There’s a noose around our necks to drive out feeling,
To **** the sweetest instincts planted deep within our souls.
It’s too hard to feel, it hurts too much, so **** it –
Replacing it with lust so that we think we are alive
But we have lost it.

I think therefore I am?  So said that Greek man.
Someone could likewise reason that “I feel, therefore I am”
It’s a possible conjecture but the suffering incurred
Is overboard , impossible, I cannot cope with that.
I’ll take the substitute.

This lust gives me to think I’m feeling something,
Be it money lust, drink, drugs, or sexuality or things.
Somehow, though my ego escalates, I’m feeling grand,
But my relationships are failing, flawed, I cannot understand –
I’ll take the substitute.

I’m at the bottom of the pit.  I’m on the outer.  
The substitute has got me.  I’m in isolated rink.
It’s living hell.  My friends are gone, and everything is bad.
I cannot cope with this.  I need some love. There’s none around.
I’ll take the substitute.

I’ll take the substitute.

I’ll take the substitute.

I’ll take the substitute.

This is hell.

God, where are You?

“I’m right here.”

“I took the substitute.”

"I know."

"It's finished me."

"I know."

"Help me."

“Will you take Me now?”

“I sure don’t want the substitute any more.”

“Will you take Me now?”

“Yes.”

“You believe Me now?”

“Yes.”

“Do you believe that I love you?”

“Yes”

“Do you understand, I did the substitution for you?”

“On the Cross?”

“That’s it.”

“I believe you.”

“Do you trust Me in all respects?”

“It’s either You or the other substitute?”

“It’s either Me or the other substitute.”

“I’d rather trust You.”

“Come then.  I love you.  
Walk with Me and I’ll restore your deeply broken heart.
You are My child. Draw ever closer, never to depart.
Revive yourself in Me.  My Words will give you back your Life.
I’m your blood brother, at your back when problem scenes are rife.
My Spirit, Truth, empowers you in strife.”

To you,
Substitute-
A mere copy,
Nothing more than a
Last minute stand in.
I am addressing
You and only you
Mr Substitute.

You who maliciously
Attempted to make my
Son feel less than;
You who with your
Contrived agenda
Sought to edify
Your unequivocal ignorance
Thinking that the
Young Puerto Rican boy was
Likely another statiscal
Data point representing
Yet another victim of a
Fatherless phenomenon yet,
There we were-
That Puerto Rican boy's
Mother and Father
At the school house,
Bright and early
To shine a light and
Expose your uneducated and
Ill informed ***.

May we
You and I
Discuss politics on an
Even playing field
Mr. Substitute,
While in your little world
You fumble over
Your phone
Pressing 1 for English or
2 for Spanish,

Let me translate

Let me educate
You substitute
So that next time
You decide to
run your mouth,
Consider keeping mute.

Before you choose
To marginalize
An entire race
Let's have a face to face

Mr. Substitute
My son comes from
Those very people
You express such
Disdain for
Those people who
Have bled and died
For this country since
The first World War

Perhaps that historical fact
Escapes you
While you make no effort to
Teach the truth
You can't hide the fact that
They also bled and died
In the name of freedom in
World War Two

Korea
Vietnam and Panama
Iraq and Afghanistan
Serving, bleeding, and dying
Just hoping to secure
Their place
Amongst society
So that you can

Let loose your vile tongue.
Instead of teaching
The value of equality
And sparking a sense of
Hope in the young,
Understand though
Mr. Substitute
Both karma and I are
Far from done.

I chose to exercise civility
In my quest to
Teach you a lesson
In humility
A lesson in diversity

Oh how I wish
that were me
Looking back at you
In that classroom
Mr. Substitute.
Fortunately,
The blood that runs
Through my fiery veins
Runs through my sons.

Under no circumstance
Will he accept the
***** matter that
Effortlessly flows
Through your
Venemous lips.

Unlike you
Mr. Substitute
We are accepting of others
Even if you yourself are
Nothing short of
A misguided
Intolerant bigot,

My son and I
Refuse to
Stand idly by
Without exposing
You as the
Village idiot.....

Mr. Substitute