Where trees grow inward
Hiding their fruit from squirrels & crows
Where afro’s symboled men of old
Panthers & kings sported crowns & rings
Worn by black queens
Goddesses not bitches
Our men hero’s not snitches
Of modern times
Or nigga’s that rhyme
Without reason or story line
I’ve been there…
Where rain dropped hails of blood
Through glass windows
As mom tipped toed
Round boyfriends
Broken and spiritually croppled
Stuck in drunken stupors
While A.T.F. storm troopers
Raided our homes
As crack heads foamed at the mouth
I’ve been there…
Where refrigerators left ajar
Screamed screams of Ethiopians
While sista’s tie the tubes of their sista’s fallopians
Damaged & hopeless dreams of bearing life
I’ve been where shadows walk in fear of light
Exposing their shames of past deeds
Done intentionally on the souls of innocence
I’ve been where clouds refuse to part the skies
For dreamers to sneak peeks of destinies sold for a price
I’ve been where drug lords caught in street wars
Packed their bullet wounds with ice
Cold & shaking afraid yet waiting
On the outcome of tomorrow’s
Guilt ridden memories
This is where I’ve been! This is where I am!
And this place no one wants to go!