A letter from Mike

Dear
Fans: detracters, haters, angry lynching ones, loyal and superficial ones,lying ones,executioners and all who may not fit in any of these categoris. Greetings!

For years you see me on stage,singing dancing entertaining you bought my cd's and videos. You even called me the 'gloved one,' made me 'the king of pop'. For years I brought joy to your hearts and even made some of you rich.Do think I got here by accident. Yes I have talent. But that alone did not get me here. Before you beat me, destroyed me to the point where i had to run away, I went through all of that and more skipping my childhood. Yes! my childhood was taken away from me.

You wouldn't know because you had yours.I was on stage shortly after I learnt to walk, singing and dancing my childhood away..not gently, not peacefully, but with a leather strap, hand, paddle or any instrument of flaggelation. You wouldn't understand because you had your childhood.

You who point your finger at me and accuse me of some of the most horrible and detestable crimes, what do you know? Some of you who idolized me turned around and condemmed me, and then idolize me again after my death. Who are you, fans, friends, enemies or just pure haters. You got what you wanted!!

I can see you now dancing to Bellie Jean, Thriller, Bad, Ben and all the rest even doing the moon -walk while you say crucify him, ridicule him.
Have you had the experiences I had, lived my life. Sure I am
20, 30, 40, 50 years old now, but do you know what I am no.. who I am.

Well let me tell you. There are two of us in here. The one on stage is not the real me. He is the boss, the fake, soring, in control, entertaining, the one you know and want, making you swoon, scream and yell throw your garments at me all in the same moment. On stage I am grown 'the king ...of pop'.

Inside of me off stage I am a kid trying to create a childhood that I wasn't allowed to have and did'nt have.
The child in me wants to be around children, to run and play children's games tgreat o go to the fun Parks, Disney, Great adventures, Coney island etc. That's why I built Neverland not only for children to come and play and have fun, but for me and the child in me.

You were wrong to accuse me of harming children or in any way endangering their lives. I love children, I have children, I lost my childhood and I try to be a child.. to do childish things, play child games,have toys, visit with friends generally enjoy my childhood. You had yours! where is mine.

You think that it was easy for me. Yes children slept on my bed and all over my house, dont children have sleepovers, go on trips etc. Yes I held my child out the window was that reckless did you see how and how long I held it. Look what so called 'developmentally normal' mothers and fathers do to their children in this country everyday. You did not kill them.

You hounded me, mad my life and my children's hell, robbed me of my privacy, peace of mind, drove me to drugs, to seclusion and eventually to death.
I guess you are satisfied now, happy that you cut my life short, robbed my children and my family of the joy of seeing me perform.
But I am in a much peaceful place free from the likes of you.

Remember people whoever you are, you with your childhood, you with your normal childhood you got next . Your turn is coming.

Yours from beyond,

The King of Pop

In God we Trust? Are we certain?

It would seem to be so since the Pilgrim Fathers left Europe to pursue in an unknown land, peace and their desire to worship and practice their religion freely. They persisted amid untold hardship and perils,face death and destruction to achieve their goal.

This had to be so for Thomas Jefferson to include in the Declaration of Independence the statement 'we are endowed by our creator'

Trust in God must have been preeminent in the minds of those who designed the currency to write the words 'In God We Trust' so that all who use the money can be reminded of it.

This has to be so for the Congress the law makers of the land to include 'prayers' at the commencement of their proceedings.

Trust in God must have been in the minds of the authors of the pledge that they would include the line 'one Nation under God'

Similarly this notion must have occupied the mind of Irving Berlin as he penned the national song 'God Bless America'. Certainly one cannot miss Kathrin Lee Bates emphasis on God in every stanza of her popular patriotic song 'America the Beautiful'.
And what about the National Anthem. The last stanza not only includes the words 'In God is our Trust' but refers to them as the 'national motto'. In addition references are made to the 'heaven rescued land' and 'praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation...'

