Nuyorican Poets Cafe (Interlude)

[Intro: Khalik Allah]
First off know me as Khalik Allah the psychotherapist
Yo Peace Radamiz
You are in accord with His Will
You cannot fail because your Will is His
Have confidence in your Father today
And be certain that He has heard you and Answered you
You may not recognize His answer yet
But you can indeed be sure that it is given you
And you will yet receive it

[Poem: Radamiz]
The elders in my family drink Johnny and reveal their insecurities
They are movers of mountains with exhausted thumbs and a Santa Maria in each bedroom
The elders in my family turn women into cooks, maids, Gods, caretakers of their failures
And by default, amazing mothers
My little cousins have been barefoot since birth and are motorcycle pros
They feed me food from their soil and water from a downpour
I am the grateful grandchild of Mama Rosa, Papa Berto, Mama Lucia, y Papa Florentino
I am the grateful grandchild of the Tobaco y Ron, Tipico, Aguacate, and Vaporu
Thank you for teaching me to ride horses as a newborn
For sips of Corona as an adolescent
And for beating me with: brooms, branches, books, and eventually, with the realities of this finite, glorious life
The elders around me have passed but remain within me
And consistently around me
They wake me when I snooze on the responsibilities they have instilled
For the world to know their names, accentos, and influence
I am a brand ambassador of latino strength: Cafe Bustelo addicts, temporarily crippled, rehabilitating by way of prayer
Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes
And I am the change my elders require me to be
Most people’s legacies die in their diaries, so I change gracefully