Rites of Passage by Audreyia Thibodeaux

Rites of Passage

I had to break your heart this morning.

Awakening the sleeping memories stored in your genes.

You may feel I picked your pockets,

But I hope I did the right thing.

As I watched the tears drop with your shoulders,

I fear I made a mistake.

You, a youthful Being with only 8 years of life experience,

It is my duty to educate you.

To activate all the knowledge within your DNA.

The pain is there,

The truth is there.

The chains and broken bonds.

The answers to questions about your beautiful brown skin.

Skin chlorophylled with melanin.

Skin not yet blacked with bruising.

Skin charged before birth.

So, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Clause pay penitence

For the cost of your innocence.

You would pay later for ignorance.

I would resent myself,

If I didn’t let you know the Devil doesn’t exist.

Dear Progeny,

The demons coiled inside your spirals

Stand ready to insist you created this prison.

I may never see your eyes gleam again,

For the bubble I’ve burst washes over you.

Let it cleanse you, but

Never let it make you, hate you.

Never diminish, never dull.

Although these words may not fit your britches.

Tell your cells these truths:

We have been here since the beginning,

We are still here,

And we will always be here.

We are karmic.

We don’t die,

We evolve, upgrade, and multiply.

Audreyia, a poet since the age of 12 has one son, Progeny. She received her Master's degree from PVAMU and is currently a career mentor. You can see more of Audreyia's work on her blog site PerneyThePoet and follow them on Twitter.