people today

People today are too focused on material things
Selfishness is a disease and it's killin us human beings
We steady tryna fill in all the holes in our hearts
But we don't know why they're there so we don't kno where to start
Here's a hint: let's go back to the fall of mankind
When we sinned against God and our race became blind
Lost sight of the promised land, left to wallow in despair
All cuz we didn't listen to our Heavenly Parent up there
So since then, we've all been lost and lookin for love
Cuz we fail to feel it comin down from our Father above
The history of the world is full of examples of His grace
But we seek to fulfill our desires rather than seek His face
He created the world and everything in it for our enjoyment
But instead of appreciating it, we're content to destroy it
Pollution, global warming, and holes up in the ozone
As we continue to befoul this planet we call home
And like stray dogs we roam with no sense of purpose for our existence
But since God gave us free will He's forced to respect our resistance
The only way He can come to us is if we make the first step ourselves
But for centuries we've looked for love in the products on store shelves
And nowadays the state of mankind doesn't look any better
It seems like we've been stuck in this moral quicksand forever
We've failed to realize our faults, fix them, and start anew
You blame the rich for our struggles while they blame God or you
And though it's been tough to chew, pride is even harder to swallow
Our leaders can't show us the way cuz they never learned how to follow
Takin us down the wrong path, the world is headed for destruction
But everyone thinks they're right and no one's open to instruction
Self-inflicted wounds keep us from fulfilling our potential
As this rain of misery, pain and sorrow becomes torrential

It's essential that we realize the faults inherent in our society
Cuz though no one is perfect, that's no reason not to try to be
So I try to see the good in others and overlook their shortcomings
Cuz if we fail to support each other we will accomplish nothing
And I've tried to keep hope alive in the face of this bitter sorrow
Now it's time to put pride aside and strive for a better tomorrow
I believe that we can do it if we put our faith in God's plan
But we gotta do it together, cuz shoot I'm only one man

It seems like bein "Fresh" is an obsession these days,
Everybody out here stuntin, just tryna be fly
But man, please lemme know what comes after this phase?
And who gets to decide what "fresh" is and why?
Come holla at me lil homie, can u tell me wut's fresh?
And if you really kno the secret, can u tell me what's next?

For people today the most important thing is appearance
It's social suicide to buy clothes sold on clearance
But this materialistic point of view is false and incomplete
That's why the following is what i say to everyone i meet:
"You try to tell me that being fresh is about what I wear
I’ll tell you bout all the homeless people livin out there
You try to tell me that I need to buy myself some new clothes
I’ll show you families on the streets whose houses got foreclosed
You try to tell me that my wardrobe is cheap, wack, and old news
I’ll show you pictures of my boy who only wears prison hues
Cuz trust me, I once had the same outlook as you do
Avoiding bamas like the plague if they were rockin FUBU
I wouldn't step out of the house if I wasn't lookin fly
My head was full of hot air that had me floatin SO high
Cuz I thought I was THAT GUY, you know exactly what I'm talkin bout
The arrogant, popular dude who never fails to run his mouth
Thinks he's so much better than all the people around him
And that's why fake, materialistic people surround him
Cuz he up with all the new gear, he rock all the new styles
And anybody who don't is hated on and reviled
But I changed because I saw the consequences of my vanity
And the way that my actions had been affectin my family
I realized that my value has nothing to do with objects
Finally started to understand some of these vital concepts
Like the fact that every person on this earth is in my fam
And the fact that God lives inside every woman and man
I found out that my value comes from my virtue and my deeds
And that every kind act takes root and spreads its seeds"

