t no one gotta know

That today’s the day when good God
Coming to take me away
Yeah today’s the day Jesus coming to save my soul
Praise the heavens he’s gonna turn it from black
To shiny gold.

The cityscape paints a picture
Of a raw permeating truth
Something bigger and better than who I am
But it is me
Or at least I try and play pretend
Playing princess
In a dark forbidden castle
Locked away in the land of never ever

The streets are black and wet
Stained with putrid stank
Vile fluids and ghastly memories

Is this home?
This place where the sun doesn’t shine
Hidden away from all the beauty
A place completely human
Raw and angry
Like a fresh wound

Sweet smoke fills my lungs
Thank you, New York
For bringing me back to reality
For slapping me in the face
With life
With the insanity that made me sane
With the dizziness of drunken days
Days that were too short
Where night couldn’t wait to spread
Its darkness across the sky
And the moon dominated my sweet sun

Here in the city of death and despair
Is where I was born
I broke free of the womb that bound me
And I ran
I ran to get lost
And to be discovered
Thank you, New York
For taking me in
And becoming my cold, distant
Other mother.

But I was there
You can’t tear the truth from my hands
My fingers will hold on
Gripping and clenching in vein
Because I was there
And my actuality can’t be stolen from me

Sorry mom
Sorry dad
But I have to tell my tale
I can’t pretend that I’m whole any longer
I am no lady in white
My testimonios must be told

Don’t call me crazy
Don’t hold me down
Because I was present the entire time
No one can fight my facts
Because they lay not in my body
They felt not the breath on my neck
They’ll never know my pain

It’s funny how men will try and convince you
That you’re not real
As if you’re part of their imagination
That they created
And birthed all on their own
Is that why they try and destroy us?
Hold us down and tell us
That we don’t deserve the world
Or life
Love
And breath

When did it all become so real?
This life
And every sharp
Biting
Steely speck of pain

I wish I couldn’t feel it
or understand the weight of it
I wish I were immune
Like so many others
But, what a dream

It felt so real
Like we were really together
And I was actually holding
Your small warm body
Against mine
And you were really happy
And safe
And I loved it
I was grateful
As I rocked you in my arms
Soldier stance
A warrior for you
my love
Vowing to always keep you safe
In my arms and away from pain

I was a half
And you were a half
And together we made a whole
Something so beautiful
So complete
That it sent my heart flying
And my body buzzing in celebration

Not even he mattered anymore
It was only you
And it was only I
Our love was the only love
But then morning came
And ripped you from my arms

Goodbye my baby
My love and my only
It is time for you to leave me
It is time for me to wake up alone
And feel the emptiness in my heart
And the burning in my burning chest
Where you once lay your sweet face.

My little soul
Traveled across time
And through the deepness
Of space
To get to you
My dear
My love
She flew tirelessly
Endlessly
Only to be reunited with yours

Broken heart
So cold and stiff
Don’t be angry anymore
Because my heart of hearts
Is here for you
And I won’t ever leave
I’ll never let you go

My body
Your body
Together we formed something soft
And fragile
We created a creation
That was bigger than us
It was greater that my greatest fear
And deeper than your deepest regret

I turned my back
I didn’t watch
As it was taken
I gripped the hand that was offered
One that I had wished was yours
I alone watched as my castle crumbled
I bore witness to the destruction of my own fairytale
As it dissolved
And became one with air
Time and space
And I followed
The pink screaming sky
Into oblivion  
And forgot my dear
That you were ever there at all.

If you leave me now
Make sure you don’t come back
Close the door
On your way out
Of my shaky falling house
Walk away
From the place we made a home
And my mangled
Tormented
Body built for two

The roses turned the water red
And so I did as well
Cold weather
Reached my bones
And told me to let go
So I forgot to hold on
And how to love

Warmth doesn’t settle in me now
No matter how long I walk
Through the desert
I will still be cold

The sun doesn’t shine here
Not in this place
She’s afraid of the clouds
And the angry wind
So she stays away
Just like you
My love
She also couldn’t bear
To watch the destruction unfold

Goodbye my darling
I’ll be fine
Just pushing down the daisies
That grew from my little muddy heart
For only you
I’ll let them wilt inside my soul
And forget that they ever lived at all.