A Black Man
~ I ~
(Thrust) From my Momma’s womb
…Into a hostile room
A Black man
Way down in “Da Dirty South”
Wooly hair’d
A, somewhat, dirty mouth
From the mouths of some,
I’m known by many names:
A poet
An activist
A changer of games
Crossed treacherous terrain. Traveled stormy seas
Hiked desert lands
Climbed tropical trees
Fought against those who’ve fought against me
Domestics. Foreigners.
“Adorn in Blue” police
Just trying to reach my forefather’s dream
Where “Justice for all,” is more than a thing…dreamed
Tired of “Driving While Black”
Being racially profiled
Killed over traffic violations
Or being exiled
To
An
Eight-by-twelve cell
Made to feel I was wrong
…that I failed
~ II ~
Historically pictured neighborhoods I’ve roamed
Hanging on the walls in Black people homes:
Jesus
John F. Kennedy
Martin Luther King
Copied Lord’s Prayer, and
“I Had a Dream”
Did you hear me?
A blond hair’d, blue-eyed, fair-skinned Jesus
Don’t resemble God’s description
Don’t look like us
Yet…
In that man, WE trust
(Like God didn’t know what His son looked like)
All our spiritual Blackness, we dedicate
To a Savior’s image we know to be fake
Can you relate?
I stand on the pRiNcIpLe of a history worth telling
Deep in the “Starving Souls” of innocent youths,
We be dwelling
Please, my brethren,
Hear me
Stand for something…other than self
Pursue worth, if you must, but don’t stand on your wealth
Be Proud of what tomorrow is offered from you
Let your heart be pure
Your spirit, true
Mr.
Black
Man
~ III ~
“My *****! My *****!”
Cried little Boys in da Hood
Trying hard to be da man
Always up to no good
It’s understood
…America sees a brutha as the scum of the earth
Baseball bat sized girth
With no value…no worth
Is that really what’s understood?
A black man…always up to no good
Our Kids are programmed from beginning to end
Futures sabotaged for the white man’s ends
The brave must fail
Emotionally challenged can’t survive
Drop outs
Criminal minds
Death…or prison lives
Caught up in that “Pipeline to Prison”
They’ve put our kids on
Though our numbers have diminish
WE’re not helpless,
WE’re strong
Society claims it’s their fault; Bad choices they made
We know they succumbed to scripted plans big brother laid
All participants played their role
Orchestrating (sentenced) outcomes
Victims unwittingly help this pipelined path that’s destined for some
Mr. Policeman…da overseer
Trying to keep me in line
Handing out invitations to do prison time
~ IV ~
There’s a gangsta feel to every black man
‘til you’ve walked that mile
You just can’t understand
I’m da man
“Chiseled steel,”
We say it with pride
If you’re down for the cause
You’re down for the ride
My friends I hold to a much higher worth
Wouldn’t compromise my integrity;
Wouldn’t ask me to do dirt
Black Men
Of the dark chocolate
…The Ebony hue
I’ve seen you
Stepping and fetching
Trying to imitate our presence
Standing before us in wide-eyed reverence
Hear me
I’m the fading echo of a million years
I buried my worries. Tossed away my fears
We’re brash and boisterous coz we want to be heard
The impetuousness of the rich
The intelligence of the nerd
I am one with all there were…or can be
First man of all men
The original
That’s me
A Black Man.
~ I ~
(Thrust) From my Momma’s womb
…Into a hostile room
A Black man
Way down in “Da Dirty South”
Wooly hair’d
A, somewhat, dirty mouth
From the mouths of some,
I’m known by many names:
A poet
An activist
A changer of games
Crossed treacherous terrain. Traveled stormy seas
Hiked desert lands
Climbed tropical trees
Fought against those who’ve fought against me
Domestics. Foreigners.
“Adorn in Blue” police
Just trying to reach my forefather’s dream
Where “Justice for all,” is more than a thing…dreamed
Tired of “Driving While Black”
Being racially profiled
Killed over traffic violations
Or being exiled
To
An
Eight-by-twelve cell
Made to feel I was wrong
…that I failed
~ II ~
Historically pictured neighborhoods I’ve roamed
Hanging on the walls in Black people homes:
Jesus
John F. Kennedy
Martin Luther King
Copied Lord’s Prayer, and
“I Had a Dream”
Did you hear me?
A blond hair’d, blue-eyed, fair-skinned Jesus
Don’t resemble God’s description
Don’t look like us
Yet…
In that man, WE trust
(Like God didn’t know what His son looked like)
All our spiritual Blackness, we dedicate
To a Savior’s image we know to be fake
Can you relate?
I stand on the pRiNcIpLe of a history worth telling
Deep in the “Starving Souls” of innocent youths,
We be dwelling
Please, my brethren,
Hear me
Stand for something…other than self
Pursue worth, if you must, but don’t stand on your wealth
Be Proud of what tomorrow is offered from you
Let your heart be pure
Your spirit, true
Mr.
Black
Man
~ III ~
“My *****! My *****!”
Cried little Boys in da Hood
Trying hard to be da man
Always up to no good
It’s understood
…America sees a brutha as the scum of the earth
Baseball bat sized girth
With no value…no worth
Is that really what’s understood?
A black man…always up to no good
Our Kids are programmed from beginning to end
Futures sabotaged for the white man’s ends
The brave must fail
Emotionally challenged can’t survive
Drop outs
Criminal minds
Death…or prison lives
Caught up in that “Pipeline to Prison”
They’ve put our kids on
Though our numbers have diminish
WE’re not helpless,
WE’re strong
Society claims it’s their fault; Bad choices they made
We know they succumbed to scripted plans big brother laid
All participants played their role
Orchestrating (sentenced) outcomes
Victims unwittingly help this pipelined path that’s destined for some
Mr. Policeman…da overseer
Trying to keep me in line
Handing out invitations to do prison time
~ IV ~
There’s a gangsta feel to every black man
‘til you’ve walked that mile
You just can’t understand
I’m da man
“Chiseled steel,”
We say it with pride
If you’re down for the cause
You’re down for the ride
My friends I hold to a much higher worth
Wouldn’t compromise my integrity;
Wouldn’t ask me to do dirt
Black Men
Of the dark chocolate
…The Ebony hue
I’ve seen you
Stepping and fetching
Trying to imitate our presence
Standing before us in wide-eyed reverence
Hear me
I’m the fading echo of a million years
I buried my worries. Tossed away my fears
We’re brash and boisterous coz we want to be heard
The impetuousness of the rich
The intelligence of the nerd
I am one with all there were…or can be
First man of all men
The original
That’s me
A Black Man.