AFROETRY

Afrocentric Poetry that Educates & Motivates

By Linda Mayfield-Hayes

Slendah Publishing

Brooklyn, NY

 2004-2005 by Linda Mayfield-Hayes. Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-ShareAlike 2.0

Front Cover artwork by Cmyjoy Creations. Back Cover photo by Glamour Shots

The name of any person or persons, living or deceased, mentioned in this book, are for the express purpose of entertainment, education and motivation. The author's intent was not to harm or offend. This book represents the author's own personal opinions poetically expressed. Readers are encouraged to do their own fact finding research, in order to draw their own conclusions.

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the founder of Negro History Week which later became Black History Month.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I first give thanks and praises to my Heavenly Father who makes all things possible. I would also like to thank my two wonderful new friends, Carol Rogers and Brenda Piper, for their encouragement and support. These two women are a real inspiration to me and to others. Last but not least, I thank Ronald L. Salter (MrRon) for his wisdom, advise and bountiful love.

Look to the past to inform the future.

A POET OF FEW WORDS

A short while back, when I first auditioned, a well-known poet sat back and listened. I finished my piece and was about to sit, when she said she just wasn't feelin' it. I felt her criticism was kind of rough, then she said my poems weren't long enough. Well, obviously, she hadn't heard, that I am a poet of few words. I don't have to bore my audience to sleep, in order for them to know my words are deep. The next week, I saw her perform on stage, I watched, expecting her to be all the rage. Her poems were quite lengthy, this much is true, but held no significant message for me or you. As she rambled on, I prayed she would quit, because frankly, I just wasn't feelin' it.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Afroetry ...9 This Is Why I Write ...10 Dreadlocks ...11 Beneath The Sand ...12 Falsifying History ...13 Coming To America ...14 Lost & Found Identity ...15 Nigger ...17 Cowrie Shells, The Ankh & Kente Cloth ...18 DNA: DestiNation Africa ...19 African Family Reunion ...20 Inventions ...21 Mother Is Calling ...22 Talking Drums ...23 Freedom Torch ...25 From The Mouth Of A Babe ...26 It Takes A Village ...27 Black Prodigy ...28 Modern Day Slaves ...29
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

Unfairness of Working in America ...30 Anger Management ...31 Uncle Sam Wants You, Black Man ...33 War Makes Peace? ...34 Lady Soldier ...35 Second Class Citizens ...37 White Sheets ...38 Oklahoma Bombing ...39 Light Skin People, Dark Skin People ...41 Bad Blood ...42 Watch What You Eat ...43 Indigenous Knowledge ...44 On This Path Called Life ...45 African Burial Ground ...46 Souls In Transition ...47 I Believe ...48 The World Wonders ...49 Normally Invisible ...50 Luther's Songs ...51
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AFROETRY

Afrocentric poetry Flowing from my heart Reaching for the truth about Our majestic start Each one, teach one That's how it should be Remember we're the chosen ones Yahweh will set us free.

This Is Why I Write

To make a start To free my heart, To clear my head To wake the dead, To educate To motivate, This is why I write; Flow with me. To serve a cause To open doors, To reach a goal To purge my soul, To try to share To show I care, This is why I write; poetry.

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DREADLOCKS

Daring to be different Rebellious to the bone Evolving into a spiritual being Acknowledging Africa as my home Defining true black beauty Loving who and what I am Overriding beauty standards set by Uncle Sam Choosing to wear my hair Kinky as can be Sassy, sexy, dreadlock-wearing souljah, that's me!

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BENEATH THE SAND

Africa is the continent Where civilizations began Ruled by great men of color Who now lie beneath the sand; From the pyramids of Egypt From beneath the massive stone Comes evidence of great accomplishments Europeans try to claim as their own; Africans of the highest order Ruled the world as Kings and Queens As descendants of these Africans We have greatness in our genes; Our ancestors had the ability To succeed against all odds But their greatness is now abated 'Cause they thought themselves to be Gods.

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FALSIFYING HISTORY

Many museums around the world Perpetrate a lie By distorting precious artifacts Or at least they try; They take Egyptian statues With obvious negroid features Then alter them to resemble Caucasian pointy-nosed creatures; If they continue at this rate Of destroying history Our great Egyptian past Will surely be a mystery; Are other people really So bitter and so sour That they refuse to acknowledge Black people once had power.

