I B that poet
I B that hot tip in your arsenal of arrows
Shooting verse on the straight and narrow
Amz for the bullseye, and I'll be on target
I B that poet.
I B that one who amz higher with her words,
amz deeper with her message
but never amz below the belt
I B that poet
I B that one staring, awestruck, toward the heavens
While atop my car in the parking lot of a 7/11
Amz 4 the moon, and I might land among the stars
I B that poet.
I B that one who amz for something she can't reach easy
Who steps out of her comfort zone, but doesn't get too cheesy
No longer A-M-I-E, but A-M-Z
I B that writer by day, by night and while sleeping
Always on the move like a lover who's creepin'
And most of the time,you should know I'm just teasin'
But I always amz to bring the message to the people,
and the people to the message
I B that poet, and Amz B me.
12/26/07
10
My ten-year-old cousin looks my way
"Do I have any more?" she asks today.
It's Christmas Day, and here she sits
A whimper away from throwing a fit
Surrounded by all of her unwrapped gifts
I could ignore her, not give a shit
But instead I turn, contemplating.
Does she have any more, she asked
Now waiting for a reply from someone to end her
Frustrating quest for things materialistic
Perhaps the best has been left forgotten,
but that's unrealistic
She sheds generosity like a cheater sheds lipstick
from his collar
Forgetting it existed, only cares about the dollars
Like a streetwalker on the hour, it's all about the
dough, not the climax
She's never told "no," and so she can't relax
Looks away, like Santa left something at the door.
"Do you have any more?" I say.
"I know you do.
Got clothes, got a warm bed, got a dad that loves you,
Got your gramma, your cousins, your uncles and aunts
Got no stains on your shirt, no holes in your pants,
Got jewelry, got toys, got plenty of food,
Got more gifts than most kids.
And I don't mean to be rude
But I'm glad that you don't know what it's like
To be hungry and cold, no place to sleep at night,
And you can't do your homework, cause you got no lights.
And you, of all little kids, should know better
Cause for you, it hasn't always been sunny weather
There's been Christmases all you got was one of
Gramma's sweaters
and you thought it was better than any Christmas
you ever had before.
So you ask, 'Do I have any more?'
Cousin, be reminded of the score
Today, acting like your shit don't stink
But years ago, when you had no water coming out of
your kitchen sink
You were much more grateful of the things you had."
And when I was done speaking, she looked so sad
But I knew, in a minute, she'd go right back to being
bad
Cause a 10-year-old can never appreciate what
she once had.
"Do I have any more?" she asks today.
It's Christmas Day, and here she sits
A whimper away from throwing a fit
Surrounded by all of her unwrapped gifts
I could ignore her, not give a shit
But instead I turn, contemplating.
Does she have any more, she asked
Now waiting for a reply from someone to end her
Frustrating quest for things materialistic
Perhaps the best has been left forgotten,
but that's unrealistic
She sheds generosity like a cheater sheds lipstick
from his collar
Forgetting it existed, only cares about the dollars
Like a streetwalker on the hour, it's all about the
dough, not the climax
She's never told "no," and so she can't relax
Looks away, like Santa left something at the door.
"Do you have any more?" I say.
"I know you do.
Got clothes, got a warm bed, got a dad that loves you,
Got your gramma, your cousins, your uncles and aunts
Got no stains on your shirt, no holes in your pants,
Got jewelry, got toys, got plenty of food,
Got more gifts than most kids.
And I don't mean to be rude
But I'm glad that you don't know what it's like
To be hungry and cold, no place to sleep at night,
And you can't do your homework, cause you got no lights.
And you, of all little kids, should know better
Cause for you, it hasn't always been sunny weather
There's been Christmases all you got was one of
Gramma's sweaters
and you thought it was better than any Christmas
you ever had before.
So you ask, 'Do I have any more?'
Cousin, be reminded of the score
Today, acting like your shit don't stink
But years ago, when you had no water coming out of
your kitchen sink
You were much more grateful of the things you had."
And when I was done speaking, she looked so sad
But I knew, in a minute, she'd go right back to being
bad
Cause a 10-year-old can never appreciate what
she once had.
12/20/07
Apocalyptic Dreaming
Breathe in, breathe out
Lips stop quiver; tears dry out
Find something to talk about
Or else, you fear, you'll scream.
No one can breathe in forever
The sun would shine in different weather
And whether or not the topic's clever
We still continue to breathe
Try not to remember, but can't forget
Face gets hot, tears wet
And under the covers at night, you let
Out a secret scream
We cannot make our memories lapse
So knees feel weak, lungs collapse
And puff, hold, pass
Is now the only way to breathe
Why does it get hard when things go wrong?
A topic for another song
And so you wait, while all along
You breathe, scream, breathe.
Lips stop quiver; tears dry out
Find something to talk about
Or else, you fear, you'll scream.
No one can breathe in forever
The sun would shine in different weather
And whether or not the topic's clever
We still continue to breathe
Try not to remember, but can't forget
Face gets hot, tears wet
And under the covers at night, you let
Out a secret scream
We cannot make our memories lapse
So knees feel weak, lungs collapse
And puff, hold, pass
Is now the only way to breathe
Why does it get hard when things go wrong?
A topic for another song
And so you wait, while all along
You breathe, scream, breathe.
