REAL?

Today I took the time to just watch
And I saw a lot of people being what they're not
Living their lives
Killing themselves trying to fit into a box
Jumping off cliffs just cause others do
And signing contracts with the anti-true colour group
Cause true colours bait them up
And they're trying to blend in
A lot goes into being real
But also in pretending
Fake smiles ,phoney friendships
The list is endless
I saw people wearing jackets when it was hot
In the name of being cool
Laughing at things they didn't find funny
In the name of being cool again
They wear masks but
Today I see through all of them
I saw some confused people
Feeling it was right to do wrong
In the name of being among
Sometimes you need Be yourself
Believe me you need yourself
Because the ones you call friends
Often loose their ears
When your scream for help
It's alright to follow
We can't all be leaders
But like I said,like hudini, friends
Often disappear
Conveniently when their most needed
So today I watched a few people watching me
The polite looks were fake
I realised I had enemies
I might have been paranoid
But in life not everyone will like you
Because one man might see a plate of sh*t
While another man  sees nice food
But I'm straying from the point
Wheres the railings in this joints
You know
Today I looked for gravity
Cause no ones down to earth
People take fire for granted
When they haven't yet been burnt
Man everybody's acting
Fakery  rules these days
Everybodys plastic
Trying to close whats not open
People tamper with their bodies too much
Trying to fix what's not broken
I looked around today
I saw that very few people were happy
With the way that they looked
And the people that were happy were too happy
I saw people who not blood from water
Like all I need are my mates ,screw family
Lets make up minds is this a world or madam tausaudes
The way girls cover there faces with foundation no floor boards
It's crazy out here,show me something real
Nah you can find that word In the cemetery
It's not RIGHT that there's there's none of it LEFT to see
But what can we do
I don't know about you but
I'm no better
But I'm working on it
Pealing away the layers of fake accumulated over the years
Is as easy as hearing a mouses heartbeat FROM A MILE AWAY without any ears
So ...I'm working hard
But at the end of the day its dumb for one to reveal all there cards
So yeah there will always be parts of us that aren't on display
But that's just reality, does it mean that were fake?
But forget that
Today I had someone smile up in my face then
Extend there middle finger when I turnt to walk away
Usually my eyes would of missed such but
But like I said ,
Today I took he time to just watch
it's a shame ,but I'm sure that if you did the same
You'd FIND out that the real meaning of real...is LOST

Unimportant

Was in a car in Nigeria driving to Lagos at about 5:30am, was bored so I looked out the window and realised the extent to which these people hustle, and how insignificant my problems were when compared with theirs. . .short but meaningful hope you enjoy it








I looked from my left to my right,

in fact on both sides

the sights are the same

identical plights

nobodies asleep,hunger opens eyes,

only when lacked, is money truly on one's mind

and moneys truly on their minds,

every single one of them,

the shadowy rejects of a defective government

unpleasant,oh yes, but that's life.

Out here, where people work to death to make a living

ironic shoes an atheist would pray to never fit in,

brain freeze , the thought alones chilling

of a life with no balance, adverse to equilibrium

where what,sown is a lot more than what reaped

and what ,reaped is a lot less than what sown

far from average, they conquer the maze

set all set backs ablaze,and find hope.

..............................................

Poverty's eschewal ,and that I respect

despite situations,dejection they refuse to except

And so they work.Hard.

under the resentment of the sun

beating harder upon their backs with no exceptions for the young

who,sweat laced,would rejoice in making ,our minimum wage

3 pounds 68 per hour, in half a month

in fact the other day,I bought a pack of water from..

well.......practically a baby

bet she couldn't read but damn she new what her change was

A true Naija hustler,yeah that's what I'll call them

this poems a celebration of those who aren't heard of,

and if heard of, are thought of,as unimportant

those Nigerians that would do anything just to sell

there motivations ,not Rowland but desperation

in attempt to make light the proposed darkness of their future destinations

and provide better chances for their future generations 

but its far from easy,when juggling a minimal gain occupation,

so there's no time for patience,these people need money and need it fast

you could call it the diamond trade cause Nigerians hustle hard

hold up .. . . . . ponder for a moment,

You might just feel bad for ever feeling bad

because the worst of your problems would probably be the best they've ever had

True Naija hustlers, yeah that's what I'll call them,

This poems a celebration of those who aren't heard of ,

and if heard of , are thought of,as unimportant.





