 Almost five years ago when I came to the branch I talked to Larry and found out he was a poet and he and I Decided that it would be a good idea to get people in the community together for poets to hear one another and for the people in the community to be able to hear what talent there was and So Larry's Larry started it and every year that we've done it He's done more and as you can see from the food and the and the turnout. It's every year been a better success We have videos of the of the earlier ones and we've had some poets here Some all the way through I'm really happy to see you all here tonight and I'm gonna turn over to Larry because he's gonna emcee the whole program and The program tonight will be the first hour will be compressed No, every poet who's gonna speak will speak during the first hour because the first hour is gonna be on cable TV So you'll get to see summer some Some of us city-wide as well. So here's Larry Thank you all very much and welcome to the fourth annual Bayview Wadden portrait Cytal it is indeed a pleasure to see such a nice audience here and I Think we're gonna have a really great show tonight and we have some really Gifted poets here some of the best poets in the country and Before the show begins, I would like to take this time to some special dedication to some very special people I would like to pay tribute to Julia Wembley who has deceased a couple of weeks ago We used to go to business seminars and meetings. She was really a wonderful person and Like to dedicate this recital to her would like to also Dedicate this recital to a good friend of mine Calvin Pritchett his mother passed away and Also, I'd like to dedicate this to a Tangular Collins this is her 18th birthday. There's a mother and sister right there She wasn't able to make it, but a happy birthday. They're Okay, we're gonna get the show on the road now and it is indeed a great pleasure to I know this young lady's a mother and grandmother and I met her for the first time at church and She her mother told me that she was in the poetry too. So I said, well, we had a couple poems for me and and It was awesome, you know, so without a further ado, I'd like to introduce our youngest poet this year Amanda Sheldon, please come forward Dream Do you want to be a doctor that might be your dream? Do you want to be a dentist and your teeth will shine and gleam? Do you want to be a hairdresser that might be the best? But if you have a niece or nephew, they might be a pest Do you want to be an artist you need good drawing skills? You could also be a vet and take care of a pet You could be a clown and never show a frown You could be a book writer and sometimes be a book fighter My family my family is many generations We are all God's creations whether short or tall big or small. We are not from different nations My relatives are big my relatives are small my relatives are short My relatives are tall. We are not predators. That is true. We've never been predators I'm telling you this is a poem about my family my whole generation and also me Save for us save trees save good things for you and me Save pandas save giraffes save the animals walking paths Save papers save books books are not to tear they are to take a look Save houses save the mob. Don't spray graffiti on the wall awesome 10 years old Ain't that something and she wrote every last one of those poems. Ain't that something? Okay, our next poet is gonna be I met this brother last year after the 49er Raiders game and We got the rap in there and One of the top poets in the country In fact, he stole a show last year. Let's give a good round of applause to Roderick Clue Jr. I don't know how I follow that. She was great. Wasn't she give her a hand again three poems concerning love all of my poetry is about love or friends first one's pretty brown lady My pretty brown lady strong and independent soft and warm Your sparkling brown eyes your radiant smile brings memories of warmth and tenderness touching kissing Loving my heart yearns for you my eyes cry for you my body aches for you I love you my pretty brown lady No, whether it can touch my heart. No, whether it can fill my life my dreams my soul. Oh, babe Love me forever fill my soul with your sweet love forever and a day For those of you that have been in love Are in love or looking for it. There's a time There's a time in everyone's life when they're rescued from the blue when they find that someone knew who will say I love you There's a time in everyone's life when they begin to see the light when they know that love is right and their heart is also true The time can be so short or the time can be so long But no matter how we find it the love can be so strong It's the time in everyone's life that love will not forget true feelings that were met two lovers in love's song Sometimes we meet someone and it lasts about that long. It's a special moment Fading into the past then into obscurity our love reached out for that special heart in which to be We loved so hard so fast so we thought both realizing the end not caring what our love brought We were special for a moment Sharing each other's heart Resting in a place of solitude praying for that new start now Realizations of the future with loves from the past brings new meaning to love that will last But in every present we will always remember the special moment that will never surrender I told you still the show Our next poet This brother we grew up