12/6/07
These Little Girls
These little girlz are ours
So we need to be mentoring them, telling them they can go far
Tell them they don't need to ride around with
strange boys in strange cars
Staying out late, turning tricks at the bars
Here they are, looking to us for guidance on all matters
How to be strong women, looking to make their souls happier
Not necessarily make their wallets fatter
And the little things we do -- the walking, shopping,
the idle chatter
Will help her feel worthy on her own, even if the boys
aren't looking at her
Cause these little girls are ours.
These little girls keep pace
Cause they know they can keep up with the boys when it
comes to the rat race
Not concerned about not being able to get up in a man's face
But, for their sake, we need to show them there's better
ways of fighting
No need to throw punches; try dialogue or writing
Engage your adversaries in rational conversation
You've seen how an intelligent proclamation can lift a nation
No longer will there be gender discrimination if our
girls are literate
And all it takes is for us to sit with them and read a bit,
So these little girls keep pace.
These little girls shed tears
Crying in the closet when they think no one's around to hear
Frustration, anxiety, violence and peer pressure
just some of their fears
Don't try to switch gears; let them talk it out
The worst thing you can do is blow it off or shut them out
Thinking it'll all go away if you just let them pout
And it will, eventually, but then they'll be left with the doubt:
"Were my feelings valid? What did I have to cry about?"
Their cries, unanswered, turn into confusion
Without a solution, they're left with their own illusions
On why the world has turned and left them here
That's why these little girls shed tears.
These little girls have dreams
Living for the future, pretending the world is not
what it seems
Encourage them, like darkness penetrated by light beams
These little girls and their big dreams will lead the way
Like ice cream on a hot summer day
They provide welcome respite from the realities
of the world today
And, if we're lucky, tomorrow the world will
see it their way
So love them, support them, treasure them,
and variations on that theme
Cause these little girls have dreams,
shed tears, and keep pace for miles
And they'll only be ours for a little while.
So we need to be mentoring them, telling them they can go far
Tell them they don't need to ride around with
strange boys in strange cars
Staying out late, turning tricks at the bars
Here they are, looking to us for guidance on all matters
How to be strong women, looking to make their souls happier
Not necessarily make their wallets fatter
And the little things we do -- the walking, shopping,
the idle chatter
Will help her feel worthy on her own, even if the boys
aren't looking at her
Cause these little girls are ours.
These little girls keep pace
Cause they know they can keep up with the boys when it
comes to the rat race
Not concerned about not being able to get up in a man's face
But, for their sake, we need to show them there's better
ways of fighting
No need to throw punches; try dialogue or writing
Engage your adversaries in rational conversation
You've seen how an intelligent proclamation can lift a nation
No longer will there be gender discrimination if our
girls are literate
And all it takes is for us to sit with them and read a bit,
So these little girls keep pace.
These little girls shed tears
Crying in the closet when they think no one's around to hear
Frustration, anxiety, violence and peer pressure
just some of their fears
Don't try to switch gears; let them talk it out
The worst thing you can do is blow it off or shut them out
Thinking it'll all go away if you just let them pout
And it will, eventually, but then they'll be left with the doubt:
"Were my feelings valid? What did I have to cry about?"
Their cries, unanswered, turn into confusion
Without a solution, they're left with their own illusions
On why the world has turned and left them here
That's why these little girls shed tears.
These little girls have dreams
Living for the future, pretending the world is not
what it seems
Encourage them, like darkness penetrated by light beams
These little girls and their big dreams will lead the way
Like ice cream on a hot summer day
They provide welcome respite from the realities
of the world today
And, if we're lucky, tomorrow the world will
see it their way
So love them, support them, treasure them,
and variations on that theme
Cause these little girls have dreams,
shed tears, and keep pace for miles
And they'll only be ours for a little while.
11/1/07
Oil
This one that I need, he's a fickle lover
When he goes down, ooh, he makes me shudder
I love it when he's low like that
But when he comes back up, he just runs me raw
And I can't take it, but I keep coming back for more.
This fickle lover at my door?
Gas prices.
I thought I had him beat.
Trying to walk, bike, anything to stay out of the
driver's seat
And when we meet, I never know whether he'll treat
me right
Make me say "ooh yeah" while I fill up on his
juice at night
Or whether he'll bite, take a chunk of change bigger
than I'd like
Leave me feeling cold, taken advantage of
And yet, he says he's not to blame
He's just playing the game, and I believe him
Without my love, no one could conceive him
Born of the fires of too many souls,
burning the deserts dry of their history
He was once in the ground, and before that, was dead
And millions of years before, in another life
He was lush forests, undergrowth, plankton
and dinosaurs
Roaming free on the earth, that great,
green planet
Where humans had thus not been to inhabit
And overpopulate the ground like nymphomaniac
rabbits
Whose only habit was to consume the long-dead
For their Jeeps, their private jets
Grand ideas to fill their heads
But nobody said, "What happens when the living begin
to haunt the dead?"
Then we start killing our own, for the ground
and what's below
Until we can go no further, and then who knows
What will happen to our fickle lover.
He only treats us badly because we mistreated him
It's all he knows.
And so, through the blinding snow I begrudge him
a little more dough today
And wonder how long we can hide under the covers,
hoping he never goes away.
When he goes down, ooh, he makes me shudder
I love it when he's low like that
But when he comes back up, he just runs me raw
And I can't take it, but I keep coming back for more.
This fickle lover at my door?
Gas prices.
I thought I had him beat.