So if you think I should go spend money on new gear
Go to the mall and buy myself useless material possessions
Then obviously your view of the world ain’t clear
You don't realize the beauty of this life that u’ve been blessed with
Cuz homie life is a blessing, open your eyes and take it in
Value don't come from your swagg my dude it comes from Him

poem for my pops

People wonder how and why I could seem so happy
Sayin I should be depressed at the loss of my daddy
But they don’t understand all the things that i do
I’ve learned a lot about death, come let me tell you
They say I should be sad because my father left the earth
But I know his physical death was just his spiritual birth
And I know he left behind all the aches and pains of the flesh
So why should I be sad when my father has been blessed?
He’s cast off and forgotten all that did him ill here
No longer does he have any pain, worry, or fear
Just an eternity to spend with his Heavenly Caretaker
So I’m elated that he’s now on his way to meet his Maker
Cuz my father fought the good fight in his time on earth
He endured so much pain, fought through so much hurt
So his ascension to the afterlife is bought and paid for
Now he gets to do for eternity what he was made for
Preach and lift up those who were less fortunate than he
Those who lived their lives shackled while my father was free
Cuz there are plenty of dead souls, as there are living,
Who don’t know to praise their Father in thanksgiving
But now my dad has been restored to his full vigor and youth
And I’m sure God will send him to start teaching the truth
Cuz his passion on earth was loving and serving others
He saw every woman as his sister, every man as his brother
And despite all of the hardships he had to persevere through
He was always looking for a troubled soul to lend an ear to
Cuz though he loved to talk, he was more than able to listen
Always had advice to give cuz the Word of God was with him
And one of my regrets is that I didn’t listen enough
Always thought my stupid daddy just talked too much
But as I grew older and wiser, though I’m still so young and dumb
I realized how much he is responsible for the man I’ve become
How much I’ve learned from the lectures he loved to give
And how grateful I am that I still have time to live
And to learn all the lessons that he tried to teach me
Cuz all along my father was just trying to reach me
And though I didn’t always listen to him when he was talking
I use the words I did hear to guide me on this path I’m walking
And I have him and my mother to thank for all of my success
And to him and my mother I apologize for causing so much stress
But Dad, I hope as you look down you know that your words did get through
And I hope you know that those you touched on earth will never forget you
I love you Dad and I know you’re listening, even when I don’t talk loud
So from now on, I walk this earth intent on making you and God proud
And I’ll live by the wisdom in the messages you’ve given to me
And try to let your love, kindness, and care shine through me
And I know you’ll never leave me, so I refuse to say goodbye
Just remember, when u get There, mom said be happy and fly.

please DO stop the music

black people have a history of bein self-destructive
the future of the race compromised by the corrupted
the slave trade was fueled by black on black abduction
now pause: here’s where im goin wit this introduction
nowadays it seems the black race just keeps regressin’
socially with hip hop, plus the economic recession
it’s like black folks refuse to ever learn they lesson
they think they got the answer, but don’t even kno the question
you think we getting better; your example: Barack
but tell me: what other blacks have made it to the top
okay you say Oprah and Condoleezza, so Barack plus two
but look at most of the people who influence black youth
young blacks in the hood don’t memorize Obama speeches
but they suck up the rhymes of MCs like leeches
and the words they sit, study and resuscitate
reinforce sexism, racism, ignorance, and hate
the hip hop industry replaced the chains on Sojourner
if you don’t fit the mold, then the industry’ll burn ya
well what is the mold? Angry nigger totin’ burners
sellin cocaine and treatin his women like Ike Turner
cuz now it’s cool to “go hard in the paint” like waka
but have u heard somebody rap about blacks becomin doctors?
“well weezy did ‘dr. carter’ on his album ‘tha carter 3’”
But really what did that song add to the whole cd?
Simply this: a couple more rhymes where wayne spit nonsense
People listen for punchlines but don’t care about content
But if u listen to the way that these rap guys tell it
The only way to make it out is ballin, rappin, or sellin
Yea it might sound hot, but they all singin the same song
Sex, money, drugs, ice, plus girls with no clothes on
And we disrespect our women so much they’ve started to accept it
Now all you gotta do is strip if u wanna be accepted
Sex with anyone and everyone, these days it’s expected
Young girls see it growin up and they learn to respect it
Parents try to teach em that really they should reject it
But then turn on the radio and contradict they own message
Look at kat stacks, buffy the body, and superhead
Made a name sellin sex and now they all earnin stupid bread
Tv shows, movies, book deals, and the works
That’s what girls get these days for liftin up they skirts
And it’s stuff like this that hurts, for me to sit back and watch it
The type of things people will do and say to make a profit
Cuz we sellin our souls to the same folks who used to own us
Keep us around just long enough so that they can clone us
Then disown us, kick us to the curb like a trash can
And we say “that’s just how society do the black man”
But this time we can’t even blame our failures on ‘whitey’
Cuz we’ve been given every opportunity to live rightly
We just choose to be complacent with our current lot in life
And with our own darkness, we’ve learned to block out the light
The messages in our music have overshadowed our rich culture
As these industry executives continue to mimic vultures
Sayin “which one of these niggers is gonna make me money”
And “which nigger’s gonna spread ignorance and hate for me”
Cuz the new generation of rappers spits the same words differently
And ends every verse with “ain’t none of y’all niggas sick as me”
Man, this is the type of stuff that sickens me, perpetuatin our destruction
And then we try to blame it on the government’s corruption
You think it’s George Bush’s fault that no blacks got jobs?
Well Bush ain’t the one sayin that we should steal, kill and rob
That we should drop out of school and forget about education
No, these messages come from the music we keep makin

