the harmonies of life

echoed down

hallways of decay

dancing off deadened bars

and steel and wicked walls

that wail with

wisdom of death rituals

that ones recite on call

coz souls get consumed consecutively.

but life was breezing through

the airwaves in hums and

high notes, octaves and

rhythm & blues beats

banging on steel doors

making them drums and

bass lines / percussions

out of hair brushes

and spoons

click, clack and

BOOMS

bellowing the deepest love

caged in iron claws

that rip out humanity.

and we listened to the

smooth lines

over the

smothered cries of

shattered dreams and

regrets for lives gone too quick

lived not long enough to

know beauty in the small things.

but some of us heard it

tickling ears

and crazed smiles

coz the soul is never fooled

no matter how much we’re covered in

hate and despair.

at the center of us is an orchestra

that remembers

flutes and strings

like wind and rain

under a warrior’s feet.

they tried to stop his beat

MY GOD!

they tried to stop his beat

with brutality

butchering his music

MY GOD these people

can’t enjoy sweet notes

so they tried to stop his beat!

but he wouldn’t walk to their tunes

he refused to be a

broken record

so he folded up his music

and put a message in a bottle –

set it afloat in this

ocean of oppression

coz he knows some of us are still swimming

and listening

for the tunes that touched us.

eyes cast east

notes dancing on the horizon

of sun setting symphonies

we see his beats resurrected

coming to fill us.

you could never stop his beat

you could never stop his beat

BANG! BANG! you sick mutha-fuckers

you will never stop his beat!

(dedicated to the memory of Tommie “Casper” Hughes)