072712 poisonous cries

072712
—
sometimes a black eye
and bruised ribs
are enough of a fake glass sky
to keep us from our rise
to full height

so we bake like butterlies
bathed in blinding white light
beneath the heat of the lens
looming large over life

sometimes petty white lies
and malicious truths
are poisonous cries
to leave us drowning
in our self doubt

so we forget the fact
that we ever knew how to swim

while the tides ebb on a whim
and flow unexpectedly
from moonlight to sunrise
sometimes we take the long way around
unplug from this rat race to the bottom…
the wind leads
and dreams drain with the gravity
of pristine mountain streams returning
to the subthermal depths of the ocean
and back again, on backs of salmon

sometimes the mere act
of living our life out
loud, unapologetically
with confidence and humility
will bring about a suitable end…
and sometimes we have to fight for that right
with all our might
all day and all night
alongside our closest allies
family and friends

DiezelP: Time for us to respect women

DiezelP writes over at What’s Happening PDX:

Will Hip-Hop Ever Reach Its Full Potential?

The Worth of Women

How will hip hop ever grow to its full potential when the very gender that reproduces our future artists, activists, columnists, producers, and entrepreneurs of our urban community are belittled to almost an object for the testosterone filled modern day rappers? When did the women of our culture become only useful for physical beauty and sexual activity? Why doesn’t Rap music uplift and inspire their female listeners to reach the same level of success males have?