yes, i am diff-er-ent

just another day spent chillin on my dolo
people say im different, tell me something I don’t kno

don’t party enough for the cool kids to accept me
and the frat boys be sayin I gotta be more preppy
not enough swag to go chill wit the fly guys
tried to be a gangsta but couldn’t fade the drive-bys
don’t study or read enough to cool it with the geeks
and im way too tame to be hangin wit the freaks
plus people gimme funny looks every time i speak
moms be playin it off like, “baby u just unique”
but unique is just a code word for those who don’t fit in
every time I leave, people sayin “good ridd-ance”
so now and then, I catch myself wishin i had friends
but I don’t – so im back on my solo dolo again

but don’t get it twisted like I care what they thinkin
haterade wit liquor, the only thing they drinkin
but my drink of choice water cuz it’s plain as me
don’t got a lot of homies and that’s plain to see
cuz I walk around – headphones on, music blastin
never payin attention to the people im passin
im just tryna hurry up, get to my class and
take off my bag, sit down and then pass in
wait, I mean pass out – head on my desk
teacher tryna wake me up, tell her let it rest
cuz my world goin black, yea the movie boutta play
thinkin “what fantasy am I in store for today?”
cuz really it don’t matter who I am or who I ain’t
I can still escape to these mental pictures that I paint
Landscapes made of crepe and cake that I create
rumblin like earthquakes when they try to shake me awake
but I just brush em off and go deeper into dream land
you can’t bang wit me? That’s cool, these dreams can

yea im just doin me, you can take it or leave it
im my own best friend lil homie, best believe it.

game day

it's game day, i start off on my knees in prayer
givin thanks to the Lord who through all things was there
cuz through Him, i had the strength and courage to prepare
now God and i together is an unstoppable pair

i play for Him who has given me all my ability
i play for family and friends who have always supported me
i play for those who believed when everyone else was doubtin
cuz faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains

i play for my teammates and coaches who pushed me to do my best
i play for the name of the school that's stitched across my chest
i play for those who watch us and still don't believe:
their doubt provides the motivation for me to succeed

not to prove them wrong, but to prove God right
cuz He told me i can do all things through Christ
so when i take the field, it's for Him that i fight
cuz i know it's to Him i owe all things in life

doubt

sometimes i stop and think that i be thinkin too much
cuz when i look to the future my heart be sinkin too much
it's like ima alcoholic who be drinkin too much
start to get down, so he get to drinkin and such

but for me, the problem's not even the drink or the dutch
it's these doubts that always got me feelin way out of touch
a straight loner: like starsky, without his man hutch
cuz im crippled and fear of failure's my metaphorical crutch

i guess im just afraid of the things that i can't see
even tho my moms said the dark is more afraid of me
but deep down i can't even fathom how that could be
feel like im locked in this cage with no way to get free

and then them army cats yellin "yo be all u can be!"
while the streets tellin me i need to be a OG
plus, my teachers be sayin "boy, get a degree"
but what if i find out that none of that is for me?

