Art and Poetry by Kenneth M. Key

Slaveship prison cells
Now dry docked.
In a country that’s not my own.
This country is of thee.

Slaveship prison cells
Reminiscence
Of my ancestors slaveships
Bodies stacked on top of
Each other
Metaphorically
The living dead standing
Upright can’t breath!

Carried away from our homes
For our labor and our worth.
Chained by our circumstances,
Created by the institutions
Who created convict slave laws,
To lease laws, now to new
Jim Crow laws.

Living in this 13th amendment
Enslavement
In these slave States
Not yet free, in this
21st century, living in
These Slaveship prison cells

And the voices of those
Who were here before me
Reaches up from the concrete
Floors, designed by the
Institutions of racism
That now enslave you & me

As we stand steep in
This 13th amendment slavery
In these Slaveship prison cells
Not free! Not free! Not free!

We are Gods
ByKenneth M. Key

Woke to the revelation
That I was created to create
In the image of the Divine
There’s no debate

And as I move fluently upon
These etheral planes, like he
Who created all and spoke
it into being.

Let there be thought, light
And peace. Let him, let God,
Let me, who I am, who
could argue with that.

Created in his image to create
In the image, which is the image
Of HE/ME, my seed, my son
Yet another God upon the ethers
Of the divine.

Who are seen and creating and certainly we are gods
like I and the many other
wonders of the world,
we are, ye are, Gods.

Time – Doing Time
By Kenneth M. Key

Time doing time,
Yet always counting time
Yet time is undefined.

Yet my time is in
The realm of reality
But not mine, for
what we see are
visions of unbelievability
Unfathomable impossibilities of life without the
possibility of parole.

Time just doing time
Always counting, never
Standing still moving,  fluently, but time undefined
In this matrix of life
without the possibility
of parole 888 years beyond understanding of time
undefined yet defined as time.

Time assured by time givers
Of time that you or I
can’t do. Time that so
Lengthy, despite standing still, not enough time
to spend with friends
or loved ones or hold
your child or just be you.

Never enough time
But all we have is time,
What a contradiction! Time doing time.

Coronavirus
By Kenneth M. Key

Coronavirus
Some call it by its
Shorten version
COVID 19.

So deadly, so menacing
And so many in our
Society not taking
it seriously.

The fear of the unknown
Takes your breath away
Panic!!
Can’t breathe
But faith in God
Is the key
Now breathe!

Haiku
By Kenneth M. Key

Coronavirus
The fears unknown, loss of breath
Faith the key, God heals.

I Remember the Kisses
By Kenneth M. Key

I remember all the kisses.
The kisses of kissing you.
Kisses to say I love you,
Kisses to say I need you.
Kisses that moved us both beyond words.

Yeah! I remember the kisses.
Kisses that washed your tears away.
Kisses that were used to say I’m sorry.
Kisses we kissed when we made up.
Kisses to assure you I wasn’t going anywhere.
Kisses filled with passion as we started anew.

I remember the kisses.
Kisses that warmed us through and through.
Kisses that said I’m glad you’re home.
The kisses that said Bye.

I remember the kisses
Kisses that were simply because
I enjoyed kissing you.
Yeah! I remember the kisses long
gone, and wishing right now that
I was kissing you.

Each Morning
By Kenneth M. Key

Each morning I’m awaken
By this particular bird
Chirp, chirp, chirpping,
Like look at me, yeah his
Chirpping is a subtle reminder
I’m not free!

And with each morning his
Chirp, chirp, chirpping
Sound like don’t you wish you could
Fly away with me – don’t you wish you
Could be free?
Chirp, chirp, chirpping like he’s
Making fun of me.

Yea! Each moring that bird
that flys free, reminds me of
my reality, serving out this other
Death Penalty – Now life without
The possibility of parole.
Never to fly free as I listen to the
Chirp, chirp, chirpping of the
Bird who’s free not me.