The consistency in these examples is remarkable. There is no attempt at inclusion by mentioning 'Allah' 'Confucius' 'Ram' 'Zorasta' or any other 'deity'. It is pure, simple and unadulterated 'God'

To suggest therefore that a)'prayer of any kind/religion in schools' contravenes the principle of separation of Church and State; b)to also suggest that putting up the Ten Commandments (which is connected to the same 'God we Trust' in a Federal building contravenes the separation of Church and State is to deny the very principles of consciousness for which 'God' is used so freely in these writings.

The 44th President of the United States recently held a National Prayer Breakfast. He called on the Nation, lawmakers and religious leaders to invoke the Power of Prayer.This while some of his congregation including schools and public employees are forbidden from practicing this invocation in their offices or classrooms. Pray to whom ? I ask. This is the Head of State arguing that, ....'we become numb to day-to-day crises.We become absorbed with our abstract arguments, our ideological disputes, our contests for power and in this tower of babble, we lose the sound of God's voice'. Then we close all our major speeches with the words 'God bless America'.

On April 21,2010 a US Federal District Court Judge ruled that the idea of a National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. The Court Judge argued that the day 'serves no purpose but to encourage a religious exercise making it difficult for a reasonable observer to see the statute as anything other than a religious endorsement' therefore violating the establishment clause separating Church and State.

On April 26,2010 the United States President (head of State) made a pilgrimage to the North Carolina home of famed evengelist Billy Graham. Graham's son also an evangelist who was present at the meeting reported that his father 'prayed for the Nation and that God would give Obama wisdom in his decisions.... the President prayed to thank God for Billy Graham' Whats up with this Judge?!!!

I contend that the notion of separation of Church and State (blurred in the Presidents' remarks above)does exactly what the President is trying to promote.You can't have it both ways Mr President and Mr American. What is it about Religion,Church, Bible, the Ten commandments, God, Jesus ,the Holy Spirit that is criminal and reprehensible that the nation is so scared of.... when this very country was founded on principles contained in and represented by each of these.

Further, the development of good moral and decent values, so necessary but woefully lacking in our Society if insisted on would provide a foundation which could stymie the lawlessness, inhumanity and lack of Brotherliness that pervades much of the behaviors in the society.
Coupled with this it would usher in Love, Kindness,Peace, Courtesy and Brotherliness, Gentleness,Faith and Fairness against which there is no Law.

Walls

Sometimes blank. lonely, staring creatures.
Dressed in concrete, wood, steel,stone or grenery.
Paint cracking, faded with age or exposure,mildewed,by elements but alive
In its bossom crawling noisy creatures, silent living waiting.
Appear neglected
No honor reflected...dividing.
Empty fly without wings.

Lovers marks, worshippers signs.
Grafittied, skin overgrown
purpose known and unknown.
Wait! there is life therein;
Identification,messages, battles, obstacles,
Territory and communication with spirit,
Even stick-no-bills, with bills plastered on.

Inside its belly, Volumes of history, names, faces
Decorations, presentations,
art memories of worth and worthless,honor and dishonor.

A total world of life and living....complete.
Separation but together, integration.
Death and life,
Rich and Poor.
War and peace.
Success and failure
Night and day.
There is a wailing, sadness and laughter
Of whole family,single, husband and wife and children and God all in one.

Living China wall
Dead Berlin wall
Infant 9:11 wall
Israel building wall
People climbing over,
Digging under wall
Going through wall
No obsticle at all.

Silent, yet speaking loudly about
past, present and future
Open yet closed.

Niggaz like shit

There is no missing because you hear it
Like in speech, rap or while expressing views,
The words 'niggaz' and 'shit'.
Are like the main ones they use.

Knowing names are not cool,
But calling them niggaz will fit.
You can do anything in school,
But don't touch my shit.

Its like always niggaz this and niggaz that,
In your mouth just like food.
Its drugs,sex bitches like What?
"I tell you 'dog' this shit is good".