i mean i know i got talent just don't know how to use it
got a long list of skills, if u'd care to peruse it
my mind just plays around with ideas that amuse it
marchin to its own drummer with its own sheet of music

sometimes it's just hard to find one path and choose it
cuz the future's fragile, and im afraid im gonna lose it
beatin up my brain, man, these thoughts have abused it
i guess all this thinkin dun battered and bruised it

and at the end of the day im still stuck in the same spot
lookin at the happy people tryna figure what they've got
cuz marshall mathers told me "you only get one shot"
and if you miss out, you're a has-been and a have-not

man i want the king size bed but i got kicked to the cot
so im rollin the dice and pullin down the nob on the slots
cuz it's a gamble, they say you can't blow up if it's not
in life you gotta be ice cold before you get red hot

i guess what this means is im pullin out all the stops
puttin everything on the line, and givin it all i've got
and if it all works out, u'll be hearin my name a lot
but if not...blame it on these doubts that got me on lock

Intelligent Design vs. The Theory of Evolution

I don't understand how people think that the Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Evolution are solid evidence to prove that God doesn't exist. First of all, there are many holes in the theory of Evolution that have yet to be explained and it doesn't seem as if they will be anytime soon. Secondly, I find it funny how so many scientists are now pointing towards a belief that there must have been some form of intelligent design and yet they are ignored. The greatest scientist of all time, Albert Einstein, who is so well quoted and believed and whose theories have explained the logic behind many different phenomena, was also a firm believer in God. And yet, while all of Einstein's theories are taught in schools, this fact is never mentioned.

In fact, even if both the Theory of Evolution and the Big Bang Theory are proved to be true, how is that solid evidence that God doesn't exist? God could have been the force behind the Big Bang and He could have been guiding the process of evolution throughout the history of the world. For example, let's throw out the notion that the Earth and all things in it, including humans, were made in only 7 literal days, as is often claimed in certain religious texts. Let's say, for instance, that the use of the term "days" in the Bible and other texts was actually symbolic for a much longer period of time. Say, a period, split into 7 equal blocks, that coincided with the length of time between the "Big Bang" and the emergence of the first Homo Sapiens Sapiens. This is not altogether a very far-fetched notion as much of the Bible is, in fact, symbolism.

Also, let's assume that God, an all powerful entity whose mission was to create beings with whom He planned to interact in a sort of Parent-Child relationship, did not immediately know exactly how He wanted these beings to act, look, behave, etc. Let's assume, for example, that He was acting on a sort of trial and error basis. If this were to be assumed, then it would make sense that, after experimenting with dinosaurs and other such creatures, and having found them unsuitable, these creatures suddenly became extinct due to one event that scientists are still unsure of how to explain. Let's say that God then believed that reptiles were not the type of being that He could relate to in a parent-child relationship. Then, let's assume that God found He could best relate to mammals, so He sought to create a mammal that would truly reflect his reality and essence, using the process of evolution to continue to develop traits that He believed were worthy and to discard traits He didn't favor. This would explain why there was suddenly an explosion of mammals throughout the fossil record, ultimately culminating in the species Homo Sapiens Sapiens. After all this, let's say that God finally found what He was looking for in the Homo Sapiens Sapiens species, and He then invested a spiritual element into these beings. In this way, He was then able to communicate with them and truly establish Himself as their parent and He was able to give them an eternal spiritual character that would allow them to continue to relate to Him in a "Spirit World" after their physical deaths.