together and I predict that this brother is going to be the next make a name to come out of The city the biggest name since Danny Glover He directed the play telling like it is. He's a brilliant actor and writer and producer and He's awesome beautiful brother beautiful family and a talented family his sons are right poetry and wife, I mean, this is a beautiful brother here and Can't say enough about him, but I remember the name Widgerill James Our next poet mr. Widgerill James. Let's give him a big hand That's quite an introduction Good evening, everybody. It's really a pleasure to be here. I want to thank Larry and Lee for organizing this It's really nice to have the opportunity to share some of my thoughts with you Really nice to see all these young people young lady. You are talented keep on writing Jesus Christ I'm gonna do a few poems from for you tonight The first one is brother misguided My misguided brother think hard about what you do Because it not only misrepresents me it misrepresents your mama, too You always out trying to cheat lie and steal Man, don't you know your son's got to play with the cards that you deal There's all kind of people out there who know what you've done What do you think when what they they would do feel or do when they look up and here comes your son? Is he just like his daddy his uncle or all the rest man? We're getting tired of your mess You often say you're doing your own thing It doesn't have anything to do with me or your brother, but that's not the same opinion that we get from all the others Morally dyslexic your numbers are comparatively few It's just a shame that what you do reflects on your mama your dad your sister your brother your cousin your son your daughter and your neighborhood too The next poem is snow king For me many dream I come from a land where the sun is hot And the day is long. I'm often chewed in leaf form so men can carry on From foreign lands. I'm sought by many who desire to take me home to make their wealth a plenty At first it seems a pleasure to share my presence, but soon your whole life is about me I am the essence. I'm a friend to all who want to be rich But often my poor friends wind down in a ditch For it is not I but the greed of man that calls the negativity to permeate throughout the land Some people call me white powder or snow and when you're down I can make you go What was once a pleasure is now a necessity you and I that's how it has to be I Don't play with you in a physical way. It's through the mind that I will make you pay When you're alone or with someone at night, it's me and my presence that can make things right All you have to do is come by me and this seemingly weightless powder will set you free You dare say no, we'll see how long you can go For it's not the back aches that will call your bluff. It's the matter over mine and believe me. It's enough Believe me not then simply take a test Turn on a friend and I'll do the rest First I'll show you how pleasurable I can be But sooner not later that friend will wish she was free But until that time comes you'll share in the fund until you find out all the money is gone Cocaine is my name and control is my game Use me just once and I'll do you the same The next problem I'm going to do is called color test It's obvious to see when you look at me to know where I come from Then why must I state emphatically that I am an African? The confusion of the land inclusive of all the clans is that I am simply black get back Why must I identify this point of visual fact? For to have no homeland as others proclaim is an ugly rule to this life's game This leaves us all along with no history to diss this Simply take a color test place me like you place all the rest White skin and straight hair. Tell me from where they came Almond eyes and a yellow hue. Tell me what land does this bring in mind to you? Brown skin and straight or curly hair sounds of South America even Africa in the air Various shades of black and brown hair of curls textures unfound Blacks are African. This is a fact not just something you can give and take back To just be black is a tragedy. You see it lessens and negates our 11,000 year history So do not feel shame nor ever disclaim your right to your culturally rich past For not until then can we ever begin to rid racism and destroy its cast Thank you Some great poetry there brought by a brother with the wood drill Our next poet is gonna be He This is our About seventh time doing a poetry program together He's one of the my opinion this next brother's one of the top poets in the country in the world You're gonna hear about this brother too He's one of the top poets in the world period Without further ado, let me introduce The outstanding mr. Rudolph Valentino Brelin Rudy Brelin Thank you. I don't know about that bigger dude about the Top poet in the world. I guess I'll be a judge someday But I just do what I feel and it comes from my heart and I guess the spirit from above and I'm just grateful that God has gave me that talent And I'm privileged to be here today to share it The first poem I like to read I'm gonna read about three or four poems Then we're gonna do a rob robin later on come back up It's a mlk Calling calling calling a doctor doctor dr king. Where does your spirit flow? Calling a doctor doctor. Where are you now? King weighs king days Same freedom rain the bells of liberty Keep the dream alive. We have a holiday. Which is your birthday? This