Here You go again-penguin waddling
Down the block-
jeans sagging, rap blaring.
Chain glinting. In the sun;

as if made
of blood diamonds.

Diamonds running
with the blood
of Your brothers.
And uncles
too misfortunate
to escape
the exploitation
of Your home

But You-You’re lucky.
You’re here.
You’re a bro, a dude, a playa!
Roaming through these
mean streets,
this harsh life:
No goals to meet,

who’d bother to set them for You?
Mother too busy caring for everyone.
But you.
Her BOY!

you! you’re lucky.
you’re here.
you’ve got homies-down the block
still calling
you out: why you always got a book?
why you still got that fake jacket?

Money’s tight.
But your soft hands?
They can’t
jeopradize a finger.
No one
else does
either.

Mom?
She wants to prove
she everything YOU
want.


But she’s too busy-

Treasuring the smell
of your
tiny
unwashed
Hands:
covered in your day.
Bare feet:
running through
that
sweet
brown
dust

-to see who you haven’t become.

Boy-don’t you remember
who you’re
supposed to be?

Mother raised you to be an athlete.
you were primed to star in that TV cup.

Mother raised you to be a politician:
you were primed to lead.
Help people?
take those bribes.
For her;
buy that nice car
with that new
deluxe house.

Her neighbor just got one..
no one else has one.

You-you’re lucky.
you’re here.
No one expects
anything
of you.

But boy- you ain’t the worst.
here she comes
world revolving
Round Her
swinging
hips
Sister? She’s lucky.
She’s here.

She doesn’t even
care
to cover that
tattoo.
tiger snarling down Her leg

What are we going to do with her.

Would have sent her back home-
if we could-
Could have taught her to be a lady-
every woman should-
Should have gone to that boarding school-
like everyone did.

JUST. So.
Lucky.

She’s always
been here.
No
burdens learning
right
from wrong.

Just
so
lucky, that
No one cares
for
that future

What future?
Only what’s
right under
that wide
nose

But who care’s
for that snot that
made that nose
so strong?
No care for that dust
that made those feet
so tough.

No use here
air is purified!
everyone got that clean!
soft! ground
to lay on? tread on.
But no stride
DON’T stride
no one strides.

We’ve got it all
here.
Diseased? Nah
we’re fortunate!

so cure us.

Get a belt
‘round those pants
Get rid
of those green
contacts-no one
believes you anyway.

‘Least
You can change
who You are.
And
everyone will see
You!

You!
You’re going
places!

Just
Get off that couch,
Turn off that Xbox

Become you.