May 27, 2010

corner office

i miss my old office
each wall had a window
a panoramic view of the city.
i would spend hours sitting
standing
pacing.
visitors would stop by
some talked
some i ignored.
late nights
i would take a nap
drift
only to be awaken by the conductor
telling me
we arrived at the last stop.

May 25, 2010

voyeur

if you look to the sky,
death will look back.
ghosts of stars sprinkle light
to the earth's surface.
traces of explosions
points its eye to yours.
life runs in circles
plainly revealing its secrets.

May 23, 2010

A Note from Santana Copeland

The night owl takes over and the child emerges. I feel like a kid again. Life's possibilities are endless and the only thing you can do is to sit back and enjoy the ride. We are able to look back and laugh at hard times. But the trick is to laugh at hard times during hard times. Try it one day.

a million black men walking in one direction

is scary
and exciting
to witness

May 20, 2010

hidden

a therapist sits
stares at an empty couch.
the second hand runs a marathon
eyes glance to the door
the knob does not move.
light from the hallway
sneaks into the room,
diplomas certificates paintings
close in on the shrink
until a deep breath blows
everything back to normal proportions.
shadows from the hallway
breaks the beam of light.
the shadow's owner
paces up and down the hallway
as the therapist waits
for the door to open.

May 18, 2010

untitled

restless nights take two in the head.
the mind needs to trick the body
but thoughts need to trick the mind.
battles erupt throughout the kingdom
civil war grips cities in a vice
lines are drawn
crossed then redrawn.
death's cousin sweeps the landscape
knocks down the windows of all who dare stare.
children play in the street
rejoice
reclaim the air and fill it with laughter
the old man sings his lullaby’s
his voice travel the peaks and valleys
it crosses the globe until
the destination meets the start.

May 17, 2010

A Note from Santana Copeland

This is a special Monday edition. I'm not going to talk about what happened on Sunday. I'll just say it was a good day. Things happen in life. They throw our "plans" out the window. We need to accept this and not beat ourselves up when things don't happen the way it was "suppose" to happen. Have fun with it. And like a friend of mine said, "you have one life to live". So live it and don't take it too serious.

showdown

two men sit in a trench
the night's sky watches them
they ignore the heavens
listen to the thunder.
fireworks go off
closer and closer
they anticipate the onslaught.
they close their eyes
pray to different gods
for safety
the safety of their brothers in arms
the safety of families left on different continents
the prayer ends.
it is upon them
they dart into the blinding storm.
in a matter of minutes
these two men will meet
one will die by the hands of the other.

May 13, 2010

limitless and free

each year
adults place
invisible shackles on their bodies.
they call it progress
being an adult
realistic.
call it what you may,
bonds drown you
restrict happiness
kill dreams and laughter.
the soul dies by the hands of the pessimist.
it's okay to dream
to put action behind the dream
and before you know it
you are living the dream
creating a blissful reality
one baby step at a time.

May 11, 2010

american made

the bar code on my arm
tells the story
of my life
each line each digit
breaks my existence into a few sentences.

the rfid tag under my skin
gives watchers
the play by play of my movements.
(yes, i was there for nine hours
and that was the beginning of the night.)

the magnetic strip on my plastic
reflect spending habits
indulgence surfaces at a high price.

nothing is secret.

May 9, 2010

A Note from Santana Copeland

Before I step outside and see sunlight for the first time today I send another poem for your consumption. We tend to hide parts of ourselves from friends, family, and strangers. I am slowly opening my doors and the results have been good. It is unbelievable what we learn about ourselves and each other when we decide not to be shy and reveal our true selves to the world.

de-escalation

four eyes dart across the room.
animals stay in the corner
salivating over potential prey.
intended targets are unknown
on guard
i prepare for combat
hat tipped forward
to hide eyes
allowing me to keep tabs on the beasts.
jacket zipped
minimized exposed clothing
nothing to grab
they stalk pace
i tense ready
death drips from their pores
anger pumps through vascular systems
the train stops
doors open
potential threat disappears
occupants breath lighter
i unzip my jacket.

May 2, 2010

friction

the heat produced
keeps us warm during
harsh times.
it burns the skin
scorching hair and flesh.
the cool down
creates a hard
rhinosaurous texture.
the pain lessens
allowing us to storm the beaches
without fear.

desert wonderland

snow flakes burn
before hitting the cacti.
a piece of trash surfs
and finds freedom in the ocean.
water is paraded
while the city is in a draught.
the illusion trickles
from canine to politicians.
truth slowly reveals itself
no one pays attention to it
people ignore reality
embracing the status quo.
the sane feel insane
for being sane
among an insane population.
welcome to paradise.

circles within circles

an elementary school kid is pushed by a junior high
the younger one tells his older brother
older brother fights junior high student.

a corner boy disrespects an outsider
outsider comes back with his boys
the two sides clash.

downstate water is contaminated by upstate pollution
a law suit is filed
the counties will harbor ill will, settle out of court.

developing nation’s airspace is violated by super power
super power ignores the concerns of developing nation
rival nations come to the aide of developing, weapons are drawn.

gang members display
rags, beads, colors, tats, signs, tags.

nations display
flags, slogans, tariffs, ignorance.