Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin [2008]

I’ve seen good men of my generation

mangled by dollars, wars, angels

reigned in by college

free men

strangled by collars

 

but fear trains slaves

I blaze, veer into a strange haze

weary of such lessons

they may hear

but deformed as we are we smile

feign cheer, steer away

from weird exchanges

we rode cycles, same gear

I love ‘em and they my brothers

any way you seein’ it

wonderful human beings

future fathers, double-breasted suited armors

unaffected true warriors

lawyers and doctors: men with promise

emanating garish, gaudy, tawdry hopes

in the name of vision, broadened scope

I ain’t noble for treading a mossy road but

their smiles frighten my psyche

their brightness looks blinded 

we ain’t in crisis, we dying

this cycle revives itself

’cause I go for mine as well

when I wish we could share

we fight for divided stuff

when history is clear

we should say

fuck the bullshit

if you don’t get mine, we’re struck by bullets

defunct like you fucked my woman

if you don’t climb up,

I’m nothin

I can’t take solace in nullus

for my brother

these are all theories

if you don’t feel me, either-or

I see across a sea of falsehood

I plant my anchor, you could walk the plank if you wanna

but if we listen

we gon thank each other