Sweet 16

16: "when the sky falls and we're all lost, we just open up our hearts to you." 

1: not yet grasping the world with my feet, at the age where I'd learn most... I never learned to run to you.

3: She said that was your uncle. He looked at some of your lady places that made you grow dirt under your fingernails for poison. He is why you be so introverted. 

2: you never lived with your mother. This, this lady holding you is not your mother. You live with her, but you do not belong to her. You live here, but you do not belong here. You'll be out soon. 

4:   Our Father who are in heaven Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread...

6: you're a lil chubby.. But it's okay. You can pass for cute, right now. Soon this will get old. 

5: there are no girls out there like me. I want to paint my nails... But I still want to play with worms. Why won't my auntie let me play in the dirt? 

7: She doesn't love you. She's out in the street. He's dressed nice, but that isn't your father walking behind her. 7... I tossed and turned on the foot of Grand mama's bed. Hot, cold sweat. Cold sweat. He's mastering your flesh, but don't open your eyes. It'll all be over soon. 

9: you can't even fit in a 9 year olds cloths anymore. You are the hand me down fabrics, not even the nice ones, the only ones that stretch. You're quiet, why are you so quiet? I bet you eat all of your words... 

8: stay back. No telling what he can do. Stay back that can burn you. Burn every part of you that no one can see. They'll all say you're lying, but only you'll have those battle scars. 

10: discover parts of you, but not too much. Leave parts for someone else. 

12: Sit up straight! Wear these stockings! Get up! Church in an hour. But who is God? 

11: ooooh boy, this is not good. Tell no one. You're weird, cross your legs, no one can know this. 

13: YOU AINT GROWN!!! 

15: Here is fruit for the crows to pluck, For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck, For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop, Here is a strange and bitter crop.

14: you're not sure if life with a him or her will be befitting for your resume into heaven. So "pray you will be ready, pray you will be ready. Pray you will be ready when Jesus comes."

16: "all of me, loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges. All your perfect imperfections." 

16... 16... Sweet, sweet, 16! 

Freedom in education

Freedom in Education...

Hey, what did you learn today? She expected me to say I learned quadratics or reproduction in my Biology class, but the hallway's and corner boys teach you more than the teachers do. 

       

This isn't an average day, but it's black history month and my school has not one single black inventor, teacher, or any blacks that were the first to do anything in out hallways, but expect me to pay attention in class. 

     

An open heart is better than a transparent book. They figure we learn more from Twitter and TV so they don't even bother to give us books in school anymore. 

        

Old work sheets and snapped pencils, snaps in poetry club make me human. 

     

Take away the Chicago in me and just see the poetic free that they try to put a price on. They say there's no price on education to justify why they keep taking our money. 

       

Sleepless nights constructing projects is the price I've paid for a free education. 

      

  Poetry told me more about life than any of my mothers lessons, school only taught  me to keep my eyes on own paper, yes I'm talkin' Green. 

Red, Black and Green because there was no room to fit my black in their flag.

     

 I spend class time in the hallways and still pass everything. Learn to listen to yourself. Never be afraid to be Bi-Racial and curvy self because the bullies don't know how to travel within your guide lines. Never mind them, stay in your lane. 

      

Don't dumb yourself down because they aren't educated in life. Don't tell them your secrets. Coming to school is what keep you out of trouble. Better a class room than a court room. 

        

But seems like our court rooms are more populated than our classrooms. Schools shut down, but graduated kids smarter than the suburbs. They say because we're poor we're stupid... But we say it takes skill to dodge bullets, run to catch a bus home from school and carry our siblings all on one breath. 

      

But since when did being speechless  parallel us to ignorance when we choose to rap our words instead of cram them into college essay's. When will you learn to look at us as human and not test scores. 

        

Maybe if you talked to us instead of failing us you'd know why we saw our answers as right, but your un colorblind ignorance chooses color over character. Colors are the only thing school has seemed to have taught you. 

        

It is possible to still be an educated fool. And no, this poem is not a permission slip for my generation to act like we're ignorant. That can no longer be in our vocabulary because we are literate. No matter how much or how little we may be we can read and write stupid statuses on Facebook non the less we are literate. 

          

School is something they kept from us so do us all a favor and steal it back. They always blame the black boy in a robbery so you might as well go to jail for having a voice  instead of sticking to no snitching. 

       

Have you ever stood in a third grade classroom, misty eyed with emotions in your throat because the kids only knew Martin and Rosa but the teacher forgot to teach about the one who in the opinion of many was the most educated in life, Malcolm X. They're trying to X us out of their flag. 

       

Adjust your jeans and show them what righteous looks like. We were the first creation under God, but we're proving to not be all that indivisible. 

       

We pledge allegiance of the red, black and green, Our flag, the symbol of our eternal struggle, and to the land we must obtain. 

One nation of Black people, with one God for us all, 

Totally united in the struggle for Black Love, Black Freedom, and Black determination.

   

In education is the land of the free

Cane

White trails under oxygen 

               I inhale, exhale and hold 

Onto the truth. 

              Infinity records spin

Blood shot red.

Blood shot blue.