Ancestral pride is in his stride,
His destiny forward march
Refined in pressure of midnight hours
Refusing surrender to slumber as mind
Wrestled with knowledge until
It blessed and changed his name. I
Don’t know him, but feel his triumphant
Procession around the corner, walking
In flight to future purchased by prayers.
Warm breeze dripping off robe
Like black wings/ he walks on air
Feet stepping to demand of mind aflame
Walking over buried slaves who built this
Vine gardened campus speaking through
Ancient trees/ whisper praise and power
Incantations over his life. Head bobs
Untroubled by gravity, to music of his
Born again will, every lifted shoe-shined step,
Raised in homage to plantation revolutionaries
Black uncracked weary faces of Queens
Locked up in white folks kitchen prisons,
To which he shall never return. His
Mom and Daddy await him, as the Queen
And I await ours, eyes sparkling
With pent up tears/ joy so deep it aches
Like aftermath of conception passion ages ago
And the earth breaking in blood and moans
In birth room so long ago, and so near here,
As memories collide with precious moment
Never to be revisited, like those stumbling first
Steps/ sweet baby smile of self conquest
So long ago, so near here, as we Mamas and Daddies
Open arms to receive, no longer able
To lift them, to cherish the squeeze of love
Around each others’ hearts, closeness
Transcending time, a momentary return
Of little boy discovering power of baby steps,
And man stepping into destiny with pride
In his stride, as arms open, forever,
To let go
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