troy.mov

THE HEAD OF THE TABLE

Getting comfortable next to your chair to embrace the lessons of your stare and the sounds in your talk;

Tried to get free, but hesitated on the linebacker mentality, normally, I can hit the door faster than Marshall Faulk;

I have things to do and can’t understand the timing of your counsel;

The face tells me you’re on the line with the rookie in my hustle;

Dad, I want you to know that I realize the significance of your touch and feel your presence in every corner of my mind;

I’m truly blessed to have you in there despite the desire and dedication of your grind in the buff of my shine;

I really appreciate your guidance throughout my school of life, and grateful for you helping me navigate through my mistakes;

You always say everything has its place, even the trenches along side the cross-roads of life, learn to experience control and when to put on the brakes;

All the time encouraging me to explore TRUTH and remain open to the joy of maintaining good health;

Treat people with care and respect, and you will find inner peace in staying true to yourself;

Dad, I wish to express the exact nature of what I have to say;

I love you

Troy Balkum©

SEEING THROUGH THE EYES OF MY DAD

Breathtaking is the view through the eyes of my DAD filled with knowledge and wisdom;

Remembering the path of your footprints politicking your way through the peaks and valleys that built your dominion;

Holding onto your ticket for as long as I live and never losing sight of the struggle and sacrifice, I can see and it all makes sense;

Praising God for my growth in your vision and the peace in these words can’t do your value justice, seeing is believing in the evidence;

We often take for granted the meaningful people in our lives;

Thankful for your photograph that forever occupies my mind;

It’s an honor to hold the hand of a proud and strong man who is willing and capable to love with a Giant’s gentle touch;

I highly respect the teachings of your reason and give tribute to the morals of your character, DAD I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

Troy Balkum©

A LETTER TO MY MOTHER

What can I say to express the feelings I have inside?
You are the most influential person of my existence;
Mother, you nurtured me, you sheltered me, you protected me, you educated me, you gave me life;
Everything that I am is because of God’s blessings and you;
I sit on God’s foundation supported by your enduring pillars of strength;
As I travel through the cross roads of life, I am forced to make very difficult decisions, I can either turn left or stay right;
I sometimes feel inhibitions in my spirit; I sometimes feel lost and without direction;
Now, I understand that these are just stumbling blocks that are placed in my path to make me stronger;
I want to thank you for your support, thank you for your continued guidance, thank you for loving me;
I always keep your roadmap in my mind and try very hard to stay on familiar roads traveled;
I push myself to be all that I can be because of your guiding light;
I have learned to never give up because of your example;
No matter what my standing situation, stay faithful and endure;
Mom, I’m standing tall in the gap today and I continually pray that I can stay strong and provide the same foundation for my children as you have so freely provided for me, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

TROY BALKUM©

FOR THE LOVE OF MY MOTHER

Rays of sun on the face of my mother glowing with gratitude and appreciation;

Giving thanks to God for your presence and the beauty in your creation;

Joy and happiness combined with honor and respect for the love of my mother;

Inside my heart a strong rooted love that’s unconditional and compared to no other;

A beautiful arrangement in a day of celebration especially made for you;

Complete admiration for your devotion with your dedication ALWAYS in full view;

Emotional tears form in my eyes when thinking about your struggle and sacrifice;

Always giving of yourself for the benefit of others at any price;

Your kindness and your patience are qualities that I can only aspire;

Truth of your promise dwell in the depths of my soul, I’m guided by your eternal fire;

Humbling is the experience standing in the presence of my mother filled with pride and grandeur;

The sensitive teachings of your wisdom are deeply engraved in my heart and I will forever treasure

TROY BALKUM©

FIRE AND ICE

Liberating to be living in the union of our spirit, feeling your love, experiencing the beauty inside our tradition;
Not concerned or bothered by the stresses or strains of the intangible, scarcity doesn’t matter, just as long as I have you, just as long as I have you;
I appreciate you beyond measure, you bring to me an immense sense of,
JOY AND HAPPINESS
You have become the safety net between me and the ground;
I was once falling hard into the cosmos of instability, but today,
I’M ALIVE
Rebirthed inside the discovery of self, transformed inside the knowledge of peaceful dreams, and all the time holding onto this thought, my body and mind integrated inside the supreme state of your delight;
YAMA Brings us self control, relaxed inside everything’s going to be alright;
NIYAMA Sits around the Hymn of Vedic, we rely on each other and the empowerment of our expanding universe;
ÁSANA Houses this thing of ours, no need to waste energy looking around,
JUST OPEN YOUR EYES
PRÁNÁYÁMA A moment of silence in our minds speaking the language of,
YOU ARE NEVER ALONE
Our song to one another, just breathe inside this carefree rhythm;
PRÁTYÁHÁRA We move our senses away from all negative forces, nothing else matters with you in my system and heart;
DHÁRÁNA My love burns inside my courtyard of fire, concentrating between the brows of your eyes my only desire;
DHYÁNA I’m fixated, therefore this power of concentration can never be broken;
SAMÁDHI Complete control over our moment of

