This New Thang, That They Call Love

Somebody help me, ‘cause I’m in desperate need, of some vital information. So far I’ve searched, and looked and sought, almost half way across the nation. I’ve looked below and in between, I’ve looked in and out, and even up above. I’m trying to find out about, and so desperately so, trying to find out, about THIS NEW THANG, THAT THEY CALL LOVE.

If what they say about it is true – I don’t want it, and tell it to leave me be. ‘Cause I’m too scared to fall in love. Let me stay loose and free. If it’s true about what they say it is¸ then make it go away. ‘Cause I don’t want to give up my freedom, to have fun, and to run and play.

I’ve heard it’ll tame the tiger, in the wildest man, and make him docile and act like a bunny. I heard it can melt the ice, from a cold man’s heart, and make him sweet as honey. And can stop the King of Beasts, dead in his tracks, and make him coo like a dove. So, don’t let it get me, ‘cause I’m afraid of, THIS NEW THANG, THAT THEY CALL LOVE.

If what they say about it is true, I ain’t gonna let it get next to me. ‘Cause I’m afraid to fall in love, and too scared to surrender my claim to stay free. If what they are saying about it is true, somebody, please, make it go away. ‘Cause I can’t lose my right to freedom, and to run and play another day.

Now take what happened to Samson, and Romeo. They both had fatal ends. And Popeye and Bruto, still fightin’ for the love of a woman. And them cats used to be friends. I can think of a whole bunch of things that, I don’t want no parts of. But most of all, keep me away from, THAT NEW THANG, THAT THEY CALL LOVE.

If what they say about it is true, Tell it to leave me be. ‘Cause I’m afraid to fall in love, Lawd, no don't let me fall. Let me stay unchained and free. If what they say is true about it, make it go away. ‘Cause I don’t want to lose my right, to run, and have fun and play.

From a collection called, “EJ Gets Started” © June 30, 1992, by Ernest J. Mims, Sr. Library of Congress US Copyright Registration Number: PAu 1 643 371

What i Say Goes

Sometime after the Beginning, was a wORD, and this wORD was kin to the crew up atop.

This wORD said, “i am the law, and what i say goes, and no matter what you think you know,

and what proof you got, i am still the law, and what i say goes.”

Now during this wORD’s existence – depending on who did What, and what the Folk did, and Why it got didded, and How was, that it got did, and When they did it – the outcome might depend on Where the accused committed it, and questioning if whether it be a random accusation and a truth smothering charge.

The Folk I know, and the people that they know, and people they blend with who are like them, and, their relatives and friends and neighbors and everyone that they know;

And, they do Know, everybody knows, and do understand, that this wORD keep Howling, “No matter what kind of evidence you got, . . . i’m the law, and what i say goes.”

© Ernest J. Mims,

     August 12, 2021

Butterfly

Butterfly

She traveled past my vision, one day;

 She got my attention, I did take notice, but the time was awkward; then, she went on her way.
  No thoughts in my head, did linger of her, no real reason for them to, relinquishing any thoughts of her,

 Going on with my life, kicking back, going to work, reading and writing, thinking and planning about my future.

 Then she showed up again, this angel I thought,
 My notice again did play host to an attention; wondering now, what had life wrought?

 Was this Divinely Designed, (it was my past hope), how was I to know?
 Reluctant with taking chances, and unsure if said place and time was suitable to take one, I decided to do nothing and go with the flow.

 Then, in this story of me, things got rearranged.
 But in a later chapter, there came an encouraging page.

 Things started OK, at least from where I could see.
 Then they started changing fast, from low, to a high speed,

 Uncertainty set in, and the questions did haunt me, and answers did surface - but was it my fear, or was it my thought?
 A decision got made, though with uncertainty it was laid, and the question again, what had life wrought? Said decision that got made, was for our lives to part.

 She who showed up, this angel, who I will call Butterfly,
 I Threaten the Day, when I want her to cry.

From da 'MO

The Poet (aka E.J.; "E") From Fillmo'-San Francisco, CA

Hurt By Love

Most of us have heard, or read somewhere,
Or know someone, claiming to've been hurt by Love.
But as I do ponder - and I glimpse and I wonder,
Do these, Heart-Torn know, what they speak of?

Ask the Glad-Hearted, who have Really felt Love:
Is it Hurt that is felt,
When Joy has sent thee, to the Heavens above,
That provided the warmth, so your troubles did melt?

For Love is about Being Happy.
But its, quick-absence, can cause Pain;
It's because Love has Departed,
that E-victs the Sun, and In-vites the Rain!

Love Can't be hurtful.
Its nature forbids,
Though mysterious and flighty,
its Innocence is, not unlike, the Child in the crib.

