Evictions

When she tells you relationships end like evictions

That your love is bad religion

That you lost your way

That she had to murder her messiah to guide you home

Have you ever been given 30 days inside a space you once found sacred?

Awoke to a new tenant vying for your sanctum

That is hopelessness

Every I love you shatters like broken mirrors

Watch as your security turns fragile

Like hearts

Ask Adam and Eve how quickly love can turn sanctuaries into shambles

When she no longer finds hallelujah in your hugs

No longer latches to your saliva like salvation

Do not pretend yourself atheist

There are too many girls that have built you to be something your not

When you’re eye to eye with Goliath

He’ll tell you he didn’t see his fall coming either

At least he got hit with a weapon

All it took for you to fall were a series of text messages

A fall I’ve found too much comfort in

A contortionist with sexual prowess

I remedy heartache with hopeless romance

Keep praying to find my perfect person

I’ve seen both sides of love’s twisted call

Buried demons in sweat soaked sheets

Hoping passion based baptisms cleanse my soul

Hoping one night confessionals won’t sully my welcome

This isn’t the home we envisioned

This love is as temporary as leases

This isn’t a problem in the moment

These moments are how I cope with loss

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I’m searching for joy the way the wisemen searched for Jesus.

Belief in it is strong but my eyes have never seen it

The anticipation for a sight of it would send anyone to a craze

Feeling similar to lightning cracking before the rain

Don’t know when it’s coming but know its on the way

Don’t know the direction but faith lights the road

Did you know?

As wise as the wisemen were they did not have GPS

Only the Star of Bethlehem and prayer.

Well there ain’t too many stars in my city

Alexa and Siri cannot navigate you to feelings

Trust me I’ve asked them

Led me to walk longer than Jill Scott did

Than begging my feet for forgiveness

For the parties I’d drag them to trying to locate joy

For the walks on highway shoulders after a glimpse of the feeling

For the sneaking and creeping as the sun starts peaking

Imagine it took these men 24 years to 1nd Jesus

Would they have continued searching?

How strong your belief must be to continue looking

Well this is where I am on my journey.

But I am no longer looking externally.

Rodney “OGB” Johnson is a poet, rapper, and youth worker who has devoted his life to helping others express themselves. Through raw raps and potent poetry Rodney continues to put radical reflection at the front of his art. He’s been blessed to work as a teaching artist in the DMV area for the last decade in a multitude of roles assisting teachers in better connecting to their students. He currently works for the nonprofit YoungPlayWrightsTheater helping students take their ideas to the stage! Its always been his dream to connect with young people so please reach out if you have any that need to experience the power of words and language!

Image: FBenjr123, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons