February 14, 1991

Tags

happy birthday, homage, schlobohm, schroeder street, the hole

February 14, 1991

I’ll never forget the day; I’ll never forget the year

 

I remember when them dirt-bags tried to jump and you suddenly appeared

 

You stood there to make sure I got a fair one, they ain’t wanna shoot the fair one

 

Edwin and I never got chased after that day in ‘85,

Lord knows I was so glad to run into you and Saint-Claire that day in ‘85

 

My mind state was “I might be young but I can still hold a gun,” after you died

 

I was riddled with so many questions – at first glance I had to second-guess the who’s, how’s, and why’s – after you died

 

Sometimes, I still wonder: who could kill the coolest man alive?
You’re still the coolest dude I ever knew, dead or alive

 

It’s been 27 years to date and I still wish you were here

Sometimes I see you with the LL Kangol, frontin’ in the square

 

Heaven only knows what I would do to hear you say: “if you don’t look like your cousin Taylor ha, I swear”

 

It’s been 27 years to date and I still wish you were here

 

Sometimes, I wonder: how it feels to celebrate a birthday knowing your twin is not here

 

Long story short, cousin Dan – you was the man,
I just wanted to take a moment to let you know you still got love out here

 

–@StevieStreets #homage #poem | February 14, 1991

 

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Deep AF

Tags

anxiety, depression, emotionally scarred, mental health, you are enough

I’m no stranger to displaced anger and disfunction.

I know what it is to live when anxiety is suffocating
And depression is crippling
And the propensity to be something forces you to function when you’d rather do nothing.

When shall your wounds welcome their scabs?

To heal a wound, you have to stop touching it.

Sometimes I’m coping with mixed emotions like I’m so HAPPY yet so SAD…

Often I’m dealing with the duality of mental health and my best self like
Ego is the enemy and YOU ARE ENOUGH – even in your ruggedness.

Truth be told,
The vibe never lies and energy is everything…
Long story short:
We long for love in view of the fact that we don’t know how to accept it.

I see too many adults living with codependency issues ’cause the child within was neglected.

Question:
Why do hurt people hurt people?
Why do mental health memes cut deep?

MY POEMS ARE NOT POEMS…
I once read: “If you don’t heal what hurtcyou, you’ll bleed on people that didn’t cut you.”
And thought “that’s deep!”

–@StevieStreets #BlackMentalHealthMatters #poem | Deep AF

How Do You Shelve Books?

Tags

#datlibrarylife, haiku, interpolations, LIBRARY DIARIES, straight outta zoo passes, the circ department, the stacks

How do you shelve books?
Do you push them to the back
Or even the front?

Edge the books! Or else…
You may not know how to shelve,
If you’re not edging. 🤓

–@StevieStreets #librarydiares #haiku | How Do You Shelve Books? & Edge The Books! Or Else…

・・・
#datlibrarylife:
Books misshelved everywhere
Pages in the stacks reading books, placing books anywhere
I can’t walk through the stacks ’cause the books are pushed to the back
I don’t need Google, my Librarian knows everything
And I’m STRAIGHT OUTTA ZOO PASSES, Neon King Kong standing on my back
Can’t even read Unshelved or LibraryComic, mid-range migraine is back

Don’t push me
‘Cause I’m close to the edge
I’m trying not to lose my head
Uh-huh-huh, huh, huh
When the books don’t align
It makes me wonder how I keep from going under
When the books don’t align
It makes me wonder how I keep from going under

–@StevieStreets | Close To The Edge (An Interpolation of The Message by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five)

THE LIBRARY

Tags

#ilovelibraries, #librariesmatter, #librariestransform, amazon, forbes magazine, public libraries, the economy

THE LIBRARY is the most important civic institution, to me.

Hashtag I LOVE LIBRARIES;
They have served as an university, for me.

My professors, Librarians;
My degree, a PhD.