Though, I won't disagree,
That “Love Thoughts” can be Hazy,
'Tis the Departure-of-Love,
That Hurts Man, and Pains Lady.


Ernest James Mims, Sr. Copyright ©2007

AT THIS PLACE, THAT I HEARD ABOUT

* There’s This Place That I Heard About,
* Where it is, I can’t recall, not just yet.
* A Place, where Nobody could be Trusted,
* Where only the most cunning, could avoid getting busted,
* At This Here Place That I Heard About.

* Everyone had an angle of how to make money out there,
* It was a Jungle, where there was no such thing as playing fair,
* Where everybody played for keeps,
* And you better carry a piece,
* And learned to stand up, while sleeping on your feet,
* At This Place That I Heard About.

* In This Here Place, there was an exceptional Lady, Her Name was Lil’.
* They say that her looks could make a man excite and thrill.
* She drove a red Buick, with black velvet on the inside,
* They say that this here Lil’ had a dynamite ride,
* Right There, In This Place I Heard About.

* Now Lil’ had Class, at least that’s what they say,
* Some Folks said she shared a strange resemblance to Ms. Billie Holiday.
* She was never heard, using foul words, or speaking out in anger,
* And was always ready to lend a hand, to the Homeless, Or a Stranger,
* At This Place That I Heard About.

* Now also in this place was a guy, they called, Iron Chest Tom,
* Got his name because of his size, kind of built like old King Kong,
* He was the kind of guy, that most of the ladies, gave a second glance.
* And some of them even, went out of their way, to see if he’d give them a chance.

* As the story goes, there’s a history, surrounding Lil’ and Tom.
* The "Most-Talked-About" couple, In this here place, Living in this here town.
* Couldn’t separate ‘em, no more than you could Heat from the Sun,
* They always seemed so happy together, laughing and having fun.
* In this Town That I Heard Of.

* Then Lil’ heard a rumor, one day: ‘twas said, that Tom had another lady friend.
* But Lil' trusted Tom, Whole-Heartedly, and laid her trust, on all that they had been.
* They had been together, some folks say, more or less, about eleven or twelve years,
* And Tom messing with some other woman, was the very least of her fears,
* At this Place That I Heard About.

* Then shortly thereafter, she heard something again, about some lady named Roxie.
* And the word amongst the crowd that knew, said Roxie was sho’ enuf foxie.
* And unlike Lil’, had a spit-fire soul, and could cuss and drink like a sailor,
* And had the temperament, of a cornered, renegade, swamp alligator.

* They were supposedly seen, in a place, where Lil’ would not likely go,
* About two towns away, from where they lived, about 25 miles or so.
* The information, this time, being more specific, produced a sparkle in Lil’s suspicion,
* Accompanying her intact, alerting, infallible female intuition.

* Though she still refused to believe what people were saying, out there in the streets,
* She knew that until, certainty was restored to her heart, she’d not be able to sleep.
* “Though Love Is Blind”, as the saying goes, and they, say to “Follow Your Heart”,
* One never really knows, where one’s other half ventures, the times when they are apart.

* Trust – Lil' knew – is what Love needs to build on, rather than a union based on fear.
* Fear can result, in one’s thinking, to fail reason, and cause a lot of unnecessary tears.
* And Trust is a difficult realm, to step into, a difficult decision to make.
* And as comforting as Trust can be, believing that Betrayal, will not show its face, is a risky endeavor, that one must take.

* Lil’ called a friend, and adventurous gal, to join her, to where she would be headed.
* And told her about the talk about Tom, and her plans to find out for herself, something, she resentfully dreaded.
* She needed to have a companion on hand, if she found that the rumors were true.
* And if so, she’d be at such a distressful state, she’d need help in determining what she
must do.

* Now if you are wondering, why Lil’ didn't inquire directly with Tom, if to whether or not
the talk was true,
* It was nothing more than that female intuition, that laid the cap, on how to go about, what
she must do.
* When next Saturday came around, Lil's adventurous friend, who we'll call Gwen, drove
up about 10-past-10.
* And 25 miles later, from where they departed, they were in the parking lot of a place called
The Party Don’t Inns.

* The music vibrated smoothly, in their direction, on that lively, cold, winter filled night.
* And where, at the far end of the lot, was a one story structure, that emitted a dimly-lit,
blue light.
* The car now parked, and Gwen walked slowly, but purposefully into the building.
* The unfamiliar environment, and this thing Lil’ was doing, sent sensations through her
that were tingling.

* Walking through the door, and stepping in the place, their presence hardly registering, orcatching much attention.
* Inconspicuousness was welcomed, helping to pave the way, for that which was their
intention.
* Now as already mentioned, Gwen was an adventurous, gal, but she was also known to
have fun.
* And her reputation, also, according to some, had a history of her being familiar with how to
handle a gun.

