Got poetry?

Email your poetry, song or story and have it placed on this website!!! AIDSAWARENESSPOETS@Yahoo.com

My Goal, My Prayer

Woman

Heavy eyes, large lips

Red skin and thick hips

For so long I've been carrying my heart in my hands

Because I've been contemplating my courage as a woman

Things I've done, I felt I could do better

Although working hard making sure my feet don't slip and talking to God

Is there any excuse for me?

Is there any excuse for a woman's infedility?

When she measures herself with the world

and despite her grief she is never a fraction of the woman she feels she should be?

Oh, I have walked in her shoes

For so long that woman was me

Everytime I wanted to relax, and step back

I remembered where I am at

Opprutnities are advancing

So...

I hear Madam CJ Walker saying

Yes, you can

She made wealth out of proverty

Riches out of a dream

And I ask myself "Where does that leave me?"

A black woman with obsecurity

Reasons to fail because success seems to be an impossiblity

Where does that leave me

When I am measured before I can even speak

If I had not been chosen

My strength would have gone stolen

A weak man was never my prodigy

Before he knew my heart

He wanted my body

Where does that leave me?

What will become of me?

Now you understand WHY...

Through my white smile and rounded breast

I'm nearly about to burst because of the issues on my chest

Don't get me wrong

I've learned to be strong

But for so long

I've wondered what have I done wrong

Until recently

I realized...

That is wasn't me

It was my heavy eyes, large lips

Red skin and thick hips

That often broght my heart to my hands

And left me asking God for courage being a black woman

© Copyright 2013 Ana Aliceia Boyd.

By Merino, Emily

I had only been with one man
Didn’t wana say who cause its kinda sad
How embarrassing to say it was my dad
Didn’t say a thing cause my mom would be mad
So I moved on like noting ever happened
Kept crackin jokes to keep myself laughin
It worked like a charm
No one ever new he had cause me harm
 
23 and finally
Met the man of my dreams
He swept me off my feet
 
Than out of the blue I got a call from my mom
So I asked her whats was wrong
Says her and my dad are ill
For her I was scared but for him it was no big deal
For my mom I cried to my man
He said no matter what strong we have to stand
Him in my life I was so glad
So we drove to my dad’s
 
When I got there I asked my mom “what did the doctor say?”
She replied “he said we have AIds”
My eyes opened wide
But I couldn’t let her know I was terrified inside
On my way home all I did was cry
But could not tell my man why
 
The very next day I mad an appointment to the clinic
Prayed and prayed maybe he didn’t have it when I was violated
I let them draw blood
And in a few days I would get a call
About a week later the phone rings
I hear a voice on the phone suddenly its harder to breath
The conversation is over and I drop to my knees
I’m infected with HIV

A World of Aids?
A Spoken Word Joint

Today in 2010 we live in a red world
that wasn't around way back when
boys courted girls
and girls waited for marriage
to follow through in the night

Aids has invaded our people, family, and friends
Don't think because it's not you
it doesn't touch you through extension
one way or another
it could be your sister, father, or mother
It could be your brother or friend
When will we educate ourselves enough
to bring it to its closing end

Stop the madness and protect yourselves
Aids is not easy but medicine helps
helps, not heals
there is no cure
The cure is abstinence
You want to live
Be free and happy
keep your innocence

Love will come
and so will sex
When you get Aids
what comes next?
Some real quick passion
for a lot of pain
Your partner will smile
but then comes your rain
A storm of doctors, pills, and tears
but you and only you
will solely hear
You've got Aids
and it will burn in your ears

Abstain from sex or wrap it up
but please educate yourself
before dealing with a life
that will be tough, tough , tough

by Tia

Dedicated to those affected by HIV and Aids.  May there be a cure someday.  May we all say a prayer not just today, but everyday.
Tiapoetess

 LET'S START LIVING FOR TODAY

By Gary Gumbs 

HIV, my unwanted best friend.
By Gert-Jan Baan

My life changed some 5 years ago
A random blood test
With a positive outcome

My life to be changed forever
My heart was pounding fast
My body started to sweat