In this way, it can be said that BOTH the idea of intelligent design AND the Theory of Evolution could coexist. This would not only explain the holes in Darwin's theory, attributed to the fact that God is an all-powerful being, but it would also be a more logical and scientific explanation than to say that the entire world and everything in it was created in a mere 7 days. Obviously, I was not there and therefore I can not be 100 percent positive that this is really how the evolution of species happened, but is it not just as logical, if not more-so, than both the Theory of Evolution and the current religious model of the Creation?

the struggle

being broke ain't no joke, might sound funny but it's true
don't kno how bad it is til the broke youngin is you
cursed my pops cuz he left us in the homeless shelter
mom alone wit four kids was the cards life dealt her
so she stress out, scream at us when things go wrong
we just kids but the growin process take too long
left alone at all hours, mom workin three, four shifts
and still only enough money to cop our clothes from the thrift
when you young it don't matter, cuz you don't kno no different
but then you grow up and see how all them other kids livin
mom workin and pops is gone, so you got mad time to kill
so you figurin out the streets, while she figure out the bills
paycheck to paycheck, she stuck payin bills and the rent
plus no checks comin from pops, all his money been spent
vic and joy needed a break so they up and left out
so im alone wit my moms and lil mike in the house
and it hurt bad to see my moms left so helpless
can't help me neither, so i don't kno where the help is
thot i found it, got my own fam runnin the streets
im lookin out for my boys, they lookin out for me
got involved with the drink, the drugs, and the stealin
anything to help escape from these things that im feelin
but you kno it all catches up to everyone eventually
just hope you get out 'fore u sent to the penitentiary
as for me, i was still just thirteen, it's crazy
when they came and made momma say goodbye to her baby
and when i got out, house arrest and therapy sessions
did nothin to help me out, didn't teach me no lessons
so i was back at the same things i was doin before
cursin pops and the world for makin my fam so poor
it didn't hit me til vic came back and did just that
it was just the right thing to get me back on track
still ain't wanna live broke, so college is where it's at
three years til high school's over, then ill never look back
knew i couldn't make it out unless i gotta scholarship
lookin back on my pops gotta do better than he did
so i made it, got the school to pay my way
but still problems at the crib, livin day by day
pops livin on disability, askin us to help out
hard for me to keep from tellin him to get his self out
but i changed the mindset from negative to positive
cuz you can't let your situation dictate how you live
after one year of college the tough times still here
just hopin and prayin the fam can wait three more years
im still just seventeen but in my eyes im a man
cuz me and vic gotta get paid and help out the whole fam
moms and mike just gotta bide their time until graduation
cuz then we paid, and it's time for the real celebration
but dang, that's still two and three years away
we gotta find out a way to pay the bills for today
so when we home we rent ourselves out for any old job
our moms dependin on us, we all dependin on God
gets so bad sometimes, wanna head back to the streets
just to get some food to eat and some shoes on mike feet
but we can't cuz we tryna live life honorably
and strive to be the men that my momma raised us to be
so we still here right before my eighteenth birthday
wonderin when these tough times will be on their way
but it's all good, we just pray to God and give thanks
cuz He carried us when we was stuck wit goose eggs in the bank
so we move on and focus on things we can control
we might be lackin in money, but we wealthy in soul
just gotta keep goin when we think we can't take it
only takes one of us to blow and then we all make it
plus i been prayin so much that im bleedin from my knees
doin it all for my fam and my future wife and seeds
so i put faith in God, my mom, my sis and my brothers
being broke ain't no joke, but shoot, we still got each other

mainstream rap

i think mainstream rap is a big reason why so many black people are underachieving and turning to gangs, drugs, and other negative things rather than helping themselves and their families by furthering their education. if you think about it, who are the role models for kids in inner-city communities? rappers and athletes. everybody thinks that the "only way out of the hood" is if you can shoot a ball or rhyme some words and the thing is, that's not true. however, the more it's drilled into the minds of young people, the more they will believe it. the more they see gangstas and thugs shooting each other and selling drugs on tv, the more they will emulate these people and turn to these types of activities.

and the worst part is that nowadays you're looked down upon if you don't project an image that is "hood" or "street" or "hard" or "real". even middle class youths these days, like many of my friends from back home in Sterling, VA, would rather dumb themselves down to fit into the mold that hip-hop culture has given them than actually try to enrich themselves through all of the channels of opportunity that they're presented with. it's a sad reality that our youth are continuing to be fed negative reinforcement that leads them down the path of self-inflicted wounds such as involvement in drugs and criminal activity.