TRUTH


Troy Balkum©

INSIDE THE FALL OF MY HEART

A precious light shines through the heavy flow of clouds drifting towards autumn leaves dancing in the wind;
Peace instantly enters my body as I move closer to fully absorb the natural rhythms within God’s ensemble;
My mind, captivated by the brightly colored reds, yellows and oranges in the fall of a winter’s green staring at my face;
I’m lifted into a canopy of joy because there’s a vision of love within this display of dazzling beauty;
I have such an immense appreciation for your presence in my life;
There’s an abundance of beauty in the changing of season with your love beating unconditionally inside the fall of my heart;
Your love so bright and natural like the ensemble before me, I can smell the aroma of your promise within the spirit of spring;
My feelings for you so profound that I can feel your touch inside the coolness of the light November breeze;
I’m so happy and elated that I twirl myself around like the dancing foliage before me and look up into the calm drift;
My heart skips into its floating form because there’s an exhibition of pearly whites that have by far exceeded my every expectation;
You have fulfilled all the fantacies of my dreams,we will forever grow
inside the fall of my heart

Troy Balkum©

LOVE WHISPERS INSIDE MY MOTHER'S LIGHT

Side by side we stand reflecting on this place ahead of our life's journey;

My eyes enriched with faith by the favor of God;

My untied wings guided inside the breath of your blowing wind;

My fate predetermined on this earthly walk with a love developed
inside the light of my mother's whisper;

Much more than a beautiful face, you are my hero,
you are my gift dearest mother, you are my rock;

The peace of your heart is an example of grace in its purest form;

So blessed am I to be comforted inside the warmth of your blanket,

I am a witness to a spirit of incomprehensible beauty; mother,
you are my Angel, you are the “Wind Beneath My Wings”;

The mold that stands before you humbled inside the cast of your strength;
So amazing is the warmth of your loving heart;

I have grown to live in comfort inside my own house with grace
because we lounge together in yours;

Thank you for your companionship, thank you for holding onto me
in the midst of sorrow, thank you for guiding my wings into the promise of today

I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL

Troy Balkum©

DARLING I LOVE YOU

Touched by Grace when you fell upon the fruit of my love;
Conquered my defenses when you stumbled upon the arms of my dreams;
Joy seized in a kiss of faith with your loving sweetness;
Every moment of the day, I'm moved by the gentleness in your sincerity;
Some time ago, thought you were a hand holding pleasant dreams type of fellow;
Dropping me off into the swamps of an old timers lovers rock fable;
Two spots of a buckeye fluttering in and out of my head, only to find a lion's paw pouncing on my distracted heart;
Suddenly, my doubt was lifted, as if, a laying on of hands touched my spirit;
I could see the strength in the modesty of your temperance;
I could see day break inside the strength of your strong Christian values;
Comforting is the quiet stroll of your walk;
My life enriched with God's favor;
Blessed with a devoted husband, a God fearing man and a wonderful father;
A reverent servant without the precursors of selfish gains;
A humble man of faith singing psalms of peace;
Husband, you are the “Wind Beneath My Wings”;
Darling, I LOVE YOU
Your love has fallen upon my eyes, so beautiful this vision of you;
Forever may we fly within our embrace, fly together all the days and all the nights;
In a winter's sky the snow may fall;
May We Always;
ALWAYS
Soar in the stillness of this loving moment;
Never apart from me for you are the love of my dreams all the time;
You have been and always will be the sugar in my bowl;
What God has joined together;

LET NO MAN SEPARATE INSIDE OUR BAND OF GOLD

Troy Balkum©

CARPE DIEM

On the A going uptown about to get some of that J nice;
Don’t trip this little package aint nothing but Sugar and Spice;
The city is yours Miss Thang, steppin young and juicy high on your couture;
Take your key darling, use it anyway you like, peep on this, knock down the damn doors;
Here’s a goddess birthday wish for a modern day almighty Isis;
Gold bands on your arms got your hot pants on, ground zero the cause of major crisis;
Gentlemen, rules of the engagement to the point and very direct;
Students will come prepared or off to the principle’s office for classes in chivalry and respect;
Remember, very fond of the robotic train line and old school classics;
You want fever, step on the dance floor, but you better have much game and able to handle free style gymnastics;
Exercises are at your own risk; watch your pace, dude you were forewarned when you stepped through the door;
Don’t let the sleek classic body fool you; engine stacked, built for a speedy Formula 44;
Happy Birthday boo, don’t be scarred, go get some of that cake, it’s your time, this time it really is all about you;
Relax on the stop hand, let the brother rap a little, and ease up on the high heel cut, shoe fly shoe;
Who knows, he can be the magical one who scribes love letters for your sweet papyrus;
He can be the red star in your Paisley Constellation with a warriors name fit for a king, he rules the Universe with, “OSIRIS”;
Go ahead Jazzy J, seize the moment of your days without concern;
Today’s your birthday and if they didn’t know, they will soon learn

