– Battlefield –

 

 

 

Within the jungle,

 

Predator or prey,

 

This win some, lose mere world,

 

so full of decay,

 

No, I won’t pray,

 

Slithering to climb,

 

This mountain range in my mind,

 

I can’t go backwards,

 

Don’t have time,

 

No, I won’t pray,

 

Seeing this girl, so fine,

 

Puts my heart in a bind,

 

Because I love,

 

This grown woman of mine,

 

No, I won’t pray,

 

My Lord,

 

Is no longer light,

 

Lord, I need some insight,

 

Because I’m just pulling nowhere,

 

With all of my might,

 

So I pray!

 

 

 

Oracle

 

 

We All Matter

 

 

 

Oh my Lord,

 

the chaos I see,

 

while the powers that be,

 

play blind,

 

because doing the right thing,

 

doesn’t bring in enough money.

 

It’s in our homes, streets,

 

courthouses and presidency,

 

in our prisons, county jails,

 

and juvenile facilities,

 

our schools, rec centers,

 

in every crevice of society.

 

Lives verses money,

 

paper, silver, and gold.

 

The heart of humanity verses

 

right verses wrong,

 

mind, heart, and soul.

 

The old not playing their role,

 

the young turned cold,

 

we’re all alienated aliens,

 

on this planet we call home.

 

No one wants to change,

 

everyone is right.

 

The first step to recovery,

 

is addressing the elephant in our sight.

 

Or, we can keep it up,

 

until this whole planet is without life!

 

 

 

Oracle

 

 

– Chapter 1 –

 

It’s the beginning of an era – 

and all things are new – 

then why haven’t I taken the first step after all I went thru – 

to get to the reset button – 

yes, I’m weary – 

and of this new journey, leary – 

wanting to let go – 

yet my path thru my past – 

I clutch clearly – 

So all things aren’t new – 

All because I won’t let go of me – 

to hold on to you – 

Although I try – 

try I do – 

but the failure in me always surfaces – 

when I think my grip is reinforced with super glue – 

So it is a new era – 

I never tried to succeed – 

I tried to get by – lost in a lie –

following the gangstah creed – 

So I thank God for watering – 

the many planted seeds – 

And keeping at bay the many weeds – 

which are constant reminders – 

of mankind’s genetic strand of greed – 

So my foot rises – 

to fall again – 

A repeated process – 

As is the life of men –

And saints – 

      off I go!

 

 Oracle

 

 

~ S.O.S. ~

 

 

 

As I sit here asking,

 

God to guide my hand,

 

So this fertile seed I plant,

 

Lands on fruitful land,

 

And blossoms into change,

 

Not just for me, but all of man,

 

History has shown us,

 

What paths not to take,

 

Yet “We, The People” get mad at God,

 

For the decisions “We” make,

 

Lives after life,

 

Eyes for an eye,

 

Yet no one see these modern day concentration camps,

 

And my heart wonders why,

 

Yes we do stupid things,

 

Yes we make mistakes,

 

Yes we are flawed,

 

And YES, WE ARE HUMAN, for God’s sake,

 

For God’s sake,

 

No, not ours,

 

But the people in power,

 

Cower from following their hearts,

 

So many are being executed all over,

 

And they won’t play their part!!!

 

Elected to save,

 

Even us, who misbehaved,

 

You seek safer ways,

 

To kill the scum, each and every one,

 

When your laws aren’t obeyed,

 

But your laws change as do you,

 

Yet we can’t change so you tell the nation,

 

O’Man of God, you speak of God,

 

Yet don’t believe in rehabilitation,

 

We do your hard labor,

 

We take your “mad at life” abuse,

 

We are talked about and cast away,

 

As if we have no further use,

 

Then we are called the worst of the worst,

 

And that’s the modern tightening noose,

 

Or gas chamber, or firing squad, or pin cushion,

 

Sorry, I meant lethal injection,

 

Modern day concentration camps,

 

Hidden no more,

 

The pain lives, the hurt thrives,

 

Because instead of healing wounds,

 

We add more.

 

S.O.S.

