*so just instead of being dead

all we doing in these fields here now
is shoot’n mess in our veins . . .
us aint used to no shit like this!
just treading water with no hands in this muddy hold
done give up on try’n to get to a shore
no matter how hard i’m wishing i caint
the gov’ment keep promising to massage
my tird aching joints and wrinkling hands
with welfaring drippings of fool’s gold 
but this trick aint working like dey say’n
all i’m doing’s just weathering here wait’n
pimpimg my vote to any somebody who
lying out real !loud! ‘bout how they
drawing some kinda goddamn line in the sand
when aint nothing but dirt in these fields
and mud hardening up ‘round my waist
 in this pond that’s here somewhere inside my head
but what the hell! . . . we too old
for thinking ‘bout any kind of sump’n else
got no choice but to keep wrapping up
in all us being given for to behold
“aint your fault neighbor
for be’n how ya’ll still being here is!
IT’S THEMMM THERE THEMMMMMS!!!”
so we be feeling for least a minute
like us instead of being dead

Copyright © 2019, 2021 Asili Ya Nadhiri