Troy Balkum©

ODE TO WILLIAM HENRY

Hey Willie, handsome little boy born and raised in Philly;
Gladys gave birth to you in the year of 1927 on a beautiful spring day in the month of May;
Introduced you to the world and gave us your presence;
We gather here on this brisk winter’s day to celebrate your life with sincerity and with expressions of complete reverence;
We gather here to remember you together;
We hold tight to the memory of your life in our hearts always and forever;
As a boy, you were often judged for misbehavior, but the conduct of your mentality was simply misinterpreted and not understood;
Mama had no choice in sending you away to school, she prayed everyday so you would learn your lessons in order to do some good;
Hey Bill, you were so happy to see you had a younger brother;
You would love and protect him like no other;
Ralph, the Ebony Italian Stallion riding through the Philly streets faster than any motorbike trekker;
He rode that bike so well, made it all the way to Philadelphia Police Inspector;
Hey Bill, at age nineteen, off to distant shores to be a merchant marine;
You will make nothing into something and live the good life;
With your head always held up high and shoulders back you would ride in the fanciest cars ever seen;
Bill demanded the best and man he could wear a suit, he was such an elegant fella;
He wore his mustache preppy and his behavior similar to the natural courtesy of an English gentleman, without concern, he proudly walked with an oversized umbrella;
Hey Bill, do you remember when we were chilling out at that groovy jazz scene and that cat was smoothing out a romantic tune using a fiddle;
Speaking of sweet music, what ever happened to that classy little gal from Connecticut named Dorothy Little;
Just like that, Bill and Dot were happily married in 1964; she was so pretty, the most attractive bride you ever did see;
Bill was delighted; he overflowed with sunshine and glee;
God blessed Bill and Dot with children and gave them a beautiful three;
Jocelyn, Stefanie and Jeffrey were born into their union;
South Orange New Jersey is the town they would learn the ways of the world and get cool in;
Bill worked hard and was a dutiful husband for there was a lot at stake;
Besides, Dot had a trump card and his name was Big Brother Nate, and with a hard ace like him coming at you, there was no escape;
Jocelyn is like her dad, she is the life of the party;
Get down and rub on her the wrong way though and you will sure to be sorry;
Smart, quick witted, fast on her feet, and task oriented with a great smile that reveals nothing but teeth;
We have been rubbing elbows all night long, what time does the party close;
Hanging out with Jocelyn or Bill the party doesn’t end until the sun shows and even then nobody knows;
Stefanie (little Bird), a well mannered little girl with two pony tails and equipped with a smile that could sell a salt water fish a lake or a pond;
She would spread her wings from door to door selling Avon;
On Fridays, little bird looked forward to go to the lanes with her dad to see him bowl;
Bird, with all of her wisdom, young and bright, really was an old soul;
So happy and cheerful she would be, proud to be daddy’s little girl;
Around him she would rather be than any place in the whole wide world;
In 1987, when Jeffrey was about ten, Bill and Jeff boarded a white water challenger raft;
A race they were in and sure to win, Jeff’s dad had a hidden seaman’s coast guard craft;
Bill boarded that raft head held up high and shoulder back with a close fitting diver’s wet suit on;
Bill shouted proudly, hey partner, US merchant marine on board and on the call;
A little ways down the river the water turned rough, it was calm but now its white;
Our bold fearless merchant marine suddenly switched his tune into extreme fright;
Little Jeff watched in disbelief and was very perplexed, wondering what had happened to him;
Bill shouted loudly, SON, I CAN’T SWIM!
Hey dad, be careful, don’t stand up to tall or you will certainly tip over and fall;
Bill and Jeff rowing merrily down the stream;
They didn’t win the race but, they were the best damn looking, best dressed father and son challenger racers on the team;
Hey Bill, Your journey has just begun, MAY GOD LOOK AFTER YOU AND BLESS YOU ALWAYS;
We gather here to say farewell to a man named Bill Taylor;
Your spirit will always be in our hearts and you will always be our number one sailor.

Troy Balkum©

SWEET LOVE INSIDE MY BEAUTIFUL HONEY

Together, standing as one feeling the union of an enduring embrace;
Sweet love inside the rock of my chalice, this is no ordinary love case;
Your eyes fuel my fire with intoxicating visions burning deep into my dreamy nights;
Locked inside the passion of your tender kisses renders me defenseless, inside you, I’m moved into everything’s alright;
Golden delicious is the taste of promise within your delicate bites;
Forever free inside this always and forever love, instantly captivated by your beauty at the very first sight;
One love taking flight with two hearts in a flutter;
This love, a deep rooted love that sustains like no other;
Feeling the softness of your rose petals within the strength of my open palms my love;
No loner shall we search for fairy tales inside a never-ending story featuring lonesome doves;
Gazing upon the bright lights outside the window of emotional rapture;
The kindness expressed inside your giving heart a memorable photograph within reach to forever capture;
Rejoicing in the celebration of two souls dancing towards a band of gold; Giving unconditionally the precious gift of best friends;
You are my true love and I’ will be forever yours;
Beautiful honey inside for my one and only love;
THESE WORDS YOU CAN FOREVER DEPEND;
You are everything to me all the days and all the nights;
You are the gravity in my moonlight and the warmth in my sunshine;
My sweet love for you my promise until the end of time;
The thought of us together as partners truly blows my mind;
You’re the strength in my life running through my river’s highs and lows;
You are an angel sent from above, with you by my side, everything flows;
Together, may we grow even stronger climbing towards God’s stairs;
Together, may we maintain the confidence needed in all of our affairs;
Together, may we always express affection and continue to keep the faith, the hope and always keep love for others in our prayers


TROY BALKUM©

Aunt Joyce

Just wanted to call to say;

Emotions all over the place today;

Time seems to be moving so slow;

Why did you ever have to go?

