How Much Is Enough?

I’m waiting, but you refuse to do as your told.
You’ve got it easy, gas in your car, food on your plate, and a warm house when its cold.
Despite of, I continue to Bless you.
That night you woke up coughing, the Devil tried to take you.
I breathed into your lungs.  I claimed you.
You need a little bit of struggle to appreciate what you have.
Tests failed each day with the answers instilled, maybe you need half.
I give you so you can give too.
Read my Word, you bless others, I bless you, it’s true!
A job and everything you need.  I sustain your life.
But your focused on a lifestyle, how to get it. What’s your price?

I would quit my job for the right price.
A lotto ticket away, I could change my life.
Trying to save one dollar from every hundred I made got my mind racing.
Back and forth, trying to achieve something different, I’m pacing.
Willing to risk it all.
Flip, re-up, flip, re-up again, and quit right before the fall.
It’s the easy way out, but you see, “The way my bank account is setup…”
I’m tired of paying 2% of my income to overdrafts and minimum balance fees, I’m fed up!
Home brought lunch, some see it as a perk.
A necessity when I have enough gas just to go to and from work.
Red lights I idle in neutral, trying not to burn too much gas.
Trying to ignore the outside rattling of change in a plastic cup of the man that walked passed.
I’m going to act like I don’t see him.
Reach for something in my car.  
At the end of the day, he’s going to get in his car, I don’t believe him.
One million dollars is all I need to stop my strife.

Twenty-five cents made last hour and I have a red light coming in seven more seconds.  
I’ll have enough for a cup of coffee from an angel sent from Heavens.
God-sent, he can lessen the presence of the wind on my cup wielding hands.
White car, blue-collar value, black man in designer brands, he’s got to give me a chance.
Shake my cup louder, but he might have music playing.
Eye contact.  Shifting weight from one foot to the other, he saw me swaying.
He’s reaching, he might have something.  Anything.
I just need enough to keep me warm.  Not even to eat.
My mouth haven’t touched food in three days on these streets.
Stomach touching my back.  One more day on these feet.  I can’t change a thing!
Come on brother, you know the struggle, I got 5 more seconds with this light.
I know you see me.  Thick white exhale in this wind, I’m just trying to end this fight.
It’s all good, I see you trying to ignore me shaking my cup.  
That quarter tank of gas you have is my worth!  I would if I could, but I’m stuck!
May God continue to Bless you.
Ease your heart brother.  Pass no judgment, this can happen too.
Just like you, I used to want a million dollars;
But now all I need is one dollar.

Arch1tekt™

The Day I ran into William Washington III

I had a conversation with a man of my Senior.
Coffee with one milk complexion, he reached out to shake my hand.
Familiar in features, but he was shorter in stature and his mass was leaner.
Blue collar abbrassions on his palms, his attire was white collar, and his greeting was warmer than high noon on beach sand.

He said, "I'm proud of the man you've become."
"Who does he think I am?", I thought.
Visual imagery, I tapped recalled memory, with my temporal lobe banging like a brass drum.
Grin on his face, confusion on mine, short term and long term memories collide while my mind is being imprisoned by one moment in time that I sought. 

He said, "Don't worry, you won't remember our meeting. You were too young, with an older brother and younger sister."

Salt and pepper hair dates 58 with a sense of confidence earned by life. 

"I was friend of your Mom's, I told her, no matter what happened, I'll always be with her."
Sarcastically spoken I said, "You must have broken your word, or else I would remember. Seen you in the audience when I took the hand of my wife."

"Son..."
"Wait! My Father passed, my name is Marcques, same name I gave to my son!"
"I know. I was there when you was given you name, before your birth."
"So what happened?" It still doesn't explain why I can't make the tone of my voice mirrored in his voice and his familiar face shone in the sun.
"I was on-call for work, and moved away once my job was done of instilling self-worth."
"In whom? Do I know your children?"
"Yes", he replied.
"Three, but only one remembers."
"Love them all and prevent harm I tried."
We played so hard, my oldest broke his arm. My middle never got a chance to see me on his 5th birthday in September."
"September what? Mine is the 11."
"I know! Born at night, premature, during labor you didn't put up much of a fight. "
Puzzled look on my face at a rare moment of no rebuttal, he said," I'm sorry you don't remember me, I had to go up to Heaven."

At that moment, he smiled, pulled me in with a hug and said, "Always be there for your kids, how I wanted with you."
Then turned around to walk away saying, "Love you my son, look out for my other two."

