draw a bath. close your eyes.

soak in your bath. (and then sink, lower)

look up, and then higher than that.

read the discourse in the light. read the flutter, the frivolity, the fumes. read it all.

and sing. whisper. scream. rage. rage rage rage rage rage rage rage. sigh. fall back. lament.

pull the stopper. drain your bath. wait.

stand up. stand tall, and then taller than that.

turn and look. really look in the mirror.

but just look. observe. vigilant.

turn away, not ashamed, not proud.

wrap a towel.

step out.

rinse & repeat.

By Arcassin Burnham


Men being afraid of other men is a joke,
Pretend to have a hard exterior from ****
that they spoke,
You seem to act tougher than the man
you brought with ya' but when he leaves
all those you said will just up and choke,
Men ain't men no more, they just come with a gloat,
For me its not easy to be a black man and
be broke,
Can say it two times , can say it three times,
If I don't get it the first time, its not gon'
work,
Leave my emotions and my feelings and my anguish and my insecurities to put a
troubled man under the dirt,
Manhood comes first,
This is a curse,
Wicked worlds worth,
How many men does it take to lift the earth,

Not intimidated by no man.


/


Sparkles don't last as long than an life expectancy,
Lashing my threats to my enemies,
I am nothing but holy,
I know I could peel the corruption from my skin, my soul,
A morning like this could take me out
of feeling old,
A good solid feeling from the this I've told,
Some days I feel my words are not enough and so,
Reap what you sow,

And so will they also be sold.

No one thought to tell me,
So I just never knew,
But boys aren't supposed to look at each
other,
The way I looked at you.

When you see
me no more.
At last look
at the mirror!

On the day
or in the night.
In the dark or
in the light
black or white.

Whatever.
whichever way.

You got a choice
how you look.
On the flip side
or the other side,
any side of the coin.
Down the sun
or down the Moon!

Another being,
fresh with blood.
Pale with dark black circles.
Fills my sight,
every rebirth of gold.
It's even there,
during its death.
Its subtle whispers,
telling of truths.
Truths I know,
in heart and betrayal.
Pester and fester,
poke if you will.
Not even time,
grays your message.
“I know”,
with force I scream.
“I know”,
I sing.
Look away at the wall,
“breath”.
Open my eyes,
there you are…
In your vile prison,
reflecting flawed detail.
Who are you?
the being in there.

Look around and see
People who don't have
Everything that they need right now

Then look at the ones
With guns in our schools
Taking others with them in suicide

So just feel free
To sit there in your chair
Doing whatever you could possibly want

Without checking to see
Where your children went
After they told you that they felt depressed

Yes I know this world
Is still messed up
But could it possibly hurt to try