Your physical body lost forever;

Finding it hard to get that together;

Eyes heavy and my head aches badly;

Trying to deal with it sadly;

The fact that you're not around anymore;

Picturing you opening up your door;

In my mind your smile with those inviting eyes;

In my mind your highlights with every sunrise;

Troy Balkum©

The Saboteur of Joy

While peeking around the corners of my mind, I can see what appears to be the strut of dark hoodys trespassing in the dims of my blinking blue light;
Every now and then, I get a glimpse of their shadows stooped in the lows of my periphery; I have them in sight;
A threat? Not yet, so I keep a close eye on them at a distance, I read the movement of their mouths, because a can faintly hear what they’re talking about;
Here we go, since I’m dealing with the psychos of my mind, there’s really no weapon to find, so I relax on my scout;
Damn, this is really weird, just a minute ago I was coolly on the spot and thought I had some happy in moderation to mention;
There’s something about those hoods that just doesn’t seem right, but still they have my attention;
And just like that, BAM, they hit me
I stumble and fall into my old habits and right back into myself destructive behaviors, compelled to put myself in harms way and sabotage the goodness of my Savior;
Now everybody’s wearing a hoody and I can’t tell them apart;
I hang out in the gallows of my mind just long enough to defile all that’s good and wholesome running strong in my heart;
Not enough to kill me though, but almost;
Doused with just enough pain and anguish to loathe in all the things that bring my joy to a sudden and complete halt;
Slithering around like a wounded snail reduced to an even slower creepy crawler, because I willed myself to a midnight swim treading in a solution of water and death;
Strange, I aspire to grow and feel the wonders of joy and happiness, but for some reason, I entertain those dark shadows lurking around in my mind;
Walking aimlessly alone knowing exactly what goes on over there, shadows in the dark are just that, dark shadows, there’s absolutely nothing to find;
Overloaded with so much hurt over the years, the demolitions of good thought are now permanent tenants;
Detained am I with no probable cause, battling all my life as a self representing defendant;
There’s nothing more ill than living in self pity, it’s about time to move on and stay cool, keep my head tight;
No more break downs in the system, no more hostile takeovers, no more mental lockups with my homicidal homeys in self built jail cells to fight;
No more expectations of malicious intent in everybody and everything, no more damaged goods in my duffle bag tonight;
Are you going to answer the telephone or are you just going to let your freedom ring?
Hello, this is redemption returning your call;
Hi, I was expecting your call, I would like to feel the true meaning in your freedom song, but most of all, I would like to learn how to sing


Troy Balkum©

Don’t Produce the Cause if you Can’t Deal with the Infected

Handle the truth behind what really ills you;

Crying for help in your every step;

How is it explained in terms of laymen?

Give it up, your life is the final payment;

Remember the creed to serve and to protect;

Erased through greed of systemic effects;

Love within my heart burns for its victims;

Learning to living inside checkout conventions;

Shame inside the profit of a researcher’s cure;

Whose really infected ? I’m not so sure

Troy Balkum©

WHAT TIME IS IT?

To deal with it, you need something larger than life, running out of time for old money, about time to get some new in print;
What’s cookin this time, sure smells good, looks good too, bold and refreshing isn’t it, yeah this time we added a dash of pepper to the mint;
In God we trust too big a print for the old establishment to make it on any cents;
No timetable large enough for this note, first of the month again time to pay the rent, this note down by law, haters behind the times with their unnecessary foolishness;
There’s a time to live and a time to die;
Keep your seat, relax and take time to taste a piece of our homemade Afro-American apple pie;
It’s about that time for us to represent;
While in face, a time to stay cool, calm, and collected, take the time to sit back and chill, plenty of time to finish, on the other hand, don’t waste time, Run! Time is on the clock, the time is now, run as fast as you can, time to stand up, fist in hand, and your time to be the man,
Did you read the times today? First in the finals, the man sure can run, check the time on the time clock, his time a new world record in the 40 acres and a mule dash, time to keep up the pace;
Time will tell, stop being mislead into believing you are a minority face with another court case;
Time to realize the Power of God is the only majority and let the Love of God be written all over your face;
Share time together and reflect on your thoughts, ponder the time you were checking out that beautiful woman crossing the street and not getting caught;
Time to stand up and speak your mind, come on now, forget about getting even all the time, did it ever cross your mind to find the time to just be kind;
May I have your attention please! Time to toast to a very festive occasion;
Time to parley to an energetic enthusiastic persuasion;
It’s not always about you, time to be a friend, you will always find the time to commit sin;
You know what, sorry I didn’t make the time to give you what you wanted at the exact time in which you needed it;
Hard sometimes to be in time, on time, at all times, maybe, just maybe, it’s time for you to feel how it feels to never have the time, time to concede to your timely contempt;
I know, there is a time to say “yes” and a time for “no”, there will also come a time to just let it go;
OK, time to take her to the club and fill her up with a little bub;
Now is the time to take off your prosthesis and let her see your nub (timeless);
A good time to make love;
Work it out for good health, time paid for time worked, do your thang Bro, you even worked overtime and made a big time deposit, no time for sleep, now reach deep down into your pocket, time to pay;
High times are over, time to go to work, cause she’s late, what you say?
Time to stay outside for 9 months or so and come back to play another day (timeout);
Time to assure that you got her back and everything’s going to be OK;
Find the time to be a loving and caring Father;
Despite the times you just don’t want to be bothered;
There is always time to make time to enjoy life and to have purpose;
A time to fight for your big purse, and it will come a time for you to run up and down the street to holler and curse;
Time after time I ask myself, do I stay clean tonight? Asked myself the same question at the same time last night;
A good time for foolish things to come to an end, soon it will be time for the second coming of the Son;
Timekeeper unable to put more time on the clock, when the game is over, it’s over, who won ?
Time to build your bridge to get from one side to the other, no more time for big time fun;
Time to see the light of day, you look beat, about time to get out of the life of the street;
Time to stand up, the time is now! Time to walk with your head held up high and put all your burdens under your feet;

THIS TIME, THIS PROMISE, YOU MUST ALWAYS KEEP
WHAT TIME IS IT?