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COMING TO AMERICA

Crossing the Atlantic Ocean With shackles on our feet Were coming to America Unaware of the life well meet; Making the 90-day journey Aboard overcrowded ships Were coming to America Being herded by men with whips; Chained to low-lying platforms Unable to stand erect Were coming to America Stripped of our self-respect; Our quarters are unventilated And unsanitary as well But were coming to America To face an even greater hell; So many of us are dying As this terrible journey embarks Were coming to America Our dead used to feed the sharks; Stacked like books on a bookshelf Packed like sardines in a can Were coming to America To be slaves in a strange land.

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LOST & FOUND IDENTITY

Since coming to America After traveling so far We've lost our true identity And now don't know who we are; We've been thoroughly mis-educated Taught a false reality In an attempt to change our thought process To a slave mentality; This is part of our punishment For not listening to God Because of our disobedience Our lives are extremely hard; We're the only group in America Stripped from whence we came They deprived of our history They even took away our name; Continued...
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Those from China are still called Chinese Those from Mexico, still Mexican While we've been called Negro, Colored, Black And Afro-American; Well, regardless of what they call us I'm here to spread the news Black people wrote the first Bible We're the original Hebrews; Our punishment won't last forever Someday God will take us back Imagine the joy of reaching Heaven And discovering GOD is BLACK.

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NIGGER

They call me nigger I was made in God's image They blasphemy God.

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COWRIE SHELLS, THE ANKH & KENTE CLOTH

Cowrie shells, the ankh and kente cloth Are things that we like to wear As clothing, and as jewelry And as decoration in our hair; They're all very Afrocentric But I bet you didn't know Cowrie shells were the most popular currency In Africa many years ago; Or that the ankh was a powerful symbol Considered the key to life after death Held to noses of deceased Egyptian Kings It represented God's life given breath; Kente cloth was known as the cloth of Kings Proudly worn on special occasions Today, it's a very popular fabric Adorning everyone, including Caucasians.

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DNA: DestiNation Africa

Let me take you on a ride We'll travel through time and space Destination Africa Birthplace of the human race; We'll journey back to Africa To where it all began, Home of the oldest tribe on Earth Known as the San Bushman; All aboard the time machine Otherwise known as our blood We'll have no trouble getting around With Y-Chromosomes under the hood; We're going to trace man's origin And the clues that will lead the way Are mutated generic markers That are found in men's DNA; Through Europe, Asia, The Middle East Our blood trail takes us back Showing all men paternally related Be they red, yellow, brown, white or black; So brothers, stop killing your brothers Put your weapons down today For the proof that we're all related Lies in our DNA.

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AFRICAN FAMILY REUNION

African family reunion How interesting it would be To follow Alex Haley And retrace our family tree; Back to our native homeland Uganda, Kenya or Chad To see how African life was Before the good things went bad; Its sad we can only retrace To a time when our people were slaves Ancient ancestral traditions Carried with them to their graves; We know little of our heritage They refuse to teach it in school Celebrating ethnic diversity Is something we should all want to do; An in depth research of black history Would offer an amazing surprise We've contributed much to world progress The truth would open your eyes.

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INVENTIONS
Elevator Typewriter Lawn Mower Shoe Without these great inventions What on Earth would we do? Roller Coaster Helicopter Pacemaker Mop The list of great inventions Just never seems to stop; Refrigerator Gas Mask Toilet Bicycle Frame Though each item differs Theres one thing that's the same; Each item was created By inventors who were black Thanks to their innovation There is nothing that we lack.

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MOTHER IS CALLING

Mother is calling Calling her children Calling for them to come home; Her children are missing Missing their mother Missing and yearning for home; Her children were taken Taken from mother Taken to places unknown; Her children were beaten Beaten by strangers Beaten so they would not roam; Her children hear pounding Pounding like heartbeats Pounding drums leading them home; Centuries later Her children are coming Her children are coming back home; Back home to Mother Motherland Africa Back to their rightful thrown.

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TALKING DRUMS
Biddy-bop, biddy-bop Hear the African drums Biddy-bop, biddy-bop Understood by all tongues; Biddy-bop, biddy-bop Slaves from different tribes Biddy-bop, biddy-bop Sharing musical vibes; Biddy-bop, biddy-bop Getting in the groove Biddy-bop, biddy-bop Soon we'll make our move; Biddy-bop, biddy-bop When you hear the beat Biddy-bop, biddy-bop Start to move your feet;

Continued...
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Biddy-bop, biddy-bop Master never knew Biddy-bop, biddy-bop What our drums could do; Biddy-bop, biddy-bop Using secret code Biddy-bop, biddy-bop Our plans unfold; Biddy-bop, biddy-bop When the sun goes down Biddy-bop, biddy-bop We'll head out of town; Biddy-bop, biddy-bop You just follow me Biddy-bop, biddy-bop Soon we'll all be FREE!

