Why

You have the opportunity to smile and laugh

But you don't 

You have the right to be exclusive & unconditional lovers

But you don't

You said you'll do every for the sake of our union

But you don't

You said that you'll love me for who and what I am

But you don't

You promise honesty and cooperation

But you don't

Now I have a new lover

Why? 

 Love ...'cause I am

I just love how they under estimate me

'cause I am

I love how my brothers take pride in who they are

'cause I am

Science deems me the genesis

'cause I am

i've been abuse, accused, persecuted, prosecuted and prostituted

'cause I am

I'm the last hired and the first fired

'cause I am

despite all my pains, I still prosper

'cause  I am

A BLACK MAN

The New American Dream

Yeah, Oh,  I 'member when I had dreams.
No!  was not an option back then.
I did everything I wanted to do.
All I ever did was win.
Now look at me.
Educated nearly defeated
How could this be.
Oh, I know
This is the "New" American dream.
Conform, comform conform, conform.
Now  what?

**********

Missing   (V.  Ingram, 2009)

Something has to be missing
Us
When we are making love and I think of 
Another
Something has to be missing when were in the middle of a conversation and I start to think about 
Them
Something has to be missing when were walking down the street and my eyes start to wander because I think i saw
Her
somewhere before
something has to be missing when I see her with him and wish it was 

Me
Something has to be missing because I cant get 
Him
Out of my Head

***************

Fool

Why do I trust you so much?
Is it because I'm naive
Or Is it my false sense of faith in mankind
That I continue to clutch?
Sometimes I wonder,
What is my purpose?
Is it to protect and serve?
Be patient and wait for
For what I deserve?
Or am I an unknown tool
a blessing in disguise?
Maybe I'm someone's path
Better yet another one's fool!

**********

You Are

You're in my dreams
You are my vision
You are
What I call the ultimate creation
You are
So simple
Yet so accomplished with the right sophistication
You have all the right curves
You say the right things
You Make the right moves
You're everything to me
You are
My God's creation
You are
M y paradise


**********

What Do You Think?

How many times do you have to say and hear
It'll be ok?
Who's being soothed?
The same ol' shit e ve ry day!
Must be a state of mind
Or
A self-imposed sentence
Or
Perhaps a divine act of cruelty
Bestowed upon the un-kind!
Is it a moral sentence
To learn the act of repentance?
Think about it
Why are you stuck?
Is it God's will
Or bad luck?
Hmmm!

We Shall Rise

We were at the top of the hill when we were born

Then, we just let them roll down into the belly of the beast

There’s always an excuse

There’s always an accusation

What about accountability?

When will we protect each other instead of hurt each other?

When will we our neighbors be able to laugh and play instead of cursing and fighting?

When will we patronize our own businesses instead of those who don’t give a damn about us?

When will academics and the church spearhead the way?

When will recklessness & hatred pave way for consideration and love?

When will our true leaders say enough is enough?

We, the brothers & sisters, from the bottom up, must rise!

‘Cause if we don’t, we shall see our demise

The Jews made it from the slums to prosperity

The Asians surpassed us in American hierarchy

The Indians are pushing us to the sidelines

New eastern Europeans are putting in their time

Our “so-called” Latina brothers and sisters played us until they got what they needed

They slipped past us, that position, we didn’t get a chance cede it

But look at us!

We are still talking “No justice, No peace”

When it comes to getting part of the pie, we always seem to get the least.

Exhibit our Black Power!

Patronize our own before we patronize others.

First stop: Our money should be for our sisters and brothers.

We need to think like a nation of people in lieu of a people within a nation

‘Cause if we don’t, we could be facing another round of plantations.