Rest In Peace Daddy

Arch1tekt™

Mend Her Brokenness

I see her everyday, at the same time, seated at the same place.
Such a heavy heart she has, that it hunch her back with so much pain under the painted canvas upon her face.

She's broken.
Cracked into pieces with no way to storm her weather.
If only there was a way.
An instance.
Used to break down her mental wall that keeps everyone at a distance.
I could solve her jigsaw with a hug so hard that it put her pieces back together...

Only if she is willing.
Her mouth already says not what her expressionless face is feeling.
Just one act of courage but it will cost her.
Her present.
Make her smile and laugh away the hesitance.

She owes it to herself to allow me to pay for her future.
As I slowly pass by with the same words in my head I say,
"Please, just look my way, while our paths cross on this day."
So I don't usher in another 24 of not knowing why she stay in pieces.

Arch1tekt™

Bòfis to Bòpè

Papi,

There are a lot of things you used to tell me about being a husband before I asked your daughter to be my wife.
"Be patient..." "When emotions talk, it's not the person, it's the vulnerable thoughts of giving in to life."
Outspoken you are, everyone knows you always meant good.
I'm a couple of years in my own marriage, I know all about being misunderstood.
Different moods changing like different seasons, we've both shared.
I guess those are the times you told me to beware of tempers flared.
36 months and you still are missed.
Two Grandkids and 4 women, our loss has become an annual emotional tryst.
Your legacy of love will not go unnoticed as we pray that you continue to watch over us.
Thank God for the conversations we had, words of wisdom you shared, and qualities of a man you informed your daughter to attract.
We love you and celebrate your time in Heaven instead of the missed times of sorrow.
I will continue to protect your daughter since I took her hand in marriage I vow.

Bòfis Marcques

November 18, 2013

For the Love...Just Because!

Just feel like writing for the love of it.
No preconceived topics, no notepad and pen;
Just a my finger gliding across the touchscreen of my tablet.
This is just for practice. I doubt if I will publish.
Might even delete from my saved list.
I love writing and this is just for the love of it.
Take these words at face value.
With no metaphors, there is no need to sit and ponder of it.
Don't even read between the lines, just follow the pattern and share my love of it!
I just feel like writing...even when there is no point to it!

Arch1tekt™

Post - Racial Era

Will we ever, get to see a time and a place where our cultural identities are not socially categorized?
As I stop to ponder, I turn around to see, another case in point materialize.
"Brother, what did you do to deserve this?" I thought...
Then I remembered the gun to a watch, that Zimmerman brought!
The amount of cops in LA that Rodney fought!
And the destruction of Martin’s character, to kill a movement THEY sought!

 

Sure it's not out in the open with K9s and fire hose.
Ignorance is the difference between ignoring and not hearing, but I teach manners and morals, so my son knows...
Still I tell him they don't hear, but he realize they don't see.
Their eyes are closed. They never grew up being opposed.

 

New land, old money, new exploitations, same family tree.
Second class citizens in their minds. Two-fiths shy of the three.
Why do we keep our minds grounded ever since we were let free?
Child innocence with no hindrance.
He only sees what's right and wrong, and questions what should not be.

 

One generation's destruction will take the next generation's kids to correct.
Count out seeing a world with total equality go into effect.
We first might see Jesus and passed loved ones after they've resurrect.

 

African American President.

One step forward.

Government shut down.

Two with reoccurring steps backwards.

Never thought a Black Man would...
Not to say that he never could, but...
Hopefully, there is a metamorphosis of our minds.
To usher out a misunderstood, where we never...
Thought we would see, a world of a Post-Racial Era.

 

Arch1tekt™

 

 

Astigmatism

She said, "I think we need some time apart."
"Every time we talk, we argue, we're constantly growing apart."
"I tell you how I feel, no response from you, but I still ask what do you feel."
My expression-less face is all that's revealed.
She's right.  Could it be my sight?  We just don't see eye to eye on most nights.
We used to like the same music, bad jokes I told, she still laughed and was amused with...
She's such a hypocrite.  Am I to blame?  No pet names, no more sweetheart, now she just call me by name.
She says I'm narcissistic.  Everything I do is vain. 
Hurt me so much, I told her the same. 
"I'm sorry." I said.  She said, "All I want is change."
How do I make right what's not wrong?  Maybe when I realize I'm not right and still try to hold on.
That's a start, but I just can't see where it will finish.
Maybe I need to start talking.  Get more in touch with my emotions to lessen the division.
Wait!  Maybe its my vision.
Maybe its my ego causing a blurred love astigmatism.


Arch1tekt™