Trying to walk, bike, anything to stay out of the
driver's seat
And when we meet, I never know whether he'll treat
me right
Make me say "ooh yeah" while I fill up on his
juice at night
Or whether he'll bite, take a chunk of change bigger
than I'd like
Leave me feeling cold, taken advantage of
And yet, he says he's not to blame
He's just playing the game, and I believe him
Without my love, no one could conceive him
Born of the fires of too many souls,
burning the deserts dry of their history
He was once in the ground, and before that, was dead
And millions of years before, in another life
He was lush forests, undergrowth, plankton
and dinosaurs
Roaming free on the earth, that great,
green planet
Where humans had thus not been to inhabit
And overpopulate the ground like nymphomaniac
rabbits
Whose only habit was to consume the long-dead
For their Jeeps, their private jets
Grand ideas to fill their heads
But nobody said, "What happens when the living begin
to haunt the dead?"
Then we start killing our own, for the ground
and what's below
Until we can go no further, and then who knows
What will happen to our fickle lover.
He only treats us badly because we mistreated him
It's all he knows.
And so, through the blinding snow I begrudge him
a little more dough today
And wonder how long we can hide under the covers,
hoping he never goes away.
10/1/07
Role Model
I wanna take half the people I meet
and slap em silly
They don't know what's coming out of their mouths;
like Milli Vanilli
You know the ones, reciting garbage they hear on
the street
It's like putting a propaganda record on repeat:
You hear what they want you to hear, nothing else
No intelligent, original thoughts up here,
just a dusty shelf.
It starts out with these little kids,
who get their ideas from us
Think a life of crime and hustling
is better than getting on the school bus
Hold up, you say, it's not my fault.
Well, you may not articulate
But they imitate what you do, and from there it escalates
And you've got a whole community of kids who don't
want to wait for their riches
And you hear one call a group of women his "bitches."
And they start trading drugs on the street
And you can no longer blame it on the beat
Don't concede defeat; just rise to your feet
Own up to how they've been brought up,
and start walking
You knew all along they were listening,
so start talking
Tell them -- hell, tell us, we're better than that
So we need to stop spouting all this
ridiculous crap
Cause we're all role models when we're at home
or in the neighborhood
So when we say, "I should start acting like one,"
I wish we would.
and slap em silly
They don't know what's coming out of their mouths;
like Milli Vanilli
You know the ones, reciting garbage they hear on
the street
It's like putting a propaganda record on repeat:
You hear what they want you to hear, nothing else
No intelligent, original thoughts up here,
just a dusty shelf.
It starts out with these little kids,
who get their ideas from us
Think a life of crime and hustling
is better than getting on the school bus
Hold up, you say, it's not my fault.
Well, you may not articulate
But they imitate what you do, and from there it escalates
And you've got a whole community of kids who don't
want to wait for their riches
And you hear one call a group of women his "bitches."
And they start trading drugs on the street
And you can no longer blame it on the beat
Don't concede defeat; just rise to your feet
Own up to how they've been brought up,
and start walking
You knew all along they were listening,
so start talking
Tell them -- hell, tell us, we're better than that
So we need to stop spouting all this
ridiculous crap
Cause we're all role models when we're at home
or in the neighborhood
So when we say, "I should start acting like one,"
I wish we would.
9/17/07
Constantly
Constantly
People are pulling me in one direction or the other
And a third, fourth and fifth direction to boot.
It's like they think I'm mute, that I have
No direction of my own
But sometimes I walk alone, to the beat of
the proverbial drummer I have yet to meet
If I'm cold, I ask for heat
If I stand too long, I demand a seat
I don't wait for others to give me direction
And why should I? They say:
Young, too young to know what I want
Female, so I should depend on a man
I reject these excuses right out of hand
Cause my plan doesn't fit into the stereotype
I don't buy into the hype
2, 3, 4 roads diverged in a wood
and I might take as many as I could
Or not take any at all; preferring instead
To follow my feet
And if u decide to retreat, I won't be led
These thoughts are running thru my head
Constantly.
People are pulling me in one direction or the other
And a third, fourth and fifth direction to boot.
It's like they think I'm mute, that I have
No direction of my own
But sometimes I walk alone, to the beat of
the proverbial drummer I have yet to meet
If I'm cold, I ask for heat
If I stand too long, I demand a seat
I don't wait for others to give me direction
And why should I? They say:
Young, too young to know what I want
Female, so I should depend on a man
I reject these excuses right out of hand
Cause my plan doesn't fit into the stereotype
I don't buy into the hype
2, 3, 4 roads diverged in a wood
and I might take as many as I could
Or not take any at all; preferring instead
To follow my feet
And if u decide to retreat, I won't be led
These thoughts are running thru my head
Constantly.
9/15/07
Without Child
You say I don't need a dick to define me,
but do I need a child?
If women are liberated enough to get along fine without a man,
then why does she still have to have a son
to believe her life has meaning?
I must be dreaming to think I'm saying this in the open
But I'm tired of bottling up this emotion
I'm tired of hearing my best friends, my relatives
and my boyfriends
Ask me why I don't wanna have kids
Like I'm tupperware without a lid,
a catcher without a mitt
a river without a bridge
Like I'm not whole, incomplete, without a baby.
Well, maybe I never considered bearing a child to be
an obligation
Maybe I figured 300 million people already in the
nation was enough.
Or that my life is already pretty tough
Or I'm just afraid of screwing a kid up
And it's hard enough, trying to grow up.
