Urgency Poem

Time to Step Up

Time to step up
'Bout time I became a man
To trade paper for paper
Degree for a dollar
Dignity for a dime
Still hard to swallow
The fact that I can’t
use the alphabet
A B C D F
To measure my success

Time to step up
Time to feed the family
Counting on me
The mouth won’t feed itself
But the stomach gon’ eat itself
Unless I “get up and find a job”
I could do that interview
Or I could lose my point of view
And smile through my teeth
Place myself beneath
The insecure and the weak

Time to step up
Time to use numbers
To price my worth
Why must I
Lie
To provide
And survive
I’m not ready
Hurry!!!
Before the real world people get me
And sell me

Time to step up
Time running out
Running out of moves
Someone stop the world
Let go! Let go!
Land of 9-5s
Cufflinks and ties
Nowhere to hide

-Cas Ruffin