Writings by Crandell McKinnon

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- Swallow My Tearz
- Caged Screamz

Swallow My Tearz

Ball up my fist,
in the most violent grips.
Emotions boiling up,
of this life I've had snuff,
one of these turnkeys I want to f**k up,
so damn mad I could break the cuffs.
But instead, I pace my cell,
sweatin like I'm in hell,
then the water in my eyes appear,
hold back my head an blink, the water disappear,
once again, I've swallowed my tearz.
Some days I quiet my mind
and let pass the time,
thinking about love Ones I've left behind.
I didn't do the crime but I have no time to whine.
Kidnapped from my babygirl when she was four
and haven't hugged nor kissed her no more.
So I try to trap my love and feelings between the lines,
prayin she read my longing an thoughts from my signs.
I struggle with the man detatched from his peerz,
while workin hard to keep her near and her ear.
I know I'm competing with the influences of life,
my Joys and failures bring water to my eyez,
hold back my head an blink, the water disappear,
down my cheek, because I can't swallow these tearz.

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Caged Screamz

Why does this caged man scream?
concrete an steel incarcerate my dreamz
because when your locked nobody carez
my ownthoughts xploit my fearz
when I'm alone I shed tearz
but when in the presence of my peerz
confident eyez andmean mugz
solid dapz and hugz
knowing it's deceptive love
can't trust them, I was betrayed by my own blood.

Why does the caged bird sing?
it doesn't know freedom'z wingz
view itz existence thru caged wire
see it distance thru its bird's eye
oh, so close but yet so far is the sky.

I know why the caged man screamz
because he'z a human demeaned
life long nightmare of what he'z seen
life weighed on a unbalanced beam
he knowz eyez that no longer gleam
the peopledo to much talking, spoken word and rap, no singing
of old scarecrow spirituals of freedom ringing.

I don't know why caged birds sing
because caged men scream.

Written thoughts by Ojore Dhoruba

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