Photo Credit: Brooke Lark

I have never been wealthy but I have been rich,

With true love, food, some were good, some were bad,

Some of the time: I have never had a spacious,

Well structure, stable house,

And everything in order, most of the time: Well decorated,

With class, elegant chandelier, large windows,

State of the art and beautiful crystal morning skylight:

I can say there are moments, I have felt unprotected,

Not valued, by those who may feel discomfort of my knowledge,

My love one’s and my present dreams to rise:

And moments I felt unsafe with those who takes pleasure

To disturb, the soul-body mind:

I never knew what it takes to truly thrive,

For things that matters, to uplift mankind,

For there were always someone behind the scene, watching,

Observing if I am doing things right; there are someone

Who feels threaten, jealous, pulling the string,

To be far greater, in life: And when they are displeased,

By my stance, by my voice, by my appearance, and remind me,

There are in charge, there’s are troubling souls

And bias of a color line:

I never knew true love, until I birth my children,

Until I shed many tears of us being divide,

From choices I made not knowing sometimes I fail them,

Let down myself through the politics of wealth,

Religion, color line, power, that make a young girl,

Boy, man, and a woman cry: Yet, I am thankful,

I am being taught, what is wrong, what is right,

By examples in my life, from those, who are truly wise;

To honor those before me, those present,

Even if they are in the wrong or in the right;

To honor my love ones and their humanity rights:

I am thankful for the experience, the knowledge,

from those who are in charge to reach a place amongst those

Who may see bias, amongst themselves and a troubling mind:

I am thankful also, that I am being taught that a wealthy person

Is a gracious mother, a gracious father, a gracious husband,

A gracious wife, forgiving the self, when some of us

Felt mistreated, used, mis-guided, some of us are unwise:

Has I will myself to breathe in gratitude,  I am thankful for the sun;

The stars, I wish to see at night, with my true love ones,

And the moon that glows, somewhere in the night.

© 2023 Empress Journee