And the tuition;
Ahhh, the tuition has been Ab-So-Lute-Ly FREE!

Hashtag LIBRARIES MATTER;
A good library is essential to a thriving community.

Where there is accessible education,
Civic engagement,
And positive recreation,
You will find a strong economy.

Hashtag LIBRARIES TRANSFORM;
They help the uneducated become educated,
They give hope to the hopeless,
They saved a wretch like me.

Hashtag LIBRARIES serve as safe spaces;
They provide human interaction to those who have been cast out of society,
They offer a positive means of escape for those who struggle with sobriety,
They give the unwanted a place where they long to be.

Dear Forbes and Economists:
How could you fathom Amazon replacing Public Libraries?

Don’t you know,
Economies are built around Public Libraries?

I don’t think you understand what Public Libraries do for the economy!
Public Libraries help develop the workforce via FREE career resources that allow citizens to obtain employment or launch a business, in which it generates tax revenues into the economy.

Long story short,
Without the Public Library, there will be no economy.

 

–@StevieStreets #librarydiares #poem | THE LIBRARY

Find Your Tribe

Tags

empaths, i came i saw i left early, introversion, introverts, self-talk, small talk, understand my silence

FIND YOUR TRIBE:
Don’t hide the madness,
Find your tribe and love them hard;
For they are the ones that help you find your way home.

Peace to the beautiful souls that understand my silence;
For they are the ones that know the difference between being lonely and being alone.

Special thanks to the Introverts and the Empaths that understand my introvert problems like:
Why do I feel more lonesome when more people are around?

Why do I find it hard so to stfu when people I enjoy come around?

What causes a person to feel more alone in a room full of people than when they’re actually alone?

Why is small talk such a big deal?
Why do I prefer self-talk more than talking on the phone?

Is it me, or do the I CAME I SAW I LEFT EARLY memes really hit home?

Can the hashtag stay close to people who feel like sunlight credo illuminate the path back home?

Like a flower leans towards the sun, we tend to gravitate towards an inner glow.

My poems are not poems…
And I say that to say:
I’m not antisocial, I can’t fake being social;
If it entails fake smiling,
I probably won’t go.

I wrote this piece for those that know:
I’m not saying I don’t want the invite,
I still want the invite;
Although, we all know, I’m not gonna go.

I’m still a social being, at least.
Yeah, I disappear at times; it’s my thing.
I just like being at peace.
I’m close to very few people,
But those few people mean everything to me;
In case you didn’t know.

Happiness is an inside job
Yet you need to surround yourself with people that are good for your mental health.

Even an Introvert exhibits extroverted tendencies in an environment that allows one the comfort of being one’s self.

Normal is a myth and conformance is bad for one’s health;
If nothing else:
KNOW THYSELF!

-@StevieStrees #poem | Find Your Tribe

Hashtag Black Panther

Tags

black buying power, black lives matter, black panther movie, black panther party for self-defense, collective economics, vibranium, wakanda forever

Now that everyone is talkin’ ‘bout the black panther movie…

 

Can we talk about the Black Panther Party for Self Defense?

 

Can I get a Power to the People Forever?

Can you grip your fingers together

And raise a clenched-fist, one time, for Bobby and Huey?

 

Can we free our Political Prisoners

And arm our brothers & sisters with legal defense?

 

Now that everyone is talkin’ ‘bout the black panther movie…

 

May I advise, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised?

Can I get a HANDS OFF ASSATA FOREVER?

 

Would it be ill-advised to surmise Black Revolutionaries beyond a movie?

When we gon’ realize Black Buying Power beyond the opening week of a movie?

 

Can we get all the brothers & sisters in the streets struggling to come together?

Can we build our own homes,

Give our brothers & sisters a loan,

And open our own grocery stores?

Can you call upon the ancestors

And answer the call to support those that look like you and yours?

Can we teach unity,

Build our own communities,

And mandate Black Dollars Matter Forever?

