Typical Times 25

I wanna be awake
wanna be socially conscious
with the capacity to debate from a place of experience
and not twisted education

I wanna write books that enlighten and inspire,
and maybe even transform
wanna lead young people to their best,
not what I presume to be their best

I don't wanna be stuck
don't wanna be 50 or 80 and still be boxing with my gripes
or look in the mirror and only see a bitter old man
I wanna grow
I wanna learn
and in the between,
wanna love
so I can understand why I'm growing and learning

I wanna be awake
wanna be socially conscious
But I don't wanna be stuck and forget how to smile.


(From my next book of poems, Throw)

Palma

There're three churches in front n around me, and from my window I get to see the interesting segregated let outs in all their pomp n circumstance. This time the let outs were interrupted by a large group of hermanas/some hombres with their children, all carrying palmas, as in palm sunday. Usually the church tribes keep to themselves or walk around each other/not acknowledge each other. Dominican/Mexican catholics vibe on one side of the street. Pentecostals on the other side, and African Baptists on the Ave. And always the interesting segregated colors. But this time palmas were being waved across religious and racial lines, waving them at each other and for each other. Passing cars slowed down to pick up their palmas. A female bus driver got hers too. And her smile made me smile. The crowds' smiles made me smile. The creepy bruh who usually stands at the corner bodega lookin for everything but himself smiled, and I smiled with him and for him.

Now, how do we translate all that to daquan and primo without making them feel more disillusioned than they already are?

We Are Responsible...When Allowed

We do show affection to our sons. We do want to be in their lives. We do know how to reach them. We are responsible, when allowed.

(Murdered teenager, Trayvon Martin and his father during better, warmer times)

Who is Joseph Kony and What You Should Know?

Find out what's all the fuss over Joseph Kony, especially if your social science teacher isn't talking about it. There's a part in Maya Angelou's All God's Children Need Travelling Shoes where she's in Africa and gets passed over for a job and she writes how frustrated she was cos there were no Europeans or Euro-Americans to blame but her own, and herself. Imagine a world without 'white' people. No matter how you twist it to fit your political agenda, it would still come down to judging one another by spirit, energy and intention. So this is why I want you to look up who Kony is; and while you're at it, find out who's blocking all the monies and progress from getting to the people of Haiti--not the puppets and egotrippers--Haitian people. Black is not always beautiful. Devils come in all shades. Let's deal with that!

http://www.mediapost.com/​publications/article/169701/​who-is-joseph-kony-and-why-does​-it-matter.html

Stay Interested...

While my latest book Message to a Youngblood is still enjoying its props, I'm already starting my interviews for my next book on young bruhs who love other bruhs but don't relate to gay culture. Don't trip. Young people don't have the same type of hang ups we so-called grown ups do. But when some of my suns tell me not to refer them to gay centers for support or safe zones run by women cos they just don't relate, this motivates me to open the communication for their sake, if not ours. Besides interviews to personalize their own struggles, I'll be looking at predator mindset, functional depression, how the Black community encourages undercover behavior, our obssession with thug appeal, identity conflicts, and the parents who love these young men but need help understanding their lovestyle. Stay tuned. Stay interested...

To Put It Bluntly

"What you call a blunt is merely paperbag. how do you turn paper brown? you use dye, right? now, when you cut up your blunt to take out the excess brown so you can then add in your green, you're still using paperbag. so now you're inhaling the ink from the dye that's in the brown which in turn causes your lips to turn dark purple. follow that with colt45, 800, triple x and other cheap toxic beer that's catered to us and you're ready to wile'out without even knowing the reasons why."

-- Excerpt from my latest book, Message to a Youngblood.



Just one more reason to get your copy, and if not for yourself then for someone you think could benefit from it. (Now available on Amazon.com)

Next upcoming appearance Wednesday, March 7th 6pm at the Harlem Police Athletic League at W119th Street and Manhattan Avenue.

Conservs and Let's Go

I wish we'd all get along...
wise heads/new minds
conservs and lets go
educated/know how
rugrat/fat rat
drugee/better weed
fancy and natty
lightskin/my skin
bitch and sista
nigga/brotha
I and us
he and she
stuck in the head and stuck in the bed
stuck in the past/got rid of the hate
like the punani/like it the other way
fem/trade
trade/responsible
slave/brave
hip hop and Lupe
tight jeans and loose them
religulous/got rid of the hate
blood/crypt
dem and them
old and gone
here
maybe.


(From my next book of poems, Throw)