* They sat down at a table, and ordered some drinks, to past the time, while they waited, which gave them time to talk.
* About 45-minutes later, from a view, through a window, Gwen saw the familiar figure of a man stepping up the walk.
* Giving Lil’ a quiet signal, about what she's seen outside, the two kept their cool-like composure.
* Into the well heated room, through the open door, came a cool breeze from the outside Winter’s night exposure.

* Lil's back to the door, she could not see what was taking place,
* Relying on what was occurring, by Gwen's whispers and the expression on her face.
* Tom walked on through the door, not noticing Gwen, and continuing to a table in theback,
* And sat himself down, across from a lady, who was elegantly dressed in black.

* Now Lil' was facing to the rear of the room, and through the dim light it was not hard tosee,
* That Tom was here to meet and chat, with this lady, who must be none other than Roxie.
* But Lil was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, knowing that things weren'talways what they seemed.
* And it was still difficult, to think that Tom would risk what they had, something that mostpeople had only in dreams.

* Now approaching the Midnight hour, the crowd getting larger; Lil now began to see faces that were familiar;
* Seeing people she knew – from the town that I heard about – was something she hadn't considered.
* And as they slowly became aware of her presence, a change crept into the atmosphere.
* An eerie feeling gradually evolved, dispatching a vigilance in the air, laced with a hint of
fear.

* This apprehension that was filling the room, spoke loudly to all who were there,
* Of a story with betrayal, of cheating and dishonesty, and loyalty discarded, without care.
* Not one word had to be uttered, the quiet that was spoken, confirmed to Lil’, what'd been said, must be true,
* And a life that was considered to many, as ideal, was ending - this life she once knew.

* With his back to the interior of the room, Tom also felt the intensity that was brewing,
* Turning around, to satisfy his curiosity, he surveyed the room, to see what was ensuing.
* Carefully examining the sobering crowd, discerningly investigating all that were within,
* I t was not difficult, after briefly searching, to see many of the eyes in the room were sporadically looking at him.

* Being an intelligent man, Tom chose to find out for himself – instead of asking – to find out the reason why.
* Continuing to look, the back of a head, belonging to some lady, kept getting his attention's eye.
* Though her countenance was hidden from view, from the rear, the lady he seemed to know,
* And across from her, a companion, face also hidden, a bare arm of a Lady, exposing from shoulder to elbow.

* Standing up to see who occupied the table, he was grabbed with a vice-gripping chill,
* Even before, he saw her full face, he knew, that it had, to be Lil’.
* Unexpectedly caught off guard, a blank expression, overwhelmed his handsome face.
* For those who were witnessing what was occurring, they knew that something disturbing was about to take place.

* Here's a man caught, doing the unforgivable, with insidious glances, zooming in his direction,
* Doomed to deal with the soul of this Lady, who's given him years of her true heart's Affection
* Paralyzed by doubt, he asks himself, "Now how did I get myself into this?"
* And by the expression on his face, Roxie now sees that something's amiss.

* In his villainous mind, he digs deeper into thought, with deception, his well honed tool,
* Saying to himself, this time, "I got to get out of this mess, without looking like a god-damned fool."
* With instincts like lightening, he thought of a plan, and his composure turning from cold to warm,
* He said to himself, "All I got to do, is to turn on, my irresistible, disarming sweet charm".

* Roxie then asked him, "Hey T Baby, what's wrong with you, you look like you seen a ghost?"
* In a dismissive manner, he said something about forgotten business that he had with the host.
* He walked, heading to the other side of the room, where Lil’ and Gwen were seated.
* But by the time that he got to their table, they'd already left - poor Lil’, was emotionally depleted.

* Thank God she was not there alone, for as she predicted something may have went wrong,
* Had it not been for Gwen, as this experience left her, she was too weak to get up and leave on her own.

* Now out in the parking lot, walking towards the car, the night began to rain,
* And through the cold darkness, came the familiar voice of Tom, calling out her name.
* Now anger filling her despondent heart, she had no desire for conversation,
* And this betrayal being witnessed by a room full of people, had also filled her with humiliation.

* The rain, came unexpectedly, pouring treacherously, down upon all within its tyrannical wrath.
* And as they neared the car, Tom somehow, came in view, and was now in front of them and blocking their path.
* "Not now", said Lil’, indicating that she was not ready to talk about this demeaning situation,
* But Tom was insistent, and the rain had diluted his irresistible charm, and now he was moved by desperation.

* Extending his arms forward, trying to limit her movement, Lil’ stopped before his outstretched arm and hand.
* And for a fleeting moment, she thought of his touch, and the love that she had for this man.
* Then pushing it aside, without speaking a word, and for the first time, making contact with their eyes.
* With her's, for the moment, not showing that love, only pain, for this man she now despised.