TROY BALKUM©
Written 08/28/2009

THE GREAT ESCAPE

The humility in my arms raised high towards the sky; I can instantly feel the goodness in my stretch;
Birds are chirping and flying in the breeze with the easiest of ease, a flight with them I dream to catch;
Cumulus clouds floating up high in the distance;
Visually calming, despite the hassles below, men I look up to hopelessly moving around probably on their 9th cloud without much to say, wrapped up in an oppressed ghettoized joint, going up in smoke with a relaxed high, grouped together in a strategic fog to fight against that man’s resistance;
My young open-mind appears to be free after reciting tis of thee, but I really can’t relate to sweet land of liberty, because I don’t know what that means, I can see tops of trees swaying with the key of life resonating between my ears in a low but steady pitch, I can hear the beauty in the sounds of nature’s hiss;
The smell of honey suckle floats through the air and the warmth of the sun’s rays dancing on my face takes me away to the good old days when I’m at play;
I’m far removed from my project existence by taking a short trip into the hazardous bush of trees and shrubs out back of my mother’s third floor coop apartment, I sit all day and say, someone please take me away from this place of chaos and disarray;
I am so fed up of being repeatedly exposed to the numbness of remorseless dumbness, pain sticks to me closely, like the funky armpits of my shadow on a hot and muggy day;
Faintly visible but always present, I fear not the light of day for my companion gives me hope in his silent appearance, besides he lets me know I’m OK, he also tells me when I should run away;
Often, I’m reminded in my escape of a very familiar place where the only image of real is to deal with the insanity of my run through strict codes of silence;
Keep that shit to yourself yo, everybody in the bricks got problems, generations of dysfunctional family traits EXPRESSED THROUGH THE CHILDREN, sturdy limbs of family trees broken a long time ago, you can still smell the stench in the hallways of strange fruit hanging on that man’s dream, and once the body falls to the ground, they just leave it there, they don’t care;
Ain't a damn thing around here fair, therefore; I’m torn in my share, and the only thing they can say, “you need professional help”, and that man can instantly see the seriousness of my problem in the cry of my blank unresponsive stare;
Hold up, wait a minute, you’re buggin, you need to take a trip back to that quiet place, Yeah, maybe you’re right, I can take it there and just like that, I’M BACK! With two hands on my shoulders with my head going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth in a cruel violent shake reminding me of the hardships of being raised by a very young, single black woman overshadowed by the darkness of the system with three children to feed and ultimately responsible for in their safety and welfare, CAN I SHARE!
Do you really want me to take you there?
Silence is golden, don’t say a word and there won’t be any trouble, and if you don’t do what I say,
FEEL THE PAIN OF THE SMACK TRAVEL FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK OF YOUR MOUTH!;
Respectful gains obtained through expressions of tough love, and if that doesn’t work,
FEEL THE PAIN OF THE SMACK TRAVEL FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK OF YOUR MOUTH!;
And if I have to repeat myself again,
I’M GOING TO SMACK THE BLACK OFF YOUR FACE AND YOUR ASS IS NEXT!;
I try to make sense out of it all but the more I try the harder I fall, Its simple if you just look up your tree and get out your head, this shit is not complex;
Hard lessons learned at such an early age, what’s up shorty?
Damn man, every time I try to catch that flight with those birds out back my arms get shorter and shorter;
I just want to get out of this box, I just want to get off this block, Hey boy, you look tense, need to learn the ways of the world with a hardened skin, sit out back too long and you should only expect a cold order;
So I put myself out there to learn to read a person’s eyes and expose the true nature of the beast;
America eats it’s young, sing the damn song to expose the lyric, fight the powers that be with your mental, physical, and spirit, slow down the frenzy of their feast;
Mama tried to do the best she could to raise you out of the hood, my road to redemption slowly approaching as I run along the horizon, deliverance in my mind and in sight, but you know what? I’m still runnin, trying to catch that damn flight.
Troy Balkum©
Written 05/23/2009

THE PALM OF YOUR HEART

You filled me up with friendship and love;

The kindness within your heart helped change my situation;

Thank you for the goodness of your spirit;

Your love my testimony towards salvation;

Nothing in this life happens by chance;

All is within God's plan;

His Angels carried me through the deep sands;

Sunshine planted in my soul;

The palm of your heart grows within my embrace;

Your affection forever a smile on my face;

Grateful for your open arms and caring spirit;

Always rememering the sweetness of our touch;


Thank you so much



Troy Balkum©

THIS THING IN ME

You and I within this special embrace;
I can tell your love is sweet just by your touch;
Looking at your mouth when you speak, I can almost taste;
Listen, its our song playin;
This love, “so good so right”;
Wishful thinkin with you takin it off playin me close tonight;
Glitter me with the magic of your conversation;
So cute inside your careful use;
You turn me on with your tongue in cheek reservation;
I see what you mean but dissatisfied with the thought;
Let me see if I can take care that so you can feel the way I do;
Like the way you handled that, I saw you, um, you got caught;
Now I understand, there's absolutely no harm that can come to
this thing in me
Damn, I really want to be there for you, but as your man;
I'm drifting over this misty waterfall feeling totally free;
I'm for real
No pretend or play when you walk my way, no more time for shame;
My heart captivated by this thing in me, baby I'm done playin games;
Looks like you need some help with this thing in me;
I'm Feelin you, you're so beautiful, come be with me;
How can I explain the direction I'm takin without sounding like a fool?
Don't trip, move closer to me so we can bus the move;
Never, that's what I said, never gonna let you go;
I'm feelin weak in my knees with a fools ache in my stomach;
My love for you for real, come into my open arms, you're so beautiful;
What I'm feelin, just for you, I love you so much;
Gonna fill you with a love greater than you ever known;
Yes, I'm a fool, but only because it's taken me this long to see;
You're the reason, you're the flame that flickers inside of me;
TAKE MY LOVE
TROY BALKUM©
Written 08/12/2009

