Breadcrumbs, Molasses, and Clandestine Classes

Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash

Last night I dreamed

Frederick Douglass shared his bread

When I taught him literacy

As self-defense against charlatans

he taught me truths and golden ones

On his final test the only question read

How can I be an abolitionist too?

He told me to

Walk this way

Deconstruct

Educate to elevate

Raise consciousness

Oppress no one

To always and in all ways

Do the good I know needs to be done

Teach my sons

Love my neighbors

Play no favorites

Breathe deep and have fun

“Now come on,

There’s work to be done”

I woke up alone in my space

A man of limited means

Fluent in dreams

Preparing to play on teams

Expecting my role

To be a limited

Low finance

Low visibility one

Wait, I need to call my sons

And if necessary holler

Until Dascha Polanco

Gets her whole damn dollar

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The 5 People Who Make Life Heaven

They listen when you need to talk Talk when you need to listen They know your darkness Let you know theirs Without judgement and expectation You can talk to them about how you see things They don't get angry or anxious when you disagree Trust you enough to say what they really think Read tweets and novels Never make you beg or grovel Won't allow it Remind you that you're better than that Lay some of their burden on you Let you behind their wall Feel welcome behind yours You feel each other with heart and mind Even if you don't explain yourself They get you You get them These are the ones that make life worth living Make you love to be alive Reflect you to you Teach and learn Some days the lead singer Some days the band These are the ones You can count on one hand (c) Ron Kennedy

Reasonable Words

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash I married my small town There was no shotgun I had a way out & My youngest son was set When faced with a choice of flight & hoping to find you While hoping you would find me I chose love & sacrifice over poetry Truth is though poetry never left Never will leave Moves as I move But I may have sacrificed Any chance with you I was not afraid to risk All my coin on a pitch & toss Then write 10,000 words That makes a gain of loss I just couldn’t tell what was true You seemed to prefer your solitude Aside from that There was a need A weight that fell Upon some I love There was no providence coming Other than what these hands With what I had in my hands In my heart In my mind With my choice This is not to say no one cared It’s just that it’s ruggedly Individualist out here & the trickles Never get anything close to Raising our boats Some wo

Poetry Tree

I saw no birds grieve No fallen leaves No branches on the ground None made a sound It wasn’t rotten It didn’t die in a storm Capitalism came In its progress form To take one of my last Best refuges from me I may be the only one who noticed The death of my poetry tree.

Between The Rhymes

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