the walls

on the walls
a place where we’re
born again
not judged
and left to be
exactly who we are

on the walls
a place where we
say what we want
write what we please
punished drunk lips
speaking wise sober hearts
we write it all
rep’n     yo’ city
yo’ hood
yo’ set
i’ve seen all of ‘em

on the walls
where people have found god
inscribed him on the empty surfaces
when he couldn’t be inscribed
in the depths of their soul

on the walls
where   griots
scribes
and prophets are born
song lyrics birthed
remembered
we detail our pain
confess
chant

on the walls
people   covet
and       curse
Jesus in the same stroke
clown faces become conversation targets
mama told us
papa was a rolling stone writers

on the walls
it all makes sense to me
better than Bibles
Qur’ans
Torahs
it’s all so plain and clear
the   cries
chants
warnings
only the strong survive
repent
no mercy
all things i’ve seen
let’s not forget
the   blood
food
shit stains
YES!
all
on
the
walls

in 15 years
i’ve never seen
one clear surface
in a prison cell
people using anything
to be  heard
seen
to let it all out
by      marker
pen
pencil
paint
toothpaste
digging with
staple
steel
homemade screwdriver
because it’s relevant
to leave your mark
to be
finally recognized by someone
with    no crowd
no jury
no mob
judging

in my 15 years
i’m no different
yet these days
i’m doing more erasing
than writing
i’m sorry  rebels
renegades
revolutionaries
but i must sleep
rest
have a peace of mind
see my own thoughts
without seeing yours
it’s hard enough
to carry my own pain
then have to carry yours
so i erase
i scrub
i try to
clean the walls
the despair
the nightmares
even in the form of Bible verses
blank
white
fresh
cause we need a fresh start
clean state
when we’ve been
struck down
slapped around
3 striked
for too long

so i clean
hoping to create a
new state for someone
the things i cannot remove
i respect the
DETERMINATION
of the person that put it there
i won’t viciously try to eradicate
what has so vigorously been constructed
unlike those that have captured us

each cell i enter
i always read the walls
and wonder about those
that have done the
exact same things i do
and i ponder
if they are
dead
alive
sane
crazy
miserable
happy

these walls are
greater than all the wise men
that have walked this earth
may they never spill back
the things they have
seen
heard
felt
unless the floodgates be loosened
and drown the entire humanity
in what has been
contained
hid and
denied
all this time
since ancient dawn…

Us.
on the walls