as a man of African descent
I am no Uncle Tom
never have been
but I feel like my mind,
and experience within this structure
has made me America’s
in the colonial age of Britain,
Tim was a boy
innocent like all children
but this boy was special
special in the attention he would come to receive
the job he would be expected to perform
and the death he would succumb to once he had outlived that purpose
A Tim was defined as
a British child/infant, raised/groomed/bred to be molested
and then they killed him
Tim was the act of savagery and a propensity to dominate
satiating the barbaric thirsts and appetites of men his senior
bent, broken, and contorted to their will and pleasure
Tim was an inside joke
even a nickname
for those who were subjugated-
subjected to the prone position of being dominated
the nickname of those expected to,
bend over, and take it- as a matter and manner of fact
because money made them mighty
and might made them right
therefore for the right price
anything, and I mean anything
could become, “right”
if I question my identity
my history
and my role in America
I’m met with exasperation of appall
as if it is absurd to some, or many, still
to become anything more
than America’s Tim
the truth sometimes hurts so bad
humor is created as a means of defiance
and coping
my cell mate’s mother was a prostitute
this was her joke in naming her son Timothy
she understood the short of it would be,
Tim
because it is how she felt
and she knew men and America, with a dark intimacy
she knew what that name may conjure in the subconscious-
of some good ol’ men
the day her son would sign up for school or a job
maybe even with sadistic laughs
since civility is a force of etiquette and politeness
appearing to be more than what is hidden beneath
as if whom they allow to surface is all anyone ever is,
his grandmother told him one day
wait til you find out what your name means
ask your mother
questions of his parents color, and if he was adopted
always asked as he grew up
so when she laughed, and divulged that poignant truth
he hated her for it
and made sure to become anything but that!
but a Tim-
someone expected to accept anything as truth
just bending over to take the lies
in what ever form the are delivered
what he didn’t think of was
the pain of his mother to name her child that
as a trauma invoked act of defiance
fed by the shame of her being and livelihood
probably forced upon her as well
and somewhere deep inside maybe hoping too,
that her son would be, anything
but a Tim
a hidden love
a love given by reversal
Culture
Bodies aren’t Just Commodities
there have been 1532 souls executed in our country
for every 9 killed, there is 1 exonerated
people of African descent make up 13% of the U.S. population
people of African descent make up 42% of death row inmates
ehh mmm!
BODIES
ARE JUST COMMODITIES!
paying, to right a wrong
isn’t the only way, to right a wrong
yet money deciphers what’s right or wrong
and a check, is how you write, a wrong
because
bodies..
are just commodities!
justice imparting commissioned life and death decisions
where death becomes the sentence
resulting in various lives ended
and just a payout if the conviction gets upended
because
bodies..
are just commodities!
how can the death penalty become redemption
to a condemned soul’s prayers for repentance
a ‘life for a life’ being the only penance
for a civilized society’s view of justice to the families of victims
because
bodies..
are just commodities!
how can we behold the power of God to largely impoverished defendants
all of which grow up with no equal opportunities given
being stuck to the boot print of their country’s rhetoric and visions
as their flesh has been divvied up to two sides of political divisions
because
bodies..
are just commodities!
how can you deem me as a menace
yet plea bargain my finish
appearing to outlaw any outside lynchings
as if we’ve learned from our past, times supposedly being better and different
while it was clearly just a generational pivot
hearing the many argue that the definition of a ‘noose’ has shifted
and the way you quell the structured hate and racial tensions
is by bordering them within razor-wired fences
holding viewings of their hanging on the inside of a building
strapped to a chair or gurney, trembling
electrocuted or ironically, ‘drugged’ to death, resembling
a corrupted symbol of forgiveness
because
a chance has been taken, that was never given
clearly, they never had any chance from the beginning
and that, is Not ‘Just’, that Is Inequality
because
bodies!
aren’t!
‘Just’!
commodities!
