hood rat

"my life is in the ghetto,
it's where I's born and raised.
how's a simple hood rat s'posed to get out of this maze?"

don't blame it on the ghetto,
that's not what keeps you here.
why you crying hood rat?
dry those self indulgent tears.

you need reminding hood rat,
many years have gone and come.
do you forget your ancestors and the battles that they won?

people died in search of liberty.
you can vote, you're free to learn,
but their memory you've tarnished
your hard earned rights rejected--spurned.

what is it you're afraid of?
that maybe they were right,
are you a worthless waste of matter-
another useless social blight?

"why should i vote? why should i fight?
the man still keeps me down."
does the man not do your homework?
does the man dress you like a clown?

"don't be hatin' on my culture,
don't be hatin' on my clothes."
why should i respect your peoples
when you call your sisters hos?

oh you silly little hood rat
let me assuage your fears
and remind you of the time that's passed,
it's been 200 years

frontin' like a gangster,
acting ignorant and smug.
don't come crying on my shoulder
when they treat you like a thug.

who am i to judge your lifestyle?
how you live is personal,
but when you reject your own potential
all your arguments are null.

so there's a switchblade in your pocket.
so your mom's a hood rat wife.
why fulfill this cursed prophecy?
why be a hood rat all your life?

living in the ghetto doesn't make or break a man.
it's the choices that you make that determines if "you can".

so before you blame the system,
why don't you take a second look
forget the bling, the grills, the rims
and read a f***ing book.

post script

Dear God,

i hate to bother You again so soon but i have a special request- a favour of sorts.
i know Your book has been in circulation for a while now and i realize that recalling them all would be a major inconvenience but You would be doing me a major solid if You could make a little revision.

A kid hit me with a desk today. It wasn't a love tap or a slight nudge, that i could deal with, it was a violent and painful flinging- a drive by desking if you will.

Management generally frowns on corporal punishment but i can handle those repercussions. deportation's not that bad.
You on the other hand...not sure where You stand on this issue.

if i go by the old testament it is within my right to pummel him. however, the new testament says i should grin and bear another desking.
whether turning the other cheek is figurative or literal is unknown but You're pretty clear about loving your delinquent students neighbour and i'm not looking forward to eternal heat rash.

Love is patient, love is kind... yada yada.

herein lies the problem. It would be really helpful if You took the patience bit out of the equation, cause frankly i have no patience left for these devilish children.
besides, according to the dictionary patience is:

pa-tience [pey-shuh-ns]

noun

1. the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune or pain, without complain, loss of temper, irritation, or the like
.
.
6. obsolete

yes, obsolete.
taking that into consideration i think it's totally within reason to rethink this whole patience thing.

it may be a virtue, but patience is highly overrated.
as are children.

knock, knock

Dear God,

how're things? how's the Family?
i got Your message the other day. i appreciate the effort You put into it but wouldn't an email or singing telegram have been easier?
speaking of messages, there are some things i need to talk to You about regarding my future. i wanted to run a couple ideas by You so i stopped by Your house.
You must've just stepped out cause no one answered but then again i didn't actually knock i just stood on your steps singing stupid songs. if i were You i wouldn't have opened the door either.
I tried calling the other day but You must've been busy so i just left a message. I still haven't heard from You... You must get a lot of messages.
i tried talking to the universe about it but she's not responding either...i'll try again later.

toac

ps. i like what You did with the weather today. Great colours You should do more with pastels, maybe a nice landsape painting, think group of seven. think, spring.
keep up the good work.