Beyond the Ticking Clock

 we

are echoes in the wind,

faint and fleeting,

tracing lines in the sand

that the tide will wash away.

we speak in whispers,

trying to capture the infinite

with words that crumble

before they leave our lips.

time pulls us forward,

a relentless current

we cannot fight,

and yet we grasp at moments,

hoping to hold them still,

to make them last

just a little longer.

we are shadows,

caught between the sun and the earth,

dancing in the light

only to fade as night falls.

and in our hearts,

we carry the weight of stars,

the deep, unspoken knowing

that we are more

than this fleeting breath,

more than the ticking of clocks.

but how to say it?

how to find the language

that does not break

under the weight of what we feel?

so we live,

and we dream,

and we try to remember

that though we may pass,

there is something within us

that does not fade,

that does not bow

to time or space.

-me

 'Shadows stretch long from history's towers,

Their foundations sunk deep in blood and bone.

Yet we walk blithely through concrete hours,

Pretending the ground beneath is our own.

How swiftly mankind forgets its scars,

The chains that shaped our very DNA.

We gaze at screens instead of at stars,

Blind to the ghosts that haunt every day.

But listen close—the wind carries cries

Of those whose suffering birthed our world.

In every institution's lies,

The flags of conquest remain unfurled.

To move forward while honoring the dead,

We must feel the weight upon our head.

Echoes In the Bedrock

 Beneath our feet, a whisper grows,

Of lives compressed to sediment.

Their triumphs, fears, and overthrows

Form the ground on which we're resident.

We build our towers, sleek and tall,

Atop the ruins of yesterday.

Pretending that we've heard the call

To break free from history's sway.

But in our veins runs ancient blood,

Our thoughts shaped by forgotten hands.

Try as we might to stem the flood,

The past seeps through in grains of sand.

To move ahead with open eyes,

We must first face old lullabies.

Confront the myths that comfort brings,

And listen as the bedrock sings.

-me 

Uncharted Waters

 I stand at the edge of myself,

A map unfolding in my hands,

Creased and worn, yet unexplored territories remain.

Years etched like contour lines,

Peaks of triumph, valleys of doubt,

Each step forward a conquest and surrender.

In her eyes, I see uncharted waters,

Depths I long to fathom,

Yet fear the drowning.

Love, that siren song,

Beckons me to shed my armor,

To be naked in my imperfections.

I am more than the sum of expectations,

Son, brother, friend, potential lover,

Roles that both define and shape my path.

In quiet moments of reflection,

I wonder - am I becoming

The man destined for that soulmate's heart?

Dreams of fatherhood linger on the horizon,

A future role I long to embrace,

When love and timing align.

-me

you don't know (a rough draft)

…that you’re gone.
from my life-
You’re gone,
and you don’t even know it.
you’ve spent so much time avoiding contact with me
coinciding with my needing you,
since you didn’t and don’t need anything

as they say
out of sight out of mind,
like a slowly-moving train
without even trying,
you’ve moved inch by inch
 out
of my  heart
and out of my mind.
i don't remember you.
correction
I do remember you
but I hope to forget you
the way you've forgotten about me.
You don’t know
because you’ve not been around
to check in on me
or
to ask me about me.
I’ve experienced a really really really low point.
You see,
I needed you,
And you knew that I needed you,
But you turned your back on me.
If was as if you thought my phone didn’t accept inbound calls or texts.
You don’t know that you’re gone,
But you’ll discover;
When you need something,
And you call me for another reference.

And I reciprocate your actions by saying 'sure no problem,'

and then ending the call.
and deleting your contact information.
and blocking your number.

(Love) hate (or the assimilation thereof)

I’m
gonna have a house party.
gonna invite everyone I know
(might like to come)
everyone,
every one, even those not black.
I like them.
they’s got to like me, right?
‘cause how can you be mean to someone
who  treats you nice? 
said I like them.
( i  insist)
they’s human /like  i.
got feelings/like i.
want to loved & respected/like i.
i got feelings.     If need be
need be the same.
will reach down
below
will reach down inside myself
to see them in a different light.
i hope i am not alone in this.

User Friendly

Hey,
you-
brother!
Can you play basketball for our team?
Can you play football?
Can you run fast?
               -I know you can you dance.
                 show us your moves. 
Can you fight?
Can you lift heavy things?
         Can you stand guard, and just look intimidating,
          --like normal?
Otherwise,

not needed