The African American Man

Down on my Knees I Pray:

“Thank you LORD for this here Day,

May All my steps be Blessed by YOU.”

These are the words Every morning I Say.

LORD, I know Not what YOU have in Store,

for this Life YOU’ve Graciously given to Me.

I Promise to put my Trust in YOU,

I am Thankful for all YOU’ve  Bestowed upon Me.

LORD, I know YOU Fight for Me,

Even when YOUR Power I can’t  See.

I Know YOUR Will always be Done.

I know YOU Alone can set me Free.

Years pass and I’m Tired of Fighting,

It Seems I’m Always down on one Knee.

Sometimes there is No way Out.

Why is it so Hard to Simply be Me?

I Constantly work harder than Everyone else.

I Always stay till the Last one’s Gone.

They don’t Say to  me “Job well done”.

They just See me as Another black Pawn.

LORD, I know YOU Fight for Me,

Even when YOUR Power I can’t  See.

I Know YOUR Will always be Done.

I know YOU Alone can set me Free.

I drive my car through the Dark night,

Then I see Blue lights in my rear view Mirror.

Will This be the Day I Lose my Life?

“Please let me see Home again”, I say in Terror.

I walk Alone through crowded White streets,

but No one really Looks at me.

They Only see my Dark brown skin.

One day, I Fear,  I may Hang from a tree.

LORD, I know YOU Fight for Me,

Even when YOUR Power I can’t  See.

I Know YOUR Will always be Done.

I know YOU Alone can set me Free.

I Don’t have to Do a single thing Wrong,

I could Simply be singing some Innocent song.

Next thing I know I’m Sitting in Jail,

the Judge has said there will be No bail.

They say, Once Again “I fit the Description”,

of Just another Angry black man.

I plead, “Believe me I am innocent”,

Now, I’m locked up in a Privately owned Cell.

LORD, I know YOU Fight for Me,

Even when YOUR Power I can’t  See.

I Know YOUR Will always be Done.

I know YOU Alone can set me Free.

I work Hard for what Little money I get,

But yet I Live in Poverty.

I can Hardly buy Food to simply Eat.

I am Still seen as just 3/5 of Me.

Now, I work 2 jobs Every day,

Just to Try and get Ahead.

Then they Tax me for wanting to Live.

This Constant struggle Makes me see Red.

LORD, I know YOU Fight for Me,

Even when YOUR Power I can’t  See.

I Know YOUR Will always be Done.

I know YOU Alone can set me Free.

Today I received an Eviction notice,

Stapled to my One Room door.

They Say I was Late too many times.

This is the Price for growing up Poor.

Now, I’m Forced to live on the Streets,

holding a Sign that says “I’ll Work For Food”.

I Never thought I’d end up like This.

What in GODS Name am I Going to Do?

LORD, I know YOU Fight for Me,

Even when YOUR Power I can’t  See.

I Know YOUR Will always be Done.

I know YOU Alone can set me Free.

I Decide there is only One way Out,

They have Finally forced my Hand.

I was told Everyone has Rights,

I Thought I was an American man.

This Gun will finally Give me what I’m Due.

I shout “EVERYONE get on the FLOOR”!

Then the Cops burst in with Guns a-blazing.

The very Last thing I see is my Blood on the Floor!

LORD, I Thought you’d Fight for Me,

with All that  Power I could Not see.

Was my Death YOUR Will to  be Done?

Was This YOUR way of “Setting me Free”!

Did YOU Ever, truly, have Love for Me?