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Overview
Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics presents an eye-opening collection of poetry inspired by personal experiences, current events, history, culture, and social issues. This collection provides a glimpse into the mind of BuddahDesmond as he investigates our contemporary world. Written over the course of the last decade, these poems serve as an introduction to BuddahDesmond’s range, voice, and style.
Prevail is divided into three sections—life, love, and politics, each of which provides the author with an opportunity to thoroughly dissect his thoughts and feelings on each topic. “Life” challenges the notion of living happily ever after, considers the struggles of dysfunctional families, and shares the perspective of a laggard in a high-tech world. “Love” discusses the power of real, true love, the up and downs of relationships, and the difficulty finding a mate in the technosexual age. “Politics” explores the power of rhetoric and the underhanded maneuvering of politicians, as well as providing perspectives on many contemporary issues.
In this new collection, BuddahDesmond seeks to offer an underlying message of strength, persistence, and triumph.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781475916232 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | iUniverse, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 01/05/1900 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 116 |
| File size: | 832 KB |
Read an Excerpt
Prevail
Poems on Life, Love, and PoliticsBy Buddah Desmond
iUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2012 Buddah DesmondAll right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-1621-8
Chapter One
LIFE
You have to go the way your blood beats. If you don't live the only life you have, you won't live some other life, you won't live any life at all.—James Baldwin
THE MUSIC OF LIFE
Life is so complex,
Like the rhythms and melodies of jazz.
It's ambiguous,
Always open to interpretation,
Constantly moving and changing, like the syllables of improvisational scats.
Each hour marks a line
Which all compile to create each day's song:
Sometimes fast,
Sometimes slow,
Sometimes upbeat and jubilant,
Sometimes moody and melancholy.
The lyrics tell your story.
The situations, tasks, and events of the day are the notes.
You embody an instrument that plays accordingly.
Some days you may be at the top of the charts;
Other days you may not even chart at all.
Nothing ever really stays the same.
That's the joy of opening your eyes to a new day.
One never knows what lies ahead
So when you get right down to it,
Life is a series of albums that detail
The colorful phases of your growth, development, and experiences,
All of the hits and misses,
All of the highs and lows.
That's the music of life.
That's Where I'm At,
Where Are You?
"You just don't know how good you have it."
That's what they say.
And maybe I don't,
Because I don't think about it;
I don't think about it at all.
I don't take anything for granted either.
I'm so busy workin'—
Hustlin',
Groovin',
Tryin' to make moves,
Because I don't want to lose,
Don't want to be a failure,
Don't want to be the player that gets played
Or hater who gets hazed.
I've got a much bigger focus—
A higher calling—
Where even if I find myself falling,
I know that I will be redeemed
If I do what is needed
To overcome the stumbles on the way to bigger opportunities and better days.
I'm in competition with no one.
Don't need any comparisons.
If anything, compare me to me,
'Cause the music I rock to ain't mainstream.
It transcends.
It motivates
And lovingly engulfs you,
Leaving you refreshed,
Renewed.
That's where I'm at.
Where are you?
The Most High is the Reason
The Most High
is the reason why
I've come this far.
On everything else
I cannot depend;
nothing is as consistent.
You've proven to be a true constant,
never changing,
a never-ending spirit,
a greater spirit,
a wonderful spirit
that watches over,
guides, and protects.
So many things come and go;
so many people
come in and go out my life.
But your love is never fleeting.
You've never let me down;
you've always been there,
whether I knew it,
whether I acknowledged you or not.
Your presence is inescapable,
unrelenting,
beautifully divine.
The Creator—
God,
Allah,
Buddha,
Brahma,
Vishnu,
Shiva,
The Most High—
You are the reason why I've come
and will continue to go far.
Free
I want to be free.
I want to feel free.
I want to be able to
fly and soar freely,
without limitations.
I want to be me—
the complete me,
not the PC version,
or the edited version
intended for major mainstream and retail consumption.
