O Black Man, My Black Man

O black man,
Lift up your head and open your eyes
For the heart beating inside of you is a delightful surprise
A life force flows through your veins
As a son of the King of Kings
You are meant to reign

So reign
And rain over me with a fresh fall of life
Thundering through your surroundings with change over strife
Like lightning striking the world
You are a force with which to be reckoned
Draw nigh to your Source for He has beckoned
And He is the one in whose image you are made

Power belongs to the Creator
And as an heir it belongs to you
Don’t be an imitator
of what the world says is true

Rise up and look me in the eye
Release your strength and a sound war cry
Against the enemy of the heavens
And of you

If you dare to walk aimlessly,
Don’t care to walk blamelessly,
Playing right into the hands of the adversary
Like a ship on the ocean
Tossed and carried by the wind
Then just tarry a bit longer
And you will be ferried into the arms of death

O black man!
You were meant to live
And love living
You must give
And love giving.
Pour out your all before the Maker
Throw it all on the Savior
Because there is nothing so major
That He hasn’t overcome
It is already done

Close your eyes
For just a moment
Just long enough to dream
Impossible though it may seem
Put it into the hands of the Divine Weaver of Dreams
Write it down
And run.
Your laziness is done!
Right, left, right, left, RUN!
With the holy vision from Christ
Lay down your life
And pick up your purpose
You are not worthless.
You belong to Him,
And you mean something to me.

My black man,
My dear brother,
My blood, fruit of the womb of my mother
Embrace the God-given rites of passage
And decipher the message
That the Holy Spirit speaks
Just listen.

Hear and do
See and remember what you look like
You look like our Father in heaven
It is His image alone that you were given.

So take a look at where you are
Oh yes, God has brought you far!
But look more closely and be dissatisfied!
Because our God opens His hand and continually satisfies
Our hungry cries
Fills our desperate eyes
for a desire for more of His life
And the life He has for you!

O black man,
I NEED you.
You need me.
We need each other.
You were born for adversity,
My brother.

Arise and see God
And reach for His glory
There you will find the makings
Of the divine story
That is your life intertwined
With mine and the world’s.
There you will find your true self
And you’ll put your skin, your flesh, your blackness on the shelf…
For you are Christ’s first before all!

But be black
Because it is good and created by God.
Be strong
Because you’re a man and that’s what men are.
Be gentle
Because you have a heart.

Find yourself and embrace your potential
because
I don’t want to be surrounded by men who fall short of it
I want to be surrounded by pillars
That tower over me
That I may walk among you cedar trees
And have shade.


(Written by Gavrielle C. Washington.


This poem was written for, inspired by, and dedicated to my 17 year old brother Granville. He means so much to me, and I love him! I know he's going to fulfill his God-given destiny, and I'm blessed to be a part of it.