THE GAME OF LOVE

Love is Love, Hate is Hate, stop, can’t get with this love-hate relationship;
Passion metastasized into the freakanomics of emotional imbalance which boils blood hot;
Really don’t feel like playing this game tonight, OK here we go, guess not;
The game of love, carry the cross or hammer the nail, either way it's a must;
Disrespect hiding beneath the vile of desperation which comes fully loaded with the blindfolded visions of blurred focus;
Times are hard woman, can we learn to pray when we feel the pressures all up in our minds woman, lets search for what’s real woman, may we put aside ego trips and understand we must heal woman,
Building castles of sheltered dreams while crossing bridges made of the same sands, diving head first over foggy seas while reflecting on the misty tears of inclement consequence;
Swimming thin through the headache of time, desperately trying to protect the original sketch which somehow lost its way in the direction of good sense;
Falling upon a whispers prayer asking for change of those things troubling us devoid of self, accept the past state of mind with a swimmers ear, let it flow, everything back there must go;
Experience the true beauty of our relationship and together grow?
Trust each others hearts, rely on each other for comfort while dealing with the poisons of fear;
There will be burdens weakening the individual spirit, but if we cross the bridge of faith together, ought of a sudden, glorious, everything now seems so clear
Troy Balkum©
Written 2/11/2009

SKINTIGHT

Desperate times inside the courage of your measure especially when searching for your special treasure;
Gently place your hand to her face and wipe away her tears, put your head to hers and dance away her fears;
Protect her heart, it's available and for rent;
Listen closely, she relies on you mostly, say what you mean and mean what you say and if you don’t know,
ROCK THE NO COMMENT
She holds onto your every word tight and deep into the night, do what's right and for you a very special surprise throughout the night, all of your expectations moments away, she’s so tense, feel her fragile emotion;
Her private zone reserved only for the wholehearted, it’s about to jump off, it’s all up to you, feel the intoxicating effect of her love potion;
Careful, take your time, she’s a delicate work of art, the center of her attraction definitely has your attention;
Her journey long and she’s exhausted in search of true commitment, so don’t play with her feelings, they are for real, no vacancy in her heart for false pretension;
Looking deep into her eyes you don’t see an ounce of compromise, taste her sweet and inviting nectar, the delicate strokes of your painter’s brush intensifies her crush, your artistic expression transforms her from your little exotic novelty into your dearest and most reliable friend;
Passion is her name and strong women is her game to fame, your love for her tighter than tight, so tight you named her skin;
Visualize her scenery so when you communicate with her you see and understand her scenario for everything around her must flow, so if you don’t know act like you know;
Look at you, head all up in the stars, so thankful for being grounded;
Her love for you deep in cupids spot and she knows just how to work that bow to make it hot, each day you are blown away with your heart in a flame;
What’s up tough? You caught looking up and completely dumfounded;
So count your lucky stars because a lot of women out there, “lost in space” and to get where they are you have to travel way too far but not your one and only Hershey kiss, her sweet place of residence, the red hot second planet from your son hot, the planet of beauty and love, VENUS
TROY BALKUM©
Written 06/23/2009

LOVING THE VIEW AT THE TOP OF YOUR HEART

Found love while resting on the slopes of your mountainous pillows;
Quickly learned inside the deep rooted feelings of your heart that pain and beauty are constant bed fellows;
Growing weary of the sights in distant shadows welcoming themselves into the bowels of my every word;
Difficult to compose with the quintessence of your heart my weakness that I can no longer curb;
Wipe away my fears, taste the tenderness of my pain so I can reveal the power inside the embodiment of your love;
Feels good inside the marvel of your welling beauty, triumphant at the zenith of your heart as I fly away with wings of a dove;
Unusual is the view with yesterday's eyes bellowing around the city blocks with hot black asphalt and broken glass;
Took me far into the night with spectacular views, no longer looking back at the roads of the past;
Life is really what its suppose to be while feeling your strong womanly winds blowing into my face, right here right now;
Strange seeing my old house inside the depth of your insight, your dawn glows on my face and the pain is disavowed ;
You're the slow burn that feels so nice;
I believe in you, therefore, only natural for me to increase the flame to see more of your heights;
You are the focal point that catches my eye;
Lady clouds with all the softness imaginable, never can say goodbye;
You're the lyric that plays in my head again and again;
You're heart has conquered my day and night,and now, we fly together
as lovers and best friends
Troy Balkum©
1/10/2010

