Thirty poems in thirty days: DAY 30

30/30

for my unknown ancestors

-----

We've come
from the four corners
of a shattered earth
to give birth
to a new direction
see I've had some time for reflection
and instead of constantly deflecting
rejection and hard knock lessons
I've learned to embrace the haters
and bring pain to the forefront
of my mind
so when I step to the mic
my voice echoes my grind
sharing stories of a time when my father
and my father's father
battled bigotry and slaved for incompetent slavemasters
to forge a better life for their sons to follow after
and that's me
born in the womb of one of Asia's most royal of queens
the Chinese
who built this country from barehands and sticks of dynamite
who slaved over steel snakes through the coldest of winter nights
whose skeletons sit in democracy's closet
they
are my bloodline, my namesake, my spotlight
highlighting years of oppression that gave way to
fears of rebellion
and now my people sit in Vancouver's Chinatown

laying tracks in their arms like they laid tracks for the nation
White arms that beat them down like slaves on a plantation
rockslides and gunshots causing racial devastation
and discrimination
giving birth to a generation
of warriors
born of great emperors
but now far away from home
outside the great wall
we found our mission

to be divine beings in a land stolen from native hands
to reconcile race and bond together brothers
see I pick up a hammer
but it's not to drive spikes
more so to nail the planks that hold this nation together

see our struggle
was here
and our pain
was severe
but the past is but now a distant memory
that only serves to inspire new strength within

we are one people
and this is our home
so let us now leave the legacy of brokenness behind us
and begin the long journey back
to our throne.

Thirty poems in thirty days: DAY 29

29/30

There's a light at the end of the tunnel
it's called redemption
redemption for all those times you walked by
and didn't say a word
for all those times you spit into the wind
only to duck and let it hit him
redemption for the places you went
and the paces you spent
trying to put faces behind you
redemption for all the times you never shared
the struggles you were going through
too ashamed to admit that you were hurting too
isn't it true
how false men breed false boys
who lead false lives
and live falsely
but
success still grants them destiny
and fortune, smiles upon them recklessly
so when you see a member of the false clan standing tall to collect his laurels
keep in mind
that flowers will fade
and crowns will wither away in time
but true shine
that true shine that bursts forth from you like a perfect crime
is the real reason why redemption stares the condemned in the face
and brings goodness to night
for in your patience you stand at the end of the tunnel
and all they can see
is your light.

Thirty poems in thirty days: DAY 28

28/30

for those who make it through life's biggest game

-----

Her intentions were as clear as a mid-february snowstorm
a flurry of good ideas and finally, some half-decent conversations
I found confusion in her eyes
hesitation in her smile
and while sparks fly when game meets game
sometimes folks with no game end up having a grand old time
and it still remembers
sometimes
memories of watermelon and talking to God
recollections of log cabins and a penchant for awkward situations
made worse by the fact that hyenas always stood gamely by
waiting to play too
and so we waited
not realizing that life comes far too quickly
for game to take its time
that's when I realized
that life had finally caught up with me
eight years later than most
it's a bit of a joke
still
a bit of a ghost
still
but still I see her
haunting the enlightened hallways of my mind
like a legend of the past come forward in time
and to her
have my documents constructed a shrine
to worship the idea of game.

so for love of the game,
I will play.
Continue to play life until the day it rubs me out
on the concrete curb that is death
and with my last breath
I'll say
that at least I tried.
At least I tried.
but love requires more than a try
is what my minefield mind will muster to realize
before
I finally die.

Thirty poems in thirty days: DAY 27

27/30

listen child
they will try and keep you down
try to molest you, protest you
reject your worth and call your ideas worthless
these
snakes disguised as men come
crawling
their lies blatant in their eyes and on their forked tongues
hoping to corrupt our daughters and sons
listen child
the day is coming when your dreams will need to be spoken
to be achieved
and achieved to realize peace
and pieces of peace will go to us and ours,
and them and theirs
till earth unites with the broken bits of lost hope and the shimmering of anticipation and excitement
optimism
they call it.
But I would rather enjoy cold toast inside than nothing outside
listen child
love will one day come.
you need to run
past fears of oppression and suicidal tendencies
we tend to see them
in a different. light. yesh, su...

this is the song humanity will sing when the youth grow up without the will to aspire
when soldiers for the cause lose their urge to fight and surrender their fire
this is as it is because it is intended.

Thirty poems in thirty days: DAY 26

26/30

When the stars align perfectly
there is a dark spot you can see
just to the right of Orion's belt
holding up the pants of the galaxy
it's a spot that speaks volumes of the moon's
stubborn desire to stay in darkness
when the clouds stroll by
on their midnight patrol
those
eerie goblin bats that flap across the night sky
are simply a sign of what's to come
as shadows move swiftly across the frozen plain
the skies crack open and release rain
as if the heavens themselves are already crying in anticipation
of all the pain
that will occur the next day
they
come with all their claws extended
screams suspended
unrepentant
they strike with all the quickness of a cobra snake
with all the violence of a sandstorm and the strength of an earthquake

our fortress falls
inevitably
it always does
as the twilight horizon breaks into dawn
sunlight is not the only thing that cracks into this embattled scene
my dreams
are simply reality
Because for me
defeat occurred long before
swords fell our brothers
and knives slayed our mothers
long before our sisters were taken to be slaves
and our children spent their days digging mass graves

When Orion's belt finally falls
it will bring the pants of the universe down with it
and as the skies fails
so will the final soldier's fighting spirit

Thirty poems in thirty days: DAY 25

25/30

Speak your mind
Share your soul
do good to those who hurt you
Spread your love
Sow your joy
and never waste your virtue
Sing your song
Say your prayer
that all around might hear it
Serve the weak
Support the poor
for they are rich in spirit

Love the old
and grow the young
for life both past and present
will be to you so valuable
when you meet both in heaven

Thirty poems in thirty days: DAY 24

24/30

for Amaris

-----

we the broken walk slowly through life's forgotten paths
those same narrow paths engulfed on both sides by menacing mountains from which the enemy attacks
this is our struggle
it is a battle against monsters and schemers
who aim to destroy shakers and dreamers
rank and file of created believers
who strap up with words as weapons and books as blades
that we might one day become strong enough to take down demons in our sleep
so listen

to the sweet-suckle lullabies sang to us by our mothers in the naive bliss of childhood
when believing was as easy as not seeing and trusting was as easy as hearing
they who are protected by divine proclamation that any fiend who even dreams
of harming the hairs on their heads
will be sent underwater with a rock around their neck
love is ruthless

but also willing to wait.
It waits for those who are too weak to carry themselves
who look for help in the books upon the shelves
Do they not see?
Have they not heard?
the wisdom of divine warriors echoes through generations of oppressed and victimized souls
reminding them that they are a chosen people, labeled for love in the most lavish of ways
That to stay strong is merely to say a small prayer and hum a quiet song
That they who find strength within will be quick to show strength without
standing tall, facing north to shout
that though mountains may fall through the pit of the earth
and oceans may swallow themselves in storms and swells
though trees may cease to create leaves or seeds
and winds will howl to unleash primal devastation
those who trust in love will never fail
to rise up
rise strong
rise again on wings made from eagles' inspiration.