I Respect You
(from the upcoming chapbook Toronto The Good,
also performed on the song "Don't Judge Me"
by Ekko Effect featuring Thea Monroe)
I respect you no matter where you're from
but I respect you more if you survive my
city with heart. Even though I've only just
survived myself. I've only just begun
to thrive myself, to stand on my own two.
If you think you're going to stand out
in this concrete jungle with the biggest,
tallest dreams, teeming, heat rising, smog
colouring the sky, you've got another thing
coming. I came of age in this place,
running for my life, always playing catch-up.
Running in place, with the God-given gifts
to win in a race where my rivals have a head
start. Finish your rant about how unfair life is
and get going, you can't afford to be late.
Your job pays just enough for bus fare
to and from work, you can't afford to lose it.
You can't be a chooser, the food bank it is,
to fill up on secondhand items that weren't
even your second choice or third but Plan A
and B didn't work. You said you'd never
settle for sloppy seconds, kiss your dreams
goodbye. They are secondary to survival in
the city with heart, but no respect. Don't
expect too much too soon, but don't be
infected by this epidemic of low expectations.
Decide what you want from this city and
take it.
Back Then(performed at monthly Toronto spoken word event
"Love Jones Sundays" on May 5th, 2013)
Back then I had nothing
in my pocket but pain,
nothing in my stomach
but anger I felt
no way out
no way about
lifting a patty from
the school cafeteria.
The school short-changed me
in many ways I didn't think
twice. Three or more times
I relieved kids of their wallets
to relieve my hunger, my anger
soothed and stoked at once
at what I found in them. I found
that my hunger was realer
than kids supposedly realer
than me. Hence the unmatched
passion and dedication
with which I performed
these crimes
