Open Mic
~
Imagine it you’re sitting in a dimly lit cafe
The smoke from the burning cigarettes
hanging in the air
The sign outside says Open mic night
A black man sitting in the corner of the stage
Plays his sax soft and low
The music stirs your soul to new depths
A single mic stand stands in the middle of the stage
A spotlight shines down from above
A young man in torn jeans approaches the mic
His eyes show a kind of sadness that reaches the heart
You can hear the bongo drums pick a beat in the background
The young man starts softly
His words move you deeply as you sit
With all your attention focused
On what this young man has to say
Here is the young mans words
Look around you open your eyes
realize try and rationalize
The pain and poverty in our street
In a box I sleep with nothing to eat
You look you see a bum in a slum whose life is done
Why don’t someone stretch out a hand
Help the man do what you can
No you look the other way
you cant even give the time of day to say
Hello a nod of the head
you act like he is dead you fear you dread
A life of crime some day he will do time
he’s your brother and mine
Listen to my rhyme don’t be blind
Open your eyes realize don’t despise
Just cause he’s different not like you
Spare some change give him a dime
so he can dine without the crime
Walk in his shoes pay the dues
what do you have to lose
Feel compassion for a dyeing soul
with no hope at all
I am the man that you see stand
without a plan give me a hand
On the streets I will die but my words
will fly that you cannot deny
Hear my words feel my verbs life is so absurd
My words will live on long after I am gone like a song
That plays in your mind all the time
stuck in continues play
So there’s my reprieve I will leave
so you can conceive the words I do breath
The young man turns from the mic
Walks slowly to the door and disappears
The sound of fingers snapping ringing in his ears
`
© Mydnight