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Dream Killers
There are no statistics
to keep track of how many dreams
are murdered daily
there are no reparations paid
to the children whose dreams are
stolen and replaced by hopelessness
there are no apologies given
for taking their beautiful smiles
and turning them into distrustful frowns
there are no peace offerings made
for the tragedy we’ve created
by not believing in them
there is no cocoa butter rubbed
over the scars left by the mental rape
that was forced on the bright futures of tomorrow
there are no words
to inspire them
to keep trying
no hands reaching out
to lift their dreams
off the bloody floor of despair
no welfare
to help get their dreams
back on their feet
no “Love-Support”
to provide nourishment
to their hope
no ears
to listen to their ambition,
without judgment
without unwarranted advice
without pouring a bucket of water
on that fire that burns from the deepest
crevices of their soul
there is no empathy
to feel their pain,
or encouragement
to help get them through the storm
that always precedes success
there is nothing,
all we offer are cages
to place their dreams in
a wheel
for them to run on
until they collapse
from the frustration
of not getting anywhere
discouraging stories
of the people who tried
and failed like they will,
if they foolishly ignore
the flawed logic we use
to convince them that their dreams are
unreasonable
unachievable
unreachable
…and when WE speak, oh –
we, being their family,
their friends,
the ones they share their innermost fears
and most sacred desires with
when we speak,
we crush their spirit
under the guise of love,
love,
…because we love them
we fear seeing them
experience the hurt
of failing to achieve their dreams
fear,
…because we fear
we steer them
down the safe path to nowhere
and advise them to be more like us
try,
…because we never tried
we believe it’s better
to safely avoid failure
than to boldly pursue possibility
listen,
…because we listened
to the Dream Killers who came before us
we perpetuate the cycle of
Killing Dreams
there, are no statistics
to keep track of how many dreams
are murdered daily
there, is no barometer
to measure how bad it hurts
to have your dreams killed in the name of love
…but believe me,
death is far less painful
than life without a dream
I Can
They’re trying
to make you grow up
to wake you up from your dreams
to encourage you to forsake your God given talent
to deceive you into boxing yourself into their
Safe, ambition-less life
They’re trying
to convince you
that you can’t be successful
doing what you’re doing
to get you to open your eyes to their reality
to scare you into
Playing it safe
They’re trying
to make you believe
that your dreams lack foundation
are a dead end road to nowhere
are impossible
not achievable
that it is better to work hard
doing something safe than to
pursue with reckless abandon
the only thing that can ever
Result in your happiness
Don’t believe them
don’t let them convince you
that it’s better to be like them
than to become the dream
God intended you to be
Don’t let fear paralyze you
don’t let worry destroy your passion
don’t let regret become your future
don’t spend another second embracing
the idea that you can’t do it
You can!!
..and every time someone doubts you
clear your mind
until all you hear are two words
I Can
..and every time you face an obstacle
that makes you hesitate
because you’re unsure if you can go on,
clear your mind
until all you hear are two words
I Can
..and every time it seems fate
is conspiring against your dreams
is testing your fortitude
is working diligently to make you give up hope
clear your mind
until all you hear are two words
I Can
I Can
I Can
Yes, you can
as long as you
don’t let them wake you up
From your dream
American Griot, What I See (A Free Write)
Have you ever
watched someone
alert
alive
trapped
stuck in concrete glue
reaching for cheddar
cheese in sight
unable to free themselves
from the grasp of struggle
energy
slowly draining
as they claw
to lift their head
enough
to breathe
one breath,
just before
letting go
I have
Have you ever
watched someone
chained
water
food just beyond their reach
slowly starving
desperately trying
to overcome
the gravity of
their situation
just before
being crushed
under the weight
of “Denial”
I have
Have you ever
watched someone
swing their arms wildly
kick frantically
reach for air
grab for anything
or anyone
they can get their hands on
short
panicked
breaths
eyes
wide
open
staring
at a man
teasing them
with a life raft
just before
being overcome
by the elements
I have
Have you ever
watched someone
just on the other side
of the tracks
success
opportunity
dreams
slowly
murdered
by poverty
lack of education
limited resources
unlikely to escape
their conditions
while the people
who were elected to
represent them
stand by
padding their
pockets
watching their
constituents
drown
in the
hopelessness
of ghetto despair
just before
sending them
to die
in a war
for more
riches
I have
Have you ever
watched someone
taken advantage of
by false
prophets
thieves
pillaging
pocketing profits
on promises
of delivering dreams
insufficient
Social Security checks
ripped from frail fingers
in exchange for
hope
in the form of
“Miracle Water”
“Prayer Cloths”
just before
everything they owned
was taken
I have
Have you ever
watched someone
kidnapped
forced
into prostitution
beat relentlessly
hope snatched
from wombs
by strange
men
daughters
pimped
for the almighty
dollar
just before
committing suicide
after they came to the realization
that the rainbow was not enough
I have
Have you ever
watched someone
get raped
by Priests
pushing
holy water
dipped fingers
deep in virgin wombs
helpless
children
pushed
to the brink
of insanity
in the name
of the Almighty
just before
being attacked
by the congregation
for speaking out
against their assailant
I have
Have you ever
watched someone
overwhelmed
by the pressure
of the rat race
turn to the sizzle
of crack pipes
poison their
suffocated veins
with rubber ropes
and dirty
needles
hoping
for a high
that will never end
and that their broken
dreams
will never resume
just before
tapping their arm
one last time
and pulling the trigger
on life
I have
I have
right here
in the land of the free
home of the brave
self proclaimed leader
of the free world
place where happiness
is something you buy
not something you have
not something you are
Have you ever
watched men
and women
and children
stand together
in unity
equipped with
determination
fortitude
engulfed in the spirit of humanity
as they work to repair lives
after they watched
the horror
of people jumping out of
collapsing buildings
earth shaking
hurricanes ravaging shorelines
houses ripped off their foundations
and man’s creations
washed to sea
like a gnat
being blown away
by the awesome power
of a kid
blowing out birthday candles
after making a wish
that his missing parents would
somehow find their way home
I have
I have
seen the worst
and the best
and no matter
how much negativity
I’ve seen
I see
I believe
America has a soul
buried deep in the hearts of the people
that if unleashed will lead us to new heights
Hope still exists
in America
it’s time for America
to stop letting the people down
and to become that dream
they claim to be
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