I built my home on an E. Badu Song

I erected my home.... to an Erykah Badu Song.

On and On as i manifested my own dome,

I heard her "call Tyrone" as i laid the first stone ,

Prayed over the process n let the bags go (according to the lady in context)

expanded the square feet to a condo

from a duplex

and yes

It included a window seat per her request.

I built my home in the 90s

Like '93

And lemme tell ya the neighborhood is probably Where The Wild Things Go to meet Cuz I....

Built my crib next to landlines and phonebooks

and gas stoves

and Space shuttles

and Clinton

and Fresh Prince and Disney Channel original movies

My next door neighbor is a Just For Feet store with a circuit city in it....

My other is a Blockbuster.

And my neighbors ring the bell (that always Saved Zack)

cuz my house lacks text (90s didnt have that)

My car is a VCR that takes me to the land before time,

lets me hang wit Luna n Molly

then read a rainbow or 5

until its time for MTV Raps and 106 N Park live

....i stay here until the Magic School Bus arrives.

But then i bought a house in the depression Nothing was great about it

I wont take long

no not in this home

Because i left here. Return? I doubt it.

It was considerably tidy,I kept it real neat

......it always disagreed with what i tracked in on my feet

The house always highlighted my stains my spots my trash, instant replay across my driveway while life waited in the road waiting for it to pass....

Actually In this house i never got home

Nah, the hallways stretched endlessly

Without hope i trudged on

Past door after locked door (where I pay the rent!?!) Light bill alwsys sky high

But everything had a gray tint??

So no, yea. I hated that place

Overcame it

But still the owner

So if i get close,

i always turn the other way

Cuz nowadays!!!

I remember. . .I built my home in ALL BLACK

And thats truly been the best part.

The best shades,

the best movement,

the best pain processed into art

The best feeling to wake up to Al Green and hymns TD Jakes Tupac Kirk Franklin

and Wu Tang

and Smokey and Martha and them Van-dam-dellas

To gaze at copper on bronze on tapioca to mahogany brown and near blue hues and say

"Im in my skin, when i jump out u jump in!"

And how we talk,man.

Damn.

To take a language given at greatest disadvantage

And manage

to invent understanding

Then create facetious phrases

And a lingo so coveted....with no planning?

To comeback from the greatest L's life could loan to the living

To do it all while robbed from home,

Denied our home,

Lied about whats home,

Told-to-build-Americas-while-they-hoped-we-forget-its-our......homes.

But see? We cant.

400 years since chains sustained the "democracy"

and we waking up out of the

inherent hypocrisy

the opera

lady sings no more.....

Beyonce does now and Whitney first and Aretha and Marian Anderson before.

We acknowledge the wounds of our great great grands and we declare to work to heal it in our front yards as we stand

In our homes, Black homes that laugh louder than they cry

That cook better when their broker

And speak the truth when society lie.

Plus a lil exxagerstion,my house love to put on

It creak and make noise but (aint nothing realy wrong)....

This house strong.

This house been burned hanged chained up locked down segregated 3/5ths of a citizen And still aint gone.

So i guess i built my home Without using my hands.

Built it unbreakable( but can bend)

So it just sways with the wind

And this house got lil pieces of all my other places

The other homes for a season

And some phases

And some forevermore vacant

But i took a brick from each space

And made a ground floor of greatness

From faith cut the windows and doors so i could keep out any rain im facing.

Planted a garden of knowledge and watched time bear wisdom's fruit

Then made magic in the kitchen and gave it to the world to recoup

Cuz Home is simply where i choose to exist

As im constantly changed by life's plans.

As a boy Id build a house on Neo-Soul

Or Melanin

Or the 90's....

Today I build the home as a man.