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FREEDOM TORCH

Our heritage is a proud one We descend from Kings and Queens But we were ripped from our homeland Treated like animals not human beings;

As slaves we built this country Known as the US of A It's through our blood, our sweat and tears America's become what it is today;

Our struggle still continues But we'll reach that mountain top Our ancestors passed us the freedom torch And we dare not let it drop.

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FROM THE MOUTH OF A BABE

Ruby Bridges was a six years old black girl Who because of a desegregation ruling Was ordered to attend Franz Elementary School To receive her first grade schooling;

President Eisenhower ordered Federal Marshals To escort her to and from school each day As she bravely faced the threatening white mob This is what she would silently pray: ~ Please God, try to forgive these people Because even if they say those bad things They don't know what they're doing; So You could forgive them Just like You did those folks a long time ago When they said terrible things about You.

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IT TAKES A VILLAGE

What's the matter with black children of today It seems these poor souls have lost their way; It's sad to see a whole generation lost After their ancestors paid an outrageous cost; Sisters becoming hoochies, brothers becoming thugs Living the life if prostitution and drugs; Babies having babies, black-on-black crime Headed for a life of, Brother can you spare a dime? It's time to educate them, so teachers start teaching It's time to motivate them, so preachers start preaching; It takes a village to raise a child We must stop letting our children run wild; Responsibility lies with you and with me To bring love and order back to the black family.

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BLACK PRODIGY
He's a black prodigy Who at age six came up with a notion Of becoming a self-employed businessman Going door-to-door selling lotion; He's a black prodigy An exceptionally talented child He made his first million at fourteen While other teenagers were running wild; He's a black prodigy Who never let ghetto life hold him down Through hard work and determination This young man is glory bound; He's a black prodigy He's a modern day inspiration A role model, a mentor To young black males of this nation; He's a black prodigy One of the riches young black men today He's a credit to the black race And his name is Farrah Gray.

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MODERN DAY SLAVE

You may think that slavery is over But it's still alive and well Today's modern day slave resides Within a United States jail cell; There's a company called Unicor Or Federal Prison Industries They pay less than minimum wages To their inmate employees; Private companies also profit Off the sweat of prisoners backs The majority of these inmates Just happen to be male blacks; Don't go for the fast, easy money Of drug sales and prostitution That's a sure fire way of ending up In this slave trade institution; Finish school, get your education Become all that you can be Why be a slave in this system Use your head and remain free.

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UNFAIRNESS OF WORKING IN AMERICA

I work very hard for a living But why should I even try When my color prevents me from getting A larger slice of the pie; For years I have made every effort To get ahead by paying my dues Taking on extra assignments And strictly obeying all rules; But what do I get for my troubles Nothing but heartache and grief That the workforce is so racially motivated is totally beyond my belief; You're an excellent worker they tell me You're really top of the class But I'm afraid regarding that promotion We'll simply just have to pass; Then they give me some lame excuses About how the budget is tight Then turn around two seconds later And promote someone less qualified and white; I hope I don't come across as prejudice 'Cause believe me, I don't mean to be But the unfairness of working in America Is finally taking it's toll on me; I guess the solution to this problem Would be to stop working for the man And perhaps start seriously considering Developing my own business plan.
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ANGER MANAGEMENT

Why are black people so angry Is it because of years of slavery And years of protest marches And years of unaffirmative reaction To us just being black Or is it because of drugs That are brought into our neighborhoods For the sole purpose of keeping us oppressed Or alcoholic beverages Sold from liquor stores located on Every corner of every block Or is it because of A lack of adequate education Or lack of jobs Or the lack of respect we receive from others

Continued...
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Whenever I feel angry Like I'm being backed into a corner Or pushed to the breaking point Because life seems unfair Or I feel like I'm mad as hell And I just can't take it anymore And I want to just grab up something AND GO BALLISTIC LIKE SOME DISGRUNTALED POSTAL WORKER

UP IN HERE, UP IN HERE!!!
I simply take a deep cleansing breathe, (inhale, exhale) Count to ten, (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10) Then I sit down, pick up a pen and paper And write a poem.

