Grab The Popcorn

A lot of people think I’m so good at what I do.
I make others on a stage think to themselves,
Damn,
He’s here spitting and I just might lose…
A gift and curse,
When you’re whipped by the words I choose…

But,
A skill like this doesn’t come as easy as you’d want it to come.
Many nights where I stood up,
Sleepy,
Hungry,
Only dreaming of a gun,
To my head,
While I bust!
Another rhyme or two.
To the top of the morning,
Where I climb from a bottom I soar through…
With raggedy kicks,
T-shirts and pants partially ripped,
While hanging on to every bit of bliss,
That came my way…

Because,
As soon as I made it to a mic,
Eyes rolled when I first started spitting every memorized line.
Spoke about my own life’s struggles to survive,
My palms from manifesting a suicide,
Of my inner character…
And,
From there,
Was I.
With a voice I’ve used to spread truth about the pain we’ve all suffered from…

But…
“You ain’t black enough to talk about our issues.”
“You’re not black enough to preach through the culture,
Get a tissue.”
Is what I was told.
Never knew how to respond back.
So,
I defended myself blow for blow.
Through punchlines and metaphors flowing coast to coast.
And earned my respect every time I showed,
How we all have similar demons…

Might feel like we’re held back by racial circumstances,
But,
Ask yourself.
What’s the reason?
What’s the reason you quit chasing your dreams and,
Why did you spend all that time laying down in bed defeated?
Pointing fingers as if your hands weren’t full of some weed and,
A drink drowning yourself all throughout the seasons…

I get it.
Another black man dying by the Gun.
Another officer tallying a body while they’re free to run.
But,
No one says a word when another one dies by a gun held by,
Us…

You haven’t heard?
It’s United States of America.
A dog eat dog world where your own brother is more likely to merit blood,
To run down your spine for that pair of Dubs,
He wishes he had rather than showing you, Love…

No other color matters when all one can see is Green,
Doing anything for a pay-day.
Those with opportunity fighting daily,
While the homeless on the sidelines scream,
“Mayday!”
Same way I was,
When I didn’t have a roof above my head just to stay safe.
If I were anybody else,
I would keep hustlin’,
Grab some more bags of popcorn and just let the rest play games…