100

Whether high or low,
don't doubt my flow.
I'm driven by a soul fiyah,
an internal desire...
is but for peace,
thought-provokation & elevation,
as truths are revealed.
I'm bout that revelation...
might be extensive,brief,
raw,razor cut-throat or butter-soft,
but my authenticity can't be denied,
with every emotion I'm feeling,
I'm digesting
& I'm feeding,
tryna educate, heal & motivate...
some stories may be mine, some yours
ours...
either way I'm flowing daily
to inspire mySelf & others too
Push forward, make a way
when no way seems possible,
when there seems not enough
& at the same time too much to say,
when my energy feels depleted
& at the same time my soul pours profusely,
my heart flows abundantly...

It's who I Am.
….giving strength to rise,
despite the despisal,
learning to embrace the fact that
my give a damn gave out
regarding...
those who don't matter, 'thinkin' they know
& I'm all-right with that...
I'm all-right cus they “think” they know Me...
...about who 'I' Am in this world
& the less I think of them, the more I have to give
the more I see of Me, the more of Me, that I Will Be

ain't tryna be who I ain't
just tryna live it out- Who I Am
finding Me Out
& ain't many, but few
& the few who Know Me, Know Me
Know that I'm real
You ain't gotta ask nobody else what I feel
matta fact....You ain't gotta read it here

See it's harder to rise, keepin it all up inside
so I let my Soul flow
from the depths, I feel no need to hide,
the same smiles, fears, laughter & tears
the same scars on the walk, that we all pace as we live
….just different paths
knowing we all have battles, just different fights
I hear much, listen extensively,
talk less & don't have time to judge,
as I'm tryna get Me in this life,
aligned in this world...
knowing only what's revealed to me
knowing I'm bout keepin it real,
when this could either elevate or kill me,
some folks don't like the real ya see,
life ain't peaches & cream
& I ain't one to help paint a picture for dreams,
I give cream when it's smooth,
& take a damn pill when the shit's steamy
cus that's what I do

whether I'm high or low,
don't doubt my flow,
I'm heated from an internal fiyah,
lit deep in my soul...
unpredictable, yet predictable still
like the weather,
which ever way She chooses to go,
You know She's comin,
& when she comes,
She's comin 100.



© 8/1/13 LeTisha.W.Bowie

Awaken WithIn Your Consciousness

Who Is that… is the motivated?

Who Is that…. is the liberated?

What is liberation? Huh?

….as we say it?

What & Who is love….

& who do you love?

What is it…Black Love?

…..as we say

to make a call……who makes the call?

to share a word of education…or liberation-

to the youth….to the lost….

Who is this liberator?

……the ass moving motivators….Who…. Is?

Motivation.

Liberation.

Education.

Elevation…..

Preach. Teach. Reach……

Who are we reaching withIn the comfort of Our realms?

Define these “We” yell from the roof tops,

into the thin air….

We know what they mean!

We….the consciously, educated & liberated knowledge buffs…..

We talk it!

Or is it……??  talking that liberates “Us” individually

Perhaps in Our little groups that all agree…eh

But “We” are One

Hell yeah there’s much to do!!

Much work to do!! to wash away years and years of Mental Slavery!!

but do we start ?

or do we stay apart?

and continue to complain & talk about the injustices,

that no one else is going to change?

Do we continue motivating ourSelves?

without sharing the wealth of knowledge,

that permeates to the Soul?

Our people have lost hope,

those who retain it are wandering….

With no actions,

we are meeting the needs of “no one”

Perhaps, we think self-educating is enough

It is not.

Not to rebuild what has been knocked down,

stolen, shackled,  physically freed

& mentally slaved!!

Is this the shit you continue to spit!?

We the Black People~ We the Black People

& wonder why they turn away…..

“It is” the reason

it passes no further, than the sight of deaf ears

missing the drum, much less reaching the Souls…

Action is the process of acting or being active!!

to move something in whatever you do,

in your cause, your destiny or your purpose!

For Us!!!

Is it to come together as One!!

Unite Our People!

Is it for the love of Our people, that we must get motivated!

Is motivation not to be motivated…to liberate….to be liberated….

Is it not to take Action?

To do something! ?

It is to make a move

To free

To show what “We” speak divisively, as the “One” we speak of….