rappers set horrible examples for black youths because they encourage the types of things, such as drugs, guns, gangs, etc., that only increase the probability that our young people will end up either dead or in jail. so every time someone in the black community blames "The Man" for their failures and shortcomings and for holding black people down, they should instead analyze the messages they listen to in their music, those of hate, ignorance, and negativity, and then ask whether "The Man" is the one feeding these messages to their kids and pushing them into this never-ending cycle of failure, delinquency, jail time, etc....because while the majority of executives at major music labels are white, it's still the black artists who choose to write and perform these types of songs.

Untitled......

God provides the light that His children supposed to follow
got the Word of Him in me, so my messages never hollow
i try to stay humble, cuz pride is hard to swallow
til u swept off the stage like bamas at the Appollo

i got the soul of a soldier and the heart of a champ
runnin full speed ahead, not worried about a cramp
used to live a sinful life, but now my heart’s been stamped
by the Man upstairs, so im livin in His camp

our sins froze the water, but we tried to keep rowin
cuz we was lost at sea, but His lighthouse kept glowin
never stopped movin forward, got the itch to keep goin
cuz God’s love was comin down like North Pole snowin
biggest thing movin, might as well be Samoan
and the crazy part about it is His love keep growin

so lemme stop here and pause to bow down
all glory goes to God, upon His head rests the Crown
once was lost in sin and sadness, but thanks to Him im found
used to be deaf and blind, but He’s granted me sight and sound

i try to offer up absolute faith and love
absolute obedience to the Lord, God above
but it’s hard to stay faithful in a world full of sin
evil spirits everywhere tryin hard to pull me in
so u kno every night, im on my knees givin thanks
life’s about wut’s in ur heart, but people focus on the bank

what do u think will matter when ur spirit leaves the earth
how much ur shoes cost or how much ur house was worth
the measure of a man is not what he’s done for himself
it’s how much he’s given to others, so its time to spread the wealth

ok, u fresher than me, but really homie that’s irrelevant
im tryna enlighten minds usin rhymes and lines that’s Heaven sent
cuz God gave me a mission and im just focused on livin it
keep shootin for the sky, kno i haven’t reached my limit yet

cuz life is like a gift but sometimes it's left wrapped
and some of the richest mines are sometimes left untapped
the world is like a nut that's waitin to be cracked
so it's crazy how some cats be sayin they feel trapped

u kno the hardest thing for me personally to believe
is the number of opportunities that people fail to seize
it's like people fail to see the signs that God is givin 'em
if u scared to chase ur dreams then u'll never be livin 'em

if u afraid to shoot for the stars then u'll never shine bright
so i always step to the plate when im in line for the limelight
and i prepare every day so that when the time's right
i'll shine the first time, cuz u can't rewind life

the plan is to keep my face to the sky, but my feet on the ground
im tryna change-up my path like i was standin on the mound
i been through the storm and i came out a changed man
glory to God first, so hard work is in the game plan

can't change what i been given, but i kno ima make the best of it
came from humble beginnings, but that don't mean i accepted it
this life is like a challenge, never stoppin til i've bested it
on my grind til i die, ain't no time for me to rest a bit

Race

I’m feelin all alone in a sea of strange faces
Watchin people scurry to the same old places
Every single one has their own routine
And their own group of friends and their own lil’ scene
The funny thing is how I always end up in between
Since I’m not white or black I might as well be green
It seems like everyone always tries to put me in a box
And I don’t fit where they want and so they always seem shocked
But still I refuse to mold into their cookie cutter shapes
So they give up and walk away because they know they can’t relate
So I’m stuck. A stranger in a strange place
And all because they try to tell me that I’m only one race

