Sunday, March 28, 2010

Overcome

Baby come to me
I need some ecstasy
Need to kiss you deep
Be the one
Who makes you come

Run into this fantasy
Where there's only you and me
Underneath the sun
Our bodies
Becoming one

Come and let me lay you down
Underneath your favorite sounds
Make your rivers flow
Over
Just to get to know your heart

Baby come to me
Please
Let me take you the highest peak
Steal your breath
Away
So you can't say
Stop

Baby run to me
Let me give that ecstasy
Fulfill your fantasies
Be the one that makes you come
Over
And over;
Let me love you deep
Just to get your heart to speak
That I'm the only one
To make your rivers flow
Over
And over;
Let me kiss you sweet
Hike your canyons deep
Lose my breath beneath your heat
Make you come
Over
And over...

Just to be your dream
That becomes reality
Over
And over...
©2010clarencecbess

Friday, March 26, 2010

Idella's Rhapsody

This piece is dedicated to my mother in her time of loss...

"Idella's Rhapsody"

I knew you
But I didn't know you
But you made my mother happy
And for that
I loved you.

I remember when you came around
My mother's excitement
Couldn't be contained
Like Celie reuniting with Nettie
Her best friend
Her
Sista'
Had come home.

I don't think I ever remember hearing your name
Before then
But afterward
I knew I would never forget it.

I remember stepping into your pristine world
Of travel
(You'd lived in Boston
How exotic in my mind)
Of manicured lawns
And a show home
With fair walls
High ceilings
So high
It seemed my dreams could hang there
In that perfection;
I remember the joy I felt
Every time my mother would say
'We're goin' over to Tiny's'
You were escape
For her
For us
Me
And you made my mother happy.

Long before the brick
And the splits
Of those precise worlds
You
Were a dose of truth
With your cigarettes and beer
And the way you
As I now do
Reminisce
Of your night skin
Brightening your alabaster grin
And my mother's days
When the sun seem to set
A little too early on her happiness.

Time faded you
Oh beautiful black rose
But there you stood
Proud and unfathomed
Amongst weeds
Feverishly attempting to strangle you;
My mother's smiles disappeared
Replaced with periodic reports
Of the gales that would come
Into your field seeking to topple you;
Though you would bow for a moment
You always arose
To let the blessings above
Shine down upon you.

I remember that last time I saw you
Because it was the first time
Those sepia memories returned
And I was reminded of the influence
You had upon my life
That you will never know;
A few of your petals lay strewn about
Yet your bouquet lingered strong
And you made my mother smile...

It was a chance conversation
Upon which I discovered
The gardener's shears had taken you;
I heard that sorrow in her voice
Sent my love to those who knew you best
And begin to feel that tickle in my mind
Which led me here
To write for her
For you
And those
Whom I cannot embrace right now
To comfort;
Sad as I am
I have to remember
That the world got to see you grow
Beautify
And at the end of the day
You made my mother smile...
©2010clarencecbess

Monday, March 22, 2010

Trapezoidial Daydream

Shapes I've never seen
Angles
Warped in shadows
As information streams
Past my eyes
Into the sub being;
They'd make my life complete
If it weren't for these things

Songs I cannot sing
Verses that make no sense
Warped from the linguistics
Of economic travesty
Streams past my ears
Into my being;
They'd make my life complete
If it weren't for these things

Fields of forest green
Moving in unison of spring
Warped like a silken screen
Flow elegant
Through my dreams
Past my soul
Into my seeds
I'd plant
If I had a home
Somewhere
Anywhere
Clean
That would make my life complete
If it weren't for these things

I looked into their eyes
Saw all the shapes
That were
Shall come to be
And I screamed
Bathed in scarlet characters
Warped in shadows
Of naivete' and green
Innocence
I wonder if I was among the last to know
Which made my life complete
Because I could not have these things...
©2010clarencecbess

Friday, March 19, 2010

The Longest Walk

I had to perform a sad duty today. It broke my heart because whatever progress this individual made will now be tainted and their view of any educational system will always carry an undertone of mistrust...

"The Longest Walk"

It was the longest walk.
I gathered his things
Watched him unaware
Saw him happy
A child
Any child
Watched him wave goodbye
Innocent
Caught in a glass revolving door
He should never know exist
But
Was about to become all too familiar with

Quietly we looked to each other
Those aware
Their faces said it all
Like mine
We wanted to somehow
Warn
Prepare
Save him
From the inevitability of that stroll;
It was the longest walk
And we hadn't even made it out into the hall...

He came to me
Took my hand
Instinctively I held him
A little firmer
Finding myself bringing his head
Closer to me
To comfort myself
Maybe transfer a little bit of the love
I have for them all
To him for his journey;
Of course as we entered the hall
He turned towards the familiar exit
But I one-eighty'd
My hand to his back
In a gentle swoop
Guiding him
Leading him
Somehow
Failing him
Even though it wasn't my actions
That brought this moment.

We passed a few people
Whom later would say
'I saw it on your face'

Of course
My eyes always give it away
And yet he was still unaware...
It was the longest walk.

Half way down the stairs
I didn't want to do it anymore
I wanted to tell him
To go on
There
Alone
I didn't want him to equate me
To the situation
Later
In some foreign place
With foreign people
He would never trust
Because like me
In the end
Would let him down
Take him away
Walk him away...
It was the longest walk.

