Black man,

I see the sulk in your eyes,

The wrinkles, the bags of countless years of work,

Trying to race ahead through the obstacles,

Roadblocks that society crafted to hold you back,

Once young having the vigor to conquer the world,

Ready to take it on with one hand tied behind your back,

With ambition, your only inheritance, you carried on,

You could jump like Jordan but would slip and fall,

Aspirations of real love but no queen found for the king,

Sought out role models and mentors, but they failed you,

 

You gave this life your everything,

Feeling uncompensated for what was owed,

You figured you earned it all,

The stardom you once craved as a little black boy on the court,

Was only but a dream, a fairytale,

 

Bible laying dusty in the drawer,

Disengaged daydreaming, seated in the church pew,

Busted basketball in the closet,

Worn out and out of shape,

No time for hoop dreams,

 

These so called "black queens" maimed your weary heart,

Apathy pours in like the great flood,

An emotional cancer of sorts,

You live each day with no grand plan,

Trying your best to get by,

With no clear vision,

Your dark eyes murmur “ here lies ambition's gravesite”,

Yet still seeking something greater and grander to live for,

 

You let the little mustard seed of faith,

In Christ you once had wither,

You search for something to stand for,

Something to make sense of this pointless life,

Though anger and rage pin you down,

God’s never ending love,

Is still is fighting the battle within you,

Neutrality takes the side of the oppressor,

 

If you don’t stand for good, you fall for evil,

Humble yourself and let Jesus bring you to the winners circle,

To finish the race with dignity,

Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength,

The battle was never yours to win in the first place,

You are the soldier, God is the commander,

God is not this imaginary genie in a bottle,

God is not an old white man in the sky,

God is not just a crutch or coping mechanism,

 

He is unfathomable matchless and limitless,

An almighty, strong force equipped to heal the sick,

And soften the most callous hearts,

You are unsettled because the very deity you were meant to be connected to you deny,

All your life you sought counterfeit freedom,

This is a creator that science cannot disprove,

God is in science, logic and philosophy,

Things not taught in your textbooks.

I know I don’t have all the answers,

Ultimately the answers can only be found in him,

Seek him, seek his word and you will find,

Be love black man, and be empowered.

 

From, Kiki