Man

What do I tell my son when the media

hand delivers in FedEx packages

the damaged state of our union

addressed to every young man

every last one

Spot light about face punched in the face

shot in the face spit in the face

carved out of his face

robbed of his face

In the news in the press in the grind

Men fathers sons granddads brothers

invisible tokens taken

put in jail mocked bullied shot

incarcerated

pitted against one another like a Vick dog

Buried under hushed and rushed cartel

ransoms don’t mess with big brother who

has become big daddy licking lollipops

here you want one candy coated with

missed facts understatements
and you’re not man enough

Dear Son 

I promise to protect you

from a fatherless nation

and when I cannot protect you

may God stand in the gap for us both

Be the best man you can be

you don’t need a billboard to confide that in you