I’m a Cadillac of wishes in a home of a billion dreams see I know the cage that
billion dreams see I know the cage that
billion dreams see I know the cage that is a beast but I also know the bird that
is a beast but I also know the bird that
is a beast but I also know the bird that is settling free I am shattered and
is settling free I am shattered and
is settling free I am shattered and scattered like wind
scattered like wind
scattered like wind I am clutch Santa thrown over blown
I am clutch Santa thrown over blown
I am clutch Santa thrown over blown bones I am home see I’m an uncapped boy
bones I am home see I’m an uncapped boy
bones I am home see I’m an uncapped boy from a far away generation from a far
from a far away generation from a far
from a far away generation from a far away galaxy a girl under wept and I
away galaxy a girl under wept and I
away galaxy a girl under wept and I unraveled in the time for the time for
unraveled in the time for the time for
unraveled in the time for the time for the time I am a child that is built out
the time I am a child that is built out
the time I am a child that is built out of pyramids for the time for the time I
of pyramids for the time for the time I
of pyramids for the time for the time I am a god son for the times for the times
am a god son for the times for the times
am a god son for the times for the times that I go ghost son for the time for the
that I go ghost son for the time for the
that I go ghost son for the time for the time I’m the son’s son
well then I’ll be the moon CMAC destined
well then I’ll be the moon CMAC destined to death um seed beneath the bloom I’m
to death um seed beneath the bloom I’m
to death um seed beneath the bloom I’m cocked rest before the boom I am chariot
cocked rest before the boom I am chariot
cocked rest before the boom I am chariot I am direction I am a Moda of tomorrow’s
I am direction I am a Moda of tomorrow’s
I am direction I am a Moda of tomorrow’s and a medula of hope I am a lifeless
and a medula of hope I am a lifeless
and a medula of hope I am a lifeless doll out of a child mothers mind and I
doll out of a child mothers mind and I
doll out of a child mothers mind and I am waiting I’m waiting to be picked out
am waiting I’m waiting to be picked out
am waiting I’m waiting to be picked out and picked up I’m waiting to be cleaned
and picked up I’m waiting to be cleaned
and picked up I’m waiting to be cleaned and carried because see I am a dream I
and carried because see I am a dream I
and carried because see I am a dream I am a dream I am a dream and to be a
am a dream I am a dream and to be a
am a dream I am a dream and to be a dream my it is something else I had my
dream my it is something else I had my
dream my it is something else I had my first dream when I was five when I was
first dream when I was five when I was
first dream when I was five when I was five my mother asked me what I want it
five my mother asked me what I want it
five my mother asked me what I want it to be when I grew up and I told her a
to be when I grew up and I told her a
to be when I grew up and I told her a sidewalk yeah you could imagine her
sidewalk yeah you could imagine her
sidewalk yeah you could imagine her feeling her oldest child is only dream
feeling her oldest child is only dream
feeling her oldest child is only dream is to be as good as the ground that they
is to be as good as the ground that they
is to be as good as the ground that they walk on she later on asked me for my
walk on she later on asked me for my
walk on she later on asked me for my plan B and I said well if I can’t be a
plan B and I said well if I can’t be a
plan B and I said well if I can’t be a sidewalk then I to be a cartoon
sidewalk then I to be a cartoon
sidewalk then I to be a cartoon character C I said my first metaphor
character C I said my first metaphor
character C I said my first metaphor when I was five and I’ve been speaking
when I was five and I’ve been speaking
when I was five and I’ve been speaking in this poetic tongue ever since and
in this poetic tongue ever since and
in this poetic tongue ever since and since I’ve realized that the power of
since I’ve realized that the power of
since I’ve realized that the power of poetry isn’t defined by the strength of
poetry isn’t defined by the strength of
poetry isn’t defined by the strength of a performance it’s not in the wittiness
a performance it’s not in the wittiness
a performance it’s not in the wittiness of word player even the innovation of an
of word player even the innovation of an
of word player even the innovation of an inspirational message the power of
inspirational message the power of
inspirational message the power of poetry is defined by the way that we
poetry is defined by the way that we
poetry is defined by the way that we connect with each other outside of this
connect with each other outside of this
connect with each other outside of this art form see when I tell folks that I’m
art form see when I tell folks that I’m
art form see when I tell folks that I’m a poet those including my mom they
a poet those including my mom they
a poet those including my mom they usually say is that really financially
usually say is that really financially
usually say is that really financially sustainable
if for me it’s not what I was hired or
if for me it’s not what I was hired or paid to do see for me it’s what I was
paid to do see for me it’s what I was
paid to do see for me it’s what I was put on this planet to do I believe my
put on this planet to do I believe my
put on this planet to do I believe my job as a poet is to make space for
job as a poet is to make space for
job as a poet is to make space for people to breathe and realize that parts
people to breathe and realize that parts
people to breathe and realize that parts if not all of this world are breathing
if not all of this world are breathing
if not all of this world are breathing with him she to me that’s a gift it’s
with him she to me that’s a gift it’s