 

Now that everyone is talkin’ ‘bout the black panther movie…

When we gon’ realize the world ain’t nothing but a B Movie?

And someone’s always comin’ to save the day in the B Movie.

 

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised…

No one is coming to save the day,

It’s not a movie!

 

My Freedom Fighters Ain’t Free,

The leaders of the Free World don’t move me.

 

When I talk about The Panthers, I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout the movie.

Yet I can draw parallels between The Movement and the movie.

 

Melanin is supercharged with sun energy,

Antagonists try to claw the Mali vibes from our cranium.

Sorta like Klaue when it comes to vibranium,

They aim to antagonize and drain our energy.

 

Let’s talk about synergy…

our kinetics are Kemetic,

The Panthers mobilized a united front in every major city.

 

In the spirit of FREE ANGELA;

Can we SET OUR PEOPLE FREE,

In every major city?

 

Now that everyone is talkin’ ‘bout the black panther movie…

 

Can we FREE THE PANTHERS that fought for our way of life in the sixties?

If it’s WAKANDA FOREVER,

Can we bring our Political Refugees home?

Can we talk about how many Panthers died at the hands of the FBI in the sixties?

 

May I ask why my brothers & sisters were incarcerated when they opposed hatred?

Why we still got brothers & sisters detained for joining the fight equal rights in sixties?

 

How did you forget about YOU and YOURS?

How we gon’ smash box office records,

Yet fail to break open prison doors?

 

If it’s WAKANDA FOREVER,

Can I get an I WON’T BE FREE UNTIL ALL BLACK PEOPLE FREE?

Can we scale the walls of justice and SET OUR PEOPLE FREE?

 

May I ask how many of our Panthers are still caged in penitentiaries?

Can you explain to me: Why our Freedom Fighters Ain’t Free?

 

Tell me: How can we smash box office records,

Yet fail to break open those prison doors?

When did you forget about YOU and YOURS?

 

If what’s good for the goose is good for the gander,

When you gonna see past the propaganda?

 

If we can contribute to smashing box office records,

Can we start a collective to build Black owned Banks and Grocery Stores?

 

If you can contribute to smashing box office records,

Why you can’t contribute to building better schools for YOU and YOURS?

 

If REPRESENTATION MATTERS,

When you gonna back Black Filmmakers and stop begging Hollywood for better images of YOU and YOURS?

 

Now that everyone is talkin’ ‘bout the black panther movie…

 

When we gonna talk about the Black Panther Party for Self Defense?

When we gon’ smash those prison doors or get our Freedom Fighters some legal defense?

 

–@StevieStreets #blackpanther #poem | Hashtag Black Panther

 

WHO ARE YOU?

Tags

I AM, know thyself, self-awareness, self-image, self-talk, subconscious, thoughts

WHO ARE YOU?
I’m not asking about your name or where you are from.
I’m not asking about your occupation or the things you have done.
I’m asking: Who Are You?

The most important words that you shall ever speak will immediately proceed the phrase I AM;
so I repeat: Who Are You?

What kind of self-image are you painting? – Do you draw conclusions? – Where do you draw inspiration from? – What kind of self-image are you painting?

Are you kind to yourself? – What kind of thoughts are you thinking? – Do you know life and death lie in the power of the tongue? – Are you kind in your self-talk? – What kind of thoughts are you thinking?

I’m asking: Who Are You?

Who do you think you are? – Who are you? – Tell me who you think you are?

What makes you who are? – Who are you? – Tell me what makes you who are?

Can you tell me who you are? – Who are you? – Tell me who you are?

I don’t know how well you know yourself; I don’t know if you ever thought about who you are…
Nevertheless, I pose the question “Who are you?” to draw you closer to who you are. – Do you see who you are?

I don’t know if we’re the sum total of our thoughts; who knows if your mental lexicon defines who you are…
What I know for sure is the meaning of life is revealed to those that discover who they are. – Do you know who you are?

