Ole' to Gordon Parks and the men and women
Black with gifted hearts.
To have seen him in his prime
to have known talent so divine.

I wish I could have been there
when Harlem was new.

I wish I could have seen
Langston and Maya
The "Count and Lady"
All that creativity, the birth of expression.

The poetry, the words and lyrics
The art of art, photographs and paintings.

These were the gifted minds of a thriving
place and yes a time.
Gordon Parks, Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kit
Sidney Poitier', and Bea so divine.

These were our giants. Titians of black history.
legends out of time.

They gave us ourselves,
before the marches before the equality
of a long struggle.
They gave us, us.

The heart and soul of a people
at a time when it wasn't cool to be black.

These giants showed the world
it was a gift to be black.
As they sang "to be young gifted and black."
They showed us all.

Yes to be young gifted and black
I call the role and listen to the affirming reply.

Matthew Henson...Present
BeBe King...Present
Sarah Vaughn...Present
Mahalia Jackson...Present

I call the role
Marcus Garvey and Ossie Davis...Present

Butterfly McQueen...Present
Ruby Keyler...Present
Bill Bo jangles...Present
Lena Horn...present

On and on the role was called
on and on the gifts were given.

On and on it goes
until the end of time
oled to a people most gifted
and divine.

Just a little strange it was

She and I were friends or so it seemed.

She on the one side I on the other

We sat there unaware we shared the same lover.

On the left I held his hand.

On the right she sat holding the hand

of the same man.

My friend and I

oblivious to each other

Sat there caressing

and loving our lover.

He in the middle amused at such a pickle.

He held my hand while he held hers

Laughing inside at the ignorance we shared.

He was my first

My love did nothing to slake his thirst.

To make matters worse

he may have been her first.

Laugh though he might

We would be his last

Our ignorance would pass.

His greed would be rewarded fast.

My Chair

My chair has given me the freedom

to go out alone

It has allowed me to go to school

To bath alone and to see to my toileting needs.

My chair has made it possible

for me to cook and clean.

Because of my chair I can sit

Outside and just be.

I can listen to the sounds of the world.

It is my chair that lets me travel,

with only myself, no companion

Just me.

It is my chair that holds me captive.

My chair is with me always.

I can go nowhere with out my chair.

This chair of mine is my constant companion.

My chair sleeps beside me,

Moves with me, it is my third wheel

In this life.

I would be a different me

Without this chair.

This chair is never without me.

I can do nothing without my chair.

I am never without my chair!

Romantic Death

Roses fade.

Music dies.

Candles burnout.

The heart breaks.