 

Oracle

 

-- Title Match --

 

Everyday I fight,

to keep home in sight,

but we’re not trading punches,

so I feel the fullness of it’s might,

staggering and stumbling,

refusing to take flight,

sitting in my corner,

coaches saying it’ll be alright,

so I drink some water,

deep, painful breaths I take,

the bell signalizing rd 2,

damn that was a short break,

life isn’t even sweating,

yet for the end of rd 2 I wait,

life keeps punching,

getting stronger as we go,

or maybe I’m just moving slow,

I don’t know,

this Ref counting in my face, what’s up with that,

yea I know my name,

o my, it that my sweaty chalk-line,

I see on the mat?

And please Mr. Ref,

stop asking me do I know where I’m at,

how can I forget,

with every blow I’m reminded,

that my life isn’t worth sxxt!!

But I’m still on my feet,

yes I’m still on my feet,

moving a little sluggish,

but what do you expect when your soul’s being beat,

how do you fight back,

how do you compete,

Goliath laughs at my thrown rock,

taunting and arrogantly dancing about,

saying it’ll never know defeat,

I’m just too weak,

I should’ve been drinking mild,

when I was trying to eat meat,

now I’m only full of regrets,

and habits I no longer want to keep,

since I’m fighting to change,

for change,

life never sleeps,

then neither will I,

anyone got some mild?!

Rd 2 ends …

 

As I’m sitting in my corner, this 5x8 space with everything in it, and feeling trapped with me, at times feeling so lost it’s hard for me to find myself, hoping, wishing, praying, crying, laughing and hurting, and healing, I must say thank you to every single person who has become an extension of me when you had no reason to. You all have shown me that it isn’t me against the world, you all have shown me that the majority isn’t always right and that humanity isn’t lost … Thank you all for this expression of love and respect; Thank you …

 

Sincerely,
Tony Barksdale
Z611 (F-1-24A)
A.K.A.
Oracle

~ Eaten Alive ~

 

We live, we love

for what, one can guess,

with our blood-filled eyes,

we’re blind to our mess,

on this glory road of pride,

leaving a wake of people in distress,

trying to suppress,

the truth,

to avoid being depressed,

standing by just watching,

makes you an accomplice,

while these political bullies,

goals get accomplished,

adding pain to their pleasure,

as the cycle rolls on, full steam ahead,

digging deeper trenches,

to hide all the dead,

change the method and still kill’em,

so their families can stay fed,

isn’t it cannibalism,

when something eats its own dead?

Stop this madness,

decrease the sadness!

 

Oracle

 

Hello,

 

First of all, good morning, afternoon and evening to all …

Once again we all sit anxious or rather fearfully anxious awaiting decisions from the courts, and I can’t help but wonder why the debate and actions to fix the death penalty have been reduced to simply the cocktail and who will be/carry the blame …

When did our standards of justness reach the point of secrecy in, might I remind you, such a fair justice system?!

Why doesn’t anyone who has been blessed to be in a position to fix this brokenness stand up and speak out without it being a means to gather votes? I mean, think about it if the system is so fair and just, why does everyone want to be anonymous is everything is to right?!!

On top of that, doesn’t it sound and seem like they are all (since no one wants to stand up) admitting that they know the system is messed up and, and, and, that they know executions are going to go terribly wrong?! Hmmm …

Let’s instead of attacking this deadly, very deadly problem at its core and saving lives, present and future, free or on DR, they’d rather hide in their very unaffected, lavish hiding shells and knit-pick at the scab of injustice that (and they wonder why) won’t heal …

How does the DP show it’s a way to stop people from becoming victims when it’s trail of victims is longer than, uhhh you get the picture … How can America speak out against one of its capital punishment friend countries, when our own backyard has become the world’s landfill?

We recycle everything except what truly matters in this endeavor to grow as one nation … Love, forgiveness, understanding and even common sense sit buried in this landfill that’s been created from greed, lust and deep seated hatred that has nothing to do with actual humanity, but is based on $$ and skin color, yet we call ourselves one nation under God! Ooohh noooo, then I’ll be the first to say we don’t serve the same God because the bloodlust and greed of this nation is not of my God, the father of my savior Jesus Christ …

One of His first acts was saving a condemned woman. My God, how the churches overlook that, and stand by watching,, because those Christians are different from us lovingly Christians! Ha, Ha, ha, yeah. My thoughts exactly! I guess, since everyone overlooks the actual walk of Christ then it’s understandable why and how they also overlook the Christ spoke of us all as ONE, none greater or lesser, simply one, but OK, I’ll shut up!!!