See here’s the lowdown: I gotta white mom and black dad
And the story of their marriage is really kinda sad
Cuz they married with the dream to make the world a better place
But nowadays they can’t even stand to see each other’s face
It’s ironic, but then again so is our society
My teacher told me I wasn’t white so I told her not to lie to me
But they say that slavery ended over a hundred years ago
So why do I get shady looks from policemen everywhere I go
It’s sad cuz I’m judged for the black race’s reputation
We might preach equality but we’re still a racist nation
That’s why 9 years ago after the September 11th attacks
Muslims were immediately transformed into Reconstruction Era blacks
They were beaten and humiliated and their property was vandalized
And yet the crimes weren’t solved, the guilty criminals weren’t tried

So even though blacks are told “racism is dead” all the time
We still feel the pain of being suspected for every crime
Isn’t that funny, I just lumped myself in with the black race
It’s like a comedy act, but I’m the only one wearing blackface
“Blackface?” all the kids say, with confused looks on
Cuz that’s not the type of stuff the historians write books on
And even after overcoming the prejudice that Martin Luther fought
College campuses are still the only places black history is taught
Aah, college campuses, like that of storied UVA
Back to the scene of my confusion from earlier today
Cuz even though I’m made of equal amounts of black and white
I still get approached by cops when I’m out late at night
And white kids who otherwise wouldn’t even say hello to me
Approach me on the street to ask me if I’m selling greenery

So even though we elected a mixed man as our new president
I still get asked on my own campus if I’m a Charlottesville resident
Or a “townie” as they call them, with disdainful expressions
I’m multiracial but I can’t escape from this overt racial oppression
Today I was going to buy some books at the UVA bookstore
Saw the security guard and thought “what’s he givin me that look for?”
Then the clerk came to see if there was something she could help me find
And neither one of them relaxed ‘til I had left the store behind

So even though my dad left and we live with our white mother
People don’t believe her when she shows pictures of me and my brothers
They can’t be her kids, cuz she’s a nice white lady
And they just can’t picture her having a colored baby
It’s like I live in a paradox that confronts me every day when I wake up
And it’s got me thinkin that this might be time for a societal shakeup
Cuz sometimes I look at life and can’t seem to understand
What the hell is happening or who the hell I am

The solution, it seems, is to erase race altogether
If we were all the same shade then we’d get along better
But for now, since we’re not, I’m navigatin between the shores
And waitin til my race doesn’t matter anymore

Poetry

Poetry?
It’s more than just the words to me
More than end lines rhyming perfectly
Like incisions made surgically

To me it’s like a circus, B
Like a roller coaster twirlin’ me
Like a rocket launcher hurlin me

So Far Away

Past the troubles and the worryin’, the cities and the scurryin’
Past the thugs on the block: dime bags and glock carryin’

It takes me past all the hatred and sorrow in the world
Past the corruption of lil’ boys and prostitution of lil’ girls
Past their hidden potential waiting hopelessly to be unfurled

So, So Far Away

Past reality into worlds that may never exist
To places only in your mind, close your eyes and picture this
A world where every man is accepted regardless of race
There are smiles all around, not a frown on a face

A place where hard work is valued more than daddy’s reputation
And for every person’s actions there’s an equal ramification
And every little boy and girl can get the best education
And there’s no need for wars ‘cause the world is one nation

So, So, So Far Away

A place like this seems farfetched to some
Those who slang dope to get their family out the slums
Those who work 9-5 but still feel like a bum
‘Cause they hate their job and their boss makes them feel dumb

But it’s these types of people that really need to see it
A trip with Poetry leaves no regrets, I guarantee it
Only visions of success and the will to want to be “it”
Whatever “it” is, but that’s your own little secret

That’s why Poetry’s my travel agent and my airline of choice
Because it opens up my ears so that I hear my own voice
And it gives me the optimism that makes my world seem
Like everyone in it is living Dr. King’s dream

‘Cause poetry will take you to the Mountaintop and beyond
To touch the top of King Arthur’s crown and the tip of Merlin’s wand
It can even take you to the past to relive the best of old times
‘Cause believe you me, Poetry’s way more than just the rhymes.