My tears rolled down my face
My hands were trembling
And I ... I was scared


That bright summer day in July
Turned all of a sudden very cold
I felt alone, so alone


I had many friends
I had a caring family
But I felt so alone


Knowing myself, I knew, after a few dark days
After a period of self doubt and confusion
After anger and bitterness
After feeling sorry for myself
I would open up


The true me came out
The true strong-minded me came out
The true strong-willed me came out

I reached out

Friends showed compassion
Family showed their bond
I showed courage
I was glad I reached out


So much to learn
So much information
Where to start?
Where to go?
Many answers needed for my many questions To ease my mind


To make this enemy my best friend
To live with this disease
Hand in hand


One cannot live without the other
So we best get on
And so we did
5 years later and we become one


I have it under control
I and my unwanted best friend to stay till the very end
I better make sure it understands


Do not make my body weak
Do not let me die
When I go I take you with me
So be my unwanted best friend till the very end

AND THE BAND PLAYED ON

By Leonard Rabb

We're here on the first on December striving to remember

The so many who have died from AIDS - and yet, there are those

Who still pave the way recognizing that the reality of AIDS

Still exist in this present day; if only we could bring a finality to

This malady; then and only then would the reality of AIDS be

Laid to rest proving that we have passed the test of time, even

Though so many lives were left behind letting us know

 How the early years were when advocacy work didn't transpire

With so many quirks, and how we pounced at the chance

Just to pound the cement in advance for the change that was to

Come; real-eyes-ing that the band played on for a lot of us

And not just for some - and still we held dear to the

DENVER PRINCIPLES that may have come across as

Being suspenseful; but we fought - we taught - we learnt - we

Earnt our way as we watched bodies lay in funeral parlors; not

Bodies of scholar's just everyday people who strived to

Survive the reality of AIDS, who were laid to rest as we

Stood remembering them knowing that the band played on; and

On, and on for all those women who dropped tears throughout

The years because they lacked access to PAP SMEARS and

Studies that could have kept them alive while sitting back listening

To all the jive knowing that some of there peers took a fall, but to

This day a lot still stand tall - and for those of ACT-UP who always

Strived for clinical trails, sometimes getting vile, sometimes

Having to smile because of the politics; and yet, we all stood

And took their licks knowing that for us to live, they had to give -

And the band played on; and on, and on as my mind flip

Through the mental pix's remembering the days of 076 when

We worked on the protection that would allow us to save the

 Babies from pare natal infections' knowing that saving lives

Is that which made us thrive; recognizing that we didn't

Have to hide, so we were on the forefront willing to confront

The reality of AIDS as we stood around the quilt not with guilt,

But with a fortitude that wouldn't allow us to always be rude,

Because we knew it was about obtaining family centered care

And the band played on, and on, and on with a hallow sound,

For the so many that is no longer around  

UNTIL OUR DYING DAY 

By Leonard Rabb 

We strive to reach a synopsis

About how do we stop this, how do we

Bypass the thought of someone

We truly miss, and although we look in

The mirror each day and confront

The face of AIDS remembering the so

Many who have been laid to rest,

 The so many who put forth their best for

 Change, real-eyes-ing at the time

 It was definitely in our range - and still

 We marched and moved on; not

 Only for those who have died in the

Struggle, who were convinced of what was

 Needed; but for those who never heeded

 To the message of prevention because

 There intentions weren't the same as those

 Of us who are living with this

 Dis-ease; so we pounded the sidewalks

 Of the so many cities with the

 Message of "Use Protection Please"

And still we strive to reach

A synopsis until a cure is found;

Recognizing that for us advocates we

May never see this come down -

  And yet; we look in the mirror and

  Confront the face of AIDS;

   Understanding that we will advocate

  Until Our Dying Day  

Under Attack

By Janice Brooks

I am a reflection of my past, living in the present, looking forward, moving towards my future.

My eggs are my legacy. My legs spread and a tribe exits me.

