Thursday, March 28, 2013

Dreams Money Can Buy - 3/28/13 (started this way back in Summer '12...just never finished it)

It seems we all have dreams that money can buy...
But no matter how honest the dreams, money can lie.
Dreams require attention, and money can vie;
Nothing material brings happiness, but money can try.
The joy is in the purchase, not in the possession.
Victims of avarice have to go broke to learn this lesson.
Happiness is priceless, and so is a vision.
Even if the dream is as shallow as a stream, fulfillment takes precision.
Dedication and practice make the mind accurate.
Pinpointing a goal is the only way to go after it.
However, money can turn a dream into an oasis.
Greed fuels illusions of grandeur,
Which can blind you of what your true destination is.
And that's how we end up with dreams that money can buy....
Avarice blurs all of the lines, but money can eye.
We try to come to our senses, but money can spy,
And It'll turn our focus green with envy; money can dye.
Dreams should be private, but money can pry.
Dreams require diligence, and money can ply.
Nothing material brings happiness, and money can try,
But when it comes time for a dream to be grounded by faith,
Money WILL fly.

-A. Lewis

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Chalk Outline - 3/23/13

If you had to draw me, you'd use the darkest charcoal you could find.
Deep down, you would rather draw me with a chalk outline.
And that would be rather fitting,
Since the White version of me is all you see while I'm living.
I'm a thug on sight.
My pants are supposed to sit so low that my boxers are in plain sight,
And the rest my preferred attire is a tall t-shirt that's white, right?
I'm a violent killer that sells silent killers to my people?
A monkey that cannot reason beyond the option to be lethal?
A dark mark on any business that employs me?
Constantly tardy,
And since I can't relate to them, my coworkers hardly enjoy me?
I'm just a lazy bum since the government pays me a sum?
A deadbeat father that won't even visit his son?
An ignorant, belligerent, degenerate?
All of that, and more, is the chalk outline I've been living with.
I was never found dead in the street,
But a crime scene is what I've been dealing with.
I'm not allowed to leave the murder of my reputation behind.
Four walls of yellow tape have created a myopic paradigm.
I was outlined in chalk at birth,
Told what type of Black man I could be.
The crime scene tape read 'violence, sex, drugs, and entertainment,'
As that was all I was ever meant to see.
That was all that was ever meant for me.
I was to be swallowed by darkness,
Chasing a light I could never reach.
Stereotypes were shackles placed around my mind,
While hope was an idea that was difficult to teach.
My life was to be simply black and white,
As if this world isn't filled with colors...
But I soon learned that most aren't concerned with the success of brothers.
Not when they ostracize and profit off of the 'reality' of our mothers,
While targeting and incarcerating our fathers.
Not when we're either good helpers or great bothers.
A stereotype of any kind can permeate any mind,
Turning a first impression into the worst impression one can find.
Even if untrue, stereotypes canvass the mind for prejudice, then bind.
Ironically, they're like black holes looking for a place to shine,
Where they can house dark thoughts that keep you from seeing a light like mine.
And that's appropriate,
Since if you had to draw me, you'd use the darkest charcoal you could find.
Deep down, you would rather draw me with a chalk outline.
Such is my plight.
It could mean only one of two things:
I'm dead or defined by White.

-A. Lewis

Friday, March 15, 2013

Just Imagine... (Musings at 3 AM)

Just imagine...
Under a blanket of stars,
A thin sheet of light in the darkness of the night.
Snuggle, cuddle, tuggle with me.
We've had love on repeat, 
But let's play lust on our heartstrings...
Have the sounds take our minds away,
Leaving souls and bodies to mingle.
Maybe we'll dream of a vacation,
A spellbinding trip to many moons.
Inspired souls will use bodies as vehicles,
Driving to get each other to the destination.
And as we lay it down,
I promise I'll take you to a place where you can't make a sound...
You just enjoy it all and await coming back down.
A new space in your mind featuring moons abound....
Places you could only imagine.
Eyes closed to see it all happen.
Just imagine...

-A. Lewis


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The Aquarium (I Banged on the Glass) - 3/12/13

It was a rule I had broken:
I banged on the glass...

