TAKE MY HAND WALK WITH ME

This was the first poem I ever allowed anyone to read, submitted to a poetry contest. To my surprise, it won second place in Community Pride Magazine 1995.

Brazen skin of autumn’s hue

Burnt by time, moistened by dew

Laboring hot, singing spirituals sway

Raisin head slaves docked at the bay

Planted deep in soil of toil

Seedlings sprout as life uncoil

Strengthened by tears of autumn’s rain

Harvest of grapes plump with pain

Pressed against white washed stone

Oozes liquid of life with crimson tone

Offering cups of sacrificed foes

The communion wine...blood overflows

More are thrown on fields of thorns

Hot sun beat upon them till weary-- worn

My skin is dark like winter's night

Black African--Son of Kings

Black American--son of slaves

Who with songs of spiritual sway

Cry tears of moist dew--day by day

Their beds lie among rotted leaves

Nurturing their children of sundry hue

Upon this soil of hardship and toil

In the land of Autumn

Lies the fallen leaves of

Mother Africa

Take my hand and walk with me
Together, let us create
the pages that move us
through our life’s story.

Living in our now,
we plant the tree that will
grow leaves of memory,
leaves blown away by
the winds of time, creating our past.

Walk with me
as my partner, taking a journey
on the narrow way up life’s mountain,
rough and wonderful,
this mountain we must all climb.

Let us write the pages,
plant the tree,
journey up the mountain together.

Come, take my hand,
and walk with me.

Ain’t No Angel

Here I am with my crooked halo

Dancin’ a jig

To some red-hot blues

Got crooked wings

Couldn’t fly straight if I wanted to

But can shake my tail to real cool tunes

He’s flying high in the sky

On a wing and a prayer

Deacon righteous got a sweet thang

Playin’ truth or dare

Holy sweet thangs, young, tender

Like pretty babies born again

Shouts, “Hallelujah,” with lover’s passion

As the Preacher moans “Amen”

A lover with a Halo

Cocked to the side

Whether Deacon, Preacher, or little ole me

With sexy crooked wings

There’s no place to hide