Don't get me wrong, I respect u mothers
But the jobs u undertake, I don't envy:
Gets up at 5 a.m., and then she
Makes breakfast, gets her kids dressed and ready
Goes off to her paying job, maybe classes and then
Cooks dinner, if she's lucky gets to bed by 10
Then gets up the next morning, does it all again
I do respect u mothers, but I can't pretend
That's the kind of life I want to lead, no way.
Maybe it just takes a certain type of DNA,
and I'm genetically deficient
On the maternal test, you had to score an "A"
and I'm not proficient
But if you're listening, I think that's OK.
Maybe someday, they say, I'll change my mind
And if I do, that's fine
But until then, don't grind me for wanting to just be me
I'm not childless, like they say --
I'm child-free.
Cause I'm sorry, but that lady with16 18 19 kids on TLC?
That couldn't be me.
but do I need a child?
If women are liberated enough to get along fine without a man,
then why does she still have to have a son
to believe her life has meaning?
I must be dreaming to think I'm saying this in the open
But I'm tired of bottling up this emotion
I'm tired of hearing my best friends, my relatives
and my boyfriends
Ask me why I don't wanna have kids
Like I'm tupperware without a lid,
a catcher without a mitt
a river without a bridge
Like I'm not whole, incomplete, without a baby.
Well, maybe I never considered bearing a child to be
an obligation
Maybe I figured 300 million people already in the
nation was enough.
Or that my life is already pretty tough
Or I'm just afraid of screwing a kid up
And it's hard enough, trying to grow up.
Don't get me wrong, I respect u mothers
But the jobs u undertake, I don't envy:
Gets up at 5 a.m., and then she
Makes breakfast, gets her kids dressed and ready
Goes off to her paying job, maybe classes and then
Cooks dinner, if she's lucky gets to bed by 10
Then gets up the next morning, does it all again
I do respect u mothers, but I can't pretend
That's the kind of life I want to lead, no way.
Maybe it just takes a certain type of DNA,
and I'm genetically deficient
On the maternal test, you had to score an "A"
and I'm not proficient
But if you're listening, I think that's OK.
Maybe someday, they say, I'll change my mind
And if I do, that's fine
But until then, don't grind me for wanting to just be me
I'm not childless, like they say --
I'm child-free.
Cause I'm sorry, but that lady with
That couldn't be me.
9/6/07
Cuz U Triflin
What do u mean, what am I doing here so early?
This is my house, right?
Man, what a night. Work was tough
And I don't want to get into a fight right now
So that's enough.
I see the lights are off and some candles lit.
Well, don't try to seduce me, cuz I can't handle it
I just wanna sit and chill.
Ooh, it looks like u had a spill
The couch is wet right here
But I don't see a glass.
Hey, whose bare ass is peeking from behind the stove?
Oh. Hell. No.
Don't tell me that's the skank from the show
The one you said you barely even know
But were chatting up real low
Come here, skank. You're some kind of triflin ho
Meeting up with my man at our place on the down low
Huh uh, you both got to go.
But before you do, let me explain to u
How your lives are gonna be.
See, with me, he had it good.
A devoted girlfriend who paid the bills and would
Always clean up after his mess
And when he was in distress, I was right by his side.
But this ho, who was trying to hide
I looked outside, and she don't have a ride
And sneaking around all hours, she can't have a 9-to-5
Cause she's triflin
Looks like you'll be the one driving
Does paying all the bills sound frightening?
See, she's like lightning
Comes fast and hot, but never in the same place twice
And once she's gone, you'll be feeling cold as ice.
Hope that's nice.
At least I finally know where you got... lice
Cause ur triflin
And you'll never keep this triflin ho around
She'll be cheating on u soon as u leave town
All this lying, and making you wait
You'll end up crying while u masturbate.
Hope that feels great.
And I'll spread ur name around so much, you'll never get
another date
Cause ur triflin.
So pack a bag and leave, I'm not gonna pout
I'm just gonna go play with B.O.B. a while,
so u can let urself out.
This is my house, right?
Man, what a night. Work was tough
And I don't want to get into a fight right now
So that's enough.
I see the lights are off and some candles lit.
Well, don't try to seduce me, cuz I can't handle it
I just wanna sit and chill.
Ooh, it looks like u had a spill
The couch is wet right here
But I don't see a glass.
Hey, whose bare ass is peeking from behind the stove?
Oh. Hell. No.
Don't tell me that's the skank from the show
The one you said you barely even know
But were chatting up real low
Come here, skank. You're some kind of triflin ho
Meeting up with my man at our place on the down low
Huh uh, you both got to go.
But before you do, let me explain to u
How your lives are gonna be.
See, with me, he had it good.
A devoted girlfriend who paid the bills and would
Always clean up after his mess
And when he was in distress, I was right by his side.
But this ho, who was trying to hide
I looked outside, and she don't have a ride
And sneaking around all hours, she can't have a 9-to-5
Cause she's triflin
Looks like you'll be the one driving
Does paying all the bills sound frightening?
See, she's like lightning
Comes fast and hot, but never in the same place twice
And once she's gone, you'll be feeling cold as ice.
Hope that's nice.
At least I finally know where you got... lice
Cause ur triflin
And you'll never keep this triflin ho around
She'll be cheating on u soon as u leave town
All this lying, and making you wait
You'll end up crying while u masturbate.
Hope that feels great.
And I'll spread ur name around so much, you'll never get
another date
Cause ur triflin.
So pack a bag and leave, I'm not gonna pout
I'm just gonna go play with B.O.B. a while,
so u can let urself out.