will keep your dream from fading away This hope will not die Your happy birthday will keep it fresh in our mind As the holiday grows up on us with time calling a doctor Calling a doctor your spirit which lives calling Walter Luther King This is your dream on freedom trail. Don't let it be put up on the bookshelf Your voice saying your preaching saying Your teaching spreads peace stop violence calling the doctor We are feeling your marching. We are boycotting our choices voting with action in our voices Being active not passive For human rights for shelter for homeless calling the doctor extinguished racism Feed the hungry love not hate peace Not war With all the street violence and the violence in the world today's uh Well, let the poem speak for itself guns Guns guns are Not for fun guns are for real metal Deadly steel no joke. It is for real A d of dark and dirty deal Bloody bullets they kill and hurt No guns control leaving no Leaving a one-way street with no place to go driving us to our death Once alive is now dead killing out of control guns In cars behind doors in pockets on the street corners killing the enemy our friend guns How many will guns kill today? How many guns will make many cry a gun killed quicker than a knife Killed a singer kills a father kills a mother kills a sister kills a brother A gun to kill Who you choose or who you don't choose guns Guns are for real bring death Dead end deal guns is to kill the feeling within Guns to break the heart guns to create a river of tears Guns to to build a mountain of fear Danger zone at home With a gun danger zone behind doors guns a blood and sweat Guns in the child hand. They killed a woman or man guns easy way Out easy way to use and easy to abuse guns for protection Guns for emotion from any direction guns are for real gun is a real dirty and really steadily still deal I like to ask you a question. I don't know I know a few of you, but I don't know any of you personally, but The next poem I have you had your throat cut lately Are you? Oh, we'll we'll see about that Are you happy sad or glad are you living or existing? Are you working searching reaching for the new glues to the old while Life goes on without you to live on a ride high or tight Have you had your throat cut lately? Maybe by a budget butcher knife that cuts away all living existence Bring all hardships up to surface. Maybe a layoff that brings existence to a complete halt Maybe going out of business that puts you out of touch with the living world. Have you had your throat cut lately? Have you have you had your throat cut lately? Inflation bringing out frustration taxes so much you cannot sleep Talks of nuclear bombs dropping at your door Food prices so high it takes away your appetite. The rich gets richer the poor get poorer Gas making life a high rise of price house moving people into the streets while owning a home becomes unknown I ask you fill your name. Maybe you don't know it. Maybe you don't feel it The blood is there. Have you had your throat cut lately? Well, they give a different side of the coin. I'll leave on this round with this one lift Lift your head push on forward Self-esteem being the mainstream To paths of doors or hopes and dreams raise your voice to be clearly heard Love peace and happiness are the key words Rejoice for the freedom to be able to make a choice Don't hang up your brain for with it. You control everything Lift your head push it up and push out elevate your heart to the highest peak Push your soul to search and reach is only as difficult as you make it The blood flows out The lungs scream out to breathe and to spread joy about The heart chows out the beat of harmony of life Lift your feeling to touch the inner feeling set your inspiration afar to create the true desire Lift your spirit to burn the The imagination in the true smoke Force a chain of chain reaction. Push your emotion for a satisfaction and don't be paralyzed or worried to lie Stay alert. Keep the reality alive The only a believer is only a true believer and the true achiever. Thank you The next uh poor to be um me Um I would like to uh dedicate this uh These these poems are going to be dedications. Uh, this uh poem is going to be a dedication to a very special person to me and in my life um She's a very dedicated and hard-working and loving person and uh I love you madly and that's my mother right there. Uh miss mitchell This poem is a tribute to my mother It's entitled for the lady something special May a lovely summer breeze kiss you. Good morning May your hearts be touched and blessed with the beauty of love and life as your life flow like an endless river Be a lady be yourself and in time you'll have the bestest world has to offer Be loving be sweet be tender be real and in time you'll have the bestest life has to offer Let your heart's dream, but don't get caught in the midst of fantasy Time spent dreaming can be time wasted unless your heart reads for the beautiful things The world this life has to give this world has to offer For the lady something special and that's very special to my mother there So The next poem is uh This beautiful young lady back here in the back uh stellar there This one is entitled The splendor of ghetto suave sweet expressions Hey there lovely lady warm beautiful sweet tender sexy sincere and all of them kind of nice things You're even more to my heart Lady love i've searched all of my life All of my life looking for your kind of