To Be Middle-aged, Gifted, And Black--A New Poem

I am not one to brag or boast,

But I think it’s time to make a toast,

To a brother who,

likes to,

write the double truth,

Ruth;

I have come too far

and

seen too much

to stop now.

If nothing else,

my life

depends on it;

a gift,

that should not be squandered;

for those who’ve come before me,

and those who may

and will

follow after,

need to know,

that what they’ve done,

or

will do,

was not,

has not,

and

will not

be in vain.

My desire

to be a writer,

stems

from a child’s dream,

a best friend’s dream;

and now,

that I’m about to begin

the midpoint of my life,

I want to see it

through

to the end.

Not for fame,

not

for vainglory;

but to,

hopefully be,

the fulfillment

of prayers prayed

and blood shed,

in my own

small way

and

through my own

humble

contributions

to what has,

thus far,

been done,

and what continues to

guide me now

into the future.

© 2014 Joseph Powell