BUFFALO

© Breeze Vincinz

When I woke up this morning

there was a post-it on my door

It said, “Quit your bitching boy”

and it was signed by the world

When the Indians killed the buffalo,

they used every part possible

and the animal is my existence today

I’m trying to use my tears

to swim back to what I know is God

I’m trying to use my fears

to define the battles I have not fought

When the slaves killed the hog,

they used every part they got

and that animal is my existence today

And as perfect I’d like to think myself to be,

the rug can only hold so much swept up dirt you see

And if you’ve never been dirty,

then you don’t know what it means to be clean

And that bath is my existence today

And those original sins

They are my kin

And my bloodline is impure but kind

And I don’t expect to win

By avoiding my sins

I’m going to use them like my love and pride

I’m not ashamed of my knees

I’m not afraid if I bleed

Love will be my cowboy tonight

I’m going to use my heart

The good and the bad parts

To do good by God, to do right

Sometimes the paranoid are chased,

I’ve seen them behind me

They try to make me believe in waste

like blood for oil and oatmeal trees

and a willful death to Tookie

and weight loss by a cookie

Trying to convince that day is night

And in the palette of my life

everything has not been cool

I know of the periwinkles in my past

I know of all my blues

And I know that all of my colors

don’t particularly compliment you

but these colors are my existence tonight

And these original sins

They are my kin

And my bloodline is impure but kind

And those things you say

used to encapsulate

You can’t use them to for me to define

I’m not ashamed of my needs

I’m not afraid if I bleed

I’m not afraid of the dark or the light

I’m going to use my whole heart

The good and the part parts

To do good by you, to do right