Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis

If someone were to pause the hands of time
To travel back through a few memories of mine
To a place where my adolescent self-thrived
To ask me two grueling questions
How would you change the world
And what would this new world look like

I believe my response would have gone something like this
How magnificent it would be if durags, oversized t-shirt
Flip phones, tricked out hoopties with the spinning rims
Gold and platinum grills could always exist
If Sarah's straight fine hair
Keshia's coarse curly afro
Or Maria's long wavy hair could all be deemed beautiful

If only brothers in suits with bow ties toting newspapers and bean pies
Would still hold me in high esteem even though I choose to follow the white man's religion
It would be so sweet if street kings who sell rocks and queens of seduction who promote violence on the block Could be replaced by kings of intellect and queens of wisdom
Who would be paradigms their communities

How amazing it would be if someone like me could dream to be
The President of the United States and it actually happen
Young boys and girls would come to understand the true nature of love
If they were no longer molested and neglected
By the ones who were supposed to protect them
How marvelous it would be if everyone could experience
A supernatural or somewhat magical kind of love

Like Beauty and the Beast
Martin and Gina
And of course Beyoncé and Jay-Z
But since God gives no man the power to turn or pause the hands of time
I would like to pose those two questions to my present day self
How would you change the world
And what would this new world look like

Ultimately the world would be a better place
If only justice and peace could actually coexist
What a difference we would see if the world cared
More about black lives than black culture
If only men who participated in the conception
Of a child knew how important their influence really is
Maybe that would motivate them to help boys grow into men

If only women knew that their children are precious
Gifts from God and not lottery tickets
If only those who proclaim to have a relationship
With God actually walked and talked
With him more than they speak about him

If only my brothers and sisters would fight to live
To see another day because the powers that be
You know the global elite, believe that we've become
The bastard that the morning after pill neglected to kill
So to them our survival means nothing

If only people knew the difference between who
They are and what they do
What an amazing place the world would be if
Ignorance could no longer fuel hate
If only women wouldn't have to go under the knife
To have a body that the world deems beautiful

If only people knew their worth
If only there was enough money to pay all of these bills
If only getting an education became more popular
If only he saw the power behind my eyes before
He noticed the thickness of my thighs

If only no one could no longer lie
If only people prayed more
Believed more
Loved more
Then this would be a very different world
Then the one that we see