All I saw was a beautiful fish.
Golden scales, diamond eyes.
I had never seen such before...
My admiration, I could not ignore.
I would watch it daily.
Sometimes, it would dive deep...
So deep that it forced my mind to do the same.
Other times,
It would retreat away...
Which made me wonder if it was scared,
Or if it actually had something to say.
There were moments when it swam close to me,
Glistening, shining as brightly as its mind,
Giving me a chance to see that it was one-of-a-kind.
But if I ever attempted to hook it with a line,
It would hang on for a second,
Then dart away, leaving glimmers behind.
I would visit daily,
Often more confused than before.
Did this fish wish to captured, admired, or ignored?
Why would it approach, only to leave?
It seemed fond of me, but proved otherwise when I began to believe.
Despite it all, I still cast my line and interacted.
This was a fish like no other,
And that was all that really mattered.
It was as though I could never get too close,
And that the fish wasn't sure of its surroundings...
It always swam in the same patterns,
Or it dove so deep that it would risk drowning.
What I discovered next was astounding...
This poor soul was swimming in its own tears.
I couldn't get close because it was in a self-imposed aquarium,
Walls made of its own doubts and fears.
It swam close just to feel appreciated...
Tugged on the line see what would happen.
Swam to the surface just to embrace the idea of hope,
Dove to the bottom to remind itself of its trappings.
The darkness of the bottom was designed to block the shine...
But I saw light, potential, greatness...
Blinding beauty that etched its own spot in my mind.
There's no way to kindly cast a line...
Not when a soul has been caught and hurt numerous times.
Islands of scars were both reminders and barriers,
A way for me to see what she brought back from the sea,
And a way to keep away young men like me...
I had to reach out though,
Had to let it be known that I admired her majesty
Offer my thoughts, my affection, without her asking me.
So I pressed my chest against the glass,
Letting my heartbeat reverberate through the tank.
The echoes were so loud that they rose and sank...
I'd never seen a soul so in shock that its expression went blank.
A fish that deep intends on never being touched...
But I offered something that touches so deeply, so much.
The soul darted away into darkness,
Alarmed by the present, afraid of the future,
Seeking solace in the past.
I was left there, wondering how long the distance could last,
Would the fish come back in time...
Would the soul realize that it had heard from mine.
I then realized I had neglected to read a posted sign.
It explained so much with the one thing that it asked...
It was a rule I had broken:
I banged on the glass.
Or at least my heart did.

-A. Lewis



Saturday, March 9, 2013

5AM in Atlanta.

How I would love...
Love to trace your outline in the moonlight,
Let our shadows intertwine.
The stars are like paparazzi,
Millions of cameras flashing to capture these moments...
Moments defined by captivation of the mind.
Your imagination flooding with ideas and desires,
Your body's delta wouldn't be far behind.
Our lips become magnetic,
Coming together to share energy, kinetic.
So many sparks are flying,
The stars should really be jealous.
I'll pay them homage though,
I'll make constellations out of your hot spots.
Combinations of constellations cause conflagrations...
Explosions of senses and emotions,
Restraint results in convulsions,
Internal commotions beckoning for expulsion.
The astrology of your anatomy is fascinating,
But I'm an astronaut at heart...
And in admiring the heavens above,
I see them in you.
Beauty unparalleled,
Depth unimaginable.
Exploration is in order...
And I intend to fly through from every direction,
Landing everywhere until you encounter new worlds...
Places that have never been reached before.
Planets of bountiful pleasure,
Where sensation is found in ample amounts.
Moons glowing with the radiance of a body burning with passion.
There's so much waiting to be discovered...
Pining for a pioneer, a person like no other.
How I would love...
To be your lover.