Seat at the Table
how,
how can I acquire generational wealth
when living through situational hell
with,
systemic instigations that pale-
in comparison of,
prison administrations that quell-
my liberation of self
with the,
stipulated mitigation of jail
and ‘minute- manipulations of cells
because time is an envisioned prison itself
while,
societal limitations impale-
me, with insinuations to fail
to which there is no individual tribulations upheld
therefore it’s hard to excel
when we succumb to the dust on the shelf
only aided mere crumbs, seen as governmental handouts for help
but we have too many stories to detail and tell
which are far from tales
or momentary spells
of how our generational economics have been derailed
so I want my seat at the table!
the table that speaks for my son’s generation
the table that frees the coming generations
the table that legislates
the table that educates
the table that medicates
the table that regulates-
the equality of section 8
demolishing the label of second rates
the table that discerns with impartial and equal middle grounds
the table that rains and trickles down
because every time we get ahead
we get kicked in the head
stunted into mercy, then silenced underground
into mass nameless graves, taking even more generations for us to be found
so I want my seat at the table!
we had a seat at the table
and each time, it was taken from us, then replaced with fables
laced with false narratives, lazy titles, and helplessly dependent labels
rendered handicap and less able, not unable
crutched by lies playing to racial systemical ratios
so I want my seat at the table!
I want my family to understand financial freedom and generation wealth
I want my people to walk in their light with their pride and not in stealth
I want America to reflect the sweat, blood, and bodies that were bore for it
I want my culture to not only be monetized, but I want to reap more for it
I want my bonds relinquished and to have more than a vote
I want my voice to ring so loud and vibrate so far, that it can’t be silenced by a choke
I want my voice to be more than a quote
I want my voice to reform tradition while reinstating truth and hope
I want my voice to speak change to constitutional oaths
I want my voice to generation by generation crack the yoke
I want my voice to decimate glass ceilings and break the mold
I want my seat at the table
I don’t want an angle
I want to scoot up, below my chest, and above my navel
look around, and say, “thank you,
it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,
and to clear the air, I will be here for the duration
so let’s cozy up and architect plans of systemical renovations
that create new floors and ceilings that do not leave my people slumped in continued economic prostrations
and socialized denigration
objectified as political pawns, while subjected to cultural and commercial misappropriations
due to centuries-old creations-
lacking proper representation
despite social revolts, mass protests, boycotts formalized civil disobedient demonstrations
that way, we can make room for my coming generations
and let’s just say, umm, “generational wealth” will be the primary topic of conversation!”
in the meantime, I would like my overdue V.I.P. tending
so I’ll have the chef’s special,
your finest wine, truffles, lobster, and a steak with all the trimmings
because we paved ‘the’ way for all this high society privilege and overindulgence to be, since the beginning
and I’ll be damned if this doesn’t eventually end in a vindicated Hollywood happy ending
#alongtimecoming-trending
Rigged
the system ain’t broke,
that’s why they won’t fix it
but inequality is beginning to break,
so there’s a panic to fix it
because equality is a joke,
and most still don’t get it
that the dream was a hoax,
because opportunity and hope has its limits
now they’ve comeback for your vote,
because a voice that isn’t choked, can gain it’s independence
What is Darker than Dark?
you know how they say
happy wife, happy life
well, energy transfers
those you surround yourself around most
those you sleep with, and sleep near most
have a weighing effect on you
whether that effect be for the good or bad
my cellmate is a pessimistic lifer
fighting for his freedom in court tirelessly
being railroaded time and time again,
just because he represents himself
and has a clear case to be freed
yet the law shows that it doesn’t work for people like him
at least not in any healthy and promised speed
disregarding the seconds he waits
as his life tick, tocks, tick-tocks, on by
for a young black man that has aged with me in this system
having our ups and downs
once a high school basketball figure
and all-around athlete
too smart for his own good
rebelliously sly and uncaring
now bald
fattened by stress eating and withdrawal
and even darker internally
than his skin
still smart, rebellious, and hides pain well
but even more jaded than life had first made him
his dark humor and all rubbing and weighing on me
it’s heavy
I hear it, see it, and feel it
everyday
even if he claims his freedom one day
time has already done its damnedest
what is darker than dark?