“We A Black People”

“Our People”

To uplift, elevate…to Unite

The question is….to All of Our loves…

Pro Black, Pan-Afrikan, Liberated,

Conscious-Minded, Educated, Po’, Rich Black Folk…….

We Are One

How many ways can We count thee divided?

We have been slacked too long in taking Action

The time is now My Sisters & Brothers

to educate with the truth….

Get the hell up, step up & speak up

Move

Take action in Our communities

for the better of Our children, Our Elders, Our futures

Our Ancestors have spoken loudly

Ain’t nobody looking for action from Us,

because we ain’t done nothing as One

Piece of us fighting here, and pieces talking there….

The vast is use to Our talking and so are Our Own people

What’s Up?

It’s time to Unite Physically….Soul Unite

Leaders you have been Called

Step Up!!!

© 11/4/12 LeTisha.Woods

HerStory

I hungrily ate each letter,

digested them gently, one by one,

& made words,

knowing the power that is HerStory,

the power she can’t see,

& power I can no longer let go undone

as I looked within Her full, dark eyes,

peering into a brain of resting wisdom,

I see hope through the severity of Her pain

the wanting of not even a shoulder,

but, just a listening ear,

an honest, understanding heart,

knowing the anguish held in for years

~~they don’t know!

they don’t even care!

they stare, & judge me, from rumors carried everywhere!

casting lines, hooking my spirit,

tearing my unhealed scars,

ripping my unhealed wounds,

because they don’t choose to know me~~

~~they don’t want to

never even tried,

they’ve hated me,

without knowing who I am inside,

they’ve rated me, based on some ungodly scale,

thinking this is the fate I’ve made for myself-

well they can all go to hell!~~

~~I’ve been down,

cracked out…yeah I’ve been at rock bottom’s bottom,

as they pointed & as they watch….shaking their heads…

& I don’t speak, I look..

Sometimes I’ve winked…just for the sake of it!!!~~

~~I’ve let them throw dirt & reopen old, yet barely healing wounds,

…..looking up at the moon,

I walk off to get my next hit,

covering the pain of a scarred over, infected wound….

just to make it another day~~

~~screaming inside, Wait!!!!!!!!!

You! You don’t know me!! You don’t know my fuckin’ story!!!

You… don’t knowww…wh..a.t it’s like….You know nothing!!! Hypocrites you!!

You.. you… think it’s too late, but I’ll show you. 

You!! who never cared enough to ask!!!

You!! who never gave a damn about a lil girl!!!!

You forgot me, but I’ll always remember you….

You never asked what happened to the smart lil girl….

….the educated lil sister….

that went from heaven to hell overnight!!!

You yellin’ you for the people!!!

You….walked away!!!

You….walked all over me like a piece of ass for sale…..

A lil girl!!! Trying to survive, all confused in this world…

of cruel adults….

Ohhh….How could you??? And then judge me!!!?

You never asked!!!

And then later….as I fell….still…you never asked….

……is there anything that you need?~~

But, she didn’t scream it,

the awakening women,

broken child,

she cried, within the safety of her high….

~~nor would I get on my knees, beg or plead!

to tell them My story…of my rape,

….to those who had no clue,

but gifted me hatred & judgment for years,

no I wouldn’t tell them of my stolen childhood,

….those who knew & swept it under the rug,

as if they could tell me how to deal with it,

as if they knew when enough time had passed,

like I could swat it away like a bug on my ass,

& as if they knew, when the nightmares would go away,

THEY HAVEN’T! I remember it, just like it was yesterday!

Oh NO! Not my blood, who walked over me,

Talked over me, & about me,

forgetting Sistah was never dumb,

….Just broken~~

~~& I’m smart enough that I must give thanks!

I still have the consciousness to say I want to overcome!

But, as I rise up,

I’ll never forget the theft of my lost blood,

the deception of my bloodline,

nor the blood that left me homeless,

But I’ll remember the Ones who help me now,

giving encouragement,

to stand,

to give to My loves~~

~~I’ll never forget the religious families, the righteous families,

my preacher uncle, the combination…

who raped the lil girl I was,

& tried to steal My Soul~~

She told.