9/5/07
We Got Us (part 5 in a SaYes2Poetry series)
Why do u pretend to take me seriously
When in reality u think I'm inferior
See sometimes I act all delirious
When I'm around u
But that doesn't mean I'm the lesser, none the wiser;
Just cause I'm the smoke doesn't mean I won't take u higher,
And where there's smoke, there's fire
And I could be that spark
So why do u leave me alone in the dark?
Cause in reality u think I'm uptight
Well, sometimes ur shit's not right
And I have to bring it to light
I know u think I'm a nag, or annoying
Well, sometimes ur just boring
But I stay.
And why do I stay?
Day after day after day?
Cause we got us.
And I'm always right, and you may be wrong,
But though the road is bumpy and long
And sometimes we don't want to hang on
We'll keep chugging along
Like a train refusing to jump the track
I'll hold onto you like a heart attack.
Your love is like the plaque clogging my arteries
Without warning, you're slowly killing me
But if I diet and exercise, I can live with you.
No, live for you, live in you
Like you in me, maybe.
So whether we yell, fight or cuss,
I try not to make much of a fuss
Cuz I know we got us.
When in reality u think I'm inferior
See sometimes I act all delirious
When I'm around u
But that doesn't mean I'm the lesser, none the wiser;
Just cause I'm the smoke doesn't mean I won't take u higher,
And where there's smoke, there's fire
And I could be that spark
So why do u leave me alone in the dark?
Cause in reality u think I'm uptight
Well, sometimes ur shit's not right
And I have to bring it to light
I know u think I'm a nag, or annoying
Well, sometimes ur just boring
But I stay.
And why do I stay?
Day after day after day?
Cause we got us.
And I'm always right, and you may be wrong,
But though the road is bumpy and long
And sometimes we don't want to hang on
We'll keep chugging along
Like a train refusing to jump the track
I'll hold onto you like a heart attack.
Your love is like the plaque clogging my arteries
Without warning, you're slowly killing me
But if I diet and exercise, I can live with you.
No, live for you, live in you
Like you in me, maybe.
So whether we yell, fight or cuss,
I try not to make much of a fuss
Cuz I know we got us.
Reporter
Can't believe what I heard today.
Someone spray-painted "KKK" on the walls
of an elementary school
(and another word I refuse to repeat)
and the racist perpetrator is still on the streets.
No, it isn't 1967; it's 40 years later.
And our continuous tolerance of bigots and haters
has brought us no further in time than before.
Look around; is this what the future has in store?
Or do you yearn for much, much more?
I know I do, so I'm being proactive
Telling everyone exactly what happened
It's all part of my job, professionally
But also personally, I never want to see this again
in my community.
And this is my dilemma, you see:
How can I be impartial and tell the story accurately
When all I see is far short of our promised equality?
It bothers me sometimes.
I want to shout out, "No more! We're done with your
hate, your lies, your ignorant diatribes,
So get out of our lives!" But I can only write
The facts; I can't editorialize.
That prize is allowed to those paid more and smarter than I.
Someone spray-painted "KKK" on the walls
of an elementary school
(and another word I refuse to repeat)
and the racist perpetrator is still on the streets.
No, it isn't 1967; it's 40 years later.
And our continuous tolerance of bigots and haters
has brought us no further in time than before.
Look around; is this what the future has in store?
Or do you yearn for much, much more?
I know I do, so I'm being proactive
Telling everyone exactly what happened
It's all part of my job, professionally
But also personally, I never want to see this again
in my community.
And this is my dilemma, you see:
How can I be impartial and tell the story accurately
When all I see is far short of our promised equality?
It bothers me sometimes.
I want to shout out, "No more! We're done with your
hate, your lies, your ignorant diatribes,
So get out of our lives!" But I can only write
The facts; I can't editorialize.
That prize is allowed to those paid more and smarter than I.
9/1/07
I B That Poet (1st revision)
I, finally, be that poet.
I be that stubborn, couldn't-pick-a-name poet
who finally decided on her nomenclature
She got through plenty of poetry slams by her first name
But picking her pseudonym was not in her nature
It took her a while to figure it out
And she thought about it for too many days
But suddenly, it's clear
The ways she amz higher with her words,
amz deeper with her message
but never amz below the belt
That's it! Amz. That poet be me.
I'm Amz, and I be that poet.
No longer A-M-I-E, but A-M-Z
Amz for the moon, and I just might land among the stars
Amz at the bulls-eye, and I'll keep on target
Amz to bring the message to the people, and the people to
the message
I be that poet, and Amz be me.
I be that stubborn, couldn't-pick-a-name poet
who finally decided on her nomenclature
She got through plenty of poetry slams by her first name
But picking her pseudonym was not in her nature
It took her a while to figure it out
And she thought about it for too many days
But suddenly, it's clear
The ways she amz higher with her words,
amz deeper with her message
but never amz below the belt
That's it! Amz. That poet be me.
I'm Amz, and I be that poet.
No longer A-M-I-E, but A-M-Z
Amz for the moon, and I just might land among the stars
Amz at the bulls-eye, and I'll keep on target
Amz to bring the message to the people, and the people to
the message
I be that poet, and Amz be me.
