yes Baraka its a little difficult

some days damn near impossible

but i remember

to remember

you asking

is it a little difficult?

knowing its been harder

for so many know

they came in and beat you bloody

locked up Nelson slaughtered King

& Malcolm drove Huey to

a room he never came out of

laid him down on streets he

wanted to save

left us to sort a legacy or deny it

i teach kids that never learned it

am in love with folks who

don’t always understand about the 4 corners

of reality won’t know that the only

real direction is forward

damn the storm

go forward

sometimes i want to just pack a bag

hop in the car hit the highway

& drive the coast till I don’t

feel like screaming anymore

some times its all i can do

to remember to try

on those days i remember

you asking

is it a little difficult?

& i know what the answer should be

so i try harder

remembering the lashes i have

not received the roughness of

the ocean voyage

the smell of the pens

the aching lost caving

a collective hole in our whole

the bent knees

the blank eyes of hanging men

the savageness of rape

separation the bitterness of hopelessness

the taste of horseflesh

determination like a razor

cutting through pain to carve

reason from insanity

so i remember to try

even when its difficult

so bloody knuckles

no drive down the coast

no midnight flight

no surrender no retreat

no respite won’t own  weary

evict tired begin again

i remember you asking

is it a little difficult?

& i am inspired to try