Motherly Rose II: Concrete

Grown ass man, still a Mama’s boy

Gave me birth... shelter, now a laptop my toy

to write you this part two, brings me joy

Memory lane of ass whippings, burned me out

I get mad, but you’ll say, look how I turned out

Jack of some trades and college graduate

Writer and performer, could’ve been laureate

Our relationship is concrete, as your middle name

A Rose I carry in me, everywhere, no shame

I understand what you were teaching me

Surely, all the lessons are reaching me

To my existence, I just wanna apply it

See the fruit of your labor flourish, can’t deny it

In 2011, I left the nest, angry

Thought loved ones were against me

Sibling rivalry, sister for her daughter, my niece

You for them and your husband

Twin brother, uncle about his son

Stepdad just keeping the peace
I guess I’m all on my own

Stepped out on faith and left home

Didn’t have much of a plan

In Florida, is where I became a man

But, I was with the wrong people

Didn’t know wedding plans could cause such upheaval

Sent a message, I got peoples, too 

For these fake ones in taboo

Mom, you said it’s not my fault, I’d tried

I’m in a white suit, standing at the altar, you cried

You’ll be there, if I ever marry again

Pray it’s the last time, because divorce is sin

Baby fever, a touchy subject I get sick in

Sensitive, hope a cure will soon kick in

Don’t worry about it, you won’t love me less

If with children, I never be blessed

Have one grandchild, you may not live to see mine

I’m scared, when it’s my time, no one will be alive

A night on the phone, we exchanged girl titles

Came to a beautiful decision, if I ever see the arrival

I settled to live in North Carolina

You visited, we had dinner at the BBQ diner

Mother and son conversation going well

Something wrong, from your voice I could tell

You almost broke down and felt lost

Held back tears for my problems at a cost

To me, you’ll always be a woman warrior

A real lady, strong, and less worrier

Whoever it was, I would’ve put two in head

For your position and what was done to that kid

You didn’t let it have you remain a victim

I’m glad you’re back in the school system

Although, a Davis, everyone will know about the Taylors

Can’t mess with our survival, we’re NOT failures

Mom, this life can be so shifty

You said, you got it right, close to 50

Looks like, I’m heading down that path

Still, have a while to go, I’m doing the math

Anything in way, will feel your first born wrath

As I can have crazy setbacks

You have words to keep me on the good tracks  

Your advice, not to give a time limit

Long as I’m here, happens, when it happens

The past is over, learned from it, I forgive you

Through the present to future, I’ll live you

Everything was paid for, not once evicted

No streets, we had running water and electric

That’s how I wanna do it

If I never again have someone else

Oh, yeah... you tell me not to be hard on myself

© 2015, Alphonso Taylor. All rights reserved. No republication of this material in any form or medium is permitted without expressed permission of the author. 

Aunt Ree

I didn’t know where I was going

If it’s a state or residence

When I began to remember

All I wanted to do was go to Virginia

Dad, are we going to Virginia

My favorite family and so much fun

We do everything under the sun

It’ll start at Aunt Ree’s house

Celebrations, reunions, and cookouts

To this day, your home is always my hotel

As a child, I’ll run the little steps to a bowl of cereal

or to your good breakfast cooking smell

The Christmases I brought down my toys

to share with my first, favorite woman cousin, Joye

Yes, I was bad and bit her on the butt

You wanted to tear my hind pots up

Just leave it to my mother

because I was becoming a brother

Aunt Ree, you named my only sibling, Shante Marie

Trips we took to Florida’s Disney World

It was you, me, Meme, and Aunt Jerl

I have a bond with Robbin, you see

He taught me how to play Super Mario Bros. 3

Good ole days of entertainment and Nintendo in the den

I’m excited from different company walking in

It could be Aunt Frances, Skookie, Ivan, Fee, Kita, and Gwen

Aunt Margie, MC, Derrick, Boo-Boo, Sylvia, T, Jevon, Keke

Uncle Bob, Raynor, or of the family, a friend

I’m older and I can talk to you about life

How I wanted to settle down, have children… wife

Backfired, you said, I just wanna be treated right

Let me learn from mistakes, it’s my plight

These times has come to past

January 4, 2015, is when I saw you, last

We were happy to see each other for the New Year

Few days later, I break down and shed tears

Received call from cousin David, you passed away

I was like, look man, don’t play

He wasn’t, I packed a bag and came right away

I’m gonna miss your great warm spirit, jokes, and smile

Wash your hands, have you eaten anything, where’s little Al

Now, I’m saying what happened, where’s my favorite aunt

I know, as I haven’t seen him in a while

  Say hello for me to Uncle Hunt

© 2015, Alphonso Taylor. All rights reserved. No republication of this material in any form or medium is permitted without expressed permission of the author.