🦾Still Strong🦾

Took the trash out, curbside leanin’, streetlight low in the midnight fog, Block still smell like burnt grease and cheap cologne, dogs barkin’ at people that jog. Life don’t pause, it just drags your shoelaces through puddles, And if you don’t trip, you stumble, laugh, then crack your knuckles. I might slip, but I ain’t fallin’, balance tight on this cracked-up road. Shawty thick in the waist, damn near knocked me off course when she slowed. Men bark lies, moonlight habits never gon’ change, Kids chase coins in the arcade, same way grown men chase fame. This ain’t no verse, this is my truth wired with basslines, Broke days, fat pockets, either way still say grace at mealtime. Grease drip, shoes stick, sidewalk stain like blood on the sidewalk, But I never lost grip, slide smooth, let the heavyweights talk. Gun by the hip, tongue sharp, women nod quick when I speak, (bam!) No parachute, but I leap, free runnin’ these blocks every week. (let’s go!) Shoelaces flap, still runnin’, no need for a net or a map, Every scar’s a receipt from the corners where I learned to scrap. I might slip, but I don’t trip. World might flip, but I don’t quit. Life hit fast, I duck, then dip, Shoes untied, still tight with the grip. Blood in my work, sweat in my words, breath in the beat, God in the silence, frauds in the crowd, they weak. Don’t talk to interns, I want the boss in the seat, I’m dressed in cloth that you knock-offs could never repeat. Mirror match crazy, I wrestle with shadows that swing, (yeah!) Block shady, grainy, whole scene blur when the sirens sing. She want affection, I need direction, balance hard to hold, (uh-huh) Campfire burnin’, east side vibe keepin’ me bold. Flipped her like a mattress spring, laughter mixed with the creak, Bottle slipped, splash on my khakis, stain dark as the week. Rolled a joint fat as a thumb, plans vanish in smoke, Whole block yellin’ amen when the pastor spoke. Roots deep as pine in December frost, Mind spin circles, memory heavy as elephant thoughts. Pass back the blunt, rev the engine, let the street preach, She singin’ off-key, still sound like heaven when it reach. Too stubborn to break, too holy to fake, Gossipers chew their teeth while I pave my own fate. No shot, no pill, no drink can clean this slate, Dice roll crooked, spade cut sharp, heads drop late. I might slip, but I ain’t trippin’, Gun stay low, my tongue stay rippin’. (skrrt, skrrt!) Shoelace drag, but I still keep skippin’, Run this track ‘til the whole earth listenin’. (Woo!) Broke net rich before I had age on me, Cut scars deep, world tried to put a cage on me. She toss box like shipments, label it fragile, Every click turn loud like war-drums in a battle. Days stuck like gum on pavement, (ha-ha!) Dry lips prayin’ for rain, still no payment. Blick in the pocket like a night-blade packin’ (bang!) Boys play sitcoms, roles they be actin’. One bald head gleam like stage lights on, Claim he David, but the slingshot gone. Chi-Town smoke, fog roll heavy, Cousins in court, line buzz steady. Words come cold, porches frosted, Coupe paint clean, no force when I floss it. Raise my cheeba, home-grown caution, Spaceship seat, no rearview options. Only glance back when I parallel park, Otherwise compass point straight to the mark. Room lit up, dark can’t swallow, Cookin’ rice slow, grandma’s shadow follow. Winds hit face, dirt on kicks, but I kept the stance, Past don’t shame me, it taught me how to dance. Midnight smoker, clouds thick as a steel roller, (yeah!) Might blow up like supernova, shoulder to shoulder. (boom!) Luck don’t run me, nosy neighbors peekin’, Cup run over, porch light still leakin’. I sip slow ‘til the sun comes creepin’, World keep spinnin’, my soul ain’t weakenin’. Been broke, been hungry, still cooked a lot in a dented pot, Still laugh with cousins when the landlord knock. Weathered storms, sweat on my socks, but I still belong, Every scar on my body is proof I been strong. And yeah… I might slip. (Uh-huh!) But I ain’t trippin’. (let’s go!) Not now, not ever.