"The Plan," A Poetry Post

Hey there now!
You SPRY!
What is your plan for the day?

I believe I'm gone sit in this chair.

You mean you ain't
going down to the
morning service to
get breakfast?

No. I'm gone sit here in the chair on the porch.

You mean you ain't
going down to the store
to get you no
Easter Sunday hat?

No. Seem like a cool breeze coming through, so...
I believe I'll sit here in the chair today.

You mean you ain't
made no plan to
be at
Easter Sunday communion?

No. Seem like once midday come round
there's gone be some good sunshine
coming down through them trees, so...
I just put my chair outside here.

You mean you ain't
cooking no
Easter dinner?

No ma'am. I'm just sitting here
looking out on the yard and
thinking about how 
glad I am the weather is
steady today, so...
I ain't made no plan to 
do nothing like that.

You mean
your boy ain't
memorized no
Easter recitation?

No. Seem like we just
barely surviving him
remembering what he 'sposed to do
from sunup to sundown right now,
so I figured I might as well
leave him to figuring out himself and
sit here quietly for a few moments 
til God reach him. 

You mean
you ain't got no family
coming over for the
holidays?

Well... no, I ain't. 
We didn't make no plan for that, really.

Well what DID you plan for?

Got up this morning. Gave God glory.
Planned for that.
Pulled out this here chair.
Planned for that.
Fixed me a coffee.
Planned for that.
Sat down.
Planned for that.

And that's it you gone do today?

That was the plan, ma'am, exactly.
That was the plan.

-T. D. James-Moss

"Foresight," A Poetry Post for My Son

What you see out there?

Nothing.

Say what? Look again.

What you see out there?

Nothing.

That's cause you can't see nothing.

Young folks got

various blinders

in the way of 

seeing destiny.

I can see fine.

You can't see nothing.

You looking for

approval from your

peers and

that don't mean

nothing.

I can see fine.

You can't see nothing.

You looking for

outsiders' love to

replace your fear of

what you 

don't know about 

your own self and

that don't amount to

nothing.

I can see fine.

You can't see nothing.

You looking for

a way to 

get out of 

hard work and 

suffering and

life involves

hard work and

suffering so

that ain't gonna 

get you nothing.

You don't know. You just think you know.

I know I can see.

You wish honey.

All of us thought we saw.

All of us 

thought we knew.

All of us

thought we had

direction.

I can look back now and SEE, see?

I can SEE now what was out there then.

That don't make sense.

That's cause you can't see nothing.

Sometimes

you oughta 

trust my eyes.

My eyes got more practice.

-T. D. James-Moss

"The Birds," A Poetry Post

When you've
flown
for six months
with your
full
wingspan
outstretched
and
contracting;
been buoyed up
by
wind
currents on
myriad
continents;
seen
the
water's color
change
again and
again;
passed
over
the
migrations
of those
departed
before you;
perched
only sporadically
to
eat a
quiet morsel;
worn out your
lungs and chest muscles with
deep breaths and
cold morning air;
endured the
storm surges and
late night flights...

When you've been flying
for a long, long time...

You have to
touch down
somewhere
and rest.

You have to
touch down
somewhere
and rest.

-T. D. James-Moss