Homeless, No Cap
“No Cap”
The expression no cap is slang meaning "no lie" or "for real," often used to emphasize someone is not exaggerating about something hard to believe. You can listen to mOody bLaCk perform this original poem here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tA8c8SG564Q for the July 22, 2021 GHA Stakeholder meeting held jointly with the Upstate Continuum of Care.
They say it takes a village
But what if there's no village to take you
And they say home is where the heart is
Well, if that’s true…
Then sadly, on any given day in the USA…
550,000 plus people are heartless
Without home, that is…
or anywhere to hang their hat
No cap
But the fact is that homelessness has a face
And it looks like you cousin…
Your auntie …
Uncle…
Your baby brother…
Can even share YOUR reflection
If you’re the one that people are neglecting
Treating you like you’re lower case…
No cap
And for a small moment in time
I was without home
When the rent got too high
and my mama and sister had to move on
and granny nem ain’t got no room
Had to figure it out on my own
Tried living with my pops, but we didn’t get along
I learned the stars look different when you sleeping in your car
And boarding houses and hotels charged more than your landlord did
So, my “pull-up game” was strong, meaning…
I would “pull-up” in a hotel parking lot
“Pull-up” at my friend’s driveway when his family was sleep
“Pull-up” at Wal-Mart and Waffle House
Scraped some change to get those hash browns, smothered and covered
No cap
I feel like being homeless transforms you into a wolf walking in a desert
while everyone there is telling you that you ain’t worth having water
Don't let this place convince you that you don't deserve a chalice
A cup filled with chances while you trying to fill it with change
Everybody who’s homeless is not because of their choices
Chances are sometimes your circumstances chooses you
And you hoping for some change
And everybody that's homeless don't have an addiction
Sometimes it's due… to an eviction
So, what are we to do?
Especially when we live in a society where we scared of the truth
And the truth itself is under attack
And people without these resources are… our… truth
And we scared to look at it; the truth, that is
cause the truth makes us uncomfortable
and no one wonders how the truth feels
well, … it’s uncomfortable
like when it lay under bridges, on park benches, on concrete sofas
but you know how we do…
we hide the truth so it doesn’t mess up our beautiful landscape of lies
we don’t want it to wreck our real estate
but it’s funny that these folk represents our realest state
listen….
Just because one is homeless don't mean they ain't human
Many of us handle the heartbreak of losing everything a little different
Coping with having nothing and being told you are nothing
Is a double barrel shot gun shot to the psyche
It might be…that we need to check ourselves
WE need to come together and make this place a place where everyone has a place
With Proper health care
Fair housing
Proper Mental health services
Yes, we all need a mind check
Cause there are people in position to help the homeless
but they just refuse to sign the check
it’s like hide and go seek trying to find respect
like they don’t breath the same air we breath
They need to know in their hearts… that they’re supposed to be here
So, they pray on bended knee
But it’s like a game being played and they don’t want them in it
No cap
But these are people yall
Homeless, but they are more broken home than what any missing parent can create
Ironically, sometimes society create homeless people
Cause you telling me that we can spend money for going to space
But can’t spend money getting some homeless people a space
Dear, Everyone who feels like a nomad…
There are people who are “riding” for ya
You may be homeless but don’t be hopeless
There are people who fighting hard for you to have a space
Where you can look at the stars from the window of your living room
And maybe they will shine different
Maybe all you need is a little bit of hope and help
Then, maybe you can shine different
Even if all we can do is supply you with the bare necessities
Cause when we join together to put people first
we create help and hope
We create a village of caring
We create opportunity from crisis
and resilience from collaboration
and that’s…
No cap
Written by mOody bLaCK for the Greenville Homeless Alliance on July 22, 2021
mOody is a TEDx performer, a National Award-Winning Poet and Host, a Smart Arts Teaching Artist, Motivational Speaker, Spoken-Word and Visual Artist, Actor/Voice Over Artist, Chess Instructor, Story Teller, and Comedian from Spartanburg, S.C. Now, residing in Greenville, S.C. mOody bLaCk is passionate about teaching poetry to the youth and adults, and speaking about purpose and challenging depression. Each time mOody is on the stage, he aims to uplift everyone in the audience. Learn more about his work here https://www.iammoodyblack.com/who-is-moody-black.html.