Artists are a sensitive bunch, sometimes too sensitive. I wrote this a long time ago when I felt the need to defend myself. A poet who calls himself “Crucial” was poetically serenading the same woman I was when Myspace was king. Over the course of this serenade it became evident that she preferred my writing style over his. He didn’t like this at all. He then decided to take shots at me lyrically, calling me a “Wanna be lover” I was beside myself with rage and I put it all in verse.

Toothless Shark

Deceit is as frightening as a toothless shark on land.
Suffocating, gasping for the response of love’s air.
Smelling droplets of blood fashioned by rose thorns.
Blaming the petals for not cascading.

Applying Windex to mirrors with smoke frames.
“Hocus-pocus” is the cry with no bunny.

Lame.

A sharp knife with no handle endangers only itself.
With no point of connection it lies alone.
Many hate the bent reflections of solitude.
& despise the relation of Moon & Tide.
Forcing square pegs into round apertures.

An ego’s frailty is pride.
A pawn’s power is in his brothers.
He cannot “Mate” alone.

Who am I?

I am sweet pain personified,
Not a lover, fighter or deceiver.
The vivid painter with acrylic mind brushes
Of White, Black & Bleu.

“Check”

—

I thought that this sort of thing was isolated to Hip-Hop. (Silly me) Then I realized that verbal battles are as old as any form of spoken word. Philosophers, politicians, religious figures, scientist, scholars, rappers and poets have been testing each others lyrical fortitude long before any of us were twinkles in our father’s eyes. After thinking about my freestyle session downtown, and taking a closer look at the long line of eager replacement killers who dwell right behind my shoulder. I have accepted that conflict is inevitable.

—

Don’t get me wrong,

I’d rather build than destroy

This is just a shot across the bow

Of all who are thinking about testing me.