{soul of the poet 5}

Who Flipped the Script? 

You say one thing 

Then change your mind once 

More to please yourself 

Or perhaps to play with yourself 

Twisting what you say 

Like pretzels 

Just twisting words 

From form from another 

Makes me 

Makes me wanna 

Who flipped the script? 

Who turned you out?  

Who had you made? 

It makes me wonder 

And who did to who 

And what and when. 

But flipped the script? 

Of what person 

Did something like that? 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Ghetto Life


The stink of the city
And ain't it a pity?
Of the crimes that goes on there,
And how it sinks even the air
That pollutes all around me,
And can see,
The children in this life dying,
The people in their ivory towers lying,
While our people die the death that chokes them.

It's hell out there!
And no one cares,
Not even the people who are SUPPOSED to have our backs,
Is too busy stabbing it and that's a fact!

The ghetto life,
Filled with misery and strife,
In these times we live,
Something got to give.

_________________________________________________ 

                                              The Grand Finale

in loving memory of Robert Rhodes

You ran your race well
Even in trying times you succeed,
And even in victory you came through
I can tell yes, I can tell
You let God take the lead.

A poet for life you are
That guiding light
That bright star
Like a painting put on display
Beautiful expressive in sight.

In the highest heights
To the lowest lows of life,
You pushed onward, forward alright
Head up, shoulders back leaving in
Pressing forward until the very end.

The curtain opened in the beginning for you
And now it's close to the end
But you survived and pressing through
And now to the finale
That grand finale you've been waiting on.

31 July 2015

 _______________________________

Revolution!


Everybody wants a revolution!
Something to fight for
Something to say I belong to something
A struggle of what's right
A fight for what's wrong
Everybody wants a revolution!

Bush wants a revolution,
Castro had his day
And now the Devil wants his day.
The world has a revolution
Against each other
Brothers against brothers
And pretty soon
We'll have revolutionaries all over the place
Fighting for a cause
For some cause of another
Until we run out then
What now?


(C) 2003

————————————————————

Revolution


There's a revolution going
In the streets
Where men carry guns
Destroying lives.
Like Hitler,
Like Castro,
They are here
To make a statement
And destroying lives--
Yours and mine.
There's a revolution going on
In the streets
Where men carry drugs
Destroying lives.
One by one
They die in their pain
Yet they are here
To make a statement
And destroying lives--
Yours and mine.

there's a revolution going on
In the streets
Where children die everyday
With weapons of destruction
destroying lives.
Drug and guns
Killing one by one
Falling like dominoes
And yet they are making a statement
Lives are being destroyed
Yours and mine.

Rebellion in the streets
Tearing us apart
Breaking us down
As the revolutionist
Fight a never-ending battle--
For life.

8 Sept 1999


(C) 1999



**********

Spitting Rhymes

Mike check 1-2-3
Are you hearing me?
Spitting out rhymes
To pass the time
Watching the ink spill
Out rhymes but yet still.
You keep messin' with my mind
You keep messin' with my mind every time,
I attempt to finish a verse
Then hear you come to curse
My words and twist it
And I don't like it a bit.
When shuffled and scrambled
These words I toss the dice and gamble
My words away
Hey!
Yeah, you over in the corner in the dark.
As I spit these words
I'm watching you like a hawk
Cause I heard
Your voice in my ear,
As you sit near
Hearing everything, I say
Speaking in and out in a tone death way
But every word has a meaning inside so,
What, you did not know
What is coming out of your mouth?
Come closer and let me tell you
The secrets of my heart
Before I explode and break apart
As I spit out these words to you
Do know too
This poem is for you......
May 2020

________________________________________________________

[Life of a Tree]

When the tree is green,
Spring has come alive.
With its greenery growing to be seen
And lively like so.

When the tree hides the summer sun
And shades that spot to sit cool
Or climb that tree just for fun
All of the summer through.

Now that same tree shed its leaves for fall
Making room for the cool days
And that's not all
Winter is coming soon.

A tree has life
And there is life in that tree.

11 Nov. 2021

____________________________________________________________________________________

Lost

FAR AWAY FROM HOME
I WONDERED FAR
TO A LAND THAT'S UNKNOWN
LOST
IN A WORLD BEYOND FROM ME
LOST
BUT YET TO BE FOUND......

 _______________________________

[ Back in the DAY]

Do you remember back in the day?
Those times of afros and afro puffs,
bell bottoms and high heels
Wearing Dashikis associated with African pride and heritage,
Those days gone but not forgotten
Do you remember back in the day?

Do you remember back in the day?
Of James Brown
Those days of “Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud!”
Those days of were music had soul
So pure simple, so pure and sooo divine.
The days of “Bubble Gum” soul like the J5
And hot butter soul like Issaac Hayes
And the music of the Staple Singers.
Do you remember back in the day?