LACEDONIA

Feeling the sadness of being alone with the hardship of my escape hiding the fear behind my calamity;
The pain secretly disguised as a teardrop of hope as I fall asleep to the soft whispers of my Tyranny;
Please answer the beg of my plea to show that you care;
Please open my heart to trust in the power of prayer;
My gait slow but deliberate throughout the whimsical paradox of its hands clouding my sense of time;
Totally unaware of the inner sanctum located at the end of the hall within the good of my mind;
New birth glides along the lines of truth written into the love of my palms under a Lacedonian sky;
Take a walk with me and please hold my hand, remember you promised never to forsake me or say goodbye;
My eyes rise in the tranquility of peace and harmony inside the calm of your mountainous terrain;
Listening to the true beauty in the dialog between your prevailing wind and the sway of your amber grain;
Face to face with a kaleidoscopic focus within the truth of a recurring dream;
Blown away with a vision of true love arching towards my sights with wings fluttering into the light of Eden’s gleam;
Your warmth speaks to the search of my soul comforting the chiming echoes of my bone;
The promise of your harvest quiets the footprint of my foolish heart, within you, I’m never alone
Troy balkum©
Written 05/14/2008

SIXTEEN CANDLES FOR A BUTTERFLY THAT SINGS

Take a look at all the colorful candles on top of that cake;
All of them standing tall with flickering flames above them all;
Hurry, hand me a camera before they start to melt and fall;
As I gaze through the lens, I see images of my little butterfly in pigtails and curls, tears of joy start to call;
Oh no, not yet, I didn’t mean to do this so soon;
Look at me starting to cry, looking like a big weeping willow swaying in a rainy monsoon;
Hurry up and wipe them away maybe she didn’t notice;
Nah, I don’t think so, she sees everything, and she probably even knows you were crying when you wrote this;
Ok, it’s alright, loosen up, and let it flow;
My tears of joy will pour down and everyone will just have to know;
Ok, Ok Chelsea please stand still, Now take sixteen deep long breaths, one for each year;
Sixteen candles are a lot, can you get them all in one blow, Awe man, there goes another tear;
Sixteen flickering butterflies flying so free in the sky having fun;
The day you were born will always be the most special and will always be with me my little butterfly, in my heart you will always flutter under the sun;
I remember back in the day when you were a little cocoon in my arms with your little head resting on my chest;
Wanting so desperately to fly away with the others, look dad I can do it, I’ll show you, I can be the very best;
Not yet baby, I exclaimed, soon you will have your chance to take the test;
Look at you now; soaring high, you have grown up so fast;
Sixteen years of a girl molding into young womanhood, daddy’s little butterfly you will not stay, it doesn’t last;
Soon you will be a Monarch flying over your loyal subjects head filled with wisdom and brilliance with bright beautiful colors on each wing;
All the flowers in your kingdom will have a lush glow;
All of them will look up to you as you fly with a jeweled crown in tow;
Flower heads held graciously up high staring proudly at the sky and all will sing;
A most fitting song for a beautiful Monarch, in unison all will sing;

HAIL TO THE QUEEN

TROY BALKUM©
Written 01/16/2007

SWEET HONEY AND PEARL

Sweet honey on my mouth tonight;
In deep is my blue luster;
I'm a piece of work in the light;
Soothing you with the sexy in my mind;
Touched my heart with kisses on your sweet divine;
Opened up and gave you my love, so glad you came;
You're beautiful, go ahead and work out your pain;
Sweet honey and pearl;
Squeeze me tight and claim your right;
Sweet honey and pearl;
Really diggin your scented neck, do what you like;
Sweet honey workin it on out, work it baby;
Got me wide open, gonna make you my girl;
You are the best, aint you somthin takin over my world;
Gettin what you deserve for the good of love;
Smilin with every stroke in my rise above;
By my side is sweet honey when I was down;
Smooth is the flow, yeah, you wearin the crown;
Sweet honey and pearl;
This place I wanna be, yeah you got me;
Sweet honey and pearl;
It feels so nice to be with you tonight;
Sweet Honey, Sweet Honey, Sweet Honey
Troy Balkum©
Written 12/10/2009

THE BIRTH OF MY OCEAN

Two souls synchronous to the beat of two hearts with the rush of river blood flowing into the birth of my ocean;
So blessed are we to see the celebration of you again;
I see the illumination of your inner light reflecting from the beautiful treasures deep within;
Another calendar year of your bounty in the wind of your bright star;
Enchanted years of priceless treasures developing into who you really are;
No contingency in your journey, no hidden agendas in your desire to be free;
The evolution of your mind enormous, LOOK, I know you got the “be all you can be”, but I really need to stress the part on what you mean to me;
What senses do I possess to express what I truly feel inside?
You know exactly where I reside and you can see right through the roar of my pride; BUT
Do you feel the force of gravity in the moonlight of my guide?
Can you see the direction of my flow through my low and high tides?
Will you hear the intensity in the navigation of my sail, am I on course?
Will you taste the nourishment in the content of my life-force?
I can smell the sweet essence of your womanhood in every direction;
You are a gift from above filled with beauty since the beginning of your conception;
Overwhelmed in the drift of my journey towards distant shores, nevertheless, I’m without struggle in the consequence of pain;
You always comfort me with your promise of rain and there’s absolutely no shame in your game;
Your natural rhythms resonate loudly in the air without explanation;
I’m floating in the unlimited space of your vastness without syncopation;
I sense your strong emotional currents under the body of my hot vessel;
Directing me towards the aroma of flowered incense with coconut milk, lobster, exotic oils and a hammock to nestle;
I’m never lonely in my journey with you as my friend and companion;
You are the heart of my Ocean and to celebrate your birth will always rein as one of world’s greatest wonders that will forever Champion

