"Walk With Me"

Come,
Walk with me
Saith the Savior,
I'll show you
All that life is.
Just a vapor,
That appears for a moment,
Then quickly, it vanishes away!
For your short walk,
On this side, in time,
Many hurdles will be in your way.
Try as you may,
To cross them
Without me,
You're only going astray!
My way, will bring peace to your soul,
As I cleanse you from deep within.
Change your life,
Through your mind, lift you up,
When I wash away all of your sins!
My burden I'll give you
Is not hard to bare,
I'll go with you all the way;
Straight until,
The end of your journey,
Where you'll receive
The prize,
For which I paid.

~Teresa Rose Marie (Peggy)

"We Know"

Duh! Double duh!
We know this
We lived this
We taught this
We believe this
We never forgot this
Yet we continue to delay this
and live with the frustration of having tasted the Promise Land,
but now our lazy butts foolishly continue to eat the tainted other

~Keri S. Smith

"Queenliness"

Queenliness,
it was never about shiny rings
Yeah, it caught our eyes those shiny things
Even in the Garden
I bet you Eve was mad, face hardened at her new submissive place
Fighting shame and tears with a less than stoic face
As God dished out her blessing
You see, while Eve was stressing over her indulgence of those shiny things
God was molding her into the foremother of the most high and mighty kings
Shiny rings seem kind of foolish now, but Eve just sees the worse
She keeps complaining of the cruel nature of God’s submission curse
“I was created at the side of Adam, I did everything that he did
why must I reign below him?” I’m telling you, Eve was heated
‘Cause she missed it, we missed it…Eve, my sisters, stop stressing
God designed every curse in the Garden to also be a blessing
We can seldom decipher His complexity, but I had a revelation
‘Cause our bosoms protect with fierce determination
We nurture and comfort, we have breasts to wean nations
As we foster the sustenance of God’s own creation
With this explanation
That this curse of submission leads to divine elevation
You may deem us the weaker sex, but I deem you false teachers
For to say that there is weakness in submission is to convey a false Jesus
So, I encourage you my sisters, to embrace your feminine roles
For God only humbles His children to elevate their souls
So I am Jesus, I proudly bear my submission holes
As God says “wait”
He said “wait, Jesus, your lowliness will make you great”
Eve, wait, your humility will make you great
Sisters, wait, your submission will make you great

~Jamila Lyiscott

"What Jesus Did For Me And YOU"

Roses are red
Violets are Blue
Jesus came and lived the perfect life for me and you.
Jesus died on the cross for me and you.
So don't you forget
About the blood that was shed for me and you.

~David II, Dyahnah, Dominic, Daniel, and Taniaya Wilson

"My Child"

If I could give you
a great gift,
without question
it would be,the
wonderful memories
of your parents,in what
a happy home could be.
The perfect childhood,
free from misery or pain,
the comfort and assurance
that love would always remain.
Great friends and loved ones,
so you'd never be alone.
Blessings to guide you
where ere you may roam.
That you'd never be in want,
no, you'd never shed a tear,
cause you are my child,
and I'd always be there
to hold you and shield you
from any of life's storms,
What more can you ask,
this just can't be wrong!
But alas! Such a great gift,
I can never afford,
So I gave you the most
Perfect gift, when I showed you
The Lord!

~Teresa Rose Marie ( Peggy)

"The Master's Peace"

This is His Masterpiece
Paintbrush in hand
He towers over easel stand
Three brush strokes created man

This is His Masterpiece
So He blots out what He wills
Upon His purpose His choice fills spots blank of life with movement
He will create to His amusement
Because
This is His Masterpiece

Paint has no say
Soaked up by brush and appointed to sway left
Given the grace Paint says ‘yes’
Then Painter lifts color-soaked brush...
As Paint clings on to tip in trust...
As Hand wields magic across canvas blank...
From bristles to paper color sank
Paint glides with thanks
With ease
With hope that it will Painter please

This is His Masterpiece
And Painter smiles
He knows Paint is His blessed child
Whom He fashioned
From great mind, to finger’s tips flows His compassion
Into His masterpiece...

