Reality Check

So, I used to write poems and perfomr them on a fairly regular basis. I stopped doing that many, many moons ago. Well with the encouragement of some friends and a worthwhile cause I made it back to the stage. I performed this piece at a benefit for Haiti on February 28th. It was an amazing time. I thank God for the opportunity. Don't know that I'm ready to do it again, but I will at some point I'm sure. Happy reading folks!

What do you see when you look at me?
Is the sum total of my worth now equal to your pity.
At the end of the day I don’t need your charity
I don’t need you to sit back and feel sorry for the current situation in my city.
We had problems before January
And you didn’t care then
So don’t let a bunch of famous people who didn’t care all that much either
Convince you now that you should give
I’m not saying that we don’t need help
Because Lord knows that we do
But not because it makes you feel bad
Or in some instances makes you feel good
To say that you helped little ole Haiti.
Do it because you know that we are brothers and sisters
And you recognize that one day you might need help from me.
Yes, you might need me.
You see we are a strong people
Always have been
Always will be
Before you knew you could have your freedom
We kicked the French out of our country.
We may have been living in what you consider extreme poverty
But you weren’t doing too much better as far as our eyes could see
This statement might confuse you
Because of what you’ve seen on TV
But know that financial wealth is not the only thing that determines
The value of our country
Do you really know the joy of laughing so hard that your face hurts with friends?
The love that comes from sharing the little that you have with others
The bonds that are built when someone that is not your family
Takes you in and those people decide to become your Mom and Dad
These things are valuable beyond what you could possibly imagine
Greater worth than you can ever see
But it’s a part of the wealth that has always been present in the country of Haiti
So please remember, don’t pity me!
Some of you say that we deserve what happened to us
It was a curse because of some pact that we apparently made with Satan
Were you there when it happened?
Do you know that it’s true?
Or are you spreading 2nd, 3rd, and 4th hand information
About something of which you have no clue.
If this is the reason that we’ve had these experiences
Instead of pointing fingers you might want to be getting ready
Because the US may be next on the hit list.
Over 100,000 children caught up in child sex trafficking
Corruption in corporate America from sea to shining sea
Legal prostitution with brothels included located in these United States
The thousands of folks who can’t handle your Black President
Praying prayers of hate
Him + Him or Her + Her equal marriage in your state
Sounds to me like you have the perfect mix of sin
For the next catastrophic Earthquake
Or Tsunami
Or Hurricane
Or whatever form of punishment might be next on the list
Will you be so quick to point out the sins of the people
When it’s your child’s face on the television.
Or your mother crying
Or your brother dying
Or you’re the one carrying the bodies of those that you loved
Hoping and praying to find a friendly face or helping hand in the midst of the destruction.
Will God’s supposed judgment seem just and fair
When your life is the one that has been laid bare
And tomorrow holds no promise of anything that you believed would be there today.
Will you believe that God was just trying to make a way to get your attention.
Or will you just be praying that he has an ear that will listen
To your cries and do something to take away your pain
Hoping that no self righteous Christians have something judgmental to say
I am sure that you would pray for a kind face
A helping hand
Someone to help your rebuild everything that is no longer in place
Not caring if they were black or white because in moments of disaster there is only one race
Human
Please tell me that you have a solution
Of some kind
Words to help ease my mind
Even while knowing that all of my problems won’t go away over night
I really just want to know that you honestly care about my current plight.
That you love me unconditionally
That when the chips are down I can count on you to be there for me
Not just sit back and stare at me
Shaking your head
I want you to acknowledge that the blood the flows through my veins is just like yours RED
And that is all that really matters
If God truly created us all in his image
Made us neighbors in this worldwide village
Shouldn’t it make sense for you to shut your mouth and just help
Not pity me, but help me rebuild my sense of self
At the end of the day
Whether your decide to judge me or give
Justify my death or enable me to live
When you look at pictures of Haiti I want you to remember what you see
And hear the voice of Jesus say, “Whatever you do for the one of the least of these brothers of mine, you do for me.”

Kristin Denise

Crutches

So one night as I adult sat for my friend that had surgery a little over a week ago he introduced me to this HBO series called “Brave New Voices.” This show was so freaking awesome, as it had camera crews follow a few of the teams that would compete in the national youth poetry slam competition in DC. You saw their creativity, their inner struggle, and their heart as they wrote some of the most moving pieces that I have ever heard in my life.

One girl’s story touched me in particular. She was a young lady from New York that had Cerebral Palsy and a lot of what she wrote stemmed from what she dealt with as she went through life with this apparent limitation. The last piece that she performed in the slam competition was entitled crutches and in it she really shared how she felt about the way people treated her like she wasn’t there or like she was not intelligent and it was one of the most moving things I have ever, ever seen. What made it so phenomenal was the fact that you saw her journey to this moment. You saw her overcome the limitations that she had placed on herself as a result of her physical limitations. You saw her conquer low self-esteem, you saw her find her voice and move a step beyond finding her own to help others find theirs. She went from shy and timid to loud and outspoken! She really changed lives that day! She let go of the things that she thought she needed in order to be successful and found that she was so much more successful without them. Putting aside one crutch and her glasses, two things that she didn’t think she could make it without, she changed the lives of tons of people; those that were privileged enough to be at the competition, and those who have the privilege of witnessing it months later.

I’m crying right now as I relive that part of the show where she shared this phenomenal piece of inspiration. Where she encouraged people to really think about how they treated others and how they allowed others to treat them. She let them know that she didn’t have time to stand in the middle of road like a wounded animal waiting on them to get it together! It was amazing!!!!!! She touched a special place in everyone. There was not a dry eye around, because in that moment people could so identify with where she was coming from. Although most of them would never know the pain of a physical limitation, they understood what the mental ones could do and had been doing to them. She inspired them to let go of their crutches, whatever they may be through simply letting go of her own. She went from insecure to empowering and she changed so many lives because of it.

It really made me think. I had to ask myself, what crutches am I holding on to in my life, and whose life might be changed if I suddenly became brave enough to let them go as God helps me to realize that I really don’t need them. I challenge you to ask yourself that same question.