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blakmista
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Thirteen, Do I Go On?

CATEGORY

life

Views: 247

YOU START OUT FINE ON YOUR FIRST DAY

MOMMY GAVE YOU LIFE IT'S YOUR FIRST BREATH,

THEN SOMEONE LIFTS YOU UP REAL REAL HIGH

TALKING ABOUT TRUST SEE THAT'S YOUR 1ST TEST.

HOURS LATER, GOT BREATHING DOWN, AND YA FEEL GOOD

THEN LIQUID AND PLASTIC IN YA MOUTH YA MISUNDERSTOOD,

THINKIN' YOU WERE BAD YOU SOON ARE IN THE HOOD

LAYIN' DOWN SOMETHING ELSE IN YA MOUTH LIKE WOOD.

IT'S MOMMY, SMILING, SAYING “SWEETHEART EAT YOUR FOOD”

WHILE DADDY'S SAYING “SHE DON'T WANT IT YA BEING RUDE”,

YOU HEAR FUSSIN' AND LEARN HOW TO HAVE AN ATTITUDE

AND ON TOP OF THAT TASTE OF WOOD LEARN TO BE SHREWD.

NOW YOU'RE FOUR AS YOU'VE GOTTEN A LITTLE OLDER

YOU WALK, RUN, SAY A FEW WORDS, GOTTEN A LITTLE BOLDER,

YOU'RE INTRODUCED TO ARMY MEN SO YOU PLAY SOLDIER

MOMMY ASK YOU SOMETHING SHE GETS THE COLD SHOULDER.

NOW YOU'RE TEN AND FIND OUT THAT SOMETHINGS MISSING

NOT BEING LIFTED HIGH AND NOT MUCH HUGS AND KISSING

SO YOU FEEL LOW LIKE A SNAKE AND START YOUR HISSING

OTHERS OUTSIDE HOME SHOW LOVE BUT YOU'RE RESISTING.

MANIPULATIVE WAYS YA PICK UP BUT NO ONE YOU'RE FOOLIN'

NOT HOME NOR CHURCH NOT AT SCHOOL GETTIN' YA SCHOOLIN'

YOUR FOLKS GET A CALL FROM SCHOOL THAT SEZ YA BULLYING

YOU SAY “NAW, JUST JOKING, JUST BEING A NERD, A GILLIGAN.

YOU SOON GRADUATE, A TEENAGER, NO MORE FAIRYTALES

ITS TIME TO FLY TO THE MALL WITH FRIENDS AND CATCH SALES

PEER PRESSURE, YA CAUGHT STEALING, NOW YA KNOW JAILS

YOUR FOLKS GET YOU OUT, GO HIKING, HIKE MANY TRAILS.

THEY BEGIN TELLING YOU ALL ABOUT OUTDOOR LIFE

HOW CREATURES GET ALONG WITH OTHERS LIKE MAN & WIFE

AND THAT ALL LIFE HAS TO DEAL WITH STRESS OR STRIFE

AND EVEN THE PRESSURE TO SURVIVE CAN CUT LIKE A KNIFE.

YOU'VE LEARNED A HECK OF A LOT ON THAT ONE WEEKEND

IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU MADE NATURE YA FRIEND

SO YOU ASK YOUR FOLKS “CAN WE DO THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN”

THEY TELL YOU “GOD WILLING” AS YOU ALL ROUND THE BEND.

(GRANDPA AND GRANDMA JOIN UP ON THE NEXT VACATION)

THIS TIME YOU TRAVEL TO THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

WHICH REMINDS US THAT FREEDOMS WE HOLD AREN'T FREE

THAT IT TAKES MORE THAN A VILLAGE WITH YOU AND ME

LIKE M.L.K., HARRIET TUBMAN, ENTREPENUER SARAH LEE

IT TAKES GRANDPARENTS, PARENTS, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

GOD HAS THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD IN HIS HANDS....

                                    --BlakMista--

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COMMENTS

Contest Winner  

mlowe5 says:

Thanks BlakMista for sharing this powerful write. A beautiful flow of instant familiar visual and sounding imagery. I felt and heard so many memories. Remember, 13 will one day become 31, and 31 will one day become 62. And so must grow the village that we are. Carry on BlakMista...knowing that the Ancestors did more with less that your life's experiences will enable you to do great things in susaining the Village. Peace and Love, mlowe5

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Contest Winner  

Charles2 says:

great running commentary ...on black youth life and the family
 

LP45 says:

Great write blakmista. It does indeed take a village to raise a child. Your last line says it all. I share a similar reference to the ways of growing up in my poem Read Between the Lines, just on a slightly different note. Thanks for sharing this.

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