On Black Men & the Cries of Their Queens

From off the last of my exasperated breaths, from the depths of my core, at the top my heart, I'm screaming!
Because I've whispered, pleaded and talked too long.

Grown and growing.
Accomplished and aspiring.
Humbled and honest.
Sexy and satisfying.
Deep and not digging.
Asking and not nagging.
Strong and not masculine.
Listening and not judging.
Waiting and still waiting.

I've had patience since patience was just an option.
Now patience is dying of old age, and boredom.
Since when did intimidation leap from old grim tales of two-headed monsters to inhabit the black woman...
In the eyes, hearts and minds of the black man?

How did we acquire strength enough to strip men of their position?
And watch them crumble into submission on some, "you're not letting me be the man," shit!
Since when do I have to let you be the man you were created to be?
Where is the strength you had fighting the "man" and "massa" and.... your brethren?

Why do my words translate in your ear
So that they become not what I said, but what you wanna hear?
So, though I ask, you name them demands.
And should I aspire to more and better, you name that pressure.
And though this is only my blues, you'll paint it red and anger

Because you ain't tryna hear this shit
Because you've got enough to deal with
Because you'd rather make excuses for not growing into the shoes mature, responsible, genuine men fit!

How do you lift us up for years, yet weight us now?
Want us to come down to your level now that we've outgrown the stigmas?
Why not step up and stop stepping out on us?
Searching for love in the trepid and docile and apple/ cherry american pie standard, or close enough
Often just searching for close enough.... to love.
More often just unlearning how to love.

Because mama was mean, because daddy was gone.
Because his daddy was gone and his mama was fiend.
Because her daddy was gone and her mama was stern, with high expectations for her to learn and not lean on no man....
Because this is the pattern.
So this is your brain on love.
You think love is just a temparary high.
And it is the one drug you refuse to try....
With any woman who resembles your mean mother, her fiend mother, or hers

So now we scare you.
Now you only want us watered down.
And not natural in our Black and naps.
We're too loud for your manhood to be heard over our refusal to go back.... to a mere whisper of a woman.

Now you whisper for us.

(c) L.Lyric2010