A Mahogany Moment; Detroit Bleu

We are so lucky to have one of the original cast members of Mahogany Dreams Bilal Malik on board for the 2012 production! Balil also known as Detroit Bleu, is a staple in Detroit's artist community as a music producer, poet and original poet of Mahogany Dreams. His poems examine the complexities of life as well as simple pleasures. In this poem he highlights some of his favorite places and spaces... Enjoy this Mahogany moment!

FACES, CHANGES, PLACES, SPACES

I REMEMBER

FACES

CHANGES

PLACES

AND

DIFFERENT SPACES

SPOKEN WORD

AND

TRIBAL DRUMS

I REMEMBER

COLD NIGHTS

AND

WARM WORDS

I REMEMBER

VISIONS REALIZED

AND

DREAMS DEFFERED

I REMEMBER

SIPPING JAVA

TRANSFORMING

AND

BLENDING IN

LIKE CAMILLIANS

THEN

I GRADUATED

TO TRAVEL BACK HOME

THROUGH MAHOGANY TREES

THE MOST PLEASANT

OF MEMORIES

A SANCTUARY

AND

ESTUARY

A GREENHOUSE

OF

POETRY

I REMEMBER

THE FACES

NOW

SITTING HERE

IN FRONT OF ME

IMPRESSIONING

MY MEMORY

WILL YOU

REMEMBER WITH ME?

THESE ARE DAYS

SO MUCH IN SIMILARITY

I CAN STILL HEAR

THE NOTES PLAYING

WITH SUCH CLARITY

SMOKE FILLED ROOMS

MILES

‘TRANE

MONK

AND

DIZZY

THEY WERE

VERY YOUNG

LIKE US

SPEAKING

AND

SPITTIN’

VIBRATIONS

THROUGH

THEIR INSTRUMENTS

DEEP DOWN

IN THEIR SOULS

THEY KNEW

THEY WERE POETS

RHYMIN’ AND RIFTIN’

ONE LOVE BLESSING

ALL LOVE LIFTING

I REMEMBER

THE YEARS

THE FRUSTRATION

THE VALIDATION

THE CONSECRATION

RESERVED

FOR ALL THE PATRON SAINTS

IN OUR CHURCH

SCRIBED IN JOURNEYS

SCRIBLLED ON NAPKINS

OUTSIDE THE BOX

WHERE WE

SING

RAP

AND

SIMPLY TALK SHIT

ABOUT

THE WORLD’S MISFITS

WE

WHO RESISIT

BECOMING

ASSIMILATIONISTS

I REMEMBER FACES

CHANGES

PLACES

AND

DIFFERENT SPACES

NOW

WE FIND OURSELVES HERE

IN OUR INFINITY

ETCHING IN OUR MINDS

ANOTHER DAY

OF BRAND NEW MEMORIES

WILL YOU

REMEMBER WITH ME?

                                                                                                      ---BILAL MALIK _©2005