Lost Message

Deep beneath the sand, encoded messages were lost. The cost of which was our own soul. And now that’s lost too.

Hidden deep within this tangible flesh and bones a stranger I am…

To my own self

And the mirror reflects a face that is not my own,

Flesh sheltering me deep inside these atoms made of light; trapped in space and time, eyes trying to decode the message.

They left me a message!!

And maybe someone stole it, hid it deep beneath the sand,

A universe I am, held deep inside of me!

I create! And they wanted me to know. Create my own reality eyes interpreting the light, sound resonating.

But somehow I can not see inside of me!

Inside of this flesh made of atoms of light

And the mirror is a liar! That person is not me!

I am lost, lost in the message deep beneath the sand. I am,

The daughter of the builders the secret they left within me, inside these atoms made of light, but the message got lost and now I can no longer truly see….interpretations of the light through my eyes I create my reality, my world, my universe.

The message hidden; deep beneath the sand.

In these atoms made of light.

Hanifah Abdul Khaleeq

Peripheral Vision

Old ladies in doors watching, while criminals break the law

Selling bags to the pheens snort the powder through a straw.

The smell of cat urine while the kittens dodge cars

Three drunken women fighting drank that fire from the bars

No stars tonight 5 girls jumping rope

Across the street that house got traffic it’s obvious they selling dope

They got no hope for the future and Obama’s on the front page.

Little girls in mini skirts treating the streets like a stage.

Cars riding fast and the windows are tinted

The driver’s eyes are red so low they look squinted

Little boys throwing rocks, lost daddies smoking rocks

Old heads with joints and forties young bols hollering at shorties

Trash blowing past my steps; blunt wrappers and Papi platters

Home Girls and Chumpies, old men that stay grumpy

Two teenage girls walking but one looks like a man

A heart broken mother trying her best to understand.

Father’s coming home from work, and I can smell the fried chicken,

The sound of splashing water stained from the dirty kitchen.

But the Pine Sol lingered, children playing Jerry Springer

Old ladies gossiping stay pointing they finger

Fallen tears that have since dried, con artist tryna slide

Everyday this what I see, the minute I go outside….

Keep the Faith? What Do They Know?

They ask so many questions but never asked the right ones.

Judge mothers for losing faith when they’re losing their sons.

They told me to pray but my tongue has gotten parched and they only wanna march when their babies see the dark.

No brotherly love here, those times are gone and ancient.

They tell me to keep the faith, but how long should I be patient?

What do they know?

They’ve never walked in my shoes, tell me the rules but can’t fathom why I carry a bruise.

And I’m supposed to believe there’s a world worst than this?

Supposed to take heed and ignore the serpent’s hiss?

They gotta know it aint that simple cuz bills can’t be paid with prayers

and just because you did it don’t mean our situations compare. It isn’t fair,

But that’s life and they wanna tell me how to live it,

my love they tell me how to give it

but aint got none left to spare.

Not when all I see are the jinn in their eyes,

the disguise they wear and the grins that imply,

That somehow you better cuz you made it out clean,

but never thought about your sister she far off her deen

And I don’t know what to tell her when she worst off than me, don’t know the ayat to recite, getting no sleep at night.

I’m wondering if she made it home, from late nights on the streets.

Try to tell her to keep the faith but that’s something her son can’t eat.

Shit what do they know? I listened to what they said,

but they stuck on the fact that she took the khimar off her head!

They don’t know her story just like they don’t know mine,

but they claim to know it all and it seems like their inclined,

to speak so fast and they think about it later.

Tell me to keep the faith and soon things will get greater.

And all I can think is “easier said than done” when I been keeping faith for years but the clouds blocking the sun.

And trust me I’m not looking for instant satisfaction, I don’t expect to get blessings without putting in action.

But the fractions ain’t adding up, the math is all wrong,

but I’m not the teacher just a student trying to fit where I belong.

Stronger than I used to be but its slowly wearing thin, and I don’t wanna seem like I’m just giving in.

But what do they know? Why are they so quick to point the finger? It just makes the pain linger.

Makes the hurt consume and infuses, what happened to 70 excuses??

But I only have one, seems like I’m running the same pace, running in place

Just tryna keep the faith…