Featured in "The Poetic Child," published 2010 by Inner Child Enterprises (Poetically Spoken aka S-cents and William S. Peters Sr.)

Love sings,
love rings,
but when I’m with you
love stings.
Making me remember
all the little things
that Mama never had
and could not get from Dad.

See, you must know love
to show love
otherwise, it’s got to go, love.
And Daddy never gave no love-
to Mama OR to me,
his chocolate child,
born meek and mild,
but running wild
in the absence of him.

She was a gem,
but he was too gone,
took too long
to get to know her,
to show her
a daughter’s true worth.
A queen of this earth?
Or an accident of birth?

NO LOVE!

She grew strong,
got along.
But somewhere, somehow,
something went wrong
‘cause she went looking
in too many places
and too many faces,
made too many decisions
on an improper basis.

Lost her first
because love didn’t last.
And when love came
as a slap to the face,
she faced it,
erased it from her head.

“Dead Sista walking!”
is what they said.

NO LOVE.

Covered bruises with make-up,
made excuses to cover up.
Her raccoon eyes
became the disguise
that hid broken bones
and twisted lies
about how SHE
brought it on herself.

When she began
to believe them,
she knew she had
to leave him
behind her
to find her
some peace of mind.
Her mind was consumed,
but she didn’t mind
‘cause there would always
be time-
she thought.

But the clock stopped
and the hands of time
beat her, cheat her
out of her youth.
Her moment of truth?
When she ran,
he found her,
bound her,
then he……loved her to death.
Three days later,
She drew her last breath.

When her family
found that man,
rumor has it
they showed him
the true meaning of
NO %$^&*# LOVE!!!!

© 2008 C. Highsmith Hooks. All Rights Reserved.