Until Paint broke peace with Master
Here forth conveys of Paint’s disaster
Who after move from guiding Image made its color fainter

Paint, Potential Master’s piece...
Nothing without its Painter

~Jamila Lyiscott

"And You Are?"

The world owes you?
You step on us
It's our pleasure
You scream
We are to obey
You are always right
Always the best
Always perfect

Sadly, you may always step on us
Frankly, it may never end
Retaliation is stupid...it is a loss of our power
Vengeance is for Someone far greater than we
Maybe not in this lifetime, but in the next we all will answer
So step if you need to step
Scream! Shout!Punish us, make us bleed
But in a quiet moment ask - in the grand scheme of things, who are you really?
Humility may save us all

~Keri S. Smith

"Saturday Morn"

Tears fill my eyes as I see Him there
Burdened with Calvary
And I am so ashamed
For I should be with Him

Instead I stand against the gate
Huddled in safety
I do not share His pain
The Lord is forsaken

Time has shown that I am not at all what I said I would be
I said I'd never leave Him
Yet I did

And now in shame I denied His name as I was told I would
I said I didn't know Him
But I did

When I hear the cock crow
I die inside

~David Wilson

"For the Love of God; For the God of Love"

Once upon a time
In a land not too far from here, there were two Goders in God
She was curled up in his arms, and there she silently lay
Yes, these two Goders, they were sittin’ on the dock of the bay
And well after the rise of the moon
Well after the birds had nothing left to say
Quote he, “I God you”
Quote she, “I Love you”
Quote they, “We are in God”

He traced her veins with his fingers
They reminded him of leaves
She blushed in embarrassment after a not-so-feminine sneeze
They chuckled and moved closer in response to the night breeze
Then said she, “Say how much you love me
Can you equate it with the expanse of the earth and the stars that shine above me?
How much do you love me?”
And with this plea
He put one hand on her knee
Then said he, “Baby, you are asking that I measure God”
And this next line He said with an upward nod
“Love is God, and God is Love
so how can you ask me to limit Him to the expanse of the earth and the stars that shine above?
I said God is Love, so I cannot measure It
And Love is God so all I can do is worship and treasure It
I cannot quantify the unquantifiable
But I know that my God is enough…it’s strange
I cannot touch the intangible, but somehow I can feel Love
They’re one and the same
I cannot quantify the unquantifiable
But I know that my Love is enough…it’s strange that
I cannot touch the intangible, but I can feel God
Because they’re one and the same
My fair lady
Maybe you think my lack of a definitive answer is type shady
But baby, this God, this Love can move mountains
And this Love can calm the sea
And I was created in His image so by His power vested in me
I promise to try to be like He was
I promise to strive to treat you like He does
‘Cause I’m not atheistic
I believe Love, I believe God is real
So the next time I say ‘I Love you’ I want you to feel
The power of God…for they are the same”
Then, maybe to be romantic, maybe just to step up his game
He went down on one knee
Then said he, “I told you.
I was created in the image of Love
So I can move mountains
So I can calm the sea when you’re tossed
So I can be humble like Jesus
He didn’t get angry at this life, He got crossed
I’m glad He paid the cost
‘Cause that’s Love
And I want to share in His glory”
And surely, this equation of God with Love is the end and the moral of the story that

Once upon a time
In a land not too far from here, there were two Lovers in Love
She was curled up in his arms, and there she silently lay
Yes, these two Lovers, they were sittin’ on the dock of the bay
And well after the rise of the moon
Well after the birds had nothing left to say
Quote he, “I Love you”
Quote she, “I God you”
Quote they, “We are in Love”

~Jamila Lyiscott

"When I Realized My Saviour"

In the dark I am alone
No one's there
Because no one's home
When I dream my dreams are rare
Giving me a spooky scare
I no longer am walking without my light
The light that lights my path abroad
In a room where my presence dwells all alone

No longer have this feeling that my presence is alone
This mysterious presence heals my every care
This presence I sense is no longer a mystery
This presence I feel has been there throughout history

This presence is caring
This presence is kind
This presence wise
This presence is JESUS
Who is LORD and KING of my life

~Daniel Bleau

"My Beginning and End"