Way back in the day
As I can remember
Of when you stay outside until evening
And mama would say,
“Don't let the streetlight catch ya!”
Those were the days
Those days I fondly remember
Do you remember back in the day?

Do remember back in the day?

{soul of the poet 5}

If You Don’t Mind 

Listen---- 

Hear what’s on my heart 

Don’t judge me so hastily 

And whatever because of it let it be 

If you don’t mind. 

Anger was never to be planned 

But all I know I have gotten over this 

Matter finally and it's you I miss 

If you don’t mind. 

I sat in quietness to tell you these things 

But the words just won’t fall into place 

And to the rewind I love you just in cause 

If I haven’t told you if you don’t mind. 

In saying all these things 

I hope you don’t mind have me 

Expressed these words you see 

Coming from the heart if you don’t mind. 

Even in times where forgiveness seems 

Like a blank page in a book 

Or a song without a hook 

But I hope you don’t mind 

These words expressed to you 

TO DREAM

To Patrick, Chris, Caleb, Tyrese, Simone, Ronni and David

Dream...
Dream your dream,
Now catch that star and make it happen
Not letting anyone else tell you
You can't make it
But go on and just dream.

Dream...
Let that vision flow from within you
Even the impossible ones
That seems too hard but goes on
And just dream even towards the dream.

Dream...
Make it happen for you
And go and dare to dream
Making it your own
Flowing it until the very end
And when the end seems near.
That means you've captured
That dream that lives inside of you.

No matter how far the dream
Like a star so distant, so far away
Catch it and grab a hold of it
And never, never, never let go!
By all means just dream
Until you cannot dream any more.

Let it be guided like a star
or float like a white cloud in the distant skies
But by all means my dears,
Just dream and never stop
Until every dream is met.

Yes, dream beyond measure
but by all means dream.
And time will tell
Of how your dreams were to be
And now again----
Just dream your dreams!

A Poet's Mighty Pen

I pen this for those who died
That death with a dream and a bullet
Leaving behind family and children that cried
For their souls crying out to you and me.

The pen is mightier than the sword
But some sharper than others
Cutting up the souls of our sisters and brothers
As they put their knee on our necks with no breathe left.

When the government doesn't care
While we struggle day to day
And while more of black and brown men are spilling blood on the streets
And while Black Lives doesn't matter to others anyway.

There's still no justice and no peace
On our streets we walk alone
But until then and in the meantime all these things cease
And when Black Lives do matter.

Let me be clear
Of what I am saying to you
There's no time for fear
But pressing onward and onward press.

Window View (Naturally)

From the window I see

A Day that fits me,

With the sun shinning bright

For what a delight,

As I look out my window.

From the window out there

The weather seems fair,

Enough to enjoy in walking today,

And just sit under this good fine day.

Alive breathing today

I want this to last in anyway,

Perhaps forever would be nice

A day that I wish repeat twice

No rain in the sky.

Breeze blowing so nice today,

I wish it would last all day.

7 Sept. 2021

{soul of the poet 5}

SUNDAY'S CHILD

Monday's child rises up in the morning
Away to school for another day.
Tuesday child makes ready for another day,
Making the best of what that may come their way.
Wednesday's child in the middle of
Everything work, rest and prayer.
Thursday's child winding down another week,
Praying for another week soon.
Friday's child no more for them
Living for the weekend for time and fun.
Saturday's child works in the yard
And around the house helping mother today
But it's Sunday's child that gets up
Early TO SUNDAY School and
Morning worship for praise---
That's Sunday's child.

Cry Freedom!

Freedom!
As a country dies
And children die because of what they believe in.

Cry Freedom!

Freedom!
You jail them in your hails,
You murder them.
Torture them,
Burn their schools and home
But we will with all our hearts.

Cry freedom!

Freedom!
No matter the strife
Feeling powerless at times
When there is no power
But yet we will forever.

Cry freedom!
Freedom! You break us down...Break our spirits....But we forever-

Cry freedom!!! 

IF I COULD FLY

If I could fly,
I would fly to the moon,
Stay there every night and noon,
and just be there
Without one worry or even a care.

If I could fly
I would fly to the Dark country--
Africa where men and women were truly free,
And build a world just for the ones who
That can dream like I do.

If I could fly,
My feet would rest along distant lands
Tall representing that looks like me.

If I could fly
As my feet would touch heaven's clouds
As white and soft to stand and feel proud
To walk around Heaven all day.

If I could fly
I would go to the Middle East
And touch where Jesus touched and feast where Jesus feast
To learn about their land
RIGHT, there before me FIRSTHAND.

If I could fly
To all these places
And see all those faces
From every land
And talk to them and shake their hand
Letting them know how I feel
And if I could do this if ONLY, I could fly.

