In Search Of A Righteous Brother

And if I turned the ships around
Brother
Would you be at the dock of the bay
Ready to anchor oppression and not complain
about your plight and be a real
Righteous Brother
And don't pass your problems off on another Brother
rather take them head on
with the sounds of bata drums
sound tracking your war with the Devil
and not turn the gun on your own reflection
Righteous Brother
And if I have your back and march like
Oya has with Shango since forever and
light a blue candle so Yemaya could
part her waters and help me turn those ships around
Would you be afraid to win with me and
not for me but war for my honor always so I don't have to
want for another Righteous Brother
Would you war for my honor and not pound 
the next Brother for proppin' you on your "fine piece of ass," 
your Goddess and if he did
would you make him kneel at my feet and beg my pardon 
would they respect your Queen like She respects Herself
and her Vagina to sow your seeds, Righteous Brother
And bring forth your extension and sustain your lifeline, Righteous Brother
And if my feet blistered from marching the streets
for Mumia
against the School Board
For Black Men
If they hurt from the friction of cementing myself firm on the grounds 
of the Brooklyn Bridge 
against police brutality, against blue crackerjacks
armed with batons and Black male penis envy
would you wash my feet and stone my soles soft for the next rally
for our FREEDOM
It's a mouthful, a handful, a lifefull
But I'm down if you is Righteous Brother
And If I break down and bellow in terror when 
Babies die in my arms from Crack addiction, AIDS, and neglect,
when I see and hear babies die from abuse, so violently
would you cry with me then wipe the tears burning,
burning my skin and icing my heart cold in this callous world, 
and let me be human in your arms and let your heartbeat pacify my pain
while you sing hymns and pray with me for a better tomorrow, Righteous Brother
And when we're home
would you sing love songs in the shower
while I fix breakfast and bless our food after thanking our ancestors,
NOT MINE, OUR ancestors, because we are ONE
And If I keep our home clean, clothes spotless, books dusted, back relaxed
after I rub you down with oil and lick your spine because it feels so good to
you
Would you take a moment out of your day
to reinforce my womanhood
tell me that I'm pretty
kiss me on the cheek
and praise me for the stretch marks 
god left as a sign of her existence
would you love my daughter as if she
were your own and be the role model
that she needs to grow 
into the strong Black woman 
you love and respect in me
And if I blessed you with life
would you hold my hand for as long as it took
you can't feel my pain but can you FEEL my pain, Righteous Brother
And Lover,
could I trust you enough to suck in your existence and kiss 
every square inch of your body, ride you into the morning hours
and when you fall asleep to my sweet rhythms
will I only hear you call my name Righteous Brother
Could I trust you enough Righteous Brother
COULD I TRUST YOU 
Would you not run game and use my instinct as reason to do 
what I ain't ever playing, Righteous Brother
If you are, I'd be your every woman Righteous Brother
I'd lick my lips and taste honey before I talk to you Righteous Brother
Leave oranges and Egyptian Sandalwood incense and oils for Oshun 
by the river and thank God/dess 
for your momma's womb, your daddy's sex, and the force that brought them
together to
manifest a Phenomenal Righteous Brother
that moment they conceived you will be embedded in my history
Elegba Modupue
And  I will not neglect my Ebo's to Obatala
to keep my head cool so I will Never be out of line with you Righteous Brother
And if I did
Will you put aside your pride and put me in check rather than dagger me with
insults
Are you big enough to stop the madness and except my faults Righteous Brother
When I hold your hand and pray 
I'll treat it like the first time I recognized God because 
it'll be the first time I recognize God, 
forty-free, bitch-free, drug-free, Righteous Brother
And if I support your dreams and help you achieve your goals
Insist that you invest in our future rather than buy me
donna karan dashikis and prada bags to tote and boast about designers
who don't design for our people
Would you push me to challenge Myself and keep on keepin' on
even if  I gave you seven children and it meant that you stay home for awhile
and maybe
cook them a dinner or two, Righteous Brother
And when we do reach economic success
Could we dedicate a floor in our home to showcase and support OUR OWN
Fundraise for Sekou Odinga, Mutulu Shakur, and build a secret room to house
Assata undetected to give her quality time with her daughter before we broke
Mumia
the fuck out, Righteous Brother
It's nation time, Righteous Brother
Or were you poppin' that mellifluous pseudo-revolutionary shit to make me come
hard
and expect me to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, Righteous
Brother
while you flaunt your Blackness and stride like a panther
And if I'm depressed could you make me laugh
and use laughter as the best medicine
laugh at our children's gestures and revel in their curiosity
laugh when we trip up on inopportune moments
laugh our way into positions that would make the Kama Sutra look like foreplay
laugh at how much prime time swears Black folks can't love each other
Ashe
And if you asked me to be your wife, Righteous Brother
I'd say, "we've been for lifetime but I'll never get tired of celebrating
us!."
Ashe




                                      by raquel cepeda