Of Love, Life and Death in da Hood, a poem for AB, Julia and all of us in this life and the next

And Job said it best
naked I came and naked I go
ache
there is only one lesson to learn in this life
Nature Boy told us this
learn to love and be loved in return
all else illusion
money fame sex
momentary pleasures
ephemeral desires
diversions from the real
who can see through all the conundrums
across the precipice to the meta reality
only superman can stand tall
how many can persist from man to superman

J.A. Rogers asked and answered
one superman committed suicide
another fell from a horse
who is the real superman?
who has endured death a thousand times
crucified resurrected ascended
who is the black stone the builders rejected
who passed through the door of no return
yet returned to the motherland
no matter centuries later
a son came home
daughter too
ten thousand met them at the airport
twenty thousand at the compound of the high priest
prophesy fulfilled
Oh brother and sister
help us through the weary night

help us beyond poverty disease ignorance
help us transcend tribalism sectarianism dogmatism greedism corruptionism
state terror religious madness beyond all the prophets
Jesus Muhammad Buddha, even Marx and Lenin
help us walk from the dungeon to the upper room of our father's house
Come my daughter, walk with your king to his father's house
he has not defied righteousness
he has not defiled the gods
he has not disgraced the ancestors
he has not lied when the feather went on the scale of Ma-at
he has been a warrior for truth
he told no lies
so walk with your king
loving him unconditionally until the end of all things
that matter
no devotion to the trivial mundane provincial
fly with him into the midnight hour
rejoice
elders shall become ancestors
there is no escape
death is life and life is death
enjoy the holy days
and all days are holy
if we walk with the righteous
shun the scandalous
the rats snakes vermin

the terrible night is over
the dawn is upon us
let us dance sing shout wail.
--Marvin X
12/25/13