January 2006,

This Is Who I Am!


Brother,
Lover,
Poet,
Freelance writer,
Son,
Grandson,
Nephew,
Godfather too.
Christian in transition
Whose life changed in so many positions
Through so many persons and faces
Changing from many places.

Dreamer of dreams
Poet of the extreme
A deep thinker of thoughts and ideas.
Undercover comic relief
A man who had its share of sorrow and grief,
Walker of many miles,
And who puts on many smiles.

I'm no ego tripper
But a man who reaches for the Big Dipper,
Commanding dreams to come true
And a person who also encourages you.

People lover
never undercover
But face 2 face with you
A thinker so deep like an ocean blue.
A dreamer who goes beyond the stars
No matter how deep or how far
This is who I am!

I maybe a gem in a rough place
But I am the person with that face
You'll never forget
But in time your mind will set
On the things I told you
And all of this is surely true
Of who I am to me.

Child of the '60's long ago
i write these verses to let you know
Of who I am so listen well
As I finish this to tell
For this is who I am!

Black Man
Trying to do what's right in this land
For this is who I am
This is who I am!
(C) 2006

Invisible

I know you see me---

This you cannot deny,

Or talk a good game

Trying to put someone shame.

I know you see me--

Not fig newton of your mind

But it you just be kind 

Not ignore me this time.

I'm standing right near you,

or you don't have a clue

What I am saying to you now

In your face.

Don't you recognize

That's deep in my eyes

I feel I'm not with you,

Don't you know it's true?

The evolution,

Of this temptation,

Revolving over and again

As the ink of my pen

Seems to glide across the page

As I write I start to age

While time seems to slip away.

I am not invisible at all

Not just another victim to fall

In the mist of nothingness

or anything less.

No, I am not a shadow

Or some pretty color in a rainbow

Or sometime ticking away

Or something that will never stay

I am not invisible.

Look at me

Look at me

What do you see?

A shadow in darkness?

No

You see me.

1 Oct. 2021

Warrior 

to Nelson Mandela 
 
We say farewell to our beloved brother 
Father Africa a loyal friend 
Who taught us to get along with one another? 
Even until the bitter end. 
 
he was our warrior for justice and peace 
Our warrior for the betterment of mankind, 
In the spirit that is good, we release, 
His spirit as we come together and bind. 
 
As the sunsets in the South African skies, 
And over mountains high standing 
We stand with lifted hearts wave our goodbyes 
To our warrior, our hero our friend....

pop life 

                                                                                                                 Inspired by Prince 

Look around you open up your eyes. 

There are somethings you should realize, 

Now the world is getting stranger and stranger every day, 

Then we learned something about ourselves in every way. 

The more you learn about yourself you’ll find 

Somebody’s learning about you so hold up rewind.... 

Pop life? 

Everybody needs 2 chill, 

Pop life? 

Someone’s child just killed. 

Pop life? 

Don’t try to be on top 

You might catch something to make you drop. 

Don’t judge me because only God only do, 

Don’t put me down I am or make feel blue, 

Or call me what I am not cause it ain’t true 

 It’s a sad case to put another down 

Or separate yourself or stump me in the ground. 

Pop life? 

Everybody needs 2 chill. 

Pop life? 

Somebody’s died of drugs for a thrill. 

Pop life? 

You really don’t want to be on top 

Life is sometimes funny even if it goes pop! 

And pop, 

And pop, 

And pop, 

And pop.... 

May u 2 see the dawn. 

***

Soul of the Poet 5

Black Star

In memory of Sidney Poitier

Have you seen that Black Star streaking across the sky??

So brightly shining up high,

Burning up the night air sky falling

Finally hitting its mark in that right spot and time

That gives me pleasure to write this rhyme.

Giving me pleasure to remember such a Black Star

Yes, that one who came so far,

But so near to our hearts until we can feel what he feels

In every story of every character that seems so real,

Yes, that Black Star.

His name means wide meadow like those in foreign lands

So broad with many miles flush and green and grand.

And who would know that this Black Star would come a long way

To conquer a dream to be who he was to us today-

Yes, that Black Star.

We remember that Black Star

That once streaked across the sky from so far

To capture our hearts on the silver screen and of life

Yes, it was that Black Star.

9 January 2022

{SOUL OF THE POET 5}

POET, POEM, POETRY

IF I HAD A NICKLE FOR EVERY POEM WRITTEN

AND EVERY POEM IN EVERY HEART OF MANKIND

WORKING OUR BRAINS DAY AND NIGHT

PAGE AFTER PAGE

THE VOICES FROM THE PAST

THAT LIKE WINDS TO THE FUTURE

TO OTHER POETS EVERYWHERE

SO THAT THEIR VOICES CAN BE HEARD,

HEARD FREELY

ONE POEM AT A TIME,

ONE POET AT A TIME,

EVERY POET, EVERYTIME IN EVERY LISTENING EAR.