An Ode to the Rich, Famous and Spoiled
I'll admit I don't know much about Brittney, Paris, and
their ilk
But what I do know leaves a taste in my mouth
like spoiled milk
I pick it up, looks sweet and healthy,
so innocent and pure
But take a drink, and now its foul taste
will make you sick for sure
I'll sometimes catch their antics
when I'm watching TV late
Those supposed "hotties" are the types
the boys don't wanna date
Brittney's pregnant once again
by her backup dancer
Whose other baby mammas
swear he's quite the smooth romancer
Now she's doing drugs and partying
Lost custody of her boys
Now her sons don't have any parents
Though they've got plenty of toys
You remember Lindsay Lohan?
The girl who starred in "Parent Trap?"
Now her candy's of the nose kind
No more music sheet, just rap
Paris Hilton could have stayed at home
Or even hired a driver
But instead she got her ass in jail
(Now she's a "survivor.")
Oh, the list goes on and on and on
Their crimes wouldn't matter much
Except these so-called "bad girls" are idolized
By our children and such
They dress and talk and emulate
The bad girls' dumbass ways
And we wonder why society
Has been thrust in such decay
But it's not the rich girls' fault, you see
They're human, just like you
They bathe in Evian, eat caviar
And there's diamonds in their poo.
So when you see a saddened child
Whose favorite star has fell
Console them by saying,
"Now you won't have to deal with the smell."
their ilk
But what I do know leaves a taste in my mouth
like spoiled milk
I pick it up, looks sweet and healthy,
so innocent and pure
But take a drink, and now its foul taste
will make you sick for sure
I'll sometimes catch their antics
when I'm watching TV late
Those supposed "hotties" are the types
the boys don't wanna date
Brittney's pregnant once again
by her backup dancer
Whose other baby mammas
swear he's quite the smooth romancer
Now she's doing drugs and partying
Lost custody of her boys
Now her sons don't have any parents
Though they've got plenty of toys
You remember Lindsay Lohan?
The girl who starred in "Parent Trap?"
Now her candy's of the nose kind
No more music sheet, just rap
Paris Hilton could have stayed at home
Or even hired a driver
But instead she got her ass in jail
(Now she's a "survivor.")
Oh, the list goes on and on and on
Their crimes wouldn't matter much
Except these so-called "bad girls" are idolized
By our children and such
They dress and talk and emulate
The bad girls' dumbass ways
And we wonder why society
Has been thrust in such decay
But it's not the rich girls' fault, you see
They're human, just like you
They bathe in Evian, eat caviar
And there's diamonds in their poo.
So when you see a saddened child
Whose favorite star has fell
Console them by saying,
"Now you won't have to deal with the smell."
8/1/07
Materialistic
In our living room, 2007:
Two rats in an aquarium
A beta fish in a different aquarium,
a television set next to a rack of videos and DVDs
my UNI Bachelor of Arts degree
$210 on a coffee table that's really an end table
three blankets from Mexico, 2 from our parents' houses
popcorn on the carpet
photos of family and friends on shelves on the wall
a stack of magazines I've yet to read
a library book I've yet to return
Cubs hats, candles and kleenex
incense, check stubs and an unfinished puzzle of Mt. Rushmore
a square of knitted red yarn, linked to yards of rolled-up
red yarn awaiting to be knitted
a mural of a house by a lake in the mountains we could
never hope to afford
the linen closet door cracked open
my coin collection in a jar
two scarves advertising soccer teams
containers filled with item to be recycled
and a wind chime.
Though, the wind hasn't blown through here for many,
many years. It will again someday.
Two rats in an aquarium
A beta fish in a different aquarium,
a television set next to a rack of videos and DVDs
my UNI Bachelor of Arts degree
$210 on a coffee table that's really an end table
three blankets from Mexico, 2 from our parents' houses
popcorn on the carpet
photos of family and friends on shelves on the wall
a stack of magazines I've yet to read
a library book I've yet to return
Cubs hats, candles and kleenex
incense, check stubs and an unfinished puzzle of Mt. Rushmore
a square of knitted red yarn, linked to yards of rolled-up
red yarn awaiting to be knitted
a mural of a house by a lake in the mountains we could
never hope to afford
the linen closet door cracked open
my coin collection in a jar
two scarves advertising soccer teams
containers filled with item to be recycled
and a wind chime.
Though, the wind hasn't blown through here for many,
many years. It will again someday.
Slam 3
I have often wondered if the errors of my youth
Transformed the possibilities of who I've become
Or if the fallacies of my past merely allowed me to
succumb to my present failures easier.
These excuses make me more reclusive
Now I'm clueless as to what the bluest skies reveal
Just like his blue eyes conceal a smile borne of bemusement
I pursue fulfillment without amusement
Hoping it will all eventually come to fruition
But he knows it takes more than ammunition to
get a weapon to fire.
I say "I'm tired." Pretend the consequences are dire.
But he understands into the oblivion of my memories is
the place I want to retire.
And those blue eyes smile and allow me
To retreat into the depths of this existential philosophy
God love that man because he loves me enough
To let go when I ask instead of pretend to be tough.
Transformed the possibilities of who I've become
Or if the fallacies of my past merely allowed me to
succumb to my present failures easier.
These excuses make me more reclusive
Now I'm clueless as to what the bluest skies reveal
Just like his blue eyes conceal a smile borne of bemusement
I pursue fulfillment without amusement
Hoping it will all eventually come to fruition
But he knows it takes more than ammunition to
get a weapon to fire.
I say "I'm tired." Pretend the consequences are dire.
But he understands into the oblivion of my memories is
the place I want to retire.
And those blue eyes smile and allow me
To retreat into the depths of this existential philosophy
God love that man because he loves me enough
To let go when I ask instead of pretend to be tough.
