you're supposed to listen to stories
to learn from stories
and to take from each story a moral
or meaning

but what if these stories have been twisted
their own truths mixed
with society's despair
and heart ache

everything is wrong
not even the brightest of stars
knows of its tales
adventures or happiness

we cannot listen
we cannot learn
we cannot gain the knowledge we need
to grow

there is no hope for tomorrow
for you cannot fix the broken-hearted
they know of no love
the poor black souls