Each morning I’m awakened,
To be humiliated and the subtle
Attempts of emasculation, despite
my humbleness and morning salutations.
And constant reminders of that bird’s
Chirp, chirp, chirping
Reminding me – Certainly not free.

Each morning awaken by racist
Guards out to get me, with particular
Ordering – take those linens donwn, get that
Out the bars, remove that towel and
That bird chirp, chirp, chirpping.

Yeah! Each morning and a constant
Reminder not free! Each morning
Of the same old bird

Chirp, chirp, chirpping

Just Masterbation
By Kenneth M Key

People having conversations about Mass Incarceration and ridding the system of this 13th Amendment enslavement.
AND
The narrative has lasted much longer then the Intellectual Masterbation provided at each presentation of those who keep coming and coming over our situation.

As they state excited to be here and part of the conversation, while we die off, because it’s just conversation.

NOT YET FREE!

Now our sons, daughters and grandchildren are in the same situation, while they who claim to have the solutions continue to masterbate, yet we’re still NOT FREE!

Generation after Generation while they continue in their Intellectual Masterbation and poets
Like Nikky Finney saying “we must lead with love.”

But it gets lost in the Masterbation, the desire to be seen and heard and that’s the Climax, but STILL NOT FREE –

JUST MASTERBATION!

In My Mind
By Kenneth M. Key

In my mind I’m free,
But prison bars keep me
Anchored in this reality
Of time, not free, just
In my mind.

Time plus time equals life without any hope of being free, restored
Or part of society.

Inhumanity, racism and
Prejudices keeps 13th
Amendment enslavement in place.

Against those black, yellow and brown, those of color
That’s me and many more and that’s reality I see in my mind.

Friendship I Can’t Imagine
By Kenneth M. Key

Friendship I can’t imagine a day without you. But yet I’ve had too, you’ve been gone seems like an eternity:

And year after year I remain  here without you near to share.

My pain, my joy, and my dreams.
The times that I do endear, or
the moments of despair without
You by my side.

Yet the friendship I can’t imagine

Has come true.

Compassion, 
To You, I Say Thank You
by Kenneth M. Key

Compassion, to you, I
say thank you.
For if it wasn’t for your
outstretch hands
I
Don’t know what I would do

For no one but you could
Have taken upon the burdens
Of the unforgiven, the lepards
Now convicted and exile, but
Not silent.

Compassion, if it had not
Been for you, I would
No longer smile, laugh
Or cry.

To understand that
Beyond walls without
Windows, that a world
Cries for the prisoenrs and the rejected of the world.
To you I say Thank you.

Compassion Thank you
For extending yourself
To the multitude who until you shine your light
Upon them, didn’t know
What to do.

Compassion it’s you
That resurrects the soul and
Bring the dead back to the living and give them purpose again

Non-judgmental extending
Love, understanding and words of comfort too!
Compassion to you I say
Thank you!

How Does Your Bio Read?
by Kenneth M. Key

My name is Kenneth, yet, I’ve been
forgotten.
I used to be a dreamer, no longer
dreamt of.
I’m resurrecting, yet still not seen.
I’m human who likes other made mistakes.
I laugh, because it’s good for the heart.
I feel, because I understand the
pain that I have caused.
I cry because I understand what it feels like to have something precious
taken from you.

The Other Death Penalty/LWOP
by Kenneth M. Key

The other death penalty means
Death no possibility of  ever
paroling.

Steel cold steel unchanged
time and life continues fluent
while we stand transfixed in time.

Time equals silence
as we all yell! To be free
From bondage and 13th amendment
Slavery.

Life, life and more life imposed
Time impossible for any to do
yet given to you.

Orders yell, stand, sit, spread’em
time equals humiliation =
annihilation = life without the
possibility of parole.

Haiku of Sorts
by Kenneth M. Key

Cold steel gray bars
Against warm blue skies
imprisoned and going through
the whys?

