Social Media Butterflies

When your taught to be a victim you will find evidence to support your persona in every facet if life. Worse than your fears, your dreams will be painted with suspicion and doubt. From here you define everyone in your path coloring the world gray. There are more folks out there interested in creating fear than there are seeking the truth that has set folks free of the ignorance, so be careful you don’t become the fool.

A long time ago I heard the phrase, “fix yourself first”. This is important. It’s hard to view the world through an objective lens today. It’s difficult to be a part of social media and put that aside when you engage the world. I can pick up immediately now when someone has painted a social media collage. Dealing with these folks is easier now. This is where patience come in to play.

When you hear someone regurgitating a political story, exaggerating a war story, or racing to a quip about someone’s life matters I immediately think 360 degrees. Both sides of any issue are dramatically increased on social media. It actually borders on hyperbole, and in some cases is. This is where your research pays off, and I’m not referring to news agencies. You can’t study a symptom and come up with a cure for an illness.

Another important step for me is confidence. If I’ve looked at all sides of an issue and understand it’s origins past a dramatic lens I can talk more intelligently about it. This creates a confidence where I can discuss something without having a side, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a side or I don’t hold opinions, it just means I’m seeking the truth not a side.

What this process has taught me is there are folks out there promoting racial division, people from all races. There are folks out their promoting anarchy against the system. There are folks out there creating animosity against Christianity. Most importantly there are folks who are mesmerized by the drama and will get you caught up in the ignorance before you realize they “gotcha”!

Take time to listen, understand that news isn’t information, it’s propaganda designed to appeal to emotions, and it’s working. The unfortunate reality is research doesn’t happen in real time, data does. It takes time to sort out relevant variables and by then a million new stories have captivated the brains of the masses.

For me those headlines, tag lines, and breaking stories should be considered starting points if you’re interested enough to discuss them rather than talk about them. Otherwise just be quiet and don’t be part of the fray. This phenomena can be viewed by so called educated folks, so if you are not institutionally educated don’t be fooled by some academic initials or institutions.

We are born to think. It’s critical to our survival and has been since we were hanging out in caves amazed by fire. The minute you stop thinking you’re gonna be a victim, and in turn victimize others with your ignorance. Be careful what you listen to and what you say, some folks talk and listen with intention.

Shattered

Shattered dreams of hope lay slumped in gray. No longer can a dream lift spirits under the weight of the myst. So from here I will rise and walk broken towards a light to fuse my fears into anger. Then, and only then can I smile again feeling the pain of others clothed in my humanity for all to fear.

For I survived the fall and rose to my knees scarred and numb. I slithered across the dank carpet of decay seeking a shard of light, but all I found were memories and broken pieces of yesterday void of reflection.

From my knees I can feel the power of the earth chanting to my feet. Rise, rise to the occasion, face the oppression and walk proud. Walk proud of the scars that legends are made of, because one day they’ll be stories and songs sang by beautiful voices about how I groaned to the heavens for one chance at revenge.

I embody the human spirit for you. I kneel before my own greatness so your back can strengthen in my darkness. We don’t need light to shine. The moon is not as vain as the sun, but guides lost souls to the dawn of a new day.

Addict

Tomorrow, yesterday, anytime but now
I’ve other things that must be considered
And you, you’re the rock I roll around

I’ve considered our fate and mourned
You’ve become part of my composition
Intertwined in my desire to consume.

You deny me while obsessing with my touch
You’ll lie for me, even cry for me tears of dust
I don’t mind because a minute doesn’t pass with the thought of me

I’m no longer a mistress or arm candy
I hold your passion like our lungs hold air
You breathe my essence with every twitch of nerve.

I’ll be with you forever like the death of a loved one
You’ll tense at moments without me streaming through your veins
Deny me if you want, I’ll be in the mirror and your dreams.

I am the addiction
And you are the addict
And so we part ways reluctantly

Voices

Entangled in an audible nightmare
Where my mind can’t see
Why my brain just stares.

Take my life, my limbs even
But leave my mind to me
And the sanity I’ve Been given.

Firm ground slithers
From under my thoughts
As the air withers.

And suddenly the noise is white
While trees smile and faces grow
Into a darkness void of night.

