honey child (spoken word, 2006)

with your bronzed skin style
grew up double dutching with two ropes--
your heart and your mind

head knockers
knockin'
jaw breakers poppin
hips lockin
eyes sparklin'
and although boys be jockin
you ain't poplockin
on the block
you just plottin
waiting for a chance to
spin the world like a record
that don't stop

Honey child
Ready for the world
brown skinned girl
got fire in your eyes
and a smile in your soul

Honey child
who picks up the beat
like (Ping Ping)pick up sticks
knows when to head roll
and take her licks
sold her kicks
to build her bricks
as she's moving on up
and like Harriet
bringing others
with her

but you'd have to be a king
to get her
and if you got with her
your soul's got
coolwater
so you know you smellin' good
but you can't buy this water
in your local hood

no matter how phat your pockets
or fly your spinners
you got to earn her love

she's
tough but not hard
heavy but not phat
kind but not weak
Yes, she's all that

and

Honey child
knows her history, too
can tell you Columbus wasn't first
to sail the ocean blue

and when she drops knowledge
heads have to go back to college
to understand
her boom clock, boom clock banana rock
but you better back up
if you got the "r tick toc"

because she ain’t got time for haters
and perpetrators
bootleggers and fake collaborators

she expects great things
yes, she expects great things
things beyond designer fashion
and diamond rings

and as she grows
this girl knows
that she's got power
in her walk
shoot,
honey child might make
a d-boy give up rock
the thug
put down his glock
and the smooth operator
put away this talk

She got mo' game than monopoly
but only uses it as a last resort
and in her mind you'll find a love so sublime
that weapons of mass destruction
can't break it

but whatever way you take it

honey child
is just a plain old girl
but like honey to the lips
and she's like a diamond to a pearl

she's
cool, but not cold
nice but not sweet
proud but not vain
fresh, but so deep

and like a flower in the sidewalk
she blooms the brightest
when she looks up at you
with her big brown eyes
yes, she makes you want to be better
yes, she makes you want to be better

She makes you want to
fight your way out of the storm