PAD Challenge Day 11: An Ode to My Black Brothers


PAD Challenge Day 11: Write a dedication poem.

An Ode to My Black Brothers

Hey Prince and King,
I say Prince and King
because I know they only call you
Coon, Nigger, Nigga, Thug, Criminal, Gangbanger 
I wanted to stop and remind you to remind you,
YOU ARE KING.
And your sisters and mothers
over there:
we’re the QUEENS.
You are who you are because
we dedicated our bodies to
carry your royal highness.
And please, by any means,
Put down Jose Cuervo and Captain Morgan,
they have no inspirational
messages in the bottle for you.
They can’t save you.
They ain’t loyal to you like the Lord be to you.
Put down the syringe and the belt,
the white girl, Molly, Angel Dust,
Happy Pills, Crystal Meth, Amies,
and the Texas Tea; none of these
can really set your soul free.
Put down the rifles, the pistols and revolvers
They don’t solve problems
They only bring pain
Let go of the kilo and the brick dream
They’re only pennies with a hole in it-
Kinda pipe dreams.
See, those graves and prisons over there
they are filling up fast enough
And your mama’s mama
And papa’s papa had enough
And stop putting your brothers down
Clowning and wildin’ like we
 ain’t from the same struggle
We all black
We all targets
We all been cheated
We all been mistreated
We all got issues
We’re all affected
when another black is
ignored and rejected.
Stop blaming
Stop shaming
Stop looking for a hand-out!
Stop walking around 
with a pouted mouth!
Get off your baby mama’s
and mother’s couch!
Get up and get out!
Get the mental health you need!
Get to work!
Do not give in!
Do not give up!
Pray, pray and pray
Keep open your third eye!
Try, try and try
Until the day you die
Pick up a trade!
Pick up a book!
Pick up your kids!
Dance with your daughters
Play ball with your sons
Let them see you
 respecting their mothers.
Create a business.
Create wealth.
Create love for yourself.
Legally grind and hustle;
Even if you have to do
it by your damn self!
Don’t dumb down!
Don’t become another
morbidity or mortality statistic!
Be real and stay optimistic!
Be another Shaka Zulu,
Mansa Kankan Mussa,
Turner, Garvey, King, X
Hughes, Ellington, Ali,
Robinson, DuBois, 
Marshall, Obama.
Hell, do something positive to say
“I’m the G.O.A.T, on behalf 
of my father and my mama.”

D'ElegantOne

Artwork "In Fear of the Wisdom That Will Be,
Most Young Kings Get Their Head Cut Off"
by Andre Leon Gray
Photo taken during my viewing at VAE


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