Joseph’s Ballad

You gotta have Big dreams to make it outta here

It’s already been enunciated

I gambled to make it- , before my brother died

But I never perceive it

I wasn’t even dreamin for me

But the aforementioned

I was the buffer

Startin At seven

I did everything

Throwing hands

With the schmucks

People who connoted

Just one word-

My flip was switched

I understood

What I needed to do

Learn hard, play smart,

Play smart, learn hard

I had to rise above

I had to clock up

Before The clock broke

I had my whole life planned

But that was damned

Once he went away

Bye bye motive

he’s gone

An it wasn’t even to the streets

Man ain’t illness a bitch

At least he got an extra six

It started with ah limp

Then he started to trip

Docs call my mom

He was only six

He’s diagnosed

MD Duchenne

Given until 12

already lived half his sentence

At only six

My mama was a heart broken mess

But still loved her baby no less

Mother

Working as much she could

Doctor appointments-

Medicine-

Different Equipments-

No one ever got to know the real him

They seen the chair

Heard the label

they’d just split

that includes his bio dad

He was in and out of our lives

(He was a joke)

Always giving gifts

Like that shit was it

But we we’re in the hood

Like he didn’t need him

That bitch didn’t even show

At his funeral

Like who the fuck does that?!

He wasn’t there for the first few years

Not the last ones either

We would’ve been better if we never

Communicated

Don’t ever wanna see him in the streets

It started with ah limp

Then he started to trip

It got to his legs

It’s strikes noon

Just now having to use the chair

Around da clock

Around da block

Even more happens

6th grader scared and confused

told to slide down the stairs

One stair

Two stair

Break in the steps

They lifted him then put him back down

Crackle and a pop

He wasn’t the same no more

It started with ah limp

Then he started to trip

It got to his legs

It got to his mental

He didn’t care anymore

14 hits

So does The sleepy kitty (depression)

He was home schooled at this point

All his friends stopped talking to him

His dad stopped randomly showing up

Everyday was this constant loop

No new faces

He didn’t want to go to new places

What I’ve always wanted

His freedom

His life to be longer than mine

But that ship sailed

Learn hard, play smart,

Play smart, learn hard

I had to rise above

I had to clock up

Before The clock broke

I had my whole life planned

But that was damned

After he went away

Bye bye motive

I wish medicine wasn’t just for the rich

Man ain’t illness a bitch

It started with ah limp

Then he started to trip

It got to his legs

It got to his mental

He didn’t care anymore

He wasn’t around no more

At 18

I still remember his last words

They weren’t even words

Just a scream-

A yell-

I can’t take it no more

Replaying through my head

He gripped my hand in the hospital bed

Unlike the media says

Learn hard, play smart,

Play smart, learn hard