I write here as an author now three times over, whose works have touched people of all stripes from places far and wide. I was not always this way. I used to suffer in silence, not confident enough to articulate myself. I am not silent anymore. I used to be powerless, voiceless, and aimless. Now my voice is powerful and my mission clear. Were it not for the education in words and experience I fought to pursue I would still be a slave to fear confused as to my purpose in life. Here I share the story of that change, to offer knowledge where ignorance abounds and hope where there is nothing but despair. The poems in this collection might make you mad enough to think, they might make you laugh, you might even shed a teardrop but by the end of this book, I am sure you won’t be able to say ... that I lied to you.
Excerpt from the book, a poem titled, "If"
what if i told you
one night
i saw lights
what if
that night
i made a wish
took a vow
whispered this promise
that if
i see stars
all my life
people told me
didn't exist
what if
i found out for myself
what else
is out there
outside of this
inner city
i had a vision !
a list
of aspirations
barack obama
wrote me a letter saying
remember the founding promise of this nation
if
you reach for your highest goals
in the process
you will
inspire others to do the same
though right now
it seems impossible
to win
you can face the odds
if
david faced off against goliath
a giant
twice his size
right then
i decided
if
all men are made of the same carbon
if
my grandmother came to this country
without a mother or a father
and she didn't quit
no matter how much mud
she had to shovel
if
i could do things differently
what's never been
in the history of this family
yes
if
i can
get rich
off a business
make an impact
that will live on
like phil knight did
out of his trunk
if
jobs and wozniak did
if malcolm x did
if
nelson mandela did it
after being in prison
if victor frankl
survived the concentration camp
then certainly
i can
do it
like bebop did it
if
hip hop did it
i said
if
rappers could make millions off words
this craft
could
be my passport to explore the planet
if
i give it my best
map out a plan and take action
if i practice confidence
walk with purpose and conviction
if
i hop on this train
and start talking
if
i see somebody blink or cough in my direction
if
i stay focused in preparation
until the day comes
for me
to make my mark
if i
take these thoughts in my brain and put them down on paper
if i
get creative and make a book
put books in this bag
if
when push comes to shove
i put the bag on my back
and my foot to the pavement
in the black of night
with the stars still in the sky
i was grinding to sell a thousand copies independent
because
one night
i made
a wish
took a vow
whispered this promise
