Poetry
I Am A Man
I wish for the world to know who I am...
I am a man, taken from the land in which I was
To be a laborer for my loved ones.
Now I sit in a modern made cave.
Watching age set in, and life pass me by.
My cave sits in a ditch surrounded by hills.
I wish to run to the top of a mountain and
scream my name to the world...
"I am Ralph T. Stokes", "I am Ralph T. Stokes"
Sitting in this cave I sometimes forget I am a man.
The cold air that blows upon me day and night
It makes me feel like an animal...
I am a man, I am a man; This I must repeat to myself
In order to keep my sanity.
I seek life, I seek a renewed spirit, I seek peace...
The world is a beautiful place...
I never got a chance to live in it...
Who Are You?
At this moment I have no idea who I am.
Why not?
I feel as though I have lost my identity.
I don't understand, make me understand?
I am not sure I can, but I'll try...
Looking in the mirror I see the face of a man.
The age, stress, permanent frowns,
but those are supposed to be the signs of a man
that has labored hard,
that way in the latter years of his wisdom he can relax,
and enjoy until death.
That is not I...
Is it any clearer to you now?
Please continue on.
As you see it's really hard to explain,
I am sort of struggling with it myself.
But, before this I used to be able to say,
I am a young man child.
Who's goal is to have a family,
Labor and provide.
For a while it all looked promising,
My laboring was going well...
Then I fell in love, out of love, in love again.
My life had identity during those days, months, years...
At the drop of a dime it was all taken away from me...
I really don't understand what you want me to say!
Don't get angry just continue on.
Who are you?
Well you know my name, and where I was born,
is that what you are looking for?
That is not what makes you who you are,
you could have died on that birth date,
and never given a name.
You understand?
It's not what I am looking for.
I am no longer a man laboring for his family.
There are no fruits from my past laboring.
I once was a young man that quickly had to become,
the being that I am today.
Are you who they say you are?
A cold hearted, no conscience man?
No! I don't think so...
I mean that makes me sound dead...
I am not dead!
Am I dead? No! I am not dead!
I sit from day to day night to night searching
within myself for answers that seem to have no answers.
I need new life in order for my identity to return,
because right now, just being a man with a name is not enough.
Thank you for your help...
I did not do anything...
In time, all in time.
Identify
Change
Environmental change
Elemental change
Controlled change
To change
One's innerself
One's action
Negative to positive
Positive to negative
Can one judge another
For falling
Have we all not fallen
I've fell
I've changed!
Should I die?
Or should your opinion change?
Statistical Frankenstein
Caught up in this world of superficial beings.
Created by statistical powers.
Invisible forces, lay traps in order to keep data.
What's lost in this mental maheim of percentages.
Togetherness - abandoned
Family -disrespected
Friends - neglected
No more sharing
No more support
No more we
Only the superficial us...
Unconsciously we help supply these powers with the numeral
Data they need to stay in control
We hear and see the percentages through the media.
"And we say, I am not going to become a part of those statistics"
But once we start living we slip into a controlled state.
And before long 20% is now 21%...
Statistical Powers
Torment
Recognize The Reality of Pain
That a Death Row Prisoner
Must Sustain.
Recognize The Rules and
Solitary Confinement which
Now Leaves us with no choice
But Defiance.
Recognize The Separation from
Loved one's while being Denied
The Basic Human touch.
Recognize things such as These
Should Drive The wise to their Knees.
As for us who be; we have just
one plea
Oh Please, Oh Please
Why Me, Why Me
That's Alright
No one ever shook my hand
No one ever looked at me as a man
No one ever gave me a grain of sand
But that's alright
No one ever invited me inside
No one ever offered me a ride
No one ever took my side
But that's alright
No one ever helped me in school
No one ever offered me a stool
No one ever told me the rules
But that's alright
No one ever gave me the time
No one ever offered me a dime
No one ever paid me any mind
But that's alright
No one ever called me a friend
No one ever asked "How I been?"
No one ever took me in
But that's alright
No one ever offered me a bone
No one ever cosigned me a loan
No one ever told me I'd end up alone
But like I said, That's alright!