with him she to me that’s a gift it’s magic it’s mighty it’s powerful see once
magic it’s mighty it’s powerful see once
magic it’s mighty it’s powerful see once I was the executive director of this
I was the executive director of this
I was the executive director of this Poetry Festival and I was standing
Poetry Festival and I was standing
Poetry Festival and I was standing outside on like 9th Street and 4th
outside on like 9th Street and 4th
outside on like 9th Street and 4th Avenue with a colleague and we were just
Avenue with a colleague and we were just
Avenue with a colleague and we were just talking waiting for the workshops to and
talking waiting for the workshops to and
talking waiting for the workshops to and while we were talking we noticed an
while we were talking we noticed an
while we were talking we noticed an african-american man about 64 literally
african-american man about 64 literally
african-american man about 64 literally sobbing in our direction my colleague
sobbing in our direction my colleague
sobbing in our direction my colleague who happened to be why it’s body turned
who happened to be why it’s body turned
who happened to be why it’s body turned inward our conversation slow to this
inward our conversation slow to this
inward our conversation slow to this unsettling stop so when the man
unsettling stop so when the man
unsettling stop so when the man approached his apartment door I yelled
approached his apartment door I yelled
approached his apartment door I yelled hey you ok see it turns out that lengths
hey you ok see it turns out that lengths
hey you ok see it turns out that lengths had just broken his sobriety that night
had just broken his sobriety that night
had just broken his sobriety that night see it just found out that his brother
see it just found out that his brother
see it just found out that his brother died so I told him hey sometimes we take
died so I told him hey sometimes we take
died so I told him hey sometimes we take a couple steps back just to move a
a couple steps back just to move a
a couple steps back just to move a little bit forward see the power of
little bit forward see the power of
little bit forward see the power of poetics to me is seeing an emotion in
poetics to me is seeing an emotion in
poetics to me is seeing an emotion in someone else and recognizing it in
someone else and recognizing it in
someone else and recognizing it in yourself we all if we have not already
yourself we all if we have not already
yourself we all if we have not already will experience a pain like length one
will experience a pain like length one
will experience a pain like length one that will blow us back leave us with
that will blow us back leave us with
that will blow us back leave us with just enough strength to move forward see
just enough strength to move forward see
just enough strength to move forward see another thing that I do is I teach at
another thing that I do is I teach at
another thing that I do is I teach at East Point High School
shoutouts to them we can give them a
shoutouts to them we can give them a round of applause and there I asked my
round of applause and there I asked my
round of applause and there I asked my students to pull their lives out of the
students to pull their lives out of the
students to pull their lives out of the end of a pen while balancing some of the
end of a pen while balancing some of the
end of a pen while balancing some of the coldest moments this world has to offer
coldest moments this world has to offer
coldest moments this world has to offer in the other hand and it is magic I
in the other hand and it is magic I
in the other hand and it is magic I asked for one thing from them tell your
asked for one thing from them tell your
asked for one thing from them tell your truth and to ask for their truth during
truth and to ask for their truth during
truth and to ask for their truth during a time when prison beds are being made
a time when prison beds are being made
a time when prison beds are being made because of tests that they took in third
because of tests that they took in third
because of tests that they took in third grade to ask for their truth during a
grade to ask for their truth during a
grade to ask for their truth during a time when people are fighting for water
time when people are fighting for water
time when people are fighting for water in the same country where drinkable
in the same country where drinkable
in the same country where drinkable water is rushing through the drains to
water is rushing through the drains to
water is rushing through the drains to ask for their truth when we preach
ask for their truth when we preach
ask for their truth when we preach equality with little to no equity would
equality with little to no equity would
equality with little to no equity would mean that I would have to live my truth
mean that I would have to live my truth
mean that I would have to live my truth as well so every day I show up for them
as well so every day I show up for them
as well so every day I show up for them and I dress how I feel rather than
and I dress how I feel rather than
and I dress how I feel rather than appeal to this binary society and as a
appeal to this binary society and as a
appeal to this binary society and as a non-binary person living in a binary
non-binary person living in a binary
non-binary person living in a binary world well I’ve been told things like
world well I’ve been told things like
world well I’ve been told things like you may never find a job that has the
you may never find a job that has the
you may never find a job that has the capacity to hold your entire identity
capacity to hold your entire identity
capacity to hold your entire identity and it’s a sad time in this world to
and it’s a sad time in this world to
and it’s a sad time in this world to think that my dreams or my successes
think that my dreams or my successes
think that my dreams or my successes could be cut short just because of the
could be cut short just because of the
could be cut short just because of the way that I dress or how I intuitively
