I don’t pretend to know poverty/the elders kept that from me/they wrapped me in a dark matter love/that blanketed my needs/kept me warm and safe/from top of crown to feet/even crack in the 80’s failed to break me/ I grew to value and honor their plea/I knew days would come and it’d anchor my seeds/but how’d they smile and kept so much beneath/is troubling to me as I push to retreat/I’m not as strong as Herman or as bright as Bea/I just want to hide myself/call coward call peace/this world for my gems is too hard to meet/I’m half way in flight and half way in flee/all I want is for them is a chance to breathe/but living in these states won’t let that be.