You hear them talking.
When they stand, walk or sit,
Like cheating or robbing,
(gun in your face) "look niggaz give me your shit".

There is shit when you reach the ends,
And shit at the start,
Some niggaz are friends
But this shit has nothing to do with fart.

There are big niggaz, short and tall niggaz,
Niggaz on my block who keep out of sight.
It is like black niggaz and white niggaz,
Some shit is wrong and some is right.

The 'A' Student

He comes into class late
Always seems sure of his fate.
Then he moves from seat to seat
Peeking, glancing looking to cheat.

During an activity he keeps moving around
Still looking at paper and frown.
Trying to get a clue.
Any answer will do.

Says the teacher, "Sit and focus
Do not look,
Refrain from taking another's book".

(He mumbles and says)"I'll do what I can to get 'A's
Whether by peeking, asking, copying even cheating
Once I get the 'A's
I've been seeking".

Being helpful to teachers and very nice
Hoping for hints and advice.
Hovering over marking sheets trying to see,
what grade this teacher wiil give me.

Says he "I don't care now
I will get them some how.
By using any or all thes ways
I am bound to end up with my 'A's".

My exercises

I exercise-------- my willpower
I Jump----------- to conclusions
I dance------------ around the issues
I skip------------ appointments
I twist----------- the meanings opf words/statements
I stretch -------- the truth
T bend----------- the rules
I bend --------backwards to please
I balance------- my budget
I run-------- rings around my opponents
I run----- my mouth often
I kick --------bad habits
I lift------- my spirits
I rock ------the boat of the estabilishment
I play -----the fool------ often
I climb----- the ladder of success
I fight ------the good fight of faith
I exercise----- caution
I I push -------my opinions on others
I push ---------my luck
I side-step------my responsibilities
I keep running down-------my friends
I now have a sculptured body-- I am fit.

What is it

What is it in the modern civilization?
That causes people to be so angry, verbally abusive aggressive uncompromising.
That causes students:
to show up at school but dont want to go to class...
to go to class but do nothing but disrupt others
to throw brand new text books out the windows os set them on fire in the school
to demand that they pass and cry foul when they dont.
That causes people to refer to women as b...... and h...
To keep calling for reparations for slavery yet continue to refer to each other
as n......
What is it in this modern civilisation:
where long term friendships and relationships end shortly after arrival at the airport.
Where married folks land and soon become single.
Where relatives/ friends kick you out after one week.
Where people can walk into a church and shoot the pastor and worshippers.
Where people order food for delivery and then kill the delivery man.

When we want to condemn people who do us harm ,but want others to slap the hand of our citizens who harm to them.

What is it...

Dream

There is a night afloat in my mind,
The darkness is beckoning, tossing daring,
Signalling east, west, sometimes pointing north or south.
Or just remaining still, eager amid a vast expanse of nothingness.
Now unfriendly and frightening, then quiet and calming
But always calling as a daytime light..wake up!
I try to reachout but I cant it is untouchable, void.
Yet it dares me to sleep and dream, dreams..... still reaching
I lay motionless, unfulfilled like a beginning,
But the night afloat in my mind never sinks.

It's up There

Edge!
Flying ,soaring I keep looking up but mostly looking down
To find someting, happiness,living, anything I left on the ground.
I live on the edge, always pushing to achieve,to last to win not nearly.
I am not afraid to fly but am afraid of what I'll find! What I'll see..
Distress? unhappiness! Unknowingly.
Hoping against hope, I keep looking up and then at my wings, no just my hands...
They are umpty! but I keep looking down
At Africa, Europe,Asia, America,the Caribbean, the Middle east latin America,
I see them all, I observe them all.
But I hear music, see dancing, bodies, the minds, the colors.
There is laughter mingled with anger, the killings, the rapes, inhumanity, hate and anger, starvation, airplanes, bombs exploding, people and a half.. no arms or limbs,
Wars, famine. unemployment, distress, babies crying,
Earthquakes, hurricanse and volcanoes and floods even psunami.
fire, drugs and drinks, 911 and 2 all mingled existing together as one family.
Together, and the music continues down there.