Be nice
Love to all
Be forgiving
Have patience
Wait
Harbor no ill will
Let generosity abound
Can be hard to do when smiles hide mouths full of knives

But we answer to only Him
He says He will provide
He says fear only Him
We believe
We feel peace
We see and feel the knives
But we are protected
He makes us feel nothing and achieve everything

He is the beginning and the end
Our beginning, our end
That is more than enough for us
We smile at the knives, we love the owners of those mouths

~Keri S. Smith

"The Burden of That Yes"

Wicked smart
Cream of the crop
Reputable, golden child - prime role model material

BOOM! You quiver
Your identity is lost
You are a series of yeses
A blank slate - a malleable soul
Robot mode - wide, plastic grin and colourless, dead eyes

Yes, yes and more yes
as the you that was the role model, the shining star, is suffocated
and you discourage and disappoint the many who sought to learn from you, to emulate you

You are too scared to stand for the non-yes
Craving instead the false security of that Yes

~Keri S. Smith

"Finding Amazing Grace"

At one time I didn't understand
Amazing Grace
I couldn't see how the sound was so
sweet
But then the Lord stepped in
and changed the look of my heart, my hands and my feet
Then I didn't need no explaining
I could see how God's grace was truly amazing
I underwent a transformation
a divine revelation
that I'm a new creation
saved from damnation
with soul salvation
living with no hesitation
because I'm a manifestation
of life.
You got all that, right?
Gotta make sure you hear the truth
of how the Lord is the root
of my amazing grace philosophy
how could I possibly
make it through the fire and the flame
heartache and the pain
sadness and the shame
Well, let me just make it plain.
I'd still be lost.
Child, double-crossed
if it weren't for the man
on the cross who paid all the cost.
He cashed the check I could not pay,
made reservations where I could not stay,
made a path when I couldn't find the way.
Despite the fact that red-handed I'd been caught
I still was bought.
Now, that amazing grace
that sweet sound is even sweeter.
Now, his love runs even deeper.
Now, I walk in heavenly light,
one day I can spread wings and take my flight
No longer lost
I have been found
Watch me take my steps on holy ground
I ain't blind no more,
I can clearly see.
The burden has been lifted,
I am finally free.
This race
I can surely win.
And when the gates are opened
I can enter right on in.
I got grace even more amazing
my mouth can stop giving forth the praising
He is the source of my inspiration
the token of all admiration.
I'm on that narrow road now,
won't you come with me?
Headed towards that highway to heaven
and there ain't no fee.
Child, that alone should make you rise to your feet
with no shame,
get your hands together and praise his holy name!

~Ashley Foxx

"Dorian Grey"

I age but the dream remains, ideas seem to have changed
At this path’s end, rusted chains in light hands
Vertebrate scars and pride shards cast like ashes of the long gone
Will we remember, or have I already forgotten and when my mind
knew the world what have we begotten?
Desolation
And this can’t be fixed by no reparations cause we’ll give it all right
back in the celebration
It aint about 40 acres and a mule more like 40 inches and a pool.
Saying we’re hot to be cool
Explaining why with no rule

~Laurent Chevalier, 21

"Witness"

I saw her
In her royal declination I wanted to adore her
But I saw her
Cramped and crippled in the crevices of Cairo
I ran swiftly along the seed bursting Nile because I know what it means to be without fruit
You see, in her youth they tried to squeeze her into an American dream, but the size was zero
And I couldn’t save her ‘cause I’m no hero
But I knew
That her mountains and her child bearing hips
Could burst the seams of a paradigm so bulimic
Had you seen it…you would have tried to save her too
Had you seen it…you would have died to save her too

~Jamila Lyiscott, 21

"We Have Moved"

We have moved and feel we’ve proved we're walking in better shoes
Golf shoes, tennis shoes, shoes without the blues we feel were wearing
freedom shoes
The crème de la crème the cats pajamas
But cats shape the world through the banging of their hammers
Oh yes we’ve moved but where to?
From plantations to projects from slavery to slawson
At least we wanted more when we were picking the cotton
Now we're dirt in a still pool, ate nothing but still full
We should be ravenous not cool with just having this blasphemous
thing proclaimed freedom

~Laurent Chevalier