The Take Back

By Paris Clark

The Take Back is a call to action to Millennials across America. More importantly it serves as a dedication and highlight of the Black Woman's Experience in America today. We live in a time where one struggles with identity, copes with social injustice across the globe, and feels an urgency to find purpose in this world of confusion. Paris’ poetry captures the inner and outer war going on in a mesmerizing way that gives you no choice but to ponder the world we live in today. How can we change the country without fully understanding what change looks like and for who? How do we respect one another and not tolerate each other? How can we strive for love and success without loving and succeeding for ourselves?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Oct 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483458922

Book preview

CLARK

Copyright © 2016 Paris Clark.

Photo by Terrance Mack of Ecnarret Media

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5893-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5892-2 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 09/29/2016

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1

The Take Back

Sit At Your Elders Feet

The Tradition

Chapter 2

The Prayer Book

Who Is He?

Low Life

Chapter 3

I Don’t Want Her To Be A Hashtag

Bleach

Catch 22

Poppy Seeds

Trapped In The Belly Of The Beast

Silent Auction

Chapter 4

Beer Bottles, Bears, And Balloons

Food Desert

The Porch

Chapter 5

Little Black Girl, Who Are You?

Let Me Find Out

Spelman

Living In The Ghetto

Ashamed

Stuck In Time

The Bees

The World Through My Eyes

The Room

Chapter 6

Mundane

It’s Raining While The Sun Is Shining

Dawn And Dew

Quiet Storm

Taking Over Me

Fairytales

Resentment

Color Me

I Listen

The Alphabet

Chapter 7

The Heart

Heal Thyself

Things I Wish I Could Say

Freeing

Conclusion

About The Author

INTRODUCTION

I do not want to paint a picture for people. I want to give them a mirror to look at themselves. The worst thing someone can do, other than not face their own reality, is not face someone else’s.

Seeing the world through another person’s eyes is a part of broadening your horizons. Whether you’re male, not a person of color or not an American, you will find some commonality within these pages.

I ask that when you read