Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

By Kristina Gilchrist

Egypt

 

Let me take you to a place where God wasn’t welcome and Jesus was told to leave.

A place where “I don’t care” filled the air.

Men had breasts and long hair and

I was there.

I was there when she got raped and my tears ran down her face and we couldn’t tell the police so we filled ourselves with hate.

I was there...

 

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow combines spirituality, intellect, and urban experience in a way that's riveting  and passionate, leaving readers wanting to know the story behind each poem.

 

"I have heard it said that writers live in the past, present and future, I must agree. I truly believe that we are all that we are today because of yesterday and we have yet to become who we will be tomorrow. Every day that God allows, makes us more of who we need to be for tomorrow’s journey".

 

                                                                  - Kristina Gilchrist

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 8, 2007
• ISBN: 9781467824965

Kristina Gilchrist

Kristina Ophelia Gilchrist is an award-winning poet and author. Her work has appeared in an anthology Immortal Verses, The Sound of Poetry, and many other local publications. Her poem “My Life As Water” won Poetry.com’s prestigious Editor’s Choice Award. In addition, “Egypt” a poem that reads like an eye witness account to poverty, drugs, rape and many other powerful, sometimes taboo issues was used as a syllabus at the University of Maryland. Kristina is a Teen Strategist/Life Coach, Consultant, Public Speaker, wife and mother. She currently resides in the Washington, DC and is an affiliate of the Professional Women’s Group/Dress for Success of Washington, DC. Currently, Kristina is working on her second book. Dirty Roses follows the lives of five different women and an anonymous character who come to the realization that “whatever doesn’t kill them will only make them stronger”. Using contemporary and urban dialogue this fact based novel captures the true essence of each character and shows the flaws and humanity in everyone from the hustler to the CEO. With psychological and socio-economical rationalizations this narrative redefines the inner city experience and re-tells stories that have already been told in a way that is fresh, authentic and entertaining.            

Book preview

I. Yesterday

After you have suffered a little while, [the God of grace] will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.

1 Peter 5:10

Egypt

Let me take you to a place where God wasn’t welcome and Jesus was told to leave.

A place where I don’t care filled the air.

Men had breasts and long hair and

I was there.

I was there when she got raped and my tears ran down her face and we couldn’t tell the police so we filled ourselves with hate.

I was there.

That place where parents didn’t have time so they bought their children’s love with clothes.

She raised him all alone only to get the news he was killed for his coat.

I was there when they gave up hope.

I was there, I saw the eviction note.

Our furniture lined the streets and the neighbors had our shoes on their feet.

It’s a place where saying grace is the only time you and God would speak.

And all niggas are the same nigga but, with a different face.

I took those pills he told me to take.

I would grind my teeth and masturbate.

I was there, I lost the weight!

I’ll never forget that place.

Where that unwanted pregnancy suddenly came to an end.

He casually dug into the emergency abortion fund and she hasn’t heard from him since.

She was mad at him so she slept with his friend.

She spun out of control and slept with both of them!

It’s a place where the sun shine isn’t real and people get close to death just to be able to feel.

So tired of being numb, I just wanted to be able to feel. I was there I swallowed those pills.

They pumped my stomach and pumped my head with lies.

I wanted to die so I could know I was alive. I wanted to die so I could know I was alive!

I was there feeling sorry for my own eyes.

I was remembering being young and painting pictures with a big sun in the sky.

I was remembering this place.

It was there that he pointed the gun to my head and professed his love.

Oh, what damage loving too young does!

I was there.

Women gave birth to death and men lived to die and everyone was raising hell and raising children who came out of the womb with their hands tide.

I was there when the baby didn’t move on the screen, it 4 months and me sixteen.

Lying there alone with no support, forced to be anti-pro choice

feeling too guilty to ever abort.

It’s a place where all women wanted to be sexy because that’s all they thought they had, searching for men because they couldn’t find dad.

They hid their pain with attitude and laughs.

Black women we hide our pain with attitude and laughs!

I was there where rappers and preachers were pimpin’ the people and house niggas believed we all are treated equal.

They called Christianity the white man’s religion and cursed Jesus Christ but, if Moses was raised by Egyptians how could the first Christians have been white?

I saw it, I saw that son helpless when his mom and dad would fight.

I saw that girl rejected by men so she acts like a dyke.

At first it feels strange then it begins to feel