It's not to offend.
It's about letting loose,
being in my element
without worry, care, or defense,
because I haven't found that place yet.
I'm still trying to find that
place where I can feel at home.
But when I find it
I'll know.
I'll be so comfortable and carefree,
So magnificently me
That I almost won't be able to stand myself.
That's when I'll be whole.
When I find it I'll be more than content.
That's when I can be me—
unadulterated, unedited and unscripted.
Yes, that's when I'll be free.
Pieces
Finding my way back
To the pieces of me,
Pieces that have sprinkled themselves in so many places,
I seem to have lost my own flavor.
What's the sense in creating a meal that you cannot enjoy, or don't wish
to enjoy, after it's ready to be served?
Let me guess: You did it for everyone else's pleasure and enjoyment?
Interesting—I didn't know you changed industries and are now
knee-deep in hospitality and hotel management.
It benefits everyone else,
And you're left looking for a place you can comfortably call your own.
You check out every day at 12:00 noon, only to be back to check-in at
3:00 p.m.
The lie you masqueraded as truth that you aren't worthy,
That you're not good enough,
That you don't deserve what you've been blessed with,
Is blasphemy, and is destroying your courage, strength, and confidence.
It's okay for you to believe the hype—when it comes to you, who you
are, what you are capable of, and the gifts you've been given to aid in
your achievements.
Trust and believe you've got it—
You've got it all and then some.
You may forget, fail to realize, or disbelieve,
But there is no reason you should.
Reclaim your pieces.
Reclaim your life and your faith,
So you can bask in the peace of mind, freedom, and joy that comes from
truly living life on your own terms.
The Ironic State of
Black Men in Society
Such complex, beautiful creatures:
Envied,
Despised,
Copied,
Immortalized,
Celebrated,
Yet condemned to damnation.
Often seen as failures, hoodlums, and vagabonds.
Rarely honored or acknowledged for the greater good they're doing for
their families, their communities, and themselves.
With that depiction in the media how could their outlook not be gloomy?
But that's only if you aren't hip to the real T of their plight.
For some strange reason, in the larger society, it is hard for them to be
accepted as intelligent, honorable, responsible beings in areas outside
of entertainment.
And when this perspective of them is challenged, it's met with all kinds
of resentment, distrust, doubt, and downright hatred
Anytime reality trumps perception the masses can't seem to handle it.
And when they happen to be seen in a positive light, and something
happens to them, or they are accused of an action that casts a
negative light on the initial impression,
They are immediately baited for the wolves.
Regardless of proven guilt or innocence, they've already been placed into
the proverbial jail,
Never to be redeemed or forgiven.
They are made to pay for their misgivings and backfires—whether
intended or not, whether guilty or not—for several lifetimes over.
Even after death, vindication is not promised, if ever granted,
'Cause the fickleness of society will not enable a shift in feeling, right,
judgment, or frame of mind.
The road to justice and finding a relevant, truthful place for black men
in this world does not seem possible in any of our lifetimes.
While the imagery and experiences are not, and will not, always be
positive,
The belief that black men are no good is ever prevalent.
What has happened, unfortunately, to their plight has many causes and
fingers that can be pointed at many places.
But the realness, the truth, and the change begin within.
Just because you've been denigrated to a certain caste in the world
Does not mean that you have to accept it or embrace it as your own.
Defy what stood before you;
Challenge what you've walked into.
Create something better to live on, and impact those coming after you.
That's where your power lies.
There's no guarantee that it'll change minds,
But people will take note.
As long as you define who you are,
and continue to build yourself and your people up,
redemption is guaranteed.
There's no need to seek the approval or consent of the outsiders.
A New Way of Living
The hustle and bustle,
the pushin' and shovin',
the sights and smells,
both good and bad.
The gridlock and delays,
norms for each day;
the breathing in of others' air,
in the midst of the morning and evening commute.