Troy Balkum©
Written 04/17/2008

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Remember that long hot summer night in the little room with
THE DIM BLUE LIGHT;
Remember the cool breeze in the window that felt so nice;
Remember your whisper to me with your mouth filled with ice;
Do you remember you never told me no, not tonight;
We became one inside the haze of that dim blue light;
I remember tasting your fruity tongue and taking tiny bites;
Girl, you were fearless and would fly to any heights;
Goin places only you and me could go, we were high as a kite;
Remember my kisses that started at your head and went downstairs to your toes about ten flights;
I remember pumpin iron and running around blocks so I could
KEEP IT STRONG AND TIGHT;
Can't get no better, especially when we would play fight;
Moved you into position and you would resist with
ALL YOUR MIGHT;
Submission on the floor, is that all you got?
I would look you deep into your eyes and ask,
ARE YOU ALRIGHT?
Damn, I love this girl, which I'm sure was apart of your plight;
COME ON BACK TO THE FACTS OF LIFE;
So what you sayin? Never mind, it's only Saturday and
SUNDAY'S COMIN;
So lets cuddle with the grace of the moon holding onto each others love and everything about this night
TROY BALKUM©
Written 04/27/2009

TEN THOUSAND YEARS OF HAPPINESS

Bahamian kisses blowing goodness into the ear of her vision capturing the attention of a hot summer’s night;
A special offering to the spirit of love at a tropical altar engaging in the ultimate gift of human sacrifice;
One love brought closer together from the wilderness of dreams;
Mutual respect and reverence expressed in a sentiment of matrimonial rapture;
Past accomplishments only a modest fraction compared to the naked bounty observed in their eyes;
The vanity inside his foolish heart tamed by the emotional dance of her flamingo seizing the flirt of his persuasion;
The chastity within her bosom a perfect complement to the courage expressed in the contours of his pumped up mane;
Both intertwined within the psyche of their minds, both rejoice within the beautiful expressions sculptured into their bodies, both walk hand in hand within the promise of a spirit greater than themselves;
Miss, you captured the play of his heart which houses the essence of his soul;
Your love, his guiding light which he will protect with his life;
Your delight will move him through all eternity;
Mister, if you should ever run a course of fire in your thirst, she’ll quench your burn with LOVE that will forever be by your side;
Most extraordinary is your love for one another;
May you forever call out each others name in a loving whisper under a reddish glow of romantic moonlight within the promise of your smiles
Troy Balkum©
Written 07/14/2009

WALK MY WAY

I can see you walking in the horizon towards my fate;
Welcome, from my heart you will never escape;
Reflections of your beauty bouncing off the tranquil sunset sky;
I harness all that I can, for your celestial image I can’t deny;
Receiving the wind in a soft monotone whisper your voice clings to the air and ultimately reaching into the echos of my ear;
My perception of your favor sounds like, Shhhh baby don’t worry,
I’m right here;
I give thanks for you being apart of my life and for all you have done;
Hey, did you see that? Oh, its just me carrying on, dancing on rays of sun;
Wow, see how you light up my darkest moments;
Free of any complications, free of any consequence of worldly torments;
I use to sit quietly gazing out of my window dreaming inside an unsteady smile and with the dressings of a poorly woven rope;
Your special gift of love came to me in a humming birds flutter, you lifted my spirit with a rose petal of happiness and onto a ledge of hope;
As I rest and close my eyes, I feel the comfort of your embrace;
Expressions of gratitude, peaceful moments are written all over my face
Troy Balkum©
Written 02/11/2009

OPEN YOUR BLINDS SO YOU CAN SEE

Outside your window, I can see shadows move throughout your room, can’t stop thinking about you, it’s starting to rain and I’m filled up with sadness and pain, thinking that we broke up way too soon, thinking about the last thing you said to me, “If it was meant to be, then it will be, but for now you and me just ought to be free”;
It’s been two days and it feels like an eternity;
I’m wet, cold and my teeth are making loud clicking noises from the chatter;
Why do I obsess over you?
All the things we’ve been through, why should it even matter?
I don’t understand, why I stand out here like a fool? I don’t get it, I’m feeling vulnerable, I'm feeling the pain of loosing you, I’m tired and I know you see me standing out here, and that ain't even cool;
People are walking by and I’m trying so hard not to look so conspicuous;
But deep down, I really don’t care what they think; I’ve been standing out here for two days hours at a time, and yes it’s raining hard and yes it does look ridiculous;
Who are they to criticize?
They don’t know me, and they certainly don’t know the sounds of my cry;
If they only knew the weight I feel standing here in the dark;
They would just walk away and leave me alone, because I can honestly say, I am the owner of a lonely heart;
Please try to find a way to forgive me, for the life of me I just couldn’t see, please give me a sign so that you know I’m standing right here, peak through your blinds so I can find the forgiveness in your eyes;
I’ve had this time to think about the reasons you said, “Goodbye”;
I know, you told me at the very start, not to hurt you and play games with your heart;
I know, your love for me has changed and you want to be apart;
It’s so true, when you take things for granted and throw it away, “you don’t know what you got until it’s gone”, I should have been all in with your love, I should have made my move strong and hard;
But like a fool, played a different game, estranged in a game of cards;
Tried to get lucky using a different deck, sat at a different table expecting different results, what the heck;
Now, I’m standing in the rain with a game over, out of the room position, my face is down and labeled an unwanted discarded joker;
One track minded, thinking only of