By Shaquille Ofili-Dowdy

Sometimes

Sometimes we say what we shouldn't 
Or don't , what we should
We try to stop what we can't
Yet don't what we could've 
Sometimes we're just confused
So much so that we think we're not
We manage to find bad in good
And in finding it ,become lost
Sometimes we regret
Regret doing what's been done 
That's how the past can kill your present
And your future all in one
Sometimes we fail to listen 
Only hear what we want
The same way we fail to see,
Instead,  imagine what's not
Sometimes we make excuses 
Look for right in our wrongs
But a spade remains a spade
And what's short just isn't long
Sometimes we don't admit
In fact Very few of us do
Because being wrong's easy
And it's hard to hear the truth
And sometimes were sorry 
But never express this
When our hearts invite pride
But leave sense off the guest list
And sometimes we have feelings
Yet we never let them out
Were not sure if were sure
Or if they're ...mutually felt
Not sure if were sure
Or......if they're  ..mutually felt
So sometimes were sceptical
We don't know what to think
And end up getting hurt 
When we don't know when to flinch
And sometimes we don't know things
Yet still pretend that we do
Then lash out when were questioned
Or, merely asked for proof
Sometimes I'm just human
Excuse after excuse
I despise, but accept this
So this poem is ......for you

Robots

Best read to the Skepta-big instrumental
Written a while back so I'm still not quite what my trail of thought was. 



what exactly is life ,

a picture already painted,

or a blank canvas awaiting our actions complete it 

do we choose our lefts,rights. . .rights, wrongs,

or  were they already chosen for us 

long before our parent's grandparents ever thought of having our parent's parents

are we all controlled by he that dwells above us,

are we all just on straight,direct roads leading to our so called final moments

hills,turns,traffic lights absent

maybe we're really the supreme controllers of our fates 

or obliviously,only, decide the routes we take to get to them

am i really writing this poem out of sheer coincidence aided by free will

or merely fulfilling prophesies long established

maybe were all just robots,

drunk with science

attempting to create our own robots

who through development may one day become intelligent  enough to create their own robots

and those robots create others

and those , others, and this go on and on and on until one day

a lone clock skips a second. . . .  or the right jigsaw piece is forced yet doesn't fit,

or our feet start doing what our hands should be doing and our hands . . . our feet

Were all slaves to set rules , as are our THOUGHTS 

We just THINK, we're free

Watch You Walk Away

I like you,but I'm gonna LIE about it

Cause I can't predict your response to the TRUTH

Cause I haven't been hurt, not by you 

And I'd like to keep it that way

It's easy that way 

And if I could do forever I'd like to keep you guessing 

Without you questioning what lies beneath this cool 

Aka what I really feel for you

that's my head talking 

Things smashed to PIECES  when I let what lies beneath my CHESS

Determine my MOVES 

I won't pretend that I don't need it 

But neither will I try cause I can't be sure if It needs me

So I'm in this water and I'm knee deep 

And won't go any further until your words ease me

Into a,more reassured state

And your lips won't budge

Is that pride or fear 

I don't know but ,it's the same substance that seals my lips now

But didn't then...and now look at the position I'm in

So I think I need to think 

If this works out then what next 

If this were to ESCALATE then define the next STEP

We can secure TODAY but what happens TOMORROW

Cause it cant sort its self out 

Without..interference 

And its screaming for help now

And on this we might just miss out 

If it doesn't scream louder than our 

Mutual doubts , cause we mutually feel Ishhh no doubt but,

Wont convert these feelings to words

Unless we're sure that they're mutually felt

Hold on what if I'm WRONG

And my fears were RIGHT

And I've mistaken your being polite for..

Something else
 
Is this a two way thing or solely in my mind

Am I thinking out of line

I don't want to MISS out on an opportunity 

Nor risk being MISled

So I'd rather let the contents of my HEAD order my LEGS

Should I sit here and regret not attempting to fly or 

Or be a "societal man" and Leave the security of my nest 

I mean let's face it 

In many ways you're more than worth the risk 

But I'd rather watch some other bastard jump off the cliff

Judging my decision on his outcome

But then what if you catch him 

Solely because my confidence didn't match his 

My pride would help my eyes store their water like a cactus

But still I probably wouldn't be too happy

I'd lie and probably convince those on the outside 

But inside I'd feel like the explicit term 

for the cargo of a soiled nappy

That's the honest truth

And they say IGNORANCE is bliss

But right now I'd rather KNOW what to do

If not I'll do nothing ,hold my peace and let this fade

Protect my pride and dignity 

And let them live another day,

 CRIPPLING myself as I watch you WALK away

Grandma

Wish I could turn back the hands of time

but fatally stubborn they are

in the mist of darkness you were light

jealous were the stars



my heart sped up when yours stopped,

in a mad struggle to outrun reality 

in the end happy made way for sad

..comedy ,for tragedy



Your relief was the start of my pain 

Your morning,the end of my day

how selfish the human heart

God has only reclaimed the angel he made



you brought happiness to the hearts of many

hatred,to the hearts of none

make use of what you HAVE while you HAVE it 

I never knew what I HAD until it was gone



perpetually you'l be in my heart

in my heart, perpetually you'l be

until it irrevocably ceases to pump

and again, grandma ,we meet