Page 17 - Nicole Ari Parker

Cars, clothes, money, rats and roaches A college degree
Five siblings plus self in one bedroom
Sharing one King sized mattress A celebrity in his hood
Two blankets and one pillow
Once you got up to go pee A legend in his own mind

Lost your space
Come back to As it flashes before his eyes
Sleep next the one that is not potty trained
Tears form as his breathing becomes shallow
Baby Soggy Bottoms
Nicknamed stuck till he was struck down in his prime
Hands up
Aged 9
Outside playing tag
Please don’t shoot officer
Shot by a bullet, no name attached
Police said they were sorry, A late night run on the riverfront
Uncle Stepdaddy was the target

I guess Soggy Bottoms prayers were answered that day Making plans for the last day of class at the university
He got to escape the sexual abuse he prayed to end
Go home to God Hush little baby
Uncle Stepdaddy
His fate for rape Don’t say a word
Two years house arrest in his elderly momma’s base-
ment… Another statistic
If I had a dime for every time I heard my Brotha Speak…
Meditating and praying for Ms. Right instead of Ms. Right First one graduated with honors
Now
Good guys always seem to finish last Valedictorian
Chivalry is wrong

Respect is not respected Promised Momma
Get mad love
If he a gun-toting, no job having thug 15 cents times infinity
Romancing is writing poetry
Roses are Red All she is left with is a penny wit a hole in it….
Violets are Blue
You my main B*tch If I had a dime for every time I heard my Sista Speak..

And ya’ Momma is too
Just once he would like to
Dress up
Get a nice fade, beard shaped ©2015 Tina M Campbell
Feel like a million bucks Instagram:@IAmAPoetDammit
Be legit,
No criminal past IAmAPoetDammit@gmail.com
No even a parking ticket
A-1 credit

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