* But she noticed that Tom's had and uncanny stare, and a gleam that shone like glass,
* These were definite, irrefutable signs that he was high on coke, and had been smoking grass.
* Intending to only, delay the inevitable, Gwen intervened, saying, “Tom, can't this wait until later on?”
* “Stay out of my business, you trifiling bitch”, demanded Tom, with a wild violent filled tone.

* “Don't take out on her, what you brought on yourself”, cried Lil’, “And right now, I just want to be left alone.”
* “So get out of my way, and go somewhere and come down off your trip, and let me go on home.”
* Bad judgment presiding, his manhood now guiding him, as he roughly grabbed Lil’ by the arm,
* She winced when he snatched her, which startled him, because he didn't mean to cause her harm.

* Speaking angrily and out of character, Lil’ said “Mother Fucker, are you stupid or crazy.”
* “Manhandling me, grabbing me, like I'm something you own, and I'm suppose to be your Lady.
* Grownup man, out here in the rain, acting like a spoiled assed kid, because he can't have his way”.
* Never hearing her before, directing such words to him, left Tom speechless, not knowing what to say.

* Unaccustomed to not feeling in control, he was at a loss, as to what to do
* Feeling detached from himself, like observing from a distant, regretting as he made his next move.
* Reaching once more, in Lil's direction, this time, grabbing her by the throat,
* With lightning like reflexes, Gwen reached for her purse, which she snuggly held, out of the rain, inside her coat.

* She pulled out a gun, and pointing it at him, and said “Tom, let her alone. Don't make me shoot man.”
* And just as fast, as she was able to retrieve and point it, Tom slapped the pistol out of her hand.
* And into the air, off to the left, while Gwen moved right, barely escaping being hit by Tom,
* The gun hit the door, of a car parked close by, emitting a deafening noise, sounding not unlike that of a bomb.

(Pause)

* Several days later, an inquest was held, in this town that I heard about, to make a determination,
* Concerning the incidents surrounding the cause of Lil's untimely, ill-fated expiration.
* It was concluded that it was the primary result, of an unintentional firing of a 32-caliber gun,
* In a meeting involving the decedent, and two other people, which witnesses described as a violent filled commotion.

* It went on to say that during the process of this meeting, the gun was dislodged from the party's grip, in which it was held,
* Colliding against a parked car, which triggering the release of the bullet from the chamber from where it was expelled.
* The bullet traveled a distance of approximately 87-inches, and enter the body of the now deceased,
* Disrupting the functioning, of some of her vital organs, and forcing poor Lil’ off of her feet.

* The ambulance arrived, in record time fashion, and rushed to get Lil’ the help she was badly needing.
* The paramedics didn't have the equipment to help her, with their assessment of her having internal bleeding.
* Siren blaring, and lights flashing, soaring down the city streets in a justified desperation,
* But Lil’ couldn't keep the life held in her being, and died before reaching her destination.

* As the saying goes, life must go on, that's to say, for those that the departed leaves behind.
* Gwen went to jail for her involvement in this affair, and was penalized with only a fine.
* She had a license for her 32-caliber, which was legal and obtained by her husband who was a cop.
* And the damaging charges, which could have been detrimental to her being, they were eventually dropped.

* And in this town I heard about, they continued their gambling, stealing, and drinking whiskey and wine.
* Tom was in the county jail, and in big trouble, and was about to do some serious, and long time
* He was charged and convicted, for something having to do, with initiating and contributing to the cause, of the death of another human being
* Feeling so miserable, it blew his mind, the tragedy that happened that night, for the sake of him, he couldn't remember a doggone thing.

* One night, six weeks following this tragedy of this lady, who was known to have good taste,
* A county jail guard with a note in his hand, entered the captain's office, alarmed and in great haste.
* The note was an apology, to- Lil’ -from-Tom, who eventually remembered that horrible rainy night, that witnessed the death of his Lady Love.
* Who had hung himself, to end his grief, in his solitary cell, in this jail, In This Town That I Heard Of.

"BEAUTY"

Beauty is a Treasure, it's a Pleasure to the sight,
Like the Stars in the Sky on a Warm Summer Night.

Like the Grace of a Dancer, or the Glow of a Smile;
The Sweet Sent of a Fragrance, Or the Innocence of a Child.

Beauty: it is rich, it is love, it is ease.
It's the Sound of that Special Someone's Voice; It's that feeling when you're pleased.

Beauty means Being Together, and Laughter, and Teasing.
It also means the sight of a flower, Or some part of Life, that one can find Appealing.

You can travel, and visit all over the World, in places like Africa, Asia, Europe, or Haiti;
And will never find, a treasure more Rich, with Beauty, than that, of a Lady.