Long-time pain
I’ve lived in grief turned

Now
Self-pity

What’s the matter
Why can’t I relate
These poems I read
Make no sense to me

Am I such a simpleton
Do I have no brains at all
Why can others see
Things that are so lost
To me

Words too abstract
And jumbled to me
But I guess that’s what people think
Poetry should be

I’m sorry to say
Don’t expect that from me
I can only write-- plainly
Of what I see

I read some poetry
That everyone said
I should like

I’m sorry
But I guess I needed to be
High on *** and *****
Like I was when I enjoyed
The Muddy blues

Now that means
Nothing to me
Just like this poetry
You said to read

Not that I have anything
Against Muddy
But, I didn’t need no
Touch of the ****
To enjoy the music
Of the ****** man
Johnny Lee

What if I wrote randomly
Notes on a tree
Would it be considered poetry

Poetry to me?

The only thing that can put
a Blackman in jail faster
Then the White man’s law…

Is pride and anger

From a picture
I can see
How good
Life has been

I wish
I could
Jump in

And

Relive
That picture
again