Merely know from which I came, barely know my last name. A queen on a quest to reign.

Keep your wedding ring! Where's my crown? Where's my king?

Where are my princes and princesses? Where are my queens?

Where's my palaces, my riches, my gold?

My mother, my brother, my sister, my cousin, my aunty, my uncle, my grandma, grandpa, nana, big nana, great -great grandma, great-great grandpa?

One dollar, two dollar, three dollar, sold!

Sold? But where'd they go?

These fifty states are all I know. Puerto Rico! VI! California is the west side! Florida, Georgia is the south side!

Swimming in chlorine and I aint talking bout no pool.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste so don't be no fool.

What is black? What is yellow? What is high yellow? What is red? What is brown?

Anybody seen my culture? Go look in the lost and found!

What is African? What is American? A birthplace or a citizenship status?

Jennise Rivera: Puerto Rico. Bernice Beaoudine : Haiti. Olaraewonju: Africa.

Janice Brooks: Good ol' American

If we were still slaves, who would be my master now? Excuse me "America", but who am I?

Toby! Kuta Kinte. Toby! Kuta Kinte. Toby!

Janice Brooks reflects no source of creation. No idea, only imagination.

If we were still slaves now, where would be my working plantation?

First they took us, and then they took our names.

Our pride, our lives, our fame.

Our diamonds, our gold, our oil.

Our ancestors, our blood, sweat, tears, our soil.

Our language, our palace, our throne! All gone and I aint never been home! Never seen it! Only dreamed it. How many of you have had the chance to go back to Africa?

Come to think of it, I don't recall seeing any commercial advertising a travel package to the Mother Land Neither.

When the Exclamation Proclamation released us, they could have at least shipped us

Back to where we came from,

We brain dumb.

Thinking we in the land of freedom.

They snatched, grabbed, shackle and tackle us at random.

HOOK:

            MY PEOPLE SNAP OUT OF IT! SNAP OUT OF IT! STOP THINKING NEGATIVE; THINK             POSITIVE, WE NEED A MODERN MALCOM OR MARTIN, TO LEAD US THROUGH THIS             NEW REVOLUTION! MY PEOPLE SNAP OUT OF IT! SNAP OUT OF IT! START TESTING             NEGATIVE AND NOT POSITIVE! GET READY FOR THIS NEW WORLD ORDER, NEW             O'S UNDER WATER, HEAD FOR THE BORDER.     

My people, we are under attack!

Those who oppose us don't want us to go back!

They don't want us to know black!

They don't want us to know jack!

They want us to smoke crack!

Crack is on the attack!

My people we are under attack!

The Negroes are under attack.

Latinos are under attack!

The Hebrew was under attack!

The Jews were under attack and got a check for that, and you expect for blacks not to react!

When Haitians are getting sent back, but you want to send children to Iraq!

To be all they can be in the front line of the attack?

Drowning in New Orleans, dying for weeks, and nobody even takes a peek, gives a heap, turn the other Cheek to new born babies with no food to eat! No shoes on feet!

How many can die in a matter of a week?

And what who ever survives is worthy to keep?

. Somebody call FEMA and Bush wants to keep this discreet!

HOOK:

            WADE IN THE WATER. WADE IN THE WATER CHILDREN. WADE IN THE WATER.             WE ARE GONNA SUFFER IN THE WATER.

VERSE 1:

            I'M SEARCHING A ROUTE TO LEAVE OUT THIS PLACE,

            BUT ONLY GOD'S GRACE CAN REPLACE THIS FACE.

            IT'S SHALLOW AND SOMBER,

            THE PAIN LASTS LONGER,

            NOT MENTION THE HUNGER,

            WERE ONLY A NUMBER.

            IN THEIR EVIL EYES,

            I DO DESPISE.

            THE COLOR THEY HATE MAKES ME WANT TO CRY.

            I'VE BROKEN MY SHACKLES I'M OFF THE CHAIN,

            BUT THEY'VE GOT ALL MY PEOPLE BOUND BY THE BRAIN.