As I reflect on what’s been over 10 years of marriage to my beautiful wife, I realized how many changes you can go through in 10 years of life. To put it in perspective I wrote a poem/short story a few months ago that I shared over the course of 10 days. The pieces are personal and the entire story is included in the anthology I’m working on… of course it’s copyrighted…

A Love Story – Part I: February 18, 2010

At the alter
tears roll down
cheeks saturated with
love’s promise
“..for better or for worse..”

Hands held sincerely
as they intensely stare into
each others’ eyes
“..for richer or poorer..”

Full of hope
for tomorrow
American romantics still
believe in the idea
of love
“..in sickness and in health..”

and soul mates
and eternity

God brought them together
in holy matrimony
love binds them to eternity
“I do”
Would the love be enough?

---

A Love Story – Part II: February 19, 2010

Each motion
sucks him further in
pulled into a frenzy
by Heaven’s whirlpool
trapped by Love’s passion
too weak to pull back
worried by the results of cyclical
calculations
The perfect storm

They knew
from the moment
of conception
it was “His” plan
felt other-worldly
intergalactic
A surprise blessing

He got the call at work
mouth dropped open
when he heard the words
“Boo, I’m pregnant”

It all seemed
“Unreal”
The blessings of
raising a child

What kind of father would he be?

---

A Love Story – Part III: February 20, 2010

He was a child of a single parent home
an uninvolved father
who loved his children
but didn’t know how to translate that
love into “Love”
he wasn’t there

Mother,
she was
strong
determined
raised her children
to be fighters
no quit
overcome the odds
at all cost
the world don’t owe you shit
go get it or get got
she was jaded,

Only met two good men in her life
they were her brothers
his Uncles
did her best to raise a good man
but they say
a woman can’t teach a man to be a man

He supplemented his education of
manhood
through the Blood across the street
who lived next to the Pimp
who stayed across from the Dope dealer

They weren’t as bad as the labels
They were “Just”,
hood cats with American dreams and
limited resources
each hustling to be somebody
the best way they knew how

They taught him
they weren’t slanging dope
They were dreaming,
like their American forefathers
who stole babies from
mother’s wombs for the purpose
of building American empires
and achieving unfathomable riches

The hood cats weren’t perfect
but they over-stood American value
“Get it by any means necessary”

In truth
they were at least as good as their forefathers
maybe better
they knew they were wrong
You could see it in how they looked at him
the way they embraced America’s unwanted son
and taught him street game
and survival
and in the advice they gave

“Don’t be like me young blood, you can be better”
“Keep your head in the books”
“Stay square”
“and if anybody ever steps to you, let us handle it”
“You’re are hope”
“You’re are tomorrow”
he always knew
in the end it was up to him

What kind of father would he be?

---

A Love Story – Part IV: February 21, 2010

Early morning moans,
“How far apart are they?”

7 minutes

Walk
breathe
pause…

Clinch
moan
pray

6 minutes

“You gotta keep walking”
walk
breathe
pause

Clinch
moan
pray

5 minutes
It’s time

Racing
across town
100 miles per hour
past screaming Highway Patrol men
“Slow Down!”
“Slow Down!” he yelled

“Not unless you know how to deliver a baby”
full throttle
water broke
It’s time

Approaching the speed of light
wheel chairs
contractions
prayer
nurses
dilated
Effaced
specialist
BIG needles,

Be strong for her
breathe
breathe
push

“It’s a Boy!!”

---

A Love Story – Part V: February 22, 2010 (Special Edition)

The Joneses
they’re moving
American dreaming
white picket fences
apple pie
nuclear families
moving up,
out

Forgetting
all the pain of yesteryear
remembering all the hood tales
while forgetting the hood teachers
he’s like them now
them
on the other side of the tracks
just on the edge of success
he can taste it

Just on the edge
of what he can afford
recent college graduate
student loans debts
credit card debts
an adjustable house of straws
built on the hope that tomorrow
can only be better than today
How can it not be?