-A. Lewis

Friday, March 8, 2013

A Rose Grew From Ice - 3/8/13

When your warm heart ignited mine,
A rose grew from ice.
My passion unearthed.
The beauty birthed.
Light created by the flame,
The flame lit by accident,
The accident planned by divine hands.
How it happened still leaves me quizzical,
But the unexpected yielded the unequivocal.
Passion never dies,
But dormant it can lie.
Covered by bruises,
And the scars gained when one loses,
It will slowly become inactive...we are often clueless.
A dim light still shines,
So we think all is fine, in our minds.
In our hearts though,
We know the truth.
It really doesn't take a sleuth.
We are aware of when our fires are weak,
And it's typically when we assume our outlooks are bleak,
Especially when it's love and affection that we seek.
Mine had decided that since it felt unrequited,
It would pipe down, slowly die down, and be quiet.
I was once gung-ho,
Always down to try it...
But as maybes became 'we haven't spoken lately,'
Doubt took hold, and there was no way to pry it.
Doubt is threaded with spiritual fears
And full of spiritual tears...
A wet rag that will smother one's flame.
It eventually has to be wrung out,
Contributing to one's shame by forcing someone to take part in their own blame.
But before that could happen,
I met someone pivotal.
The unexpected yielded the unequivocal;
How it happened still leaves me quizzical.
The accident planned by divine hands,
The flame lit by accident.
Light created by the flame,
The beauty birthed.
My passion unearthed.
A rose grew from ice,
When your warm heart ignited mine.

-A. Lewis

Thursday, March 7, 2013

A Question, In Earnest - 3/7/13

Just give me a moment of your time...
A distant corner of your mind.
Give me some sort of audience,
That's all I ask.
You see, there are things that need to be said,
Thoughts earnestly wanting to leave my head.
My heart's in my outstretched hands,
And that's how I'm being led.
I typically wear it on my sleeve,
But I figured you'd find that hard to believe...
Even if you did see it with your own eyes.
Your third one has deceived you before,
Looking past signs you couldn't ignore,
Projecting potential greatness on the disrespect that walked through the door,
So you're wary of the other two...
That's why I'm trying to give you another view.
I could make a case for why I should be loving you,
Or mention how I'd love to be touching you,
But I'd rather have my honesty be the one hugging you...
Instead of doses of lies drugging you,
A facade creeping up from behind and mugging you,
Taking away your love and your open mind, spiritually plugging you,
Leaving you connected to a rolling stone, constantly tugging you.
Pardon me if I'm bugging you,
It's unintentional.
But I think you're some type of exceptional,
So naturally I had to make my approach unconventional.
It's also unconditional.
Most like to play a game of back-and-forth,
Giving a little here, only if they receive a little there.
I've put mine all out on the line,
Hoping my farfetched attracts your rare.
I'm aware that I'm leaving myself so bare...
But if making myself defenseless penetrates your defenses,
Then I'll take any pain I have to bear.
And that includes reining in my heart,
If you decide you don't want to share.
...but all of that is neither here, nor there.
It comes down to a simple question:
May I have a chance, one that's fair?

-A. Lewis

Monday, March 4, 2013

4 AM...and the things that happen.

You were naked long before you undressed...
That bare soul was beauty my mind had never known.
I had never gone so far as to reach for the stars,
But I saw them in your eyes and wanted nothing more than to take us there.
Inspiration was motivation to reach the destination.
Your body was perfect to these flawed eyes...
Eyes flawed because they had never been adjusted to you.
The Creator's craftsmanship was never in question;
Your mind is an intricate maze,
Meant to confound any man unworthy of the blessing it protected,
And hone the worthy man, so that when he received it, he wouldn't neglect it.
Your design is sublime...
It is a strong, faithful soul that straightens your spine...
But tonight, it is meant to arch.
Skin will meet skin,
Senses will mingle,
Spirits will intertwine.
We come together to experience the eclipse.
Mind, body, and soul all align
To eclipse space, light, and time...
And in the shadow of it all, the world will fall.
Everything we know will vanish.
We will only be able to feel...so let's take advantage.
Every breath will fuel a locomotion of emotions...
A fiery commotion in an ocean of notions...
Thoughts, ideas, burned away.
Attention freely focused on the moment,
Attention we'd normally yearn to pay.
Love was happening at the behest of lust...
The worst of enemies brought together by the best of trust,
By the success of us.
Our connection was so deep...
It was as if we grew closer even in our sleep.
I exploited that depth, and it spilled over onto the sheets...
Minds wrapped in souls, expanding in bodies, wrapped in heat...
Sweating what couldn't have been salt....
It just felt so sweet.
I've never felt so invigorated by feeling so beat...
The connection had ascended,
The bond was now complete.

-A. Lewis