Excerpt from my Black History Month article,

"Police Brutality—The Systematic Racism of the Uniformed KKK."

You rejected the uniqueness

of my skin pigmentation.

You stripped my authenticity

by oppressing my voice.

You beat and bound me

with your whips and chains.

You altered my identity,

and robbed me of my dignity.

You obstructed my freedom,

and ignored all my pleas.

You averted humanness,

but embraced unjust cruelty.

Free verse poem excerpt from my science-based essay,

How the Earth's Shifting" Triggers Torrid Temps."

Blazing sun rays ascend—

over the horizon.

Soaring temps climbed

in the Orient.

The galaxy’s shiniest,

and brightest star—Sirius

—illuminates the vast,

brightly-lit sky.

As night falls, Sirius rises,

and twinkles above the earth,

emanating scorching heat,

and rendering miserable,

summer days, and nights,

— ushering in those—

hot dog days of summer.

He is confined to prison walls

Though he's restrained, he's liberated

Trapped, but still going places

Oppressed, but still uplifted

Bound, yet shackle-free

Dreams do fade

into utter oblivion, then

as fate shifts its course—

hope re-emerges

Though anguish firmly gripped

his wounded soul, the warrior

never stopped to nurture

his bleeding wounds.

The warrior refused to succumb

to cowardice; instead, he

persevered through tough

challenges — knocking down

walls of limitation —and

re-emerged as a brave champion.

His survival proved that his adversity

was the catalyst for his resilience.

Aimlessly, he strolled on

a path to nowhere land.

Devoid of a guiding compass,

he journeyed far and wide.

Realizing his aversion

to stability, and tendency

toward complacency, he

finally discovered that

his true identity was,

in fact,— The Lone Drifter.

Winter storms subside;

cozy climate emerges

Crystalized drops of dew

saturates budding flowers.

Moisture envelopes terrain;

insects graze sweet nectar

Soaring birds fly high while

melodiously trilling its song.

Howling winds, cold and brutal

Ground enveloped with snow

Dead leaves, softly falling

Inclement weather, storms blow

Bones quiver, teeth-chatters

Vanishing smiles, emerging gloom

Barricaded, trapped inside

Yearning sunlight, returns soon

Staring intensely out her window — longing to

escape confinement to her four-wall prison.

She relentlessly sought liberation from the

restrictions, and curfews imposed upon her.

She daredn’t succumb to despair, but

she lifted herself from the depths of

captivity and loudly shouted, "End my

misery, release these shackles,

free me now, and let me go!"

Flaunting its classy hue,

and distinctive shape.

Its sensual fragrance emanates

while a gentle summer breeze

whispers through its soft,

white pedals.

Ah, those sweet gardenias!

An overcast sky

high humidity,

mosquitoes flying,

birds-a-chirping, strong

tall, massively branched,

moss-filled cypress trees,

hovers over the dark,

alligator-infested waters.

The bayou’s atmosphere is

serene and devoid of activity,

but even in its muteness; it

makes beautiful, quiet music.

Shh! Listen to the melody

of the sleeping bayou.

Explore it. Adore it.

Capture its unseen beauty.