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UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU, BLACK MAN

Uncle Sam wants you, black man To keep our country free He'll promise higher education and travel If you'll join the army, air force or navy; You'll be sent to liberate other countries Freeing them from a tyrant's hold While US businessmen and politicians Strike it rich from that country's black gold; You'll return home with injuries from battle To find your lifes still in a rut And to your surprise you'll soon discover Your veterans benefits have been sharply cut; But you'll continue to join the armed forces What other choice is there for the black man? Who knew this was the future awaiting Descendants of Kings snatched from their homeland.

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WAR MAKES PEACE?

In the heat of battle He approached with hostility and rage I took my stance and squeezed off a shot Hitting him just below the rib cage;

He stood indecisive for a moment Then his legs slowly turned to jelly As he watched the contents of his guts Tumble out of the hole in his belly;

As I raise my flag in victory I cannot quite understand How leaders think that this is the way To bring peace unto the land.

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LADY SOLDIER

In 1842 a slave girl was born Near Independence, Missouri Her name was Cathay Williams And I'm here to tell her story; Union soldiers hired her to cook During the Civil War And when the war was over Cathay was a slave no more; After learning much about military life She came up with a plan To make a new life for herself By posing as a man; She reversed her first and last name And became known as William Cathay Then she joined the US Army Becoming a Buffalo Soldier that day;

Continued...
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She joined the 38th Infantry As a way of meeting ends Because she didn't want to go through life Dependent on relatives and friends; For almost two years she proudly served As a Buffalo Soldier until An army doctor discovered her secret After examining her when she became ill; Because she illegally enlisted Her pension she never received But she proved that through sheer determination Almost anything can be achieved.

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SECOND CLASS CITIZENS

We're second class citizens Right here in our own land Second class citizens It's time we take a stand; Immigrants come to this country And they're given grants galore But it's us, the second class citizen The government chooses to ignore; It's time we're given scholarships And job opportunities Given a chance to start businesses In our communities; We serve America during war We abide by it's laws and rules We built this country from the ground Where's our 40 acres? Where's our mules? Though treated like second class citizens We're loyal to this nation The United States can set things straight By paying overdue reparation.

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WHITE SHEETS
White sheets Worn as a disguise Revealing only Evil eyes; White sheets Creeping through the night Worn by men On a vicious plight; White sheets At the crack of dawn Burning crosses On our front lawn; White sheets Parade the streets by day Covering members Of the K.K.K.; White sheets We have ended your spree By forming the N.A.A.C.P.

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OKLAHOMA BOMBING
Oklahoma is the place Of the worst bombing on US soil But make no mistake, I'm not referring To the federal building bombing at all; I'm talking about a bombing That took place many years ago And of this bombing, people in high places Really don't want you or I to know; A white woman falsely accused An innocent black man of rape This lead to a holocaust which few affluent Black Americans would escape; It happened in Oklahoma On June 1, 1921 And from this one simple little incident All hell and chaos had begun; That's when the largest massacre Of black businessmen took place Lead by envious Ku Klux Klansmen Wearing white sheets to cover up their face; Like savages they roamed the streets Killing black folks with no regard Then bombed and burned every building to the ground And even called in the National Guard;

Continued...
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3,000 blacks were killed and buried In mass graves around the city This blatant disregard for human life Is deplorable and such a pity; In Black Wall Street, Little Africa Successful businesses once thrived But after twelve hours of carnage Not one black business had survived; Churches, restaurants, law offices, a bank The list goes on and on Not a single building was left standing When the sun rose in the morn; Though damages were total And the casualties were many Black victims received no restitution to rebuild Not one insurance penny.

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LIGHT SKIN PEOPLE, DARK SKIN PEOPLE

Light skin people, dark skin people Why the rivalry? Underneath the surface Im like you, and youre like me;

Just because theres difference In our skin tone, shade or color Is no reason people Should be jealous of each other;

God made us each beautiful And unique in our own way Lets embrace our differences Love all people. Start today.

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BAD BLOOD
400 black men from Tuskegee Were used as guinea pigs in an experiment Believing they were getting free medical care They naively trusted the government; They suffered through untreated syphilis And were told it was simply bad blood Being wanted more for their autopsies These men never would have understood; We can't trust a medical profession That lies and distorts the facts Infecting us with deadly diseases To be studied like laboratory rats; No wonder there's bad blood between us What in the world would they expect We're human beings just like they are Not just something for them to dissect.