The kindness and rudeness—
often more of the latter, and less of the former,
the smiles and frowns,
all expressing the joys and pains
of what's to come of the day.
Whichever way you go,
whatever method you take,
there's always a mass exodus of people.
Longing for the quiet,
simply longing for the peaceful,
merely longing to get a reprieve
from this fast-paced, constantly moving,
never sleeping, never-slowing-down metropolis.
Longing for the simple life
with less congestion,
less confusion,
and fewer complications.
Maybe this is the result of having lived in a metropolitan area for so long.
There's a need for calm,
a kind of hush,
a free, nice-and-easy kind of living—
simple living with a different kind of beauty
and a minimal amount of drama
and stress.
Yes, that's they way to live.
A Dear Shout Out
This goes out to all who have been my supporters,
To all those who helped and continue to help keep me grounded.
Thank you for the love.
Thank you for your care.
Thank you for simply being there to lend your ear, your heart, and your
spirit.
I appreciate every single thing you've done for me.
For only words may never suffice to convey how much you inspire me,
how grateful I am to have you in my life, and how much I'll always
love you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Tragic
How do you have faith in something that won't work?
How do you continue to hope that the closeness
that once was there will not only return, but remain?
How do you not worry when drama prevails and things fall apart?
Well, it's because of the physical, emotional, and spiritual bonds.
It's because you're sharing some of the same blood.
It's because of the love that's always been there,
but may not always be acknowledged.
The current situation is bleak.
Communication is at a standstill—
Practically nonexistent.
Drama, jealousy and pettiness overwhelm what should be joyous occasions.
The landscape widens each year
as the cold distance continues to pull us further and further apart.
It's a melancholy state we're living in,
and the capital has been shut down until further notice.
Everyone's worried.
Everyone's stressed.
So many tears and sleepless nights later.
Granny, our matriarch, is trying to be strong for everyone,
but you know that this has to be hurting her the most.
It's tragic.
We hope that this will soon change.
With faith we pray the depression that plagues our family is only temporary.
For the blood, love, and togetherness of a family is strong enough to
trump any tragedy successfully.
But only when people realize,
and only if they want it to happen.
Otherwise dysfunction will reign,
and the outlook will remain tragic.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Prevail by Buddah Desmond Copyright © 2012 by Buddah Desmond. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction....................ixThe Music of Life....................3
That's Where I'm At, Where Are You?....................4
The Most High is the Reason....................6
Free....................8
Pieces....................9
The Ironic State of Black Men in Society....................10
A New Way of Living....................12
A Dear Shout Out....................14
Tragic....................15
Gone Too Soon....................17
Happily Ever After?....................19
Normal?....................21
So What?....................23
Prevail....................25
It's Not That Serious....................26
Stand Together: Bring Back the Days of Old to Deal with the New....................28
Old-school Technosexual—Out of Place?....................30
Tonight....................32
Power of Love: A Contemporary Aside....................35
So Much More....................37
Nothing But Love....................38
When I See You....................40
When Love Is Not Enough....................42
Done....................44
Lust or Love....................45
Love in the Technosexual Age (Part I)....................50
Love in the Technosexual Age (Part II)....................52
Love in the Technosexual Age (Part III)....................54
Computer Love....................56
I Deserve....................57
Flash in the Pan....................58
Why's It So Hard....................59
How Will I Know?....................61
Luther Is Love....................63
The P/H Factor....................65
The Power of Your Words....................69
Same Shit under the Sun....................70
Everyday Drugs....................72
Past, Present, and Future....................74
Freedom Lost, Freedom Gained....................76
We Ain't Going Nowhere....................79
Desperation....................81
Politricking....................83
I'll Never Understand....................84
On the Edge of Change, Already Making History....................85
A Moment In Time....................87
Being Yourself....................88
In Honor of Our Mother....................90
Culture: Stripped from Its Origins....................93
Insane Injustice....................94
When Hate Kills....................97
Thank Yous and Acknowledgments....................101
Biography....................105