We entered those final two rooms.
There before us
A boy
Any boy
He looked up
And to my horror
I saw him
Older
Aware
Waiting for his younger self
Questioningly the younger called his name
The older remained silent
He'd already taken that long walk
(I wonder if he did it alone?)

It was here that reality dawned
He looked to me
Me quickly looking away
I could feel his weight shift
As he haunched
In that familiar
'What have I done now?' pose
And yet we still
Hadn't made it to our destination.

We went through that final doorway.
There they were
The powers that be
With their notebooks
Memos and pens
Ready to make the transfer...
There was nothing I could do
Nothing I could say
I'd never experienced this
(Well, not this way)...

She turned
Said his name
Quietly he said
'Hello'

It was the last thing I heard him say.
And as long as that walk had been
To get there
It was
And will be
An even longer one to escape...
©2010clarencecbess

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Toys

The world's problems ALWAYS start at home.

"Toys"

He got a cell phone
A PSP
Two rocks in his ears
A colorful pair of Tims
Brushed to perfection
Like they just came off the floor
Out of the box
From the back room storage;
In his pair of jeans
True
He dials through his tunes
Head bobbing to whatever
As he recites
Like he's on stage
Madison Square spotlight
His name in those big letters
Out on the digital marquee;
All the pretty girls
(And some ugly ones too)
Young and old
Bat those eyes
Tell him
How fine he is
From stem to stern
With his braids
His smile...

The problem is
He's only twelve years old.

She is with her posse
I can't say friends
Because females
In case you didn't know
Make amazing the ability
To fight and make-up
Within a single breath;
Her jeans are tight
Shirt
Tight
Showing hills
That will grow
Into treacherous mountains
Curves
That many a rig
Would attempt to traverse
Only in failure
To end up at the base of her canyon
Ragged and deep;
Each time she opens her mouth
My ears ring
Filling my mind with visions
Of walking into the Source Awards
And just about blowing everyone away
Because this is the end result...

She's probably about 12 or 13.

Damn these parents
And their toys
Their baby dolls
They dress and spoil
In a permanent tea time;
Damn these parents
And their toys
Who look like adults
Talk like adults
But demand like babies
The latest
Freshest
Except they're aware
Deeming me wrong
When I say it is not my
Or our responsibility
To give in to that fantasy;
Damn these parents
And their toys
Who rape my cash
When they're the one's
Who chose to spread
Who chose to laugh
The 1st time they said 'bitch'
In public
And let them run
Set the pace
To how life would be;
See
I had to earn
Through behavior and grades
Learn
Things were done on their time
I had to fear
With that fear ultimately growing
To respect
For others
For them
And their hard work
At fashioning me
A man
Who ultimately respects himself...
So damn these parents today
And their toys
Mistakenly known as children.
©2010clarencecbess

The House

I'd always heard about a certain location in Manhattan... Truly, it was like going to another world.

"The House"

Muted tones
Browns
Greens
Reds
Subdued
Gluteus Maximus
Flatimus
Yeah, I know
A made up word
But truth
In this den of the forgotten
Clinging
Enticing
With their dollar bills
Bills
Bills
Or so it's thought
Till one understands
Recognizes
Past their vericose existence
And silver hair
Muted
Underneath these lights
With their flattering propensity
Next to these conservative walls
Accentuated
With the vibrancy of youth
As if to say
Be there
But don't
A time so many try to pass
So many have forgotten
So many will never know
In their petticoats and cardigans
Or at least today's equivalent of...

I sat
Danced with my eyes
Moving about the room
Catching periodic stares
As I was sized-up
Till one was so bold as to sit next to me
Until I informed him
There was nothing he could
Should
Or would do for me
And no,
I won't take that drink...

Besides,
We're both a little too old for that game.
©2010clarencecbess

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Ghetto Songs

On my way to work
The words coming strong
On my way to teach
But the more I'll learn
Tantamount to things
In my horrid dreams
Beneath trees I'd attempt to sleep
But there are no leaves

See it on their faces
All that we've become
A people who've forgotten
Their past underneath the sun
Tantamount to things
We once sang and dreamed
Beneath the trees I'd hide
But there are no leaves

Left with ghetto songs
For my misery
Left with ghetto psalms
For some company
Coupled with my qualms
That there are no trees
Underneath where I can dream
With shading leaves

On my way to learn
Today's history
I'll see it on their faces
The complacency
Tantamount to things
In my silent scream
Echoing so loud
On these leafless trees

Left with ghetto songs
To succeed my being
Left with ghetto psalms
To release these things
I am left to dream
In my homecoming
Where I'll rest beneath the shade
Of my completed trees
©2010clarencecbess

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

In Truth

Time is a warrior
On a field of disguise
Killing with stealth
And unbiased eyes
I wait with wonder
Of my moment's demise

Fate is a scent
Hanging subtle on a breeze
Teasing with haste
And a hypocritical ease
Leaving me waiting with wonder
Of my wants and my needs

Truth is a bandit
Ready to pilfer one's dreams
Lurking between characters
In the chapters we read
I turn with anticipation
Of an end unseen

Result is the entity
That governs them all
Like a fox
Wily and free
Seeking only survival
Between mating calls
I hunt only for glory
Beyond these forest of walls...
©2010clarencecbess