I see them : the big ones, little ones, week ones and strong all metamorphosing
in time.
No! this can't be it.
Happiness is up there somewhere, so i keep flying higher. higher.
It's up here some where not down there.. it has to be.
Oh yes I can see it now its getting closer and closer
as if i can touch it. Just!
With one great effort I enclose it wit my wings.. my hands!
And as the wind rushes through my hands they remain empty
Still clutching, grabbing, longing, reaching but still empty...no wings.

But wait! I am not flying I am lying and I am still down here!!

Hero or duty

I put out fires
Catch criminals, save lives,
Put my life on the line everyday
Trying to make a difference in every way.

What a life, what a task
Is this duty or hero I ask?

Few would argue
many would agree
There are no dangers from which we flee.
Many of us are paid whether
Regular time, full time, overtime, volunteer doubletime,
There is money to be made
But the dangers are clear without mask
Is this duty or hero you ask?

When the shots fly and the alarm goes off
The hardware we carry is never enough.
Buildings collapse and sometimes explode
criminals fight back and we carry the load
Even though life is short and never last
Is this duty or hero you ask?

When the towers went down
We went in willing and unsung,
Trapped in stairwell with fire all around
Forgetting our own trying to save, do the task
Hero or duty I ask?

Well we died in action paid
Decisions for us already made
Doing what we were trained to do
Bravest, finest,disease death but alas!

Duty and Hero if you must ask!!

Never

Never me again I said to those who whine
Would I wait my turn in a line,
Whether in the bank,restaurant or store
The line is too long for me to endure.
Sometimes I push my way to the fore
And insist I was there before

I'll con my way up to first
Pretend I was there, ignore the worse,
At the traffic light despite the anger and rage
Anytime day or night I will take first page.

How long will it take I ask at the nurse
"There ae five infront of you of course"
So I go away for hours and return to see
There are fifteen in front of me.


Yes! its that bad in some places
You can see the anger and rage in some faces,
I will face fights, death and pain
To never have to stand in line again.

So from now on at the game market or fair
I will go straight infront I dont care.
I never argue just smile in delight
I am American and infront is my right.

So if you see me with an injury
It is just that I am always in a hurry.
Dont say I am crazy,
I am just fine
Do not try to slow me
I only want to be first in line.

beyond whine
When people have to wait in line.

They call me

They call me black because of my skin, my hair and their myopic perception.
They call me Alien because I was not born in this place, even though I am not from space.
They call me old because they see my grey hairs and line hurried on by their sysem of ills, even though my old mind is sharper than their twenty one year old.
They call me stupid and different because they do not figure out my accent, my word usage, my culture my manners.
They call me nerd because I carry books, i read and write I take school seriously,I graduate I have degrees.
They call me cheap because I wear no name brand clothes but am very happy.

The call me weak and gay because i dont fight, I compromise,say sorry,excuse me, please and thank you, good morning or afternoon and do so with ease.
They call me ghetto --no that is too cool! and I do not fit, I 'talk white' and wear my pants up and do not say s...


They call me ghetto

We must be counted

The fact that people from mainly the English speaking Caribbean have not been even counted/included in any as yet is really appalling.Estimates have it that there are over five million of these people living in the United States. In addition to this these caribbean residents continue to make invaluable contributions to all facets of the american society. Why are they not listed as a separate category on the census forms. Are we supposed to fulfil a set of 'unknown' criteria in order to be counted?I hate to think that this is a deliberate attempt by specific group or individuals to continue to marginal the contributions being made by Caribbean Americans.
This is an outrage and needs to be addressed by Caribbean american politians and other influencial decision makersat the highest level. We must be counted now.