The Flower and Me

by Clarence E. Block, shared by daughter Cheryl Block Shanks

Walking up the narrow trail
That seems to lead
To the top of the world…
It seems that I’ve
Been walking for hours
So I stop to gather my breath.

Looking back behind me
At the world I’ve left behind —
For a minute —
And now I’m walking again
Up, up …
Wow
I thought I'd never get to the top.
It’s so peaceful …
Nothing and no one is here,
But I can see everyone
Better from here

There’s a flower blooming,
Leaning as if it’s listening
To the cries of the world
Hello, flower —
Can I sit beside you?
I see that you’re looking at them,
Down there,
Do you see that chimney 
With the smoke coming out of the top?
That’s fire inside
That makes the smoke.
You know fire keeps you warm. 
It also kills, 
like burning you up.

You see that creature down there,
That’s a white man,
Yeah
He runs everything down there…

Power stricken,
Survival-mad,
He has a heart …
But most of the time it’s cold,

That’s a black man, in back of him:
You see he’s running,
He’s trying to catch the white man
But he’s leaving too many road blocks
For him to move…
That black dude
Wants to catch him,
And pass him, 
So he can take over …
That white dude been running things
As long as anyone can remember.
And it’s working,
In a not-working form …
Say flower, are you listening to me.
You see it was wrote right
But performed wrong,
Yeah,
The idea was fair
But it was carried out, unfair …
You see that white dude
Made the plan,
And the black dude
Built the masterpiece,
But the white dude owns it forever.

And that black dude
Is soon forgotten for his efforts …
Well, flower,
It’s getting cold up here
And i guess I’d better
Get back down there
And join the pack —
But I’ll be back some day to see you!
You are beautiful
And so peaceful. 
Bye, now, 
But don’t worry
Somebody down there
Might get ever’thing straightened out;
But it’s still a pretty world.