loving tenderness. It's beautiful and real Oh, what is all this sweet love? I feel I see it in your eyes and I feel your love looking through the windows of my world And my lovely one your smile is a warm and wonderful reflection of the love that's in your heart And when I look into your eyes, I find myself saying my goodness alive You I ain't nervous your lips Your lips sure look tasty. I bet they are very very sweet lady. How much chance is very good I hope I'd be proud to be your celeb a lot maybe anytime all the time Day and night and then we can share the beauty and pleasure of evening walks hand in hand Strolling through the park stop under palm tree dancing in the moonlight so we can kiss and hug and whisper sweet Something's as a warm and lovely summer breeze Strung sweet melodies from the strings of tender summer leaves baby you and me together Sweet melody magic as our hearts dance in celebration of the beautiful beginning of our love affair Hearts touch on this lovely day sweet love smiles now Let us listen to the sweet beat of falling rain Beautiful music to our ears sweet music for our hearts As we dance to love The The next poem, um, I would like to dedicate this to uh my great on alice and uh on elizabeth they uh My mother's mother's sisters and uh They went to a better place and this is especially for on elizabeth and on alice And it won two national awards. I wrote as I attribute to mardin with the king. It's entitled Somewhere someone has said and done something beautiful Out of the midnight blue as a gentle breeze tames the turbulent winds and the pouring rain Then as the rainy clouds parted the sunshine smiled upon all of the people of the world Then the eyes of the sky opened and gave us a beautiful day in the sun Then people opened their eyes with the profound respect for life Then people opened their hearts and gave love that filled other people's hearts with appreciation for life Then people opened their minds the reservoirs of wisdom and poured golden knowledge into the mainstreams of society As hearts of love and rhythm with life get ready to set sail from which the ships of friendship will sail Carrying the cargo of love trust unity brotherhood friendship and understanding The rages and seas have mellowed down from the love touch waves Tranquility and sweet serenity is the music we hear Somewhere someone has said and done something beautiful I've touched upon every shore as my desire to rise to the golden heights Inspiration elevated my heart and I saw it above every mountain I spoke of unity for all mankind and the skies were peacefully filled in fire in rain And in darkness in times of a storm In times of uncertainty I know that there will be sunshine because Somewhere someone has said and done something beautiful And um That's that form and end up the next poem. Thank you. Thank you um Another special dedication is uh to uh mr. Uh willham and uh senior Uh a very fine gentleman. He's uh deceased and uh He was one of the original founders of the uh Hunters Point Bayview co-op and that's our history and that's our heritage and it's important that we acknowledge and Respect that and we remember um God bless you there mr. Hammond the next poem uh Is um, I would like to dedicate this to uh Tangular Collins her for 18th birthday. Uh, this one is entitled Love is life Love is life and life is so very very nice when the atmosphere is pleasant and thoughts are peaceful peaceful Life for living is like a warm and beautiful feeling touching you touching your heart As looking to the beautiful horizons you see children playing warm and safe under the loving eyes of the friendly skies Vivacious energetic and so full of life and love is life As the wonderfulness of the day settles in May something warm touch your heart And kiss you good morning May life be beautiful to you and may life be beautiful for you Happy birthday there Our next, uh, thank you our next uh poet is going to be uh Uh, brother dewayne here Um, this brother's uh another talented writer and I met him uh early in the year and uh I look for a lot of great poetry from this, uh, brother. So let's give a brother dewayne here a great hand Good evening. I come to you in the name of the lord jesus christ And i'm gonna recite some poems the lord gave me a surrender solution and salvation surrender says Many times I find it hard to express myself Afraid to open my mouth Walking around depressed Knowing things could be better by just letting it out Seeking answers about the emotions I feel not enjoying life Excepting that is real If I would just try Put forth some effort and relax That's god who's always on time Never late to pick up your slack When times get tough, I mean really hard I want you to know someone's there the lord god solution Lord Hear the prayer I pray that you're right my wrongs that I do each day Send down your prayer in a healing hand Let peace ran throughout your land Strengthen the youth Who must carry on that the time will come when the elders are gone Yes Read this land of its evil dope and replace it with everlasting hope To you oh lord, I give thanks and praise But it was you who brought me through these days When times get tough and seems like no one here I know there's a god who's always near You're a wonderful father always forgiven Even when I'm living the worst kind of living I find love and peace that some haven't heard and which I find in your word Which is the truth of word Thank