way that I dress or how I intuitively
way that I dress or how I intuitively feel but in a way I mean hasn’t it
feel but in a way I mean hasn’t it
feel but in a way I mean hasn’t it always been that way
always been that way
always been that way I mean per American progress
I mean per American progress
I mean per American progress 17% of educators are people of color
17% of educators are people of color
17% of educators are people of color while students of color make up 40% of
while students of color make up 40% of
while students of color make up 40% of the student body see just by me showing
the student body see just by me showing
the student body see just by me showing up as I am I’m an inclusive vision to a
up as I am I’m an inclusive vision to a
up as I am I’m an inclusive vision to a dream that my students will one day
dream that my students will one day
dream that my students will one day fulfill to me that’s the power of
fulfill to me that’s the power of
fulfill to me that’s the power of poetics that’s telling my students to
poetics that’s telling my students to
poetics that’s telling my students to dream and know that anything that they
dream and know that anything that they
dream and know that anything that they dream has the capacity to hold them all
dream has the capacity to hold them all
dream has the capacity to hold them all of them if they have the capacity to be
of them if they have the capacity to be
of them if they have the capacity to be taught then they definitely have the
taught then they definitely have the
taught then they definitely have the capacity to teach
capacity to teach
capacity to teach we are not breathing alone in this world
we are not breathing alone in this world
we are not breathing alone in this world we are all poetry in constant motion so
we are all poetry in constant motion so
we are all poetry in constant motion so in 2012 I created a space for just that
in 2012 I created a space for just that
in 2012 I created a space for just that that feeling that you get when you know
that feeling that you get when you know
that feeling that you get when you know that you’re not alone
that you’re not alone
that you’re not alone it’s called words on the Avenue and at
it’s called words on the Avenue and at
it’s called words on the Avenue and at words on the Avenue every last Sunday of
words on the Avenue every last Sunday of
words on the Avenue every last Sunday of the month at Cafe passe me and my team
the month at Cafe passe me and my team
the month at Cafe passe me and my team we dragged a mic center stage and we
we dragged a mic center stage and we
we dragged a mic center stage and we have one rule
have one rule
have one rule bring your words from your world perform
bring your words from your world perform
bring your words from your world perform it your way
it your way
it your way see outwards on the Avenue we’ve heard
see outwards on the Avenue we’ve heard
see outwards on the Avenue we’ve heard things like whoa this is the biggest
things like whoa this is the biggest
things like whoa this is the biggest audience I’ve seen since my last court
audience I’ve seen since my last court
audience I’ve seen since my last court date for real
standing next to doctors who hold the
standing next to doctors who hold the fragility of our lives with both of
fragility of our lives with both of
fragility of our lives with both of their hands and use our platform in
their hands and use our platform in
their hands and use our platform in their words as a radical act of
their words as a radical act of
their words as a radical act of self-care standing next to preteens who
self-care standing next to preteens who
self-care standing next to preteens who at eleven are overflowing with chapters
at eleven are overflowing with chapters
at eleven are overflowing with chapters from a book and we’re able to pay them
from a book and we’re able to pay them
from a book and we’re able to pay them for their work by the time that they
for their work by the time that they
for their work by the time that they turn 12 see outwards on the Avenue we
turn 12 see outwards on the Avenue we
turn 12 see outwards on the Avenue we understand that our power is the
understand that our power is the
understand that our power is the strength that we have together and that
strength that we have together and that
strength that we have together and that our words in expression is just an
our words in expression is just an
our words in expression is just an attest to that strength see our words on
attest to that strength see our words on
attest to that strength see our words on the Avenue not everybody is a poet but
the Avenue not everybody is a poet but
the Avenue not everybody is a poet but when we leave
when we leave
when we leave everybody’s a poet matter of fact we all
everybody’s a poet matter of fact we all
everybody’s a poet matter of fact we all are everybody in this room’s our poet
are everybody in this room’s our poet
are everybody in this room’s our poet we all are armed with a language that
we all are armed with a language that
we all are armed with a language that has the ability to devastate or create
has the ability to devastate or create
has the ability to devastate or create change
change
change so after this conference after this
so after this conference after this
so after this conference after this evening when you wake up in the morning
evening when you wake up in the morning
evening when you wake up in the morning and you find yourself in a mirror I want
and you find yourself in a mirror I want
and you find yourself in a mirror I want you to ask yourself what’s my poem and I
you to ask yourself what’s my poem and I
you to ask yourself what’s my poem and I want you to walk out that door and write
want you to walk out that door and write
want you to walk out that door and write it into this world just right thank you
it into this world just right thank you
it into this world just right thank you [Applause]
”
Be First to Comment