POEMS ABOUT STRUGGLE
THIS COLD, COLD WORLD
Poems About Struggle: This Cold, Cold World
Step up
Man Up
Step Up
Man Up
It's Time
Your Time
To Shine
It's your divine appointment
Arm yourself with ability
With information and a strategy to produce knowledge
Be equipped with a determined mind
Money may be the inspiration
But most often it is sought with desperation
Be strong in truth
Set your feet with peace
And arm yourself with your faith
Which will overcome the hate
Poems About Struggle: This Cold, Cold World
You know what I mean
Those that debate with you
Hate the progress in you
Despise the wisdom that grows
Deep, deep, deep inside you
And when it gets tough
Don’t be afraid to take heed to those knees
It’s in that place that the miraculous download occurs
And it is the one place that will prepare you for this
Cold Cold World
Poems About Struggle: This Cold, Cold World
By Rafa Selase
More Information:
Rafa Selase is a poet, pianist, artist, athlete and jazz activist. Influenced by the community, culture, and sounds of the Northern California Bay Area, Rafa Selase's music, art, and songwriting aspires to speak to people across the globe on all levels of the musical, poetic and artistic spectrum. A proud native of Vallejo, California, he has been quietly building a career as a multi-talented artist.
Selase is a multi-genre artist that has ventured into a socially conscious alternative hip-hop-infused acid jazz album he called, "Red Blooded American.” With social change igniting worldwide, the Red Blooded American album feels like a protest song album, but rather it is a philosophical take on freedom and what we can learn from a poet's observations.
Poets like Selase are easily recognizable but often the best poetry elicits such a strong response because well they seem to write from a place of conviction, and knowledge that is rare in today's world. On occasion, such nuanced poetry can even inspire a thoughtful and respectful silence. Everyone is talking but few have the depth of Selase's work. I personally loved the work of James Baldwin, Tupac Shakur, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Ryszard Kapuściński, and Eldridge Cleaver. If you enjoy or appreciate any of the above poets' work you are sure to find great gratification in his poetry books.
Here are a few quotes from industry insiders and professionals:
"Reflecting the musical adventurousness and eclectic artistic brew of his Bay Area roots, Selase has a stunning body of work that encompasses everything from spoken word to acid jazz to New Age." - The Journal of Roots Music - No depression
"It also echoes the pioneering spoken-word music of Gil Scott-Heron in its real and vivid poetry. As one can interpret from the title, Selase reflects on the social and political environment of living in America now. If Public Enemy was the CNN of inner cities, Selase is its literary observer." - All About Jazz
"Selase persistently soaks you in the truth of the moment – it’s provocative, thoughtful, and eye-opening, all at once." - Stereo Stickman
"There is a crazy power that emanates from this music. However, the atmosphere is serene, it advances without arms, hatred, or violence." - ANOTHERWHISKY FOR MISTERBUKOWSKI
Beautifully,
Rainha Joy
© 2010 Damon J. Smith All rights reserved.