© 9/8/12 LeTisha.Woods.Bowie

Eye Am Alive

stirring from many nights of sleepless turmoil,

her heavy tear-stained eyes slowly elevated & troubled heart stilled,

she inhaled…. with the knowing of another day’s breath of life,

& exhaled with the fearful possibility of hope

rising….she methodically walks, as her mind is surpassed with thoughts…

realizing that She does have “a pot ta piss in”

& at least “a windah ta throw it out”,

drawing promise from Her soul,

because it is Here, where there’s the only presence of light!!

recognizing the wooden planks beneath Her

that may not sparkle with marble or fancy stones,

yet, “Her” Earth doesn’t peer up & through, at her,

as when she was a child,

& each step caused shifts…

smiling through its cracks, down there, waiting to catch the lil’ girl

“Her” floor’s strength, without fancied enchantments,

“does” hold Her…it holds

holds warmth from the wintry weather ….

holds coolness during summery seasons….

& holds reminders of childhood memories,

reminding Her, that these days could be worse,

today she knows she must go on

anxiety tends to dominant Her Spirit & Soul,

& her mind says, “Just give it up; there’s nothing else you can do.”….

“You can’t give...you can’t even buy what your family needs from you….”

it doesn’t matter what She tries……She just doesn’t seem to have the glue

to hold these masses of matters together,

with everything She does and all that She’s tried,

with all the heart She gives…She always falls short…

then one of many,

a young man tells Her His Story…awakening Her

to some facts known, but easily overseen by life’s loads

rousing Her Soul…

She does have a home and family…

…..at least today…

which He’s never had,

and she knows she must continue toward Her destiny,

she knows she must go on

after walking the rain, to shed tears unseen,

summoning strength incessantly, from ever & always,

meditating, praying, reflecting, being….

uplifting is all She knows to do

working, supporting, standing in the gap….

is what She was raised to do,

Being, Doing, Inspiring, Speaking is all Eye Am

 ….it is Me

Trying, Persevering is all Eye can do.

to Be the best of Me…

Even though it’s won me no medals…

won me no fame…

it’s given Me Me…

it is all that is left of Me,

after giving MySelf, for the lives of everyone else,

to be trampled, like the overlooked beauty of fall leaves;

now, Eye’m asked to give this up

again, when it’s what’s saved me before,

from the very same life’s struggles,

the struggles?

 Is that what Eye’m giving me up to defend?

the ones that never end?

time to put your children first?

“My” Miracles! They have never been anything but,

since I birthed!!”

there are many days I go on, because they’re here!

days for “mama’s” time are rare. ….

you’ve given & taken from me here,

all at one time….

the pain is inexplicable,

as I endure questions with no answers, over & over again…

I walk away once more,

living with your peculiar replays in my brain…out on a limb…

My words?  My art?

My words & My art hold me here!

these are My “only” pieces of peace!

your opinions allow no room for the cares of My heart’s purpose…

the purpose of My being,

the purpose my mind can still cling to sanity, 

now I know why you don’t care to hear the things I express,

it’s not because you don’t understand,

it’s not because you can’t relate,

but, because you feel your sacrifices should also be mine

you don’t care to know, nor do you care to feel

that these are the reflections of your days, my days, her days, his days,

our hells, our heavens, our smiles, our joys,

shone from within the stories in my way…

our pleasures, our pains, our pits, our graves, our resurrections!

our steel ladders and uprising,

lunging us from the tombs of life

Eye’m still accepting this expression of “your” love…

in Your way, because it is yours…

you again, give me words,

and Eye thank you for them… still.

Eye thank you for throwing dirt on my grave, unknowingly;

because today I still rose…

& it is still fresh, as Eye take whiffs of earth’s aroma,

as Eye, “again”, dig my way out,

still lightly & freshly covered, taking my walk;

dusting myself off, lighting an incense,

Eye begin to proofread “Eye Am Alive”

….Eye love you for you appraisal

your criticism, in my disapproval…..

today is another day, Eye’ve engaged in life’s battle,

Eye fight to go on, for My own dreams;

for a change, for a chance,

as Eye show my children how to fight for theirs.

as Eye look at my headboard fall apart, Eye smile.

working an honest Goddess’ work day every day,

Eye look at my bills overflowing onto the floor & I smile;

because Eye have a bed, and I have a floor,

as long as Eye work,

as long as Eye work to live, whatever my choice of work may be;

as long as Eye’m the example of engaging in life’s war, for The Soul’s Dreams;

as long as Eye’m the example of engaging in the battle of life, for The Soul’s Destiny,

Eye’m alive.

Eye thank you for the revelation.

I will write on.

Eye Am alive.

©8/10/12 LeTisha.Woods.Bowie