Ramblings of the Internal Voice

"The difference between her and I is that she has visibility, I don't. The difference between he and I is that he has visibility, I don't. The difference between us and them is they have visibility, we don't. Are we all one in the same? Are we all truly the same? You told us that we were equal, if so, then why are they dying everyday? Why are they forced into selling their bodies, why don't they have access? Why aren't their lives valued? Why don't our parents love us for embracing our truth? Why does society set up all of these structures, as if we are mice in an experiment, in a maze of ceiling dreams, of sky-high dreams, only to laugh in our faces and bite us viciously with rejection? Do you feel the sting? Because I feel the sting." - Kaleef Lauren

"Mama Had Them Boxed Braids"

I remember you. You had them boxed braids mama. You were beautiful. You were nice and chocolate like me. You had that red nail polish on. But those braids, they were everything. I would wonder "Wow, how are they so nice, so neat, so kept together." A memory, I wish it could last forever. That moment when I sat behind you and saw you. It does last forever.

- I love you.

"And No One Can Take That Away"

He was afraid, afraid of himself. 
He was afraid of the racism that is present and that awaits him. 
He was afraid of the sexism that is present and that awaits him. 
He was afraid of the homophobia that is present and that awaits him.

What sucks is that it was already here. 
Ascribed, written down, planned out, blue printed, it existed.

And so, he is afraid.
 I'm afraid too. 
But look at the environment, 
look at the surroundings,
 the people,
 the sky, 
we are in existence despite what has and what is occurring. 
Shouldn't that give you hope? 
Shouldn't that ignite courage and fearlessness? 
Can it be the fuel?

We afraid, 
yea we both afraid. 
But living,
we living too. 
And no one can take that away.