Melodic Smiles. Harmony.

i
can’t stop
simpering at the newness at
the possibility that presents itself
in the lovely little package
called you

the perpetual past
and its accompanying pain
teach me not
to jump to any
premature conclusions
so i try to keep focus on the ever-present
although an imagined future with you
sneakily tickles my heart strings
making the music in my smile
audible to any and every one
within view

can you hear it,
the melody for which you be muse?
do you dig it?
it plays for you
as each note tours the earth terrain
between texas hilltops
and northside neighborhoods
guaranteeing that every inch of the intervening world
becomes familiar with the tune

i
won’t stop
embracing the novelty of
the delicious melody in your smile
as it dances on my inner ear
every time you are near
via email, phone call, or txt

with patient
eagerness i await that moment
when our individual grin-melodies
combine to create
harmonic opulence

that’s the roundabout way for
me to say that
you have a knack
for making me smile

Meditation (For My Nephew)

never want to come off self-righteous, don’t want to
be over zealous to so-called non-believers because it might just
block us All from Higher Purpose, Guiding Light in service
to Universal Spirit, union with the Divine
the Higher Self that knows no boundaries
when principled struggle is intentional then We can’t be confined

BE

a Blessing to those perceived as enemies
turn negativity into positive energy
that becomes the shield and the sword
no need to brandish weapons in this spiritual war
destroy only when ready to build greater capacity for
wisdom and knowledge and always strive to gain more
patience mastered when it’s central to practice
develop a strong core because it’s more
than just a virtue, it’s a tool for survival
in a volatile environment that’s ruled by change
the only thing that We ever promised
so always learn to adapt and evolve
in a world that implores you to remain the same

stagnation is death

let each breath be rebirth a renaissance
the body has intelligence that We’ve been trained to ignore
and the mind has been programmed not to reach full capacity, so
growth is stunted and thought immature
feed both
mind and body only the healthiest
nutrient-dense substances designed to restore
the greatness that We’ve been created for
nothing’s impossible when We realize the Higher Purpose We’re working toward

… LIFE

living out the Higher Purpose, Guiding Light in service
to Universal Spirit, union with the Divine
the Higher Self can’t be confined
cause stagnation hinders none who seek
to nourish self and others in both body and mind

Cosmic Rhythm

my body sways to the tempo of the earth’s rotation
in complete sync with the sun in the sky
i carefully watch the movement of cloud formations
so that i can learn what to expect when my earth body dies
see, i’m trying to find my cosmic rhythm
perfect symbiosis with the endless universe, the Most High’s prism
that’s why i try not to abuse the ground my feet pound
or take for granted the air that i exhale as i form the sounds
that channel all the positive vibrations passing through me
to be shared with others so We can all enjoy life’s beauty
reaching higher spiritual planes gaining new over stand in
where intuition’s guided by the dance of the stars and the planets
that’s how i learned my two-step just like Imhotep
like the ballet of past prophets whose visions still guide me today
as i pop and break with green plants who offer food for flesh
in their dance are ancient secrets that We tend to forget
knowledge that reverberated as Max tapped his high hat
timing that the ancestors clapped but very few can now match
a tempo that once grasped the universe always returns back
in perfect symmetry giving We
a deeper understanding of reciprocity

Secret Crush

i hv 2 use these few words carefully
so that they can convey to u what
i’m forbidden to verbalize directly
because i know that i will never get the chance 2
fully experience u

we can’t press palms together, fingers intertwined
there won’t b n e time
2 learn the distinct feel of each other’s lips
sense each other’s funk & fragrance
interests, joys, pains i am convinced
that this moment is fleeting
just like my feelings are supposed to b
since this is just a crush

& crushes don’t last, right?

of course not
they pass quicker than the words i let spill from my pen
in an attempt to purge my self of this brief thirst

they won’t last, these feelings
that’s what i tell my self when
ur smile invades my mind’s i
that and other lies like
i got so & so
i can’t let this crush compromise my commitment
& you hv him &
i prefer darker sistas n e way
w/ hair like – yeah

and like that crushes usually pass away

so 2 me ur too tall & skinny
too short too
big but so fine
i mean
i just won’t ever take the time to really dig deep into your mind
and get to know u

since crushes don’t last
they don’t

so i won’t even waste my breath
reciting to u this poem
even though ur hearing it now
seeing it as it peaks cautiously from behind my eyes
noticing its repressed agonizing moan in my otherwise
peace-filled, joyful tone
or viewing it scribbled messily in the corners of my smile
quickly
because

this crush can’t last I hope
that it will soon
fade away

Building (for Stacy)

sharing my soul with you is difficult
because the fabric fastened together
into the quilt called self
may be damaged
when in the possession of hands
too sharp too careless

but i overcome difficulty and share my soul with you
because our friendship builds
trust yields beauty
that mitigates the risk of trauma