you lord, thank you And this is salvation Rejoice in the lord For god so loved the world that he gave has only begotten son Let us rejoice in the lord For jesus died on the cross for our sin. Let us rejoice in the lord For jesus arose Let us rejoice in the lord When we woke up this morning Rejoice in the lord for this day god bless you our next port is gonna be uh I work with this brother here now, you know, we uh talk a lot and uh This brother is a talented musician and Another name to remember He's going to be a monster talent Our next port is uh, uh, philip hadley Let's give a big hand for you Good evening. It's nice to be here tonight I'm really like my second chance ever to share my poetry with someone other than by the phone And uh, I'm going to do three points for you tonight. Uh, the first one I'm going to do is Entitled by my brother's hand Because I feel that I have a responsibility to my people To state what I see going on The second poem I'm going to do is one that is about nature Has to do with our environment because I believe we have a responsibility And my third poem will be a love poem I wrote this poem on napkins. It's kind of harder. It's kind of hard to see. I was sitting in subway Let's see Okay, let me just kind of get the little jitters that I got All right All right, all right By my brother's hand I looked into the eyes of a demon And I saw he longed for those good old days When blacks were strapped whipped up and down their backs and cry and cry and bleed as he strapped to the tree But as he pleased no one to hear his plea No NAACP No emancipation proclamation. Just a white man's whip and a strong indignation In hatred for what he knows to be true That blacks will advance no matter what he may do. He wishes there never was a Malcolm X Black history's been hidden from the u.s. School text Never being told what was really done How black children were murdered how our black men were hung Brutalized and countless cases Our black sisters raped on a daily basis But I swear sometimes it seems we forget An act as if slavery never did exist when it still does Though it be a different kind enduring a different time The shackles taken off our ankles and placed on our minds and maybe even harder to escape When we refuse to recognize that we're still being raped Demons got us raping one another fatherless children and selling crack to our brothers blacks killing blacks for scraps from the white man's table I wish this was a fable But in reality as far as I can see we got a long way to go before we're gonna be free You see brothers and sisters it's time for revival It is a necessity for the black man survival We must awaken those who sleep give hope and vision to those who are weak and from hope We gain strength to raise for the prize freedoms on the horizon freedoms peace of mind Love for our sisters and love for our brothers But first love for ourselves Because if we don't love ourselves then we really can't have too well And we can't reach out and share that love with others And just as the flower's wither So do our brothers And our women and children live on in distress As another black man is laid down to best Yeah, I looked into the eyes of a demon But I made a mistake. It's not the old days. He was singing You see he's got a new whip and a whole new game plan Destruction of the black man By his own brother's hand Thank you Thank you. Thank you. I thank you for that response um Like I said the next poem here, there's a uh, it's gonna take it down a little bit this time Okay, I can match that Uh You know, I don't even have a title for this poem right here. Uh I'm just gonna call it eternal things In life sometimes there are disappointments time to make you want to cry There's pain. There's tears. There's loneliness. There's loss of life and so much strife And all who live and all who breathe All who feel and all who care All are linked by this chain Tell me who has not yet felt the rain So journey's in a world of sin a pilgrim's journey midst the wind Of mountains high and valleys low Of oceans deep and progress slow Of beauty seen but overlooked The flowers tear the earth is shook the trees that stood now dead to lay To burn to rot to drift decay We claim intelligence for we can build yet everything we touch we kill Poisoning the earth's own life is man so smart is man so right Spin to build and build to fight fast approaching is the night Things not live worth more than life Tell me in will will well tell me when we'll end the strife As of now the birds still sing To their maker their voices ring There once were many but now were few Extinctions the torture they've been put through Exploit abuse misusing trample Living worse with each example And those who learn from life's long past Are hunted down to be killed at last A justice of our own kind Self-deceived and happy blind All life efforts for earthly means Denying the weight of eternal things I got so much I want to do here and share with you but I Let me see I'm a I'm gonna try to um Okay, thank you Okay, this one here is going to be it's entitled what you see is what you get And this is from a strictly male perspective So ladies watch out I really like this poem right here, but it's when I say it's from a male's perspective I mean, it's just it's just basically something that's true You know because a lot of brothers out here and there's a black man It's already kind of rough. We all know that it's rough as a sister