All That I Do Not See I cannot see Asian or Indian I cannot see Caucasian or African American I cannot see Straight or gay I cannot see Jew or Gentile I cannot see Ghanaian or Senegalese I cannot see Hindu or Muslim Christian or Buddhist I cannot see West Indian or South American I cannot see Cuban or Dominican I cannot see Yoruba or Ibo Ashanti or Ife All you see puts you at war slices you into pieces divides you All I do not see All that is invisible to me… the mass of energy that consumes spirit burdens spirit with its claims of truth has liberated me made me whole made me one with all that I do not see Copyright 2010, 2017 Ingredients for An Afro-American, A Colored A Negro Ingredients for an Afro American a Colored A Negro: A gallon of West Africa some North and Central Afrique added to taste A gallon of white man-European boiled in Western thought Several cups of Muslim Yoruba Christian and ancestor-nature based Belief systems rooted in God, Goddess All That Is Spirit Two extra cups of Christianity mixed with preachers tips and Negro spirituals Shake in an assortment of  blues jazz Rock & Roll and a quart of Gospel music About two pints Of  Native American and four centuries of history flavored with freedom, enslavement, resistance Diasporic stew, Middle Passage secrets and spiritual warfare A pinch of abolitionists, Quakers, underground railroad stations and some folks who did the the right thing Add conscious and subconscious memories of current and pre-Civil Rights terrorist acts Blend in some salty fried toes Genitals eye balls Tar and feathered children with the bombing of churches, homes and the destruction of economically viable neighborhoods Sauté the mixture with some pickled HBCUs some stuffed segregated institutions hard work vision and the willingness to die Whip in some figures of authority -judges, sheriffs, deputies politicians and employers with their frozen hearts their roasted souls who waged war and wore the KKK robes in their hate filled eyes Add some Holy Spirit Creativity forgiveness mental breakdowns and a warrior’s spirit peppered with false imprisonment stewed chain gangs picnics featuring barbequed Negroes attack dogs and lynchings for entertainment combine with sanctioned rape of women and children molestation fortitude dignity self-education in the face of death Use 40 Cups of artistry and loads of innards that seek change Add several pints of love anger hope fear, confusion, determination and a gallon no- two gallons of of the American dream Pour in some African roots self examination, research and critical analysis to taste Mix with two slimy but solid buckets of categorization cultural development and ingenuity Include large meaty sprouts of the evidence of things unseen doused with scene after scene of the seen Watch the hatred rise It will steam Let it cool dissolve From the light Of God and the smell the knowing of his her love You must not forget the mustard seed the faith This is essential It must be continuously sprinkled and   put into the complex mixture Put a smidgen of amazing grace griotte’s secrets double consciousness and more seen, after scene of the unseen Copyright 2013, 2017 Jealousy Jealousy is silent like a hot butter knife waiting to slice Jealousy is vocal like a noisy bee ready waiting to sting Jealousy is thirsty like an annoying Mosquito ready to suck blood Jealousy is hidden beneath unknown visages at the masquerade ball Jealousy is ruthless like the victor who seeks to destroy Some jealousy retreats when shamed exposed to light Some jealousy pretends truth hidden in the arms of love Some jealousy regrets guilt offerings reparations Some jealousy lies dormant awakening with another’s rise Some jealousy dies uprooted by the sea of change by the see of change No jealousy is safe for its poison can be deadly guised in savorous fruit For no jealousy is safe like a poisonous snake hidden cascading among the familiar its deadly tongue can extract life in a flash Copyright 2010 Opus 1: Michael & Whitney: The King & Queen You raised the bar and sit on the throne allowed us to witness what we’ve never known A talent, a gift magnificent, rare the sacrifices you made to lift you there For you’ve both broken records with the hits on the charts You redefined the game while watching the darts They said near the end when the sales were much less that your glory days were in the West Numbers count and there’s mass appeal But the title is earned One is anointed Let’s keep it real Excellence not mediocrity allows one to reign setting the standards not just entertain For the greats change with time They understand nature’s flow They can’t, don’t won’t remain still That’s how they grow For when they “stumble” they “crumble” not They rise and stand, and “look to YOU” to hold their hand They set goals until that final day when they shed body and “this is it” they say It is the battle ground and the omnipotent view It is the historians call not what the publicists spew For when they say you have failed and the numbers decline You are still at a place others would love to mime You still set the rules reach that other realm For we know in our hearts… You are still at the helm For if Aristotle were alive breathless he’d write how You as artists transmute nature and pour forth light And Marian with a smile would say “My Lord - my march What a glorious day” And Lena would look with a glow in her eyes and know her fight-walk was worth the prize And Ethel, Handy, Sam and Lady Day would beam with Otis and Sammy at the dock of the bay knowing, at peace that they paved the way When they say you don’t shine like you did before rightly sneer at the peons for your light helped open the door You raised the bar and set the stage and not a living soul can change the akashic page Now, we can have a numbers brawl but, numbers are only one part of the sprawl When we are talking art, artistry and skill your offerings are not run of the mill Now, for the record let’s get it straight Let’s put aside publicists and end the debates Titles come when you change the landscape You soared with the angels gave us goose bumps and we cheered took art to heights as the jealous leered Now, there are some who prefer to focus on your personal travails but, I eye the gifts: the dance, the voice and how God hails For human imperfection is a short story we all know but, that higher ground is a place that not all artists can go Mother Houston, Lady Katherine, Daddy John and Papa Joe tell me your secrets What how did you do how they sourced the glow? What nurtured their creativity their discipline, their style This is what is important for the American file Creativity in America is on the decline So why would we not enter and mimic their creative mind? Yes, they broke records and topped the charts and their skills won international hearts Other artists achieve and make us smile but the King and Queen went an extra mile Whitney makes us salute the flag and stand each time her voice goes o’er the land She gave us warmth on 9 1 1 spread the light when there was no sun Michael Moon walked into our souls and made us question our global roles He used his art to unite and heal and Whitney showed how love can steal - feel When I eye hear the Queen sing or the King perform I wonder how long when another will be born You soared with the angels took us to another sphere We lauded applauded and no one came near We take nothing from Aretha the Queen of Soul reigns a master of gospel, pop, opera not reduced by chains Dionne, Tina, Patti and Barbara are in a league of their own They are the best of the best This they have always shown We take nothing from Diana, Gladys, Dinah, Nancy, the guys, Mamie or Ruth add Odetta, Etta, Nina, Ma Rainey and Bessie For their light has given us truth Little Richard, Jackie and Sam We know your pain and acknowledge that you cleared the land Jim Crow lynched you and your title was denied He killed, raped Truth and took your offspring as his bride Universal law will clear the debt That is an edict his children must never forget Michael and Whitney You reign supreme with the Drinkards Watching You reign supreme You were are Americans at the top of your game made make America proud at the top of your game put the world at your feet at the top of your game We still dance to your beat at the top of your game We still cry when you sing at the top of your game You left America proud at the top of your game Your voice, your scepter at the top of your game asks us to rise at the top of our game You gave us your all at the top of your game You branded our souls at the top of your game We saw God’s light at the top of your game Olympians From Olympus? Copyright 2013