Blogging While Black version 4.0

Naked.

Stripped down to my lowest common denominator

At times I sport 2 shirts in the sun on a hot summer day
Most times I rock 3 sweaters under my bubble goose
during winter's mildest
Often times I carry 5 outfits in the water
even if I'm scuba diving
They say bundle up

I say wear it in layers

cause that's what I was taught
So I follow my own advice and put it on
and on
and on
and on
I don't take it off, even if I'm showering
This way we get all the clothes clean.

I've never had the urge to take it all off
See, momma told me that you had to have on clean underwear
or you'll be caught out there
And rumor of your uncleanliness can cause despair
Even if that was not you up in there

So cover it up, son
Put something on it, I mean have you no shame?
Or better yet, I am ashamed and have projected it on you

In the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost
Run and hide boy!
Put some layers on that ass before I kick it!

No one wants to see you

Put all that had developed into who is you behind that curtain
Never let the world see what you really want
they'll do what they can to just take it away
leaving you alone and exposed

alone and exposed
alone
exposed

A long expose`
On how not to function as a little black boy in Sam's land
because he probably stole
he couldn't have earned that
Shame they can't earn, it's not in their nature

Don't share nothing
just tuck it in
hold it there, you hear me?
Never share your feelings, I mean
learn from history
Never share your story because
all the world will laugh at you
and you ain't never been funny

Put your face behind those hands because
you do not have attraction to the opposite or similar
you repel cause you ain't like them
be seen and not heard, matter of fact hide because

You just exist.

You need not explain to the rest of the world what your plan is
because no one else can speak the language
that was uniquely taught to you
And that's even seen as illiterate
so don't say nothing

just
remain
silent



until it explodes



Now after this even your deepest wish
will be laid at the feet of the people of the globe
and they will stare and gaze in your unfamiliar-ness
because they don't know you
You will want them to listen
but words will fall on deaf ears repeatedly
because that's a dialect that they want to fear
because you are the unknown

until you strip
until you strip
until you strip
until you strip

this shit down to its bare minimum

make it naked

help them see with the visual that is you
bare it all so that they understand the language
that is your human body and its unspoken text

expose yourself to the universe

give them the vibe blackman
like only you can give it
and receive it back

get that shit back

get that shit back
just as stripped down as you gave it
and then they will hear you


and understand

2006 Hassan Ntimbanjayo