Island

Now, more than ever, you must be an island. The wind and waves are foul. The warmth is a false blanket for shivering in the rain. Storms come and go, and even though the sun will shine again, it will be on debris.

I listen to the thunder and the crashing of waves intently. All I hear is noise. You can’t learn from wind and water fighting to be heard, all you ever get is wet and cold.

This is separate from chaos or anarchy. They have a purpose, a goal to attain. This storm lacks the elements to become nothing more than a nuisance. Nothing can become of noise without a coherent voice.

It’s not enough to stay indoors and create a drama from what unfolds behind sliding glass doors and vomit into the glow of a glass brain. You have to free your mind from that fish bowl.

Step away, find an anchor on high ground where the noise is distant. Find that place where you can see the storm for what it is. Stay above the fray and when you feel the spray of the crashing foam, move higher. Stay on firm ground.

As time passes and the storm subsides you can watch the different elements and how they recede or sweep away the debris. Once you know how the storm develops, devastates, and departs you’ll know better how to fortify your island.

From this point forward you won’t be fooled by soft breezes or passing clouds. You’ll see right through the surf into the churning froth underneath. And when the storm comes you’ll be prepared for the truth. It’s just weather. Blue skies and sunshine are alway glimmering above the tantrums of nature.

I am an island. I am is more than a statement. I am is a manifesto that I created the land I stand on and although forces beyond me may revolve around this earth, this place is mine and nothing can shake my resolve that truth is like the sun, ever present and undying even when it’s clouded by the nature of others.

Homeboy

To all my brothers and sisters out there; just know that poverty is an idea they made up to keep us in our place because we see things differently. Not better or worse, cause we don’t give a fuck what you do or have. We only care for ours.

We have to get past the idea that govt, religion, or schools are gonna bring us together; we are together everyday of our lives and most days are good, without those institutions. They’re the ones that divided the world up to suit their needs anyway.

Looking at poverty on a horizontal scale, rather than vertical gives me perspective. I’m not at the bottom of any hierarchy. I’m not to the left of any curve. I’m here, with my folks livin, lovin, and strugglin as was meant to be. Your place is of no concern to me, I’m an American to the point I’m free and peaceful till someone or something challenges that, all that other shit is just fodder to keep lesser men feeling good about their insecurities.

Government owns society. Is culture an escape from society? Ask yourself that question. They try to promote that multicultural shit so they could get ahead of us being left alone. They hand out a few dollars and state cheese trying to make you feel like you’re in debt, bitch your economy would fall if you weren’t handing out something.

The bureaucracy surrounding public assistance reaches out deep into every sector of our economy. You got these haters out there talking about drug testing or community service. Go ahead and take your vouchers and milk then see how far your class warfare will get you. You’ll see millions more in them freebee lines, cause most of them folks handing that shit out lost that connection between their hands and their heads long ago, if they ever had it.

It’s our poverty that reveals your greed. You dig up our huts to reveal past truths about a culture you ain’t part of to demonstrate your status as wealthy. There ain’t no connection bitch. You don’t know what cold feels like when there’s no heat to be found or hunger when the next meal has to be found.

Poverty is a concept you made up to make the common man believe he was somewhat less, but you marvel at our ingenuity in museums and history books. You dig deep into archives with dollars and delusional dignity trying to find a connection to a struggle you were never part of.

Well I’m back where I belong from that middle class myth of the “American Dream”; I’m awake now to the lies and deceit. Down here folks don’t live off another mans work and no man lives off theirs. If someone lends you a hand you shake it and smile and that’s all you accept when it’s your turn.

This is “The American” they’ll be digging up in 1000 years. This is the man those weak ass wannabes will be going through family lineage to find an attachment to for posterity Just so they can say “I came from the working class.”, bitch you came from ignorance and wouldn’t have lasted a day with my folks.

Everyone wants better for their children or the next generation. What is better? Is it finding enough comfort to judge others? Is it gathering more things to keep boredom at bay? Is it having enough money to buy your way through some perceived tough time? For me it’s demonstrating that dignity isn’t tied to the economy and respect doesn’t wear clothes or drive cars, it takes pride in itself regardless of what others believe. Stand on your own two feet, even if someone helps you up because you’re always a human like everyone else.