Poet X

by poorman a. blackstar

You imitated Poe so poorly he spoke to me about it.
You wanted to rap without social history.
You wrote under the influence of me.
White people like what you write.
It confirms their best racism.
I collected your art for you for years and then you lost it.
Your love is always mixed with competition.
But, you never take my age into account.
I'm younger than you are.
I becane dependent on your dependency.
For years every girl you knew came through me.
And when they whispered, I defended you.
When you were in jail you called my wife collect.
I tried to protect you from petty stardom,
but you resisted and insisted.
You were famous for fighting loosing battles.
Your art is littered all over the city.
When we got stopped by the police, and I broke down,
you sat there quietly, almost anxious to go to jail.
Now, there's something in the oven.
You have to watch it so we haven't seen you.
Even when you're not around you make me sick.
But my daughters miss their uncle.
And I have a new father you haven't met.

[]

2002