What do you see when you look at me?
Am I nigger? Am I black?
Do you wonder my thoughts as I look back?
Can you see the dirt, clinging in desperation,
using me as a ride uptown to prosperity?
The Blue Line, (desperation transportation).
You'd see it too, if you looked through
my father's eyes.
What do you see when you look at me?
Am I a nigger? Am I black?
Do you wonder my thoughts as i look back?
The strong already have the earth,
the meek, just misunderstood.
Crystal thugs, and cracklin baby boys, have inherited my hood.
You'd see it too, if you looked through
my father's eyes.
My eyes are my father's eyes, watching the darkness spread.
My father's eyes, saw who buttered who's bread.
Eyes, that once saw a home, now see a war-zone instead.
My eyes, are my father's eyes.
Don't you see them, our babies filled with hate?
Livin life tough.
Livin life rough.
Livin large, over a penthouse steam-grate.
It's someone else's problem.
Let sleeping dogs be.
Just turn your heads,
it doesn't exist if you don't see.
You'd see it too, if you looked through
my father's eyes.
My eyes are my father's eyes, watching the darkness spread.
My father's eyes,
turned dull,
turned dark,
turned dead.
Go 'head get rock'd, get rye'd,
numbness necessitates narcotics,
if you can't fake the high.
You'd see it too, if you looked through
my father's eyes.
What do you see when you look at me?
Am I nigger? Am I black?
Do you wonder my thoughts as I look back?
What would you see,
if I were you,
and you were me?
What would you say,
if we switched places
for just one day?
What would you do?
Would you blame you,
if you looked through
my father's eyes?
A contest entry
- No place to put it..... by Menace.
2250 points, ended December 11, 2007, 32 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Your Best Three Pre-writes by piccola.
800 points, ended November 27, 2008, 140 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Make this THE largest Contest EVER on AP [enter, enter, enter!] by Symphony.
18000 points, ended April 28, 1014 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
contest
Comments
1 - 8 of 8
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I thought that this section was just SO profound:
"My eyes are my father's eyes, watching the darkness spread.
My father's eyes, saw who buttered who's bread.
Eyes, that once saw a home, now see a war-zone instead.
My eyes, are my father's eyes."
Great writing - thanks for entering. -
Very good.
I liked.
=]
Best of luck. -
great write. Questions to ponder. If you were me for a day you would be white, married to a Puerto Rican ... very lonely feeling controlled and not caring what color you were so long as you could somehow gather the courage to end it all. Thank you for entering
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absolutely fantastic
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This is a wonderful poem, I couldnt stop reading it, one line fell under each as i read on and on I truely liked how you composted this, threw your fathers eyes. Wonderful in my EYES... best of luck with this poem. already a winner for me! Hugs Vickie
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This was a real "up in your face" piece. Written with raw honesty. We never know what others think and may never know unless we are able to walk in their shoes..and we all know that doesn't happen too often.
This really put things in perspective. Great write.
Soulful Woman
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eh, forgot to add clappies. hehe
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Damn!
Let me get the criticism outta the way. Slang is fine with me, but you do have some misspells(just to raise your awareness to it). I am very ADHD. It comes from anxiety so this was a little long for me, but I could not stop reading. You made excellent points all the way through and even had moments of literary greatness. Normally I would frown on repetition, but it works in this piece. Good luck in the contest!
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