Photo Credit: Razvan Chisu
here he stands as if he is the king
his garment wrinkle, yet, colorful
like a golden kente, influent,
clothing dancing with his lover,
his true heart, now lay low
on a mean street,
that at one time
meant to him—everything:
he has dreams—somewhat big
but the streets has taught him
what it means to be selfish
what it means to cherish the heart,
that may seems nothing to them,
the heart that deceived him:
because of greed,
he feel he is in control,
he must win, this thing:
addiction, that hurt him within,
addiction, of becoming rich:
he once recall, working hard,
for the man, with sweats
running down his back
like a great raging sea,
sometimes calm like
a cool palm tree swaying:
who wish to keep him behind bars
and though he thinks he will succeed
and have that stable dream home,
a compassionate loving family,
he now sees, he was used by
those noble class, to oppress
those he feels are unkind,
much better than him,
he becomes, the trap deep within:
and to those who never
saw his full potential,
who did not care about his mighty dream,
he still believe, he is the freedom
that nothing can touch him:
here he stand, as if he is—the King
who still believe, in the victory
that he will win, for he still
have a dream, rising out of him,
for he knows, he believes,
he is, the true king.
© Maxine Foster 2023
I wrote this poem because someone has requested me to write an essay of a bottom feeder and this came to mind. There is two types of fragrance in the air of the Big Apple (New York City), it’s a fresh scent of wealth that evokes greenish and classical smell, attracting excellence and beautiful alluring women that keeps a man feeling complete, great minds and the season changes, autumn, winter, and spring with gratitude that makes a person smile because of their big dreams. There is another earthy fragrance fill the air of summer scent hot breeze, mix with a foul smell, reaching the nose of a stench urine, soil, rancidity food, scatter on the floor from a neglect, abandon, hurting soul, who have lost their way in their journey. While some people pass by without a care, devaluing those who they see or appear as low status. There is a fragrance that awaken those who have been the gossip of a person that seems low without a dream, sharing stories inside and outside of people lives who were once famous, a billionaire and/or a participant who were new to an environment or the trick of deception; by the way a person walk and/or speak, communicate, or presence seem unpleasant throughout the miles; This a poetic thought of a Bottom Feeder:
When one rise all rise, when one fall lift him up because you are lifting up a nation. Have a pleasant day.