“I had to make something of myself” He had tattoos and a shaved head His past was more than a memory It was a life that that almost left him for dead As I let him stick the needle in I felt no pain while I measured his pride My indifference was for a moment forgotten As I considered his leap across the great divide
“Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” Mere words spoken easily on a sunny day Should a man define himself by his possessions Or the distance traveled to find his way? The gates of hell were made known to me As the pardoned ghetto rat walked my way In his calm moment he spoke as if he had seen God And reminded of the blessings we throw away
“Honor your mother and your father” His child wanted to climb only one family tree He carried the mark of brown and white And wondered which one he should be But there is no choice to make It is the life of a half-breed And the gangster nurse knew The pain his choices would breed
“Oh so now you’re too good for us” His future was as uncertain as his past But in the wisdom of the violence he had vanquished He knew it was time to stop the legacy at last The man with the face of America’s fear Said goodbye to the people who had his back In his hands were the eyes looking for a father And in his words was the courage that I lack
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