Just think about it …

Tony Barksdale
a.k.a. Oracle

~ Love Speaks ~

 

I come bare,
offering the purest element of love,
this elemental entity,
that was birthed from above,
I am intimacy
IN · TO · ME · I See,
So that my actions
I may reflect
to this world
and love others
like I love me
I am that essential nutrient,
needed by everybody,
we were meant to do more,
so more we can be,
if only we loved like we hate,
then we would truly know,
unity,
we are a mistake prone creation,
it’s genetically encoded,
in our humanity,
but we can do better,
as one, being one,
the mighty hand of love …

 

Oracle

– Manufactured Neglect –

  

To one it heals -
To one it kills -
To one it gives -
To one it steals -

 

Life –

 

Created for one reason -
but manipulated for gain -
what was made to restore -
made an instrument of pain -
continuing a cycle -
they claim -
they don’t want to remain -
Politicians ejaculate their seeds -
into this womb of shame -
thrusting deeply under the name -
“tough on crime” -
but isn’t it the same -
as revenge -

 

To one it heals -
To one it kills -
To one it gives -
To one it steals -

 

Life …

 

Execute injustice, to revive lives!

 

Tony Barksdale
a.k.a. Oracle

~ Beyond My Eyelids ~

 

Only a window,
through which I see two worlds,

Mentally taking mysterious detours,
in search of my life’s pearl

Clammed,
within the confines of my mind,

I have so many mental locks on things,
that it’s truly too hard to define,

What or who it is, I’m truly running from …
to find.

In this ocean of a world,
in which nothing is mine,

Following a design …
my life being a sign,

Of what’s to come …
When a grown child lives blind!

 

Oracle

 

Scared Fearless

 

We fear, what we don’t know,
causing self paralyzes,
in places where we were meant to grow,
or running in situations, when we should take it slow.
Only to realize, we’ve been spooked, by our own shadow.
Playing tough, with a soft crust,
fangs always bared, yet as skittish as dust,
instead of polishing our cores
we paint over the rust.
So scared of opinions,
even in ourselves we can’t trust.
Fear is the true obstacle,
we must overcome,
as a person, as a people, as one …

 

ORACLE

 

 

- Walking Still -

 

You wanted poetry -
you wanted the truth -
Well God’s gift to me -
was the ability to see thru poof -
So tell me why my every scar -
is from one of God’s youth -
the smiles are fake -
so are the handshakes -
and hugs -
the many bugs -
in this Godly field planted -
are Christian thugs -
whose worldly concerns -
are fought with back rubs -
but anything Christ -
Is passed with -
shoulder shrugs -
it’s all a lie -
within -
this lion’s den -
“Brothers” in Christ -
So how on earth do I win -
who said I wasn’t forsaken -
who said I wasn’t forgot -
both are lifelong occurrences -
so tell me why with God should it stop -
lost in a whirlwind -
and I don’t see God -
trapped in a world of sin -
bleeding Christ -
leaking like this pen -
I’m out …

 

ORACLE

 

 

Wondering

 

I have not a word
Not today,
my mental keeps showing me visions,
of everyone I love going astray.
How do I pray?
What can I say?
I’m not being heard by no one anyway.
Is my existence truly “a play”,
Curtains closings, my audience dosing,
here I lay,
In time frozen, someone tell me how …
HOW AM I ONE OF THE CHOSEN :::

 

ORACLE

 

 

- Doll Steel -

 

Don’t tell me nothing -
Don’t tell me shit -
I’m a grown ass man -
Into the wind I spit -
It’s me against the world -
Upon worlds I sit -
I plunder, I pillage -
Uncaring about the “feelings” spillage -
Bend to my will -
And put a wedge under the door -
To lock in all your feel -
Your thoughts, not, real -
I’m da grown ass man -
Only my thoughts are unsealed -
Believe the god in the mirror -
I kneel -
Praying to that grown ass man -
My grown ass worst enemy! -

 

Oracle