They have a beautiful son
college degrees
jobs
love
God
and a brand new house
that dropped into their lap
They were chosen

---

A Love Story – Part VI: February 23, 2010
(Turning up the Heat)

“Boy or Girl?”
“Whatever it is, there’s two of them”

Oh shit, twins??
the big gust of wind
threatening to blow down
their depreciating house of straws
they weren’t ready

Hospitalization
followed by bed Rest
followed by premature delivery
followed by Neonatal Intensive Care
followed by 6 months out of work
followed by bills

Medical bills
credit card bills
student loan bills
car loan bills
personal loan bills
diaper bills
$400 per month formula bills
$2,700 per month day care bills
check exchange bills
robbing Peter to pay Paul bills

Followed by collection calls
8 in the morning
12 in the afternoon
3 in the afternoon
6 in the evening
8:59 pm
9:15 pm, oops I didn’t know it was after 9:00 o’clock
collection calls

They’d demand
he’d curse!!
they want it
he ain’t got it
they’ll take him to Court
he’ll send them to Heaven!!!

If it means providing for his family
he never forgot the rules of the street
you don’t talk to a man like that
they had their backs against the wall
but they had each other
and
Love

---

A Love Story – Part VII: February 24, 2010

Getting by
they were barely hanging on
to the dream

Drowning in debt
afraid to let go
make a decision
walk away
start fresh

Quit being the Joneses
save their suffering relationship
stop the heated arguments
barefoot walkouts
questions of purpose
thoughts of failure
discussions on how long do you hold on
before you let go

..of the house
..the car
..each other

Tender souls
cooked by the mounting pressure
of material lifestyles
and fake appearances
and selfish ways

They gaze
into the yonder
and only see
themselves

It started with a pursuit
of love
and ended with them finding the land of
the insatiable

The land
where even love is not enough
to quench the thirst

---

A Love Story Part VIII: February 25, 2010
(When it Rains it Pours)

“Hey sis, what’s up?”

Have you talked to mama?

“I think she’s at the movies”

She’d normally call back by now, are you sure?

Unsaid words
nimble dance steps around touchy subjects
lumps firmly planted in throats
they both knew it
something wasn’t right
I’ll check it out

Car parked in garage
house alarm off
TV blasting as he walked through the door
he feared the worst
as he walked up the stairs
gingerly,

“Mama”
“Mama!!”

No response,

“Mama!!!”

He shakes her frantically
touches her
cold shoulders
listens for breath
prays
tears up
then chokes them back
painfully
and calls his sister

“She’s not moving”

---

A Love Story Part IX: February 26, 2010

Call after call
she didn’t make it

They’d all say the same things
was she sick?
was it a surprise
if you need anything
I’m here for you
I’m praying for you
I love you
what can I do

The emptiness
the loneliness

Thank you
I gotta go now
choke ‘em back
hang up
stay busy
things to do
things to sort out
funeral programs to put together
people to avoid

Stay busy
try to keep your mind off of it
just get through the week
hold it together for another day

Going up yonder
Mama you was called home
but he’ll always remember what she taught him

You can’t take it with you
you can’t use it where you’re going
values over money
love over riches
friendship over material
build your life on pillars that
can’t be taken from you
give back and appreciate what’s been given
fight for it without complaint
live for it without regret
love it,
it could be worse

She was a warrior
she was his heart
she taught him how to love
and she gave her life to help him find
his way

---

A Love Story Part X: February 27, 2011
(Perspective)

Perspective

tough times
has a strange way of putting things in

Perspective

Get back to the basics
family
love
simple appreciation
hold her
covet her
respect her
take care of her

You gave her your heart
she bore your children
they are the pieces
that make the nuclear family
you never had whole
God’s gifts to you

Perspective

Why are you always looking to the sky
when the earth is so plentiful
why are you always looking outward
when your inward spirit is so beautiful

Where are you running to
when happiness is standing right there beside you
how did we get so lost
when the songs of our souls have always rang so true

Perspective

Why did we trick ourselves into thinking
the money would fix us
restore us
rebuild us
put us back together and make us whole again

Did we forget
did we not understand
the money
the greed
the pursuit
it’s what ripped us apart to begin with

Perspective

One day at a time
keep it simple
keep your faith strong
lean on love in tough times
and maybe
just maybe

you can make it to 10,
20,
30,
40 years
to eternity..