And everybody's really just trying to make it And only thing a brother really wants is somebody that's going to stick by a side You know, uh, I know that's what I want Okay, here we go here we go most of it is in the memory, but I don't want to forget It's called what you see is what you get It's like this It's one second. Give it as other stuff. So I won't get confused Here we go Ladies Right now, I don't have much girl As far as material things go But what I've got I'll share with you of just to let you know that I care for you You see all right now. All I got is me in a pocket full of dreams A bright future and some time for you But unfortunately it seems that it's just not enough for you Not the lifestyle you're accustomed to Despite the fact I'm young and black and making it despite these whacks people trying to hold me down Keep me down and kick me around But you ain't seen the entire picture You've just seen the scenes they sent you and now they got you gold digging Trying to tear me down to support your living You want it all at once and it's just not that simple It's gonna take more than pretty dimples to help you get ahead in life So you might as well just treat me right After all I understand this game How society has got you trained But if you can love me for who I am what I am and understand that right now I'm investing in my mind and that the perks of life will come in time Then we really have a chance at this and that's kind of rare true happiness You see we've got to learn to look beyond see the rising sun before the dawn Judge the heart in ones intent loving even if no money's spent Even if after all the reverse is true I too must love you just for you Even if nothing in your hands you bring just bring your love girl Just bring your dreams and together we'll make each one come true Believe in me as I believe in you I thank you again, I appreciate that We'll see you next year I told you we had some master poets One of the greatest poets in the world up here Is any doubt now? coming to you live from Hunters Point, California Our next poet is um This is um Julia, uh, Wembley's nephew. Um, I met him at one of the business seminars and uh This brother's another talented poet and uh name is uh Bo Wembley. So let's give a brother Bo a great hand I wrote this poem about um A good friend of mine She's a woman single parent And she has a lot of strength a lot of a lot of good qualities of strength is one of them That's one that says prominent I wrote this for everyone whoever Had a chance to appreciate a woman And everyone who ever had the chance to utter the word mama So that covers just about everyone It simply reads woman Simply title woman Woman mysterious is she for she loves from the heart Viewing the surface Cannot measure the depth of her love Although although her face shows grief She gives to the indigent Love her and lead her And she will be great woman You are mine I grow and challenged You have helped me grow You are mine challenged Man responsible to lead woman You are mine challenged You have pierced my heart With your convictions You are mine challenged Your love has helped me to remain free from desolation Today I search to gather strength You are mine challenged Open your arms And embrace destiny You are mine challenged The woman of my desire Much love I love in love This progression has made me a happy man Fire burns within my soul For the woman of my desire Every emotion is satisfied By the love God saw fit To trust me with I will never let go of my love for the father Or my love for the woman of my desire As long as I live My love will live As long as I breathe My love will breathe As long as I feel How long to touch you As long as I see I will look to you For you are the woman of my desire No one else can compare to the love God has made especially for me You are the woman of my desire You're chosen When we go home May he make us perfect And may we sit by his throne and be glad He chose us to do his will My life is no life without the way the truth in the life I've been admiring you Your thirst for life calls me higher I know God has you in hand Knowledge of you brings my heart joy We have a covenant Few will enjoy Many are called But we are chosen Thank you Okay our next poet Um Brother Andrew introduced me To this young lady and um She recited a poem to me yesterday and I said uh, I only have one thing to say Monstrous um, so our next poet is uh, Shirley McCoy uh, let's give her a great round of applause This is my first time and it really is an honor and a pleasure to be Asked to share some of my poetry And the title of this is african pride This is okay Beautiful black brothers and sisters Be thankful for your african heritage That's full of pride Your heirs of a great continent Wants ruled by kings and queens Whose voices are still crying on the wind To let freedom ring as a people You were robbed Robbed of your freedom land and gold But your pride and faith you still hold So let the love of your race Become your struggle for liberation Against all unlawful bands To strengthen our voices So we become countless as the sands beautiful black brothers and sisters Embrace your african pride You're crowned with the highest of honor Adorned with dignity and grace Intelligent, agile warriors of strength Leaders of non-violence and patience You are the epitome of a great nation Beautiful black brothers and sisters Share your african pride You have inherited a