Sell In

I used to be a man of means
Now I have motive and opportunity
I’m finished chasin’ the American Dream
Now I’m a full-time Black Revolutionary
I quit my job just to write this poem
I’ve taken a vow of self righteous poverty
I know nobody asked me to
I did it so I could wage war on White Supremacy
I've exchanged all of my corporate shares
Now I only invest in Black Unity

Gave up everything for the cause
Now I can fight the power with impunity
The man no longer has me buttoned down
I’m gonna single-handedly save the Black Community
Whether they want me to or not
Gonna make Black folks hold their heads high like royalty
I promise I’ll save them from themselves
Even the ones that show their people no loyalty
I’m even willing to die for the cause
Yes, I’m willing to be a No Limit casualty
Sometimes I get weary though
Sometimes I even doubt my own ability
Loving Black folks ain’t easy
Sometimes it’s hard to hold in my hostility
I used to feel like a winner
Now I constantly battle feelings of futility
Workin' for Black folks is hard
Victory is most often illusory
I told myself I should stop writing these poems
Erotique-Noire Novels is where you make your real money
Matter of fact, let me put this damn pen down
Snap my dumb ass back to reality
I can’t make a living writing this shit
There’s no market for Black Iconoclastic Avant-Garde poetry
Can’t make no money from this Revolution shit either
Since there's no corporate sponsor it won’t be televised commercially
Most people don't even know it’s going on
Just figuring out who the enemy is can be a real mystery
I don’t even think everybody really wants liberation
I believe most folks are just waiting on their social security
Round trip bus pass and a guv’ment job is enough for them
That’s all it takes to satisfy the majority
Believe me I understand
Yet I still hold on to my beloved moral authority
So I wrote this poem by candlelight
Because “The Man” just turned off my damn electricity