the past is the key to our heritage

behind locked doors are the secrets of where we came from
that knowledge was gradually stripped from us as the generations distanced themselves
yet and still, some seek to find out what our true heritage is
although we were taught to forget, we look past current knowledge and take hold to the past
the past is the key to our heritage
the truth lies behind locked doors almost un-noticed at first glance
but look again
when you use your mind and backtrack, that door is opened and
slowly the truth is revealed
the lies, the half told stories, what really happened
exposed
some know a lot
some know very little
but the apparent thing is
we ll know Struggle
thats a link between Africans of the past andAfrican AMERICANS of the present
we are, indeed, still picking cotton
we are the main strugglers
the past is the key to our heritage
united we learn, divided we will forget
I'm here to remind you that behind that door is who you really are
Behind that door is the tale of our forefathers
Behind that door is a struggle that is linked to our very being
the truth is hidden behind that door so...
open it

short n sweet...its called emptiness

emptiness...emptiness
it lurks in the silence that was once filled with laugher, smiles, voices, noise period.
nothing there now.
nothing. just emptiness. i wish i could cry...but looks like my eyes are empty too.
i wish i could laugh, but nothing to laugh for.
all there is is emptiness that seeks not to once again be full of emotion.
doesnt mind if its love, hate, sadness, excitement, joy, comfort, relief, NOTHING,
UGGHHH I WISH I COULD SCREAM
"WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY?"
then whisper...
"why does this feeling have to be so cold?"
a tear i imagine would fall after this statement
so much for that since they arent there...emptiness
I got caught in it when i could have avoided it...
emtiness took me off guard
emtiness is the reason for it all...

A soul's passion


*took my glasses off for this one*
a very close friend of mine told me
"you know, sometimes i wonder...what if i wasn't the young man you know today? what if
i was just some savage man in Africa. What if
the only way i could communicate was by using
my drum?"
of course, i put some thought into that
i put myself in his shoes, closed my eyes...and waited
silence
nothing...nothing
then, all at once
a series of sounds floods in
children yellingadults yelling
i feel my hands moving
i hear the rhythm they form
Between beats there ismy heartbeat
slow...steady...increasing by the second
as i slowly open my eyese i see
movement all around and i am drawn in
no words can explain
well, no words, by me, can be expressed
everyone speaks but i
i speak not. my drum speaks for me
what is it saying, u ask
it is saying
I am strong, I am strong
I am
strong
I am a king (remember its for him)
I am life
I am...life
I...am...life (fades)
through the words that i speak
I lead a young child into victory
I make dreams and live mine
it is what i know that got me
here
and my word...spoken through my drum
come from here (placing hand over heart)
(back to present)
An African's trade has made its way
past generations and into his hands
into his drum
his words are spoken through his passion
and he is making...
dreams

My Reflection

when i look in the mirror, my reflection speaks to me in languages i
can barely hear
words that i dont understand, but those words are thrown at me
at each glance of my image
This is the languate of those before my generation
before my mother's generation
before my grandmother's generation
maybe even before my great grandmother's generation
and it is a shame that i dont understand a word
we were brought here and i heard a poet note that
we were taught to forget our true culture
when we look in the mirror...
WE ARE NOT WHITE
our skin is just dark, as as we sit as the minority here
where we are
those before us sat and ruled their kingdoms
black kings and black queens
while here we are, still seen as dirt
another race to stereotype
another generation to turn away from the truth
another child's true heritage...stattered
another dream unknown
i dont know how i ended up looking back
opposed to what they want
i seek to know the truth
to bury the lies
because it is realizing what i have become that i despise
i wish to know the truth
i seek to know the truth
i will know the truth, and dare one to try and mislead me
as they have over the last 400 years
if they dont want me to look back
i'd advise them to continue looking forward
the only thing i would look forward to
is the day we gradually look back
and find out who we really are
we are African American
and besides our skin
we see and we hear no trace of Africa
all we hear is English
American slander
the white man's language
when that is not what we began with
i wish to know the truth of my reflection
i seek to know the truth of my reflection
i will know the truth of my reflection

Mia

agressive wit it...

somethin about me you dont like? somethin you cant stand
stand up to me and tell me
either you'll get hit with some words or the hand
only if a hand is raised towards me
how can you judge me?
(slowly speaking)
you
dont
know
me
BITCH!!!!!
(normal talk now)
i aint even gon start on that though
cuz honestly a hater is not worth my time, i'd rather stay on tha grind
leave a bitch behind cuz they must be out they mind
sorry for all the rhymes but
i do it all the time
think down about me?
kiss my ass, cuz i'll kick yours
and i dont have to lift a finger...
unless i flip a bird

I hear you, but u haven't said a word

i hear u but you havent said a word
instead of expressing verbs, these words i've never heard
you look and that says 'im thinkin of you'
you smile and that says 'i love you'
your touch simply says 'we're close'
and your kiss is tellin me 'i want you'
i hear ya, but you aint said a word
u turn your back as if to say,
i dont give a damn
phone calls are never returned
saying i dont wanna hear u
walking away hell im sick of ur presence and i guess im saying the same
i roll my eyes and turn away
im tired of u
i hate u
fuck you bitch why did i date you!!!!!
i hear u, do you hear me? cuz i aint said shit
i hear u and u havent said a word
supersonic hearing, get out my face u aint hearin me
u aint feelin me
and this shit aint killin me
i hear u and u havent said a word

lost in a world where right is left and left is right and everything that was once in place around u takes flight/everything thats at a slow pace moves fast and where am i
still sitting there doin tha same ass thang. its not that i dont wanna move
its that i cant move
i wish i could though, and im working on it
spiritual and mental paralysis aint no joke
i aint got it though, just all the symptoms with out the diagnosis
help
me
help me, im fighting a battle with no armor or weapons
help me
at least give me motivation to keep on moving
im out

right now i just want to lay out and just put my thoughts on pause
its not that i'm tired of them, its just that they bring too many emotions
no doubt things are going beautifully now
but i'm missing something.
yeah i know that you may be wondering what it is
hell, i dont even know. its just not there.
whatever it is can make my smile slowly fade away, make me cross my arms and lean up on a table or lay back on a couch and close my eyes
tears arent present much and i dont wanna shed any
well, i do, but i dont because my tears make me feel alone
theres no one there to lean on when i cry
i remember when one of my close friends cried on my shoulder
she was just crying so hard and i couldnt do anything but say it would be okay
rub her on her back and let her cry
there is no one here like that for me
everyone is too far away right now, so its me and my pillow
me and my pillow
i'm definitely not depressed
I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SENIOR YEAR
i'm excited, happy, loving it
but empty somewhere
whats the missing piece of the puzzle.