6/1/07
Nod Your Head
Nod your head if you're a poet.
A sea of faces looks back at me
And yes, I'm talking about you, and to you
I'm up here telling you a story
But I'm just boring, at least to me,
It'd be much more interesting if I knew what you see.
And no, you can't tell me mentally,
I don't have telepathy and can't read your mind.
Instead, I urge you to find a little bravery inside,
be it liquid courage, peer pressure or just a desire to share your rhymes.
I've got a little time, I'll wait.
What's that, you say? You came in too late?
Or maybe you brought a date, and you're embarrassed.
But all we care is, you brought something to say.
Well, today's your lucky day
Cuz as long as you have respect for everyone in here,
including yourself, you be that poet.
What's that? You're living your life going through the motions?
Just transform that into emotion
Put pen to paper and tell us what you think
Let the audience be your shrink
We promise not to judge. (Unless there's prize money on the line.)
But even then, you'll still be fine.
Hell, it doesn't even have to rhyme
As long as your soul resonates
It'll sound great to me.
So say this one time, if you please:
"I be that poet, That poet be me."
That wasn't too scary, see?
Even you can recite poetry.
So get your ass up here and spit in this mic,
I'll sit, drink and listen the rest of the night.
A sea of faces looks back at me
And yes, I'm talking about you, and to you
I'm up here telling you a story
But I'm just boring, at least to me,
It'd be much more interesting if I knew what you see.
And no, you can't tell me mentally,
I don't have telepathy and can't read your mind.
Instead, I urge you to find a little bravery inside,
be it liquid courage, peer pressure or just a desire to share your rhymes.
I've got a little time, I'll wait.
What's that, you say? You came in too late?
Or maybe you brought a date, and you're embarrassed.
But all we care is, you brought something to say.
Well, today's your lucky day
Cuz as long as you have respect for everyone in here,
including yourself, you be that poet.
What's that? You're living your life going through the motions?
Just transform that into emotion
Put pen to paper and tell us what you think
Let the audience be your shrink
We promise not to judge. (Unless there's prize money on the line.)
But even then, you'll still be fine.
Hell, it doesn't even have to rhyme
As long as your soul resonates
It'll sound great to me.
So say this one time, if you please:
"I be that poet, That poet be me."
That wasn't too scary, see?
Even you can recite poetry.
So get your ass up here and spit in this mic,
I'll sit, drink and listen the rest of the night.
5/1/07
Plant
That unobtrusive, overlooked little seed
Tossed into a pot of soil, never expected to become
Anything that would resemble a grown-up
Its forefathers sprouted, but never bore fruit
Never grew much farther than two or three leaves
But grow up it did, this forgotten one
And now it's so tall it's become frighteningly reminiscent
Of a plant not allowed to grow.
But I can't stop it now.
Maybe it's the promise of a harvest,
Maybe it's the adrenaline rush of the forbidden
But I think it's because this living thing
Through my haphazard, yet tender care
Has grown from a tiny seed into something to behold
And cutting it down would cut me down as well.
Like a secret dream in the far reaches of our minds
That has been allowed to take root in reality
So, too, must we always allow it to grow ever taller
Despite all who may want to take it away.
Tossed into a pot of soil, never expected to become
Anything that would resemble a grown-up
Its forefathers sprouted, but never bore fruit
Never grew much farther than two or three leaves
But grow up it did, this forgotten one
And now it's so tall it's become frighteningly reminiscent
Of a plant not allowed to grow.
But I can't stop it now.
Maybe it's the promise of a harvest,
Maybe it's the adrenaline rush of the forbidden
But I think it's because this living thing
Through my haphazard, yet tender care
Has grown from a tiny seed into something to behold
And cutting it down would cut me down as well.
Like a secret dream in the far reaches of our minds
That has been allowed to take root in reality
So, too, must we always allow it to grow ever taller
Despite all who may want to take it away.
4/15/07
Slam Two
Never underestimate the power of a goal
Cause whatever you give to your community comes
back to you tenfold
What a sight to behold, the young and the old
Joining forces to force change of unthinkable proportions
Think again if you place blame on the perpetual dope game
It's a shame, but it's far from the main cause
Looming large in this torrential rain and dense fog
Is apathy.
And it's you and me who's gotta rise into the street
Strap shoes on our feet and find out what we've got
And that's love for our neighbors, friends and strangers
Placing blame won't get us nowhere
Neither will hating, it's all time-wasting
Not to mention frustrating while we're waiting on change.
So start something constructive, not the force of destruction
The reluctance of the people is the rise of true evil
But creation by the willing and able will prove to be a happier
ending than any children's fable.
So never underestimate the power of a goal
Cause whatever you give to your community comes back to you
tenfold.
Cause whatever you give to your community comes
back to you tenfold
What a sight to behold, the young and the old
Joining forces to force change of unthinkable proportions
Think again if you place blame on the perpetual dope game
It's a shame, but it's far from the main cause
Looming large in this torrential rain and dense fog
Is apathy.
And it's you and me who's gotta rise into the street
Strap shoes on our feet and find out what we've got
And that's love for our neighbors, friends and strangers
Placing blame won't get us nowhere
Neither will hating, it's all time-wasting
Not to mention frustrating while we're waiting on change.
So start something constructive, not the force of destruction
The reluctance of the people is the rise of true evil
But creation by the willing and able will prove to be a happier
ending than any children's fable.
