Friday, October 10, 2008

It Wasn't That Long Ago

It wasn’t that long ago
People of color weren’t allowed to vote.
They weren’t allowed to eat in restaurants
Books they weren’t allowed to tote.
They weren’t allowed to assemble
In public or private like today they do.
Once they were allowed to do such things
Oh my how the hatred grew.
Many people were lynched
Churches were burned to the ground.
All for the sake of the freedoms
That the fathers of this country had found.
This is what astonishes me
It’s the attitudes of the youth of today.
They act like all that they have now
No one in the past had a price to pay.
Just study your history young folks
A history much deeper than the one in school that is being taught.
Take note that many in the past paid the ultimate price
And your casual freedoms with their lives they bought.
So next time you go to the movies and sit where you wish
Or on the bus you sit in the front seat
Take time to thank a person of color from the past
Who tried the same thing and got beat.

11-7-06
KCASR

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Pieces of Me

Nearly twenty years ago
You took a part of me.
Up until a couple of years ago
The parts you’ve taken I didn’t really see.
Over the years
You’ve really picked me apart
You’ve taken precious blood from me
You’ve even taken pieces of my heart.
Now you’ve taken another slice
There doesn’t seem to be many pieces left.
No matter how hard I try to hold on
There’s just no way around death.
The rich, the poor
The old, the young
The sick and the healthy
Over their graves eventually a song will be sung.
Reminiscent of life
Nowadays I often ponder.
Through all that I have been through
What’s around the next corner I sometimes wonder.
But as surely as I live I know
An abrupt end of my life shall come one day.
Maybe then I’ll be able to gather all the missing pieces
By living my life the righteous way.

8-16-06
KCASR

It's the Little Things in Life

It’s the little things in life
That matters to me the most.
My son intercepting a pass
My daughter hitting a jumper from the post.
It’s the little things in life
That matters most to me.
My daughter taking piano lessons
My son’s report card with nothing less than a ‘B’.
It’s the little things in life
That matters most to me.
My daughter going to homecoming
My son wanting to ‘hang out’ with me.
It’s the little things in life
That matters most to me.
My mom telling me how smart my niece is
My brother telling me how much my nephew acts like me.
It’s the little things in life
That matters most to me.
My son tutoring one of his cousins
My daughter’s induction into the National Honor Society.
It’s the little things in life
That matters most to me.
The way that I was raised by my parents
Eventually becoming the pinnacle of my family.
It’s the little things in life
That matters most to me
The ever-growing pride that I have inside
Of my little family.

10-18-06
KCASR

A Changing World

Oh but how the world has changed
It ain’t at all how it used to be.
Coming out of high school you had several options
One of them was going into the military.
Having been there done that currently
A military stint I wouldn’t recommend.
Dealing with the misjudgments of the powers-that-be
Your butt to the Middle East they’ll certainly send.
It’s one thing to fight the war on terrorism
And to me Syria was the biggest threat.
Jumping on Iraq with insufficient evidence
There’s more to this story you can certainly bet.
Times like these call for strong leaders
Not leaders who ‘talk strong’.
Our troops are worlds away in the midst of chaos
And our leaders won’t admit to this being wrong.
I remember the days of President Reagan
And Iran releasing hostages by the time he said ‘I do’.
Times like these call for tough leaders like him
He’d knock ‘em out no matter who.
We’ll just have to say a prayer for the troops
And hope that they all safely return.
We won’t forget they put their lives on the line
And in doing so our respect they all have earned.

10-12-06
KCASR

A Whole Lot Different Than Yesterday

To see the looks on their faces
Each morning when they awake.
Trying to figure out what’s on their minds
A lot more than a genius it will take.
The kids of today
A whole lot different than yesterday.
Most of their time is spent indoors
When we were forced to go outside and play.
From laptops, to videos, to Play Station 2
From their elaborate toy chests they’ve got their pick.
If we were lucky enough to even have a toy chest
Fanciest thing inside may have been a horsey stick.
Having all of the niceties of today
However comes with a very high price.
Kids today bore quickly and have nothing to do
When we’d make up a game and wouldn’t think twice.
And to make matters worse
Childhood obesity is on the rise.
Due to their almost sedentary lifestyles
This really comes as no big surprise.
Parents need to get their kids hooked on going to the park
They’ll be doing the kids a really big favor
‘Cause when it comes to having a well-rounded life
It’s the time spent outside the kids will truly savor.

12-14-06
KCASR

Blood is Thick

Blood compared to water
It is really quite thick.
You choose your friends in life
But relatives you don’t pick.
We’ve got all types
From the bad to the good.
The good you’ll claim really quickly
But the bad you rarely would.
Like the fruit that grows
Up high in your family tree
Some fruit are just luscious
And some are less desirable quite honestly.
Some look simply scrumptious
Until you inspect them closer
And just like the rotten-seeded fruit
You don’t want to touch them, no sir.
But they are your family
So you don’t have a choice
When it comes to who sits at the table
Good and bad they all have a voice.
And remember one thing
Fruit don’t fall too far from the tree
Although one piece may outshine the other
They all still are family.

8-16-06
KCASR

Dare to Change History?

Contemplating going back in time
To do it all over again.
Would you have the guts to do it?
The only stickler would be when.
I’d go back to high school
And work on my grades being even better.
I’d participate in all the sports
They’d give me a jacket with the big letter.
I would visit different colleges
And let them drool and fight over me.
Then off to play my favorite sport
Baseball at Clemson University.
I probably would have enrolled
In the ROTC program.
I still had a taste for the military
Baseball, apple pie, and Uncle Sam.
Afterwards a 5-year military commitment
Or being drafted by a major league team.
That’s about the time I’d wake up
And realize that this was all a dream.
Or would I consider this a nightmare
At stake, my kids and my new love?
Those things being considered
I wouldn’t do it even with help from above.
So reminiscing of changing history
Of your life dream or nightmare.
Depends on what’s at stake for you
If you could do it though, would you dare?

7-19-06
KCASR

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