Discipline your mind to think rationally and realistically
Let your reasons rhyme and your rhymes never be without reason
Resist resistance and render all rendering rendered
Be relentless with repentance,
righting every wrong until there’s only room for rewards
Whether god sent or godless be on guard regardless
Rearrange the soul of your renegade, show him how to be a real man
Until the distribution of retribution, this is the restitution
And remember, you are who you think

When I look at the stars, the sunset, the ocean. When I gaze upon the mountain range towering in front of my wide eyes. When the moon softly shines on my smiling face. I feel at peace.

When I feel the breeze on my skin, the grass beneath my bare feet thick between my toes. The tickle in my nose in a dusty room, the drops of rain colliding with my body during a storm. I feel alive.

When I watch lovers play in a busy park, their laughter singing whilst birds fly above them. When I dance, with friends, with strangers, with myself. When I embrace my partner and fall into dreamy slumber. I feel love.

When I think about my experiences, and the world around me. I realise, we have so much more in common, than the differences that tear us apart. And I feel... sorrow.

Am I alone? In my thoughts? In my feelings?

Does anyone understand?

...

I think they do.

I look around and see a women fall over, and several strangers around her flock to her aid. I see a struggling student be taught with a smile, by a patient mentor. I see those masses with nothing give everything, and give everything though those who have everything give nothing, and they give with love. I see whole countries welcoming their neighbours with warm, open arms. And I feel pity, for those countries with locked doors and guard dogs, for they know not what they miss. I feel for them, compassion, and understanding, for they too soon shall realise.

I see hatred grow into tolerance and I see tolerance grow into acceptance. And I see acceptance, evolve into love. And I see... progress... change.

And I feel... hope.

And I wonder... who else does?

are we really woke as much as we all claim to be?
or are we woke to ease our minds, which ain't reality?

of course we've signaled heavy change, i won't deny that's true
but let me have your ear for now, give you another view

are you really woke because you post a rant on twitter,
but bop to Chris Brown's music even tho we know he hit her?

are you really woke cause you were born into the slums,
but if you make it out,
you forget where you are from?

are you really woke because you claim to love black hair?
but only like the softer textures, is that really fair?

are you really woke 'cause you admire that 4c?
but put down girls who have relaxers, wigs, or wear a weave?

are you really woke because you claim to love all people,
but if ya boy is gay you will denounce him at the steeple?

are you really woke because you say you know what's right,
but ostracize your fellow blacks,
simply cause "they talk white?"

are you really woke because you claim to love all colors,
but date a darker women? yikes! you'd rather find another

are you really woke because you claim you've got insight,
but if i am depressed, you say that mess is for the whites?

i bring up all these issues not because i hate my own

i bring up all these issues just because they're never shown

and if we are to grow and prosper,
thrive and shed our past,
we need to have these conversations,

                                                 ­                                make sure that they last

And the more distance you put between us/ the better i feel.
It lessens the fire of rage in me.
It grounds me.
And all this distance, i can finally turn around and look forward.
But I'll always know you will be there/ just over the horizon and i hope you're not there waiting for me.
Thank you.

Thank you for making me not afraid to love again.
Thank you for loving me at some point
Thank you for making me feel special
Thank you for cheating on me
Thank you for breaking me, I now realise how the aftershock of withdrawal has made me a better person.
Thank you for being strong enough to move on from me.

People burst of fake emotion,
Isn't that a simple notion,
Even though it seems quite pure,
For their disease there is no cure,
Yet the disease is blind to itself,
There is only one way to gain help,
Awaken in one of three ways,
Practice one for the rest of your days,
Elevate the mind; body; or spirit,
Through this you will need much perseverance,
Crank the wheel of determination,
Silence the mind through meditation,
Leave behind the dying flesh that reeks,
Strengthen the body through physical feats,
You are the universe; the universe is math,
Raise the spirit by walking the path.

We say our exes are our exes for a reason.
Let it be lessons you learned helped you grow
Why let history repeat itself in a new season?
Don’t be the ex,
Trying to ***** over the next-
‘Cause you emotionally attached.
For this clandestine will bring you to an all time low.
You see.
Your ex, might just hurt the next-
With the revelations of y’all meetings
Whether it’s the secrecy or even the frequency
You must know they more inclined to make up before they break up
You see you the ex
And when it was y’all time,
Did you both put forth the effort to try your best
It’s apparent that you had break up,
‘Cause there was no more for either party to gain, if you made up.
That’s why-
We say our exes are our exes for a reason
You’re not their scapegoat or justification for treason.

As she took my hand
We split down the stream
As choruses of angels had sung
Above our heads, we hung
Looking down at the dream
For our dalliance was marked
Each second shorter than the last

For every sunrise, another had set
And with the birth of a child
A man had passed
Each second shorter than the last

And just like that
Our future had become the past

Fixed on repeat with stagnation as aural salvation
they dance to the archaic discord
entombed in relics from 1973
rooted in pensivity behind the repetition of each melody
they've heard this one before
used it to pick themselves up from the floor
an effigy to lost lovers
who used to sit beside them
smoking on the balcony
paying duty to a capitalist society
taxing themselves with each breath.

They never hear the strings breaking in silence
dancing through progressions
which paint plaintive signs of the times
disparity haunts the rhymes
but nostalgia stole the show
apathy drives ignorance
to the songs, they don't know.

Artists gorge on the decline
too many pills to swallow
so instead, they'll do another line.

I still think

Of the ties I’ve severed

Of the bridges I’ve burned and then danced through the ashes

Who I have lost

Who I have found

As the embers spark they reflect like alternate universes in your eyes

Drag me into the void

But I know you’ll leave me there

As you pursue your own utopia

my heart is in pain
it is not because of what you have done
it is because of what i didn’t do
out of fear of you leaving
even after you hurt me once again

my progression starts now

this time,
i will not tell myself that i am overreacting
this time,
i will not blame myself for things that you have done
this time,
i will not hide my feelings
to protect your hollow heart
this time i will move on
and leave you to fall apart

though i had to learn this the hard way,
my advice to you;
do not let your problems control you
do not let your guilt dominate you
understand where you stand
take responsibility
so you don’t leave your next beloved
fearing your absence
rather than
loving your presence