As life goes by and bye
Death by incarceration
And we cry and sigh
Of never paroling sentenced
To life

Steel cool gray landscape
against warm blue skies
unchanging and life is fluent

as it goes by and bye.

Mass Incarceration
by Kenneth M. Key

Mass Incarceration =
Defamation =
Humiliation =
Mental Castration
of
an entire generation =
‘Emasculation
character assassination =
Families caught
in the media =
demobilization
generation after generation.

To a nation that enslave
us, that never wanted
us to be free. =

Modern day Jim Crow
alive and well and this
is what Mass Incarceration
looks like. =

The final hour before
the clock tolls =
The taking of another
Life,
Lethal injection,
and for others
Life without the possibility
of Parole.

-End-

Incarceration what does it mean 
by Kenneth M. Key

Incarceration, what does it mean?
It means, an entire race under
annihilation
defamation,
and character Assassination.

Guilty until Proven innocent
whatever their situation.

It means 13th Amendment
enslavement, for the purpose
of punishment and labor
of an entire generation.

As their families face denigration,
demobilization, and emasculation.

Yeah!

Everyone subject to Humiliation
still dependent on
a race that enslave us,
The
Modern codeword for it
Mass Incarceration

What does it mean?
That our sons and daughters
will continue to be exploited.

In this land where we’re
not free, and there’s no
such thing as liberty,
Damn!
Did I mention no
equality.
And the Home of the brave are cowards
who bask in the clothing of Honor
and fair Play.

While murdering our
children, separating
our families and
all in the name of Justice
and democracy.

Incarcerating us at a
alarming rate, 2 million
and counting to date.

Incarceration what does it mean?
A
fraud perpetrated upon the
people, always guilty
before proven innocent,
Can’t you see?

Black men killed
while driving Black in
their Benz’s and Caddilac.

Walk don’t run or face
the chance of being attack
just for being black in
the wrong hood.

Mass Incarceration
what does it mean?
That
your chances lessen
depending on your ZipCode.

And if not killed by your own
in the hood, then the process
food is sure to get you,
Leading in
High Blood Pressure,
diabetes, and Heart
attacks – Gone!

Leading killers in the Hood
and we don’t get that
and when incarcerated
increases 10x’s

Mass Incarceration, what does
it mean? It means your wife
your mother, your family will
be stress and you will contribute
in the long run to their DEATH.
But you don’t see that
and that’s what Mass Incarceration means.

COMPASSION TO YOU I SAY THANK YOU
by Kenneth M. Key

Compassion to you I
say Thank you!
For if it wasn’t for your
outstretch hands
I
don’t know what I would do.

For no one, but you could
have taken upon the burdens
of the unforgiven, the lepards
now convicted and exile,
but not silent.

Compassion, if it had not
been for you, I would
no longer smile, laugh
or cry.

To understand that
beyond these walls
without windows
that a world cries.
For the prisoner and
the rejected of
the world.
To you I say Thank you.
Compassion Thank you
for extending yourself
to the multitude, who
until you shine you light
upon them, didn’t know
Love.

Compassion it’s you that
resurrects the soul and
bring the dead back to the
living and give us purpose again

Non-judgmental, extending
Love, understanding and words of comfort too!
Compassion to you I say
Thank you!

To be honest had
given upon you

Then you showed up
through the spirit of
People I never knew.

Who said you’re good
enough, let you journey
of redemption begin as
you make amends.
To you
I say Thank you.

-End-

Mass Incarceration Means
by
Kenneth M. Key

Mass Incarceration Means,
no favorite foods upon your plate.
no apples, oranges, or grapes.

Three hots and a cot
state bread, and cookies
pissed on by the mice
that roams.

Government expired
vegetables, mash potatoes
Genetically modified soy
in every shape imaginable.

Dis-ease, its Symptoms
masked by Roll aids and
Zantacs and milk of
magnesium, and the
cancer is masked until
its 4th stage.