They say one can never travel beyond one’s thoughts; if so, you better keep your thinking up to par…
One thing’s for certain, you won’t go far without a conscious mind – keep that in mind – from this time on, get to know thyself – you deserve to know who you are. – Do you think about who you are?

–@StevieStreets #subconscious #sonnet | from THE BOOK OF QUESTIONS: WHO ARE YOU? (An Ode to I AM)

Georgia Powerless: the black out poem

Tags

blackout, Georgia Power, powerless, the first 48, tropical storm irma

Still amongst the Georgia Powerless,
awaiting thee electrician’s prowess,
thinking “How did a light drizzle and some wind leave parts of Georgia powerless?”
Not to underestimate Irma’s powerfulness
but where I was at, the electricity was on
and the trees were standing strong amid the thick of the storm;
but somehow hours after the storm began to calm
the lights began to flicker off and on
and then, like magic, the power was gone.
Abra – Abra – Abracadabra, Irma pulled the rabbit out of the hat;
faster than a finger snap, just like that, she caused a blackout in broad day.
Leaving many to ask “How is the power still out and the weather’s not even that bad today?”
And that was just the first day…
then darkness fell upon us and the lights were still not on;
but wait, it’s gets better, two days later Irma had us singing the same song.
Ye ain’t know?!
I wrote a song about it.
Would you like to hear it?
Hear it go…
How is the power still not on?
We’ve experienced thunderstorms that were more severe than this tropical storm.
Irma got me feeling like the detectives in The First 48…
I drop the mic exit left then return like “You want a Coke? You straight?
Tell me: What’s really going on? How is the power still not on?”

–@StevieStreets #blackout #poem v | Georgia Powerless

And The Saga Continues

Tags

blackout, tropical storm irma

And the saga continues…
sitting in my car charging my phone,
looking out the window into the darkness
wondering “How is the power still not on?”
On the bright side, the clouds are still
and the breeze is warm.
Just saw a plane fly by, other than that there’s nothing going on;
it’s been kind of peaceful amidst the darkness,
although, I’d much rather the lights on.
And as the saga continues, I have discovered a new appreciation for dawn.
When your compelled to function between sunrise and sunset,
you begin to master your minutes and look at the sun as an hourglass that resets with each dawn.
Amidst the darkness, I have been compelled to appreciate the stillness of night;
although, I can’t help but wonder: “How is the power still not on?”

–@StevieStreets #blackout #poem iv | And The Saga Continues: the blackout poem

How Is The Power Still Not On?

Tags

blackout, tropical storm irma

How is the power still not on?
We’ve experienced thunder storms that were more severe than this tropical storm.
It’s been drizzling for hours yet still the power’s gone.
Why was an 8 p.m. curfew issued to clean up the roads and restore power
yet 8 hours later they still haven’t turned the power on?
Maybe I missed the gusting winds, maybe I missed the heavy rain,
maybe I was somewhere in my bubble when we got hit with the worse of the tropical storm…
What I know for sure is it’s drizzling and the power is still not on.
How is the power still not on?
Maybe the power’s that be prepared for this state of emergency like they prepared for that ice storm…
in which case, I’m hoping I’m wrong.
I’m hoping a few falling trees doesn’t leave us for days without lights on.
Especially since we’ve experienced thunder storms that were more severe than this tropical storm.
But then again; maybe Irma is passive agressive, maybe she’s a quiet storm…
all I know is it’s been drizzling for hours and the power’s still not on.
Maybe I should practice patience, maybe I should track down Irma and ask her: What’s really going on?
Maybe I should practice patience, maybe I’m the one that blew a fuse…
Maybe my patience is gone.
Maybe, I need food to brighten my mood while I weather the storm.
But one thing I gotta know: How is the power still not on?

–@StevieStreets #blackout #poem ii | How Is The Power Still Not On?