So never underestimate the power of a goal
Cause whatever you give to your community comes back to you
tenfold.
4/1/07
Slam One
Before I begin, a word of caution:
Don't judge me based on proportions
A little white girl from a good family
That's the surface, you see --
and it doesn't make for good poetry to be writing about
all the shit that I've never seen
so I'll write what I know. The Truth, according to
The Gospel of My Experience
The only gospel I've ever trusted in
And if you're peering in, know that once you begin
You are entering the recollections of all that is me,
the fallacies, stumbles and falls
tumbling out in sentences and paragraphs
like so many drops before you notice the rain.
That's the disclaimer.
I won't try to change you, but maybe persuade you
To think outside of your four-cornered box, your two-sided
city, your misunderstood state in a union that's far
from being perfect.
And when I open my eyes to those others become quick
to judge, I hope you see
The labels you affix are not for me, not for anyone
in the community.
I think pointing out sex, class and race is based on a
perpetuation of fundamental hate
that you can trace back to farther than we could go.
But what do I know? There's so many people here
Telling me it's a very modern abnormality
But we're lacking originality
If we want to be thoroughly modern
Then we should stop telling the children what color they
are perceived as being
What neighborhoods they should avoid seeing
Remove the duplicitous labels that afflict society
and cast off the injustice and homegrown hate
that comes with that notoriety.
Don't judge me based on proportions
A little white girl from a good family
That's the surface, you see --
and it doesn't make for good poetry to be writing about
all the shit that I've never seen
so I'll write what I know. The Truth, according to
The Gospel of My Experience
The only gospel I've ever trusted in
And if you're peering in, know that once you begin
You are entering the recollections of all that is me,
the fallacies, stumbles and falls
tumbling out in sentences and paragraphs
like so many drops before you notice the rain.
That's the disclaimer.
I won't try to change you, but maybe persuade you
To think outside of your four-cornered box, your two-sided
city, your misunderstood state in a union that's far
from being perfect.
And when I open my eyes to those others become quick
to judge, I hope you see
The labels you affix are not for me, not for anyone
in the community.
I think pointing out sex, class and race is based on a
perpetuation of fundamental hate
that you can trace back to farther than we could go.
But what do I know? There's so many people here
Telling me it's a very modern abnormality
But we're lacking originality
If we want to be thoroughly modern
Then we should stop telling the children what color they
are perceived as being
What neighborhoods they should avoid seeing
Remove the duplicitous labels that afflict society
and cast off the injustice and homegrown hate
that comes with that notoriety.
3/2/07
Into Milwaukee: From a Plane
The sheen of the sun casts a 200 miles per hour
projected circle
Upon the glinting sapphire waters of the lake below
Where passerby only noticed the water,
frozen at its edges
By the winter's chill that seemed never to stay away
Now turning, the light becomes a monitor
Of a shoreline's worth of activity and preoccupation
Never ceasing in its progress, tirelessly retreating and
advancing
To all points and places fathomable
And scarcely remembering those it will always leave
behind.
projected circle
Upon the glinting sapphire waters of the lake below
Where passerby only noticed the water,
frozen at its edges
By the winter's chill that seemed never to stay away
Now turning, the light becomes a monitor
Of a shoreline's worth of activity and preoccupation
Never ceasing in its progress, tirelessly retreating and
advancing
To all points and places fathomable
And scarcely remembering those it will always leave
behind.
3/1/07
Manhattan
While wide-eyed tourists gaze upward at fancy billboards,
tall skyscrapers and possibly God,
I watch them.
Notice their baggy t-shirts and boot-cut jeans
Looking Midwest casual amid alternating groups of
high-end chic, downtown funky and possibly homeless
I am them.
But I tell myself I'm somehow above them
Sporting a short, black winter coat, a native gait through
the crowd and eyes on no one
I fool them all, myself included.
Why do I loathe those who would only treat me more
decently than those I emulate?
I fear it is the weakness that most threatens to destroy
my soul, the world and possibly Manhattan.
tall skyscrapers and possibly God,
I watch them.
Notice their baggy t-shirts and boot-cut jeans
Looking Midwest casual amid alternating groups of
high-end chic, downtown funky and possibly homeless
I am them.
But I tell myself I'm somehow above them
Sporting a short, black winter coat, a native gait through
the crowd and eyes on no one
I fool them all, myself included.
Why do I loathe those who would only treat me more
decently than those I emulate?
I fear it is the weakness that most threatens to destroy
my soul, the world and possibly Manhattan.
2/1/07
Mutt
I do not have "a people."
Many others share my silent burden.
We have no common thread to bind us,
nor shared burden to weigh us down
no history. Because our history is
Everyone's history. We are
Everyman or Everywoman.
We fit in with everyone and no one.
We can relate to everything and nothing.
"Community" means something we are not a part of
And that is the ency that fuels the soul.
Either it turns to resentment, fear or hate
Or it forces us to label ourselves, package ourselves
into primary labels and specific demographics.
All we want is what they have
An irony which does not escape us.
Many others share my silent burden.
We have no common thread to bind us,
nor shared burden to weigh us down
no history. Because our history is
Everyone's history. We are
Everyman or Everywoman.
We fit in with everyone and no one.
We can relate to everything and nothing.
"Community" means something we are not a part of
And that is the ency that fuels the soul.
Either it turns to resentment, fear or hate
Or it forces us to label ourselves, package ourselves
into primary labels and specific demographics.
All we want is what they have
An irony which does not escape us.
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