Ode to My Peers

This poem was inspired by the speech made by Bill Cosby

Stand up Black people, Stand up Black people

It's time we ended this mess

Let the words of ol' Cliff Huxtable be the final test

Come together Black people, gather our kids, put down the guns

No I'm not speaking of the AK's and AR's but the hidden ones

Stand up Black people! Clear out the clouds in our heads

Seek and acquire knowledge, wake up our dead

Let the children know it's not about the bling-bling, trips to Sing-Sing, women in skimpy things

Time to change the songs that we sing

Put more emphasis on the young and bright give RESPECT to the old and wise

Black people we need to open our eyes

History...you see it repeats, we are still being raped 

Whips and chains replaced by the lust for whips and chains

Black people how much more can we take

How long are we gonna stay on this trip

Black people we hold the power, don't believe check the album charts

Make songs that uplift the people, teach the children the true deliverance of our arts

Black youth give us a reason to once again be proud

James said it in the 60's and today I'm still shouting it loud

Black people stand up, don't let them keep us down

Imitating our lives, telling us it's all jive, but steady stealing our sound

WE are a strong beautiful people with talents far-reaching

Inventing, discovering, singing, preaching and TEACHING

Stand up Black people take CHARGE of our situations

Let go of the ridiculous, it's TIME to rebuild OUR NATIONS

The power is within us deep down in our souls

Our circumstances are inevitable , so let's harness control

Black people stand up the time is now

Give our future generations a reason to be proud

A benchmark or just another mark on the bench...which path will you choose

Stand up Black people, we should refuse to lose

Stop glorifying the drinking, stop glorifying the drugs

Teach LOVE, RESPONSIBILITY and RESPECT to our young "thugs"

Mothers nurture your sons so they can grow to be productive young men

Make the homes again a loving place to relate to kin

Fathers stand by your daughters, show them the meanings of life

Teach her to handle the strife

Give her love, so one day she can make a good wife

Stand up BLACK people be responsible with the power

For it remains in our hands only for a hour

All over the world they treat BLACK people like KINGS and QUEENS

STAND UP BLACK PEOPLE IT'S TIME WE RECOGNIZED THESE THINGS

Reviews

[Abdul Batin Osman Bey]

very nice, great piece filled with emotion and truth