The portrait never shows the time or pain behind every brush stroke are flaws so easily hidden in the beauty that stands before us now.

It's a slow death in the pages and
a world of torment so easily escaped in this room alone.

I can show any emotion so why must I stay here in the confines of this one .

Maybe we **** what we love the most simply to watch it die.
The innocence lost with time now the bitter winds flow so cold through the trees that once knew spring .

Can we see it for what it truly is .
The art we create and the happiness we sacrifice along the way .

Old paintings like tombstones are simply markers of a time the earth did embrace our existence.

And something I know longer can bare to view .

Got on my grey and black hoodie
Will I get shot today
Got on my grey and black hoodie
Would I get stopped today
Got on my grey and black hoodie
Pulled over by a cop today
Got on my grey and black hoodie
Lord will I die today

Being a black man in America is a struggle
Vision distorted what I know is a river some see as a puddle
It's folks that say racism is dead
Yet if I wear a grey and black hoodie
I may get hit with black lead
By a cop
Or laid to rest from another black man like the guy that killed my pop
It's two realities I face
The truth of who I am
And the lies tied to my race
No not all black men are  thugs
Even though some are
No not all black men sell drugs
Even though some do
I'm   neither  one of them dudes
So should I wear a suit?
Like AL Capone?
I simply wear what I'm accustomed to
Does my long bread make me a muslim?
When honestly I'm growing it out like my savior you know the King of the Jews
I'm familiar with racial slurs
God has blessed me to be great with words
And still to this day when customers open their door I'm treated like a *****
Who are you?
Company name branded on my uniform
I guess I'm seen as a criminal should I wear an orange jumper
Man this is crazy
I just want to feed my wife and take care of my home.
Should me and my wife birth a child
I'm concerned about the future that's ahead of our black babies
Through  all this discrimination and hate black skin is resilient
Built to absorb sun rays
But that Vitamin D
Doesn't make me Clark Kent
Captain America black in the comics now
I wonder if they will blackout superman
At the end of the day none of this should bother me
I should have tougher skin
But if a rhinoceros takes enough shots it will die at the end
I have on my grey and black hoodie
Despite our differences  we are humans, women and men
Now there's  insight so can we attempt to be friends?

So if Egyptians in Biblical times were Black, should I be proud of that?
Because the Bible tell me that they were worshipper of Idols.
So if what they say is fact..
Then what's in my veins is the ancestry of  monotheism.
The Bible tells me plain that their call on deities  were in vain
So with me being a Christian and Black  I find hope in my ancestry leaked to American Slaves because no matter how evil it was those yearning for freedom called on Jesus' name
#MyIdentityinChristfirst #Myskinisjustflesh

Truly inspired by Joe Cole's recent writing prompt

(http://hellopoetry.com/poem/818411/young-poets-write-for-mei-would-ask-that-one-of-the-more-computer­-literate-among-you-set-up-a-collection-for-me-for-all-the-wonder­ful-contributions/)

and the positive responses thereafter, I think there should be an optional writing prompt daily. I am in no way volunteering for any responsibility BUT I did hear a very interesting prompt just last night at an open mic so.....


what does today taste like?


Have at it!! and if you respond please copy the link into your reply AND hashtag it #todaytasteslike (no spaces)