That Word

Thinkin about it just makes me mad
About how they tried to take the very little we had
Due to these five letters I reminisce
Just hearing it said makes me pissed
They fail to realize the power that it holds
And them saying it makes the back of my neck cold
Makes me wanna get on my knees and call to God
Makes me wanna fight
Instead I clench my fists in might
The dumb part is that they use it like its cool
And its not!
It makes us look like a fool
Yeah, we've changed it by a couple of letters
thinking that it changed the meaning
you know "made it better"
But it doesn't!
And it makes me truly wish that it wasn't
the title of a supposed cool, down to earth person
Trust that it's far worse than anybody cursin
This word is cast out and fed to the smallest fish
Now theres a huge commotion in the ocean
and im hopin
that it drowns
and gets lost in the abyss
thats my wish
cause that disease is so contagious
not to mention that it grows in stages
so let me ask you:
By saying it does it make you feel bigger?
Yeah, I'm talking about the word "nigga"!
So most of us should look for new heroes
Because we all, as Americans, are "Negroes"!

Thought Beach

I stand
At the edge of the cliff
With the cool summer breeze embracing my body
And the warm sunset slowly fading from view
So stand, I do
And at this very moment
thats all it seems I can do
Physically, I just seem to be planted
At the edge of the cliff
overlooking the ocean
inhaling it's beautifully distinct scent
with my shirt tail flowing in the breeze
and the sunset making my shadow as big as my dreams
Yet, mentally I can't stay still
Thoughts insist on washing up on the shore of my mind
Leaving me possibililites, endless
and questions
thus answers to find.

I close my eyes and imagen this scene
I'd like to call it "Thought Beach"
For me, its a place where God can directly teach
And so I ask . . . "God, How do I succeed?"
Suddenly the sun sets,
the ocean stops roaring,
and my eyelids part
Back on the cliff
Back where I start
And again I stand.

The summer breeze now whispers. . .
Look to the sky..
Higher...
Higher....
Above my head
the clouds seemingly form a message. . .
Squinting I read:
You have a brain. . .
You have a heart. . .
So to succeed,
thats all you need.

Head back leveled
I can't help but smile

Because thats not what I would have guessed
His answer would be.

Its too obvious for me...
Its amazing,
you never know what God can make you see

After taking a walk along Thought Beach.

Thank you God.

He'll Help

If ever you wonder "why?"
Just look to the sky.
And if you don't know the person up there
You can always start by saying "Hi."

Don't be afraid
For you are about to get paid
with bountiful heapings of wisdom.
He's always there, so always know
that his heart, is your home.

The Dark of Thought

Away from the light of day
and into the dark of night.
The dark of thought.

I realize that it is I who holds the key to my future
I could be a fool and become a tool
for mainstream America
to be used and abused, bagged and dragged through the mud
for the course of my life.
Or I could choose to remain on the ladder of success.
Living and breathing, enjoying every step along the way

I could end up in the gutter
without a stick of butter to flavor my toast
Or I could lead the toast
at an important social gathering
Surrounded by those who chose to remain on the ladder

Don't just listen to what I'm saying, hear me
Understand that if I can do it, you can do it, we can do it
together.
If when we all arrive at the forks in the road
we choose to remain on the ladder

Yeah so what, you never jump off course to enjoy and experiment
With life episodes of what are perceived as fun
but understood as doom.
Once your feet hit the ground its most difficult to jump back on the ladder
because those life episodes are a part of a sitcom with infinite seasons
That keep you locked, doomed, planted, dazed where you stand!

Now, with the ladder there is consistent upward mobility
Though some would say "the sky is the limit"
I'd say why stop at the sky when we've already reached the moon
You see, what I'm saying is don't settle so soon.
If they say you have a one in a million chance
you say I'm...that...one!

You hold the key to your future.
And that I realized...
Away from the light of day
And into the dark of night.
The dark of thought.

Until Then..

Here I lay
Looking at this bright white paper
wondering what to say
And I lay
Drifting further and further away
As I let my ipod play...

I hear Mike urging me to look at the Man in the Mirror
While James tells me to "Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud"
and at the same time Diana asks me to reach out and touch somebody's hand
to make this world a better place
if I can!

And I lay
as I let the smooth, motivational sounds of Mike, James, and Diana play.

Before long I realize what they are trying to say

The day when I look in the mirror
see who I really am
be proud and say it loud
Then and only then can I attempt to reach out and touch somebody's hand
You see, it has to start with me
and likewise it has to start you
When we can look at ourselves with enough confidence
and self motivation to say
"its night and I'm still as bright as day"
Then we've realized, too
that that brightness can lead the way

Not only for us but for the brotherhood of humanity
mothers, fathers, children
for yesterday, tomorrow, and today

When my time arrives I will cherish the way I'll truly say
my brightness can lead the way
but for now..
Still..I..Lay...

A Picture Painted

Perfection is a picture
A picture painted
Not a landscape
nor a portrait
but a silhouette
a figure.

A darkness, a baren hole
outlined by expectations
standards, ideals
because, you see, in this society
flaws are rebuked
not embraced
They give character, life
and in a painting that would be the color, detail

And so we paint
we paint our lifeless silhouettes
so that no matter how close you may get you can't find a flaw.
This is the "perfect" person's way of retaining themselves
from heartbreak and thus failure.

Perfection is a picture.
A picture painted