great legacy of wealth You're gifted with knowledge Creativity and talent Your culture is girded With love, faith, hope and pride To embrace unity at home and across the miles You are the creators and masters of a unique style Beautiful black brothers and sisters love your african pride Your spirit's bearish roots throughout the motherland The beauty of your soul is reflected in your eyes The grit of your pride is a mirror of your style The strength of your faith is stronger than the weight on your brows The charisma of your power will help bring about a better day For your children and their children Watching and learning from the lifestyles you portray Beautiful black brothers and sisters, remember To be thankful, to embrace, to share and to love your african pride Thank you I was telling sister Charlotte that it was a breeze Like George Benson said, a breeze and Our next poet is going to be This brother knows my father, Reverend Ware His name is Kenneth Newkirk So he's going to come up and do a poem for you And Lee's going to follow The Olivier, she's going to follow Kenneth with some beautiful poetry Kenneth, let's give him a big hand Okay I didn't know anything about this event It was luckily I wrote a poem in May To a sparrow grass poetry forum And come to find out my poem got accepted for publication into a worldwide magazine Thank you I had Mr. Ware, Larry over the telephone I was introduced to him by his father I come here tonight for some mother business And my mother told me she sent me this back So I'm reading this, I only have one The title of this poem is called Locked Up I've done an illegal thing and had been convicted of a crime The judge and district attorney have agreed to give me time Whether I agree with the outcome, no one really care A cell jail wall I will begin to stare I will not allow doubt, depression, or sadness to enter my home I don't believe all hope is gone When I give up, my freedom is over A faithless person in search of a four-leaf clover As long as I forgive myself, everything will be fine Because Locked Up is only a state of mind Outstanding We'll introduce the next poet This lady, she does a really beautiful job here at the Bayview Wadden branch And they're so dedicated, Lee Olivier and the staff there They go out of their ways to really help our patrons And we want full participation out of the patrons in our neighborhood And show that we have pride in our library And our schools and our neighborhood And as I said, Lee works tireless hours and works very hard Dana, Valentine, and the rest of the staff I mean, they really go out of their way So Lee's going to come up and do some poetry But let's give her a big hand because she works so hard I mean, I can't say enough about Lee Well, I wish I could say I was a poet I'm not a poet, I'm a poet-appreciator And I have become a major fan of Maya Angelou And I wanted to read two of her poems to you To close this first segment The first one is called Take Time Out When you see them on a freeway, hitching rides, wearing beads With packs by their sides You ought to ask, what's all the warring and the jarring And the killing and the thrilling all about? Take time out When you see him with a band around his head And an army surplus bunk that makes his bed You'd better ask, what's all the beating And the cheating and the bleeding and the needon all about? Take time out When you see her walking barefoot in the rain And you know she's trippin' on a one-way train You need to ask, what's all the lyin' and the dyin' And the runnin' and the gunnin' all about? Take time out Use a minute, feel some sorrow For the folks who think tomorrow Is a place that they can call up on the phone Take a month and show some kindness For the folks who thought that blindness Was an illness that affected eyes alone If you know that youth is dyin' on the run And my daughter trades dope stories with your son We'd better see what all our fearin' and our jarring And our cryin' and our lyin' brought about Take time out I love this lady, I'm going to see her on She's in town this next week The last one I want to do is called on aging When you see me sitting quietly Like a sack left on the shelf Don't think I need your chatterin' I'm listenin' to myself Hold, stop, don't pity me Hold, stop your sympathy Understandin' if you got it Otherwise I'll do without it When my bones are stiff and achin' And my feet won't climb the stair I will only ask one favor Don't bring me no rockin' chair When you see me walkin', stumblin' Don't study and get it wrong Cause tired don't mean lazy And every goodbye ain't gone I'm the same person I was back then A little less hair, a little less chin A lot less lungs and much less wind But ain't I lucky I can still breathe in? The last thing I want to tell you is The library's got lots of good poetry There's a sample of some of it over there This is from the library You can check this out You can check that out You can check others out there So come and see us Wow Wasn't that a great show, people? I would like to give a very special Thank you to all of the poets Who attended and participated I mean, oh, Brother Phillip over there Over there Let's give Brother Bo Wembley a hand Give Sister Shelly here a hand Brother Woodrell a hand Mr. Rudy Breeland a hand there And Amanda Sheldon, let's get us this one Brother Kenneth, let's give him a round of applause And Brother Rodrick here Let's give him a great round of applause