respect

the
social commentary
from elders to
welders
unionized
local 304
to mother
asking me to
lock the door
on my way out
and minimize
the noise when
i stay out
and slide in
appreciation
for the pen
and pad
to try maintain
just a little bit
for the guerilla-issue
one-piece khakis
securing me
while i reference
history
amongst stacks
the facts
the fiction
the flow
the diction
the architect
the struggle
the hustle
im slowly learning
what it means to me...

reassure

hold my hand
as you hold
my heart
as we hold each other
pillars of stability
no
drug lord
or
personal trainer
could motivate
one to
carry this weight
tonnage hit me
deep
so deep that it
left me
searching for
street corners
a foreigner
in my backyard
looking for a familiar face
among self-portraits
the first step
to safety
can sometimes be the
furthest
from solid ground
but one touch
support
that isnt automated
is always
appreciated
no one wants to be on hold
but to be held
is help

rice and peas

a plate of rice and peas
is well met
with laughter and thanks
amidst the daily grind
and fear of the unknown
rice and peas shown
in front of you
is a welcome repreive
from it all
if only a moment
we sit
we smile
reflect
on sunsets
and contexts
this food
is a catalyst
for negotiation
on how to address
the next plate
and a
chance to disconnect
from
billing dates
interest rates
deadlines
and phonelines
rice and peas
a complete meal
a meal complete
push the seat back
reminisce on that fact
or fiction
from '97
subconsciously
schedule it again
a delicious
daily diversion

2009

a new day...

throwback sundays...

Love flow #3 - 02/28/03
I thought
we had levels
felt there was no need to adjust
bass or treble
but cognitive distortion
crossed our llnes of communication
and now i write lines of reminisce
instead of lines of touch and kiss
scenarios
the lone actor on this stage
i miss u
but the us i miss
is the lone reason
i'm writing on this page
manage
my feelings before i get lead astray
i stop pressing play on songs we vibed to
focus on tryin to
define the line
between
wishing and thinking
seeing and squinting
becoming and being
cus i am becoming a being
that's trying to blend back
into midtown traffic
but a broken heart stands out
facing south while my last vision of you was north
searching for a system of support
to compensate for not having yours...
just thought we had levels.

words...

sometimes i use sometimes alot.

sometimes
words
fall out
but dont
fall into place
they rest at the edge
of something great
only to fall back into creased page
saved for another day
sometimes
when words can't do justice
won't do
justice
its an injustice
to thought and experience
expression is emanicaption
and these words
my words
long for freedom
words for love
words for life
words for thought
sometimes
words rep more than a
page not completed
a memory blurry in its capture
and distorted in its release
words
are metaphors for life
trapped...
released...
flowing...
uncertain...
a reminder of what has been
and what's to come
the melody
appreciated in solitude
the face of a friend
whose been gone
a moment too long.
words are as the psalm
and the song
the calm before the downpour
standing amongst it all
only this time
they fall
in form
sometimes...
word.

breathe.

inhale...
this is how it begins..
a self portrait in gray
scales
the black and white
accentuates the detail
of life at 2 degrees
and working in retail
where everything that
glitters is fish scale
at increasing rates
and frustration arrives
quicker than the transit
that would have avoided
you being late...
a pace in the paper chase
is hard to set
with debits that look like credits
and credits
that haven't really
shown themselves to be credible
so each day ends with self
saying

self i'll level with you
this rat race 08 thing,
i can see its messing with you
but give thanks and
doze off to this Coltrane
tomorrow we get up
and grind at it again

exhale
and this how it ends…