The Devil's Lettuce

Dunie: A Letter To My Son

I’ve written to you many times; I guess one more won’t hurt,
my name for you was Bash-Man; Bruce Wayne’s logo on your shirt,
but now I call you Dunie; why it changed I just don’t know,
it’s such a minor detail so for now I’m just gon’ flow.

You’re quite the character my boy; I pray you never change,
you always tell the truth and that’s the essence of the game,
of life that you’ll be living; son you have so far to walk,
I’m hoping to instill a few good things to start you off:

like don’t hold everything inside; it’s bruising to your health,
don’t kiss nobody’s @ss and always stay true to yourself,
there’re folks who’ll leave your life the same exact way they came in,
some friends will turn against you; let the people say amen.

You have a brain inside that dome; please use it to ...

Mush-Mush: A Letter To My Daughter

February 21st; the year was 2K3,
where folks were often blinded by the what or who may be,
we rushed to get you born; I prayed the good book had a page,
your newborn forehead soft; I gave you Mush-Mush as a name,

more right to say a term that had endearment as support,
my love for you so strong that I could peer into its force,
and grab the nucleus from out the middle à la carte,
the passing years have only strengthened this with all my heart.

There’s college down the road; who knows what else may be in store,
your future’s sturdy like the kind of shelves you see in stores,
and I’ll be right there cheering on what you decide to be,
you represent the smartest most ingenious side of me.

We sit and we converse; it’s like I’m talking to myself,
for you I’ll walk these dogs despite what’s barking at my health,
whatever you commit t...

A Letter To My Father

Deep within my heart I like to think that where you be,
you know the pain I feel that makes my soul slump wearily,
the agony that causes tears to easily dispense,
the aching of my core at times that seem to be intense.
 
I guess that it’s a longing that I’ve always felt inside,
a strength I know that came from you in which I’ve held with pride,
there’re times throughout my life when everything has felt awry,
the risk that what may kill me are the things I’ve held inside.
 
I’ve worn your name in honor mixed with something; maybe joy,
it also drapes the shoulders of my growing baby boy,
the James sits next to Lewis with a W between,
eleven letters morph to form the rumblings of a king.
 
I know without a doubt a letter’s not supposed to rhyme,
your son’s a cunning linguist with a fully loaded mind,
tha...

2018 Slave

Wilhelmina: The Year 1818
With nighttime here it’s finally calm enough to get some peace,
the way that things are going it’ll be hard to get some sleep,
my back hurts from a day spent picking cotton in the heat,
still I must nurse my young’n ‘cause the chillun gotta eat.
 
I pray that there’s enough to keep him passive when he snooze,
I pick the cotton yes but nurse the massa’s chillun too,
that white baby gets hungry and will suck until I’m dry,
some days I feel like he gon’ use me up until I die.
 
They sold my man the other day; my husband matter fact,
so many Negro chillun run around here lackin’ dads,
and mothers too in some cases but slavery’s the life,
I’ve known since I was born until the day I see the light.
 
My baby’s started crying ‘cause my breast i...

Assassination Day: The Death Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

When I wrote this piece 6 years ago, never did I fathom the significance of what the 50th anniversary of this heinous act would mean. Rest In Paradise Dr. King, this is for you.

Waking up this morning; God it's good to be alive, 

I've worn the soles out on my shoes to see my peeps survive,

the racism, the hatred, and the evil deep inside, 

the hearts of some Caucasians in the 60s; still we strive. 

I'll introduce myself; for short they call me MLK, 

which starts with Dr. ends with Jr.; for peace men shall pray,

and women too; please kneel and bow your head or raise your eyes, 

to God I'll share my state of mind that faithful day I died. 

My life was documented well and people know the cause, 

that's civil rights for all, the violence stalled; please, no applause, ...

Love's Demise

Misty eyes a symbol I'm emotionally amiss,

and stuck between 2 worlds I seem to know just don't exist,

the first world is the past where you and I felt only bliss,

the other one's the future where my lips feel lonely's kiss.

I long to travel backwards like I'm Mart McFly and Doc,

and maybe that's the thing I need to make the crying stop,

but presently the future's looming closer every day,

attempts to stop progression fail in mostly every way.

Perhaps it's all the karma laid along my chosen path,

to walk on back just means I'd cut my feet on broken glass,

it's like I know what's gonna happen; still it's some surprise,

to stand by helplessly and focus eyes on love's demise.

I wish that I could change it but it seems the future's wrote,

in boulders ...

Pain

A gunshot through your fleshy part, about say mid-thigh high,

the pain is so intense you swear to God you're going to die,

you're drowning in the ocean, salty water fills your lungs,

you long to take that one fresh breath of oxygen; there's none.

Imagine if you will my children; wooden baseball bats,

the handle's slim to grab, the business end is thick and fat,

you're rappin with the homies; shootin sh!t bout this and that,

so you don't see it coming but you feel a deaf'ning crack.

A million one scenarios like this around the globe,

the pain's enough to open wide and swallow you up whole,

but let's say that the pain's inside your very heart and soul,

you'd give your very life to make it just not hurt no more.

You're wand'ring through the darkness with no light; let's say you're scared,

the person that you love the most in life just d...

Orange Moon in a Purple Sky

w...

The Devil's Lettuce

existence is the one true test I t...

Temporary Forevers

The kin...