History of People of African Descent in the World and U.S.
history books
inside of a curriculum
of indoctrination
as opposed to educating
is more histrionics
and hysterical diatribes,
demagoguery, and pontificates of patriarchy
supremacy, and domination
than historically accurate or truthful
so yea, it’s not hard to believe that you don’t understand us
it’s not hard to believe that you do not know us
it’s not hard to believe that you do not hear us
it’s not hard to believe that you can not see us
it’s not hard to believe that you can not and do not believe us
it’s not hard to believe that you can’t truly love and appreciate,
what has been seen as savages,
and treated as pets, tools, and objects of subjugation
to which you only view as
us people needing your help
and so it’s even less hard to believe that you fear us first
because all usually fear what they do not know
it’s even less hard to believe that we can not love, trust,
see, hear, believe, know, and understand ourselves
because our history has misled, not only us,
but the world and other colonized societies, countries, and continents
history only reflects its modern leaders in favorable lights
that’s why it’s still hard for people in the free world of America,
to address this country’s original sins-
to its Native and African peoples
I heard it said, and have come to believe,
“when someone tells a perfect lie,
the truth becomes unbelievable”
but I say, even when someone tells an imperfect lie long enough,
the truth becomes hard to believe
but as the maxim goes,
“in every lie,
there is a little truth”
but to keep that truth from surfacing,
you stomp it!
oppress it!
kill it!
then free it!
stunt it!
stifle and smother it!
blame it!
then aid it, to keep it in place and stagnant
because perception rules reality
and how we are seen
has ruled our experience
so we even hate and fear ourselves
reflecting the same projected distortions and energy placed upon us,
to each other
we’re just crabs in a bucket climbing, slipping, pinching at one another
just for resources that have been made limited to us
just for equal opportunity which has been limited to us
just to feel free
because we can not get free
despite the fabled rhetoric of equality and “the American Dream”
which only creates in people the belief that we all get a fair shake
and if we do not make anything of our life,
then that is Our fault
we should work instead of being lazy violent, drug addicts
check and assistance receptors that tax dollars are wasted upon
“to oppress a people,
so that they will always act in your interest,
you have to take three things
1.-their history
2.-their language
3.-their psychological factors, which are called, VIP’s(values, interests, and principles)”
that, my fellow citizens of the world
is called enslavement
and its continued engagement and success inside a society ran by capitalism
where the rhetoric of “friendly, fair, and equal competition”
disguises the words, “domination, subjugation, and privilege”
all which create continued and revolving oppression,
inequality
iniquities
injustice
miseducation
conditioning
disenfranchisement and the like
all in the name of, and for, “power”
which is disguised as “capital, position, and influence”
fueling a classism and tribalism political and economical system of
“have’s
and have not’s”
now lower, impoverished, urban communities
become antagonist to the middle and upper class’s pursuit of happiness
the governing body becomes the active experience and rhetoric creators
and the policing body becomes the active enforcers of oppression
as people of color and lesser means meet the brunt
and blunt force trauma of survival by any means
because enforcer’s family and positions must be protected and in a permanent place
so true equality and opportunity threatens all of that
which is why egalitarianism is a foreign word
and socialism is demonized as the work of the devil
because nothing more is shown
therefore tradition is protected over truth
and change is feared more than prepared for
and embraced
only braced for,
as if it is the enemy of peace, comfort, and privilege
people believe police protect
those people live the American Dream largely
a bigger group of people experience police as brutal
on the brutality end of their protection
that protection is of property over people
white America and its illusions of manifest destiny
and the status quo
witness the whole world tuning into The Chauvin Trial
German, Spanish, British, Australia, France, and other media outlets all there
just as they tuned in to
with worldwide protests, of George Floyd’s Death
not only because America’s standing in the world being viewed as a double standard and one of hypocrisy
but because the rhetoric and policing experience of
inequality, oppression, and brutality against minorities all over the world
because there is a George Floyd or Sandra Bland
and many more,
everywhere
yet it is acted as if it is a phenomenon
and we have become better and learned from our devils of the past
false!
it has only been creatively hidden and woven into the fabric of our society
the trauma of the repeated watching of George Floyd’s Death
is but a bit of the everyday experience of Peoples of African Descent
daily!
that is a failure of democracy
AND
Humanity
but as I said,
and has been said,
there is truth in every lie
so one must ask
with all that is said of People of African Descent
combined with continued conditions, mass imprisonment, perceptions, and brutality of,
and
against them worldwide and in our U.S.
keeping most people in ignorance
and in denial of their experience
what Truth is being hidden about us?!
what truth that would validate this whole worldly systemical effort against them
that us regular people of conditioning, indoctrination, privilege, and poverty are not aware of
maybe what you could find
would change your whole view of the world’s history
or
you can just accept that people are inherently evil
after all, that may be easier