AND IF I HAD A NICKLE

FOR EVERY POEM SPUNNED

FROM THE INK OF EVERY POET

MOVING TOWARDS THE FUTURE

IF I HAD A NICKLE

FOR EVERY POEM

I WOULD BE A RICH MAN.

24 JULY 2020

****

The Wheels of Life 

And the wheels of life 

Goes around and around 

Until you want to holler 

Let me get off please! 

I don’t want to ride anymore 

On this merry-go-round of troubles 

A circle of misery 

That circles my life and wears me down 

Down, down, down to the ground 

Until I reached the pits of that very HELL! 

And the wheels of life 

Is going around in circles 

Where there is no ending 

Just one big circle of life 

Surrounded 

Going in circles 

Starting with birth 

And ending with death. 

And the wheels of life 

Still going around and around 

But will not stop...30 Dec. 2019 

The Streets Will Speak for Themselves 

                                                           A social commentary inspired by Dave Chappell 

Unrest on the streets 

Someone with a gun everywhere you meet, 

There's another body dropped 

When will all of this stop? 

The marchers are in protest 

There’s a nation that’s in unrest 

And the world just going crazy, 

It's falling apart can you see? 

The common thread of justice is torn, 

It's been beaten and it’s been scorn. 

There's murder all around 

And there’s a new sound 

That's been heard. 

Numbers don’t lie 

The television screen shows that happen and we ask why 

For eight minutes and forty-six seconds of breath gone 

Singing that same song--- 

Distant Voices 

In memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Silent. 

A voice once spoken of truth, 

A voice once spoken of justice 

A voice once raised the roof 

Of democracy, in justice and love. 

Silent. 

A voice in the wilderness crying, 

A voice spoken to the masses, 

A voice now silent dying 

Dying out in the distance. 

Silent 

A voice speaking out clearly, 

A voice speaking out strong 

A voice speaking to you and to me 

Right unjust wrongs. 

Silent. 

A voice now silent and still, 

A voice no more heard 

A voice beyond the dusty past 

And yet still silent.... 

2005 

Soul of the Poet 5

Fade 2 Fade 

What in the hell is going on? 

Fighting among the races  

Changing your views because of the color of your face 

Measuring your attitude by not putting it in check, 

Breaking down in your spirit and breaking your freaking neck 

To make ends meet the ends without ending it all. 

It’s a shame 

A crying dirty rotten shame to lean your name 

And then around to pay for it again 

As the devil laughs at you calling you friend 

You ain’t my friend fool! 

This is where I fade 2 black 

The problems that lie beneath the skin without fact 

But all fiction that’s played over and over again.   

Sept. 07. 

Poem: Remember 

Here’s where I stand 

On the problems and concerns of the land 

And turn of events we see 

In newspapers, radios and T.V. 

These are times that tried men souls 

And these are the ones who cry out and know 

That times are winding up to those times 

About to come to an end. 

Don’t blink you might miss 

The greatest event of all times for this 

Where do we go from here? 

I don’t know my dear  

But hopefully its heaven not hell 

Can we really, really tell? 

Beware of times like these we’re in 

It’s closer than you think friend 

But remember it’s not too late today... 

3 Feb. 2016 

The American Way

Injustices in the land

Spreading like wildfire

Burning, burning down the wires

Of discrimination and bias at hand

While quick fixes are a way to go--

All this and more in the American way.

Write down your gripes to your congressman

As they sit on their hands doing nothing

Not making one move or just do something

Before the damage is done,

And the blood runs through the land

While many died in the American way.

The poorest of the poor with no food

While the rich fat cats' stuff their pockets

And the law not doing what they should

To keep peace across the land

Shooting their guns like rockets

Killing off those who don't look like me--

While many died the American way.

There's a child dying

From some poison they swallowed

While those who steals and always lying

Then blames it on another

Just to be the American way.

All the world is a stage

And we are the players

So, are you ready to play?

12 Jan. 2022

A Poet's Creed

I don't want to cry 
Tears of pain without answers to questions asked like why? 
Tears flowing like a Purple Rain, 
Keeping my mind in check and not insane, 
Dreaming dreams like floating on clouds, 
Thinking, thinking out loud 
Although it doesn't seem that way at all 
But I need a hand when I do fall 
Fall down, fall down, fall down 
Feeling like I'm in a pool about to drown 
But I remember the song that "we fall down but yet we get up" 
I gotta reach life's silver cup 
Because I am a winner!!! 

I am a champion! 
I am a winner! 
I am free! 

(C) 2007

                       
                 (C) 2021 Kenneth R. Jenkins