Perceptions Don't Make You - Michael Rivera

I wrote this poem because people need to understand something: acting like a gangsta isn't cool and you have no idea what it mean. I have seen an met people who lived and have lived like an OG, and they wish they could done it different. See, gangs where i come from are about keeping each other safe and have a sense of belonging. Brotherhood don't mean shit compared to that. So please read this all you people who think that bein' hood is how you dress:

Scars and Perceptions

By: Michael Rivera

Scars are hard memories of the past,

some will fade and some will last.

Perceptions can be manipulated,

like a trench coat of fabrications, deceivingly replicated.

I see you posing for your peeps every day,

and for a long time I ignored you, like I had nothing to say.

But here you are now in my face, fakin’ tough,

So hear my words now, cuz I’ve become livid and had enough.

From time to time, it seems to me,

that you, my friend, are trying to be.

Something that you’re not; really just imitatin’,

all you really need is a deep soul liberatin’.

you walk around with your group, actin’ thug;

Yo! It’s not just about the clothes nor the mean mug.

You walk a strut cuz you act so cool, so fly,

Because, today, you're not worryin’ if you gonna die.

See, it's because your reality is simple,

If you went to the hood they'd pop you like a pimple

so don't look from your green pastures thinking you got it hard

Cuz the concrete jungle cuts! with loose glass shards.

Watch ya colors… Watch ya street…

Pick ‘em wrong and bangas let you bleed to death after they beat,

You down… down… down… The light slips away as you hit the ground,

Where the intonations of ya tears and fears are murmured sounds.

So now ya body’s bruised and battered,

Ya $100 kick and Tee is tumultuously all tittered and tattered.

Your fantasy of bein' an OG is in pieces as they shatter,

When God asks you, "Child, was it worth it? Did the facade really matter?"

Cuz you never seen the click-click! pop-pop!

people terrified from the sound, of a 9.milmeter.Glock.

Folks lock they doors and hide under they beds

hoping that no one is hurt and praying soon it’ll end.

So just be good with what you got,

Cuz gangstaz are top dawg until they get caught..

Take heed to these rhymes and regard the wisdom,

Of why you shouldn't praise a life of masochism.

Perceptions are gilded overcoats of how you wanna to be seen;

Scars are given and received, some worth bragging and others emotionally obscene.

Perceptions don't make you, who you are,

It's living life that marks us with scars.

No One Wants to Talk About God... But I Do

God is everything to me, yet why can't I bring it up in conversation?

By: The Bizz

Its funny to me whenever I bring up God, or even just the idea of God, into a conversation. Generally, people start getting quiet and there are only a few debaters. Why is it such an uncomfortable subject? Why do people feel run away every time it is brought up?

I was having some drinks with a couple co-workers, when we decided to meet at an undisclosed location to inhale some marijuana fumes. We started a conversation with me merely mentioning the fact that God exists. One other co-worker, who definitely didn't believe in God's existence, piped up to challenge my thoughts. Meanwhile, two other associates did not say a word. They actually felt they had to leave. It pains me to see that even though I believe what I do, others can't accept that notion or that my co-worker firmly believe that there is no God. Trust me, I find no fault in debate. Yet, never talking about it seems unrealistic. I find that people who I befriend slowly separate after I bring up my beliefs. I agree, one should never hold others to a standard that they hold themselves to. I don't believe it is my job to judge you for your disbelief and also my belief. Everyone is accountable for themselves and their actions; nobody else's responsibility.

I grew up in a church and a Christian school. I've had the unique opportunity to study the Bible along side my curriculum. Honestly, I wanted to be there for the spiritual purposes, yet after time the taste flew from my mouth. I was tired of all the people who took the material seriously when people were watching. I had kids stand up and chant about the evils of drugs and alcohol and how that it was so bad, yet we'd all be smoking weed and drinking after school got out. I was tired of the perception of a Christian. We all can look good on the outside, yet be dirty on the inside. I left the school my senior year to public school which change my life dramatically. It was that school and church that made me feel comfortable and hid me away from a lot of life's challenges. Yet, I saw that they only saved me from having to deal with real life issues early rather than later. Personally, I had grown up in a tattered household and had seen most of what life will throw you. Yet when I left, my spiritual life grew deeper. No longer was I bound to people too perfect to talk to certain people because of the way they dress, talk, etc. I was free to friend those people who were real, like me. Not faking what they were, just being themselves. That is when I grew to find myself and what God has planned for me.

What am I trying to say? We all should respect people for what they believe. We all have a sense of ethics that keep societies working. Morality is the choice and based on beliefs. Hold true to your morality and ethics. Be kind to one another. Listen to those even if you disagree. Be critical, only to receive the same back. Never down play someone for what they believe. Instead of belittling someone, fight with your reason. If you come across someone who will not give you the respect, then they don't deserve to hear what you believe. Your beliefs are your own. No one owns them but you.

This is the Bizz serving you a nice hot plate of thoughts this chilly Wednesday, April 5th 2011. God Bless and I'll catch ya on the flipside.