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WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

The Bible tells us that it is a sin To eat seafood that has no scales or fin; So, although lobster, crab and shrimp taste great They are foods that should not be on our plate; Also, eating swine is an abomination Punishable by God by incineration; For a list of other foods we should overlook Read Leviticus chapter 11, of the Holy Book; Black Americans are headed for early graves If we continue to eat foods we were fed as slaves; We're dying of sickle cell anemia, diabetes and hypertension And other deadly diseases beyond our comprehension; Today's doctors know little about healing our ills They are merely prescriber's of dangerous pills; So, eat healthy foods, herbs and fruits for example While keeping in mind that your body is God's temple.

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INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE
Rarely thought of as health practitioners As scientist, hardly acknowledged But in reality African women Are the gatekeepers of indigenous knowledge; They have remedies for all kinds of diseases They know how to effectively farm They practice principals of good nutrition And this is just part of their charm; Indigenous foods are now of great interest They've kept Africans healthy hundreds of years An African woman is always well versed in The nutritional qualities of the foods she prepares; This knowledge is often unwritten And runs the risk of being forever lost But thus far from generation to generation Indigenous knowledge has successfully crossed.

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ON THIS PATH CALLED LIFE

On this path called life I have stumbled many times But you were always there Lifting me up, dusting me off And placing my feet on the path again; On this path called life I've come across many twists and turns Confusing me, causing me to go astray But you were always their Patiently guiding me back on course; On this path called life I have approached many obstacles Designed to stop me dead in my tracks But you were always there Giving me strength to overcome; For all the times you were there Rescuing me and answering my prayers No matter what dilemma I've gotten into I say, Thank You Heavenly Father!

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AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND

In New York City, May of 1991 Construction of a federal building had begun As excavators started removing stones They dug up a graveyard full of human bones Archaeologists were brought in to exhume the graves And discovered these were the remains of African slaves Slaves that cleared shorelines And built New York's first roads Incurring premature deaths From carrying crushing workloads The information gathered from this discovery Will help us to secure our place in New York's history;

Listen to the ringing of the old church bell As we bid our forefathers, a proper farewell African Americans dance in the streets To the thunderous sound of pounding drumbeats Lifting our voices in a mighty chorus We pay tribute to our ancestors before us Individual coffins carved by hand Were fittingly commissioned from the homeland Their bones were re-buried, their souls finally free On the fourth of October 2003.

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SOULS IN TRANSITION

Spiritual journey Over time and space United through God's Love and grace Souls in transition Individuals in Need of care Trusting God to Remove despair Angels watch over us Night and day Sins be forgiven In God we pray Teach us oh Lord Inspire us too Only then can we get Nearer to you.

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I BELIEVE
While walking home one morning I heard the strangest sound It hovered right above my head I immediately hit the ground; Then to the Heavens my eyes did look And what there did I find Nothing, and inwardly I thought I must be losing my damn mind; But just ahead I saw two women Crouched down just like me Their eyes too searched the sky above Then watched me sheepishly; What made that swooping sound that day I really do not know But secretly inside I believe It was a UFO.

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THE WORLD WONDERS

Back long ago, in ancient times When the pyramids were being built Why were they constructed in such a way As to align with Orion's Belt; And is the River Nile The celestial counterpart of the Milky Way Could there be cosmic understanding Known only to Egyptians from back in the day; The Sphinx of Giza watches it's own reflection Constellation Leo in the sky And holds hidden archives of lost knowledge We can't begin to understand, though we try; Egyptian hieroglyphics suggests That the Great Pyramid was already standing Some even believe it was built by space visitors Who had previously made an Earth landing; I guess these are the world wonders That we may never figure out So when it comes to spaceships and aliens We should not rule anything out.

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NORMALLY INVISIBLE

Normally invisible Folks pass me everyday No one waves, or speaks, or nods Or even looks my way; But let me put on make-up Fix my hair or wear a dress Lord folks begin to act as if I were an African princess; As I pass men on the street They grin from ear to ear I attract so much attention Even women stop to stare; It's all just so amusing But they fail to realize True beauty's beneath the surface You can't see it with your eyes Everyone you pass in life Deserves a nice hello Try saying it to plain folks Then just watch their faces glow;

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LUTHER'S SONGS
A house is not a home If one partner is creeping While the other is left alone Crying and weeping; So God sent an angel From Heaven above To teach all of His children The power of love; It's so amazing How many hearts Luther has touched When it comes to his music, There's never too much; Here and Now has joined Many a husband and wife As they vowed to love each other For the rest of their life; Rate crooners of any love song Only one is the boss And that is the legendary Luther Vandross; Luther, If this world were mine I would treat you right Even if only for one night; We must bid him farewell Seems his work here is done As God reunites a proud father With his talented son.

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