And men, well they
wait for the next chow
bell to start the cycle
again.

No matter how many are
killed, with no concern
for what mass Incarceration means.

– END –

I Dream About You Today
By Kenneth M. Key

I dream about you today
Like all my yesterdays
Looking forward to my tomorrows

I dream a dream that wasn’t real
For you were gone some thirty
years ago
Lost to me in the time gone by.

I dream about you today
That I got a letter in the mail
long overdue, lost in the storms
of time, finally to make its
destination.

You said you still loved
me, but had to move on.
Couldn’t be anchored down
To Life without the possibility
of parole. Saw no future
in that, and it was true

I dream about you today
that I was still there, eyes
meeting eyes, and love vibrating
and sensing without words

But the guard rapped
the bars and the dream
I dream about you today
was lost like every
moment in my day to
the reality of doing Life without the
possibility of parole.

What If?
By Kenneth M. Key

SOCIETY
What if I was to go
before the Great Throne
of Forgiveness, be forgiven
before I died
SOCIETY
would you still judge me,
would you forgive me or
would you still hate me
count me unworthy
no doubt
still stain
unforgivable in your eyes
looked upon with the same eyes
of hatred, prejudgment and
malice in your heart, you’ve
been trained to use by society
Lies
their criminals, irredeemable
unworthy, let them die.

Yet each week you enter
your places of worship
with outstretched hands

Tainted with hate, prejudices
and more blood then is
upon my very own hands

For it drips from your
Heart
So visibly, as you parade
in the illusion of fellowship
but not loving, or forgiving
as you’ve all been commanded
to do
pretending, going through the motions
always judging, void of heart
yet to reach out to me or others
claiming
yet making no contributions
beyond superficial, claiming
to be blessed and highly favored
You Hypocrite
busy in your hypocrisy, what if I
was you and you were me what if? what if?

Would You Let Me?
By Kenneth M. Key

If I feel on my knees
To find my peace
To finally be free
Would you let me?

Or would you still ridicule me
Prosecute me
Keep the monster alive
Despite it having died
Resurrected to be something else

Would you continue to buy
Into society lies that a man
Never changes, can’t be redeemed,
Can make no changes from
The inside

If I fell on my knees
To find my peace
to finally be free
could you, my readers
forgive me
would you let me embrace my forgiveness
be a part of my redemption,
to finally be free
From what haunts me,
Keeps me
tied down by the
anchors you’re provided me
would you let me?

Untitled
By Kenneth M. Key

I would like to think that
among my peers, that I was
a poet,
a wordsmith
splitting words smoothly and
fluently with such agility
that they cast thoughts in the
aftermath of their taking off
Before
My audience who were seated
and patiently wondering and
moved at every turn of my
next word
But truthfully
I’m just a man expressing
his thoughts upon the ethers
of time, hoping the vessels
will receive these messages
in kind, that I bring for
the need of a mental
elevation in our liberation
From what enslaves us
In these 13th amendment
Prison Plantations.
I would like to think
I’ve caused you to
think
and with that the
process has begin

Just Another Year
By Kenneth M. Key

Well it’s another year
and many seem to be filled
with this
Happy New Year cheer
But I can assure you
here
It’s just another year
of showers that never clean
of birds that never sing
of time reminding us we’re not
FREE

887 more years to go
Just another year
of time reminding you of time
you can’t possibly do
of food with no taste
of smelling another man’s waste
of living with men with multiple
attitudes.
Of cell houses so cold, even with
the heat on high, and you fully
clothed, you won’t be warm.
Of pest, bugs ad mice
who
keep men company at night
uninvited.
Of living in a prison Industrial
complex,
of clothes that don’t fit,
or keep you warm in the
winter or allow you to
be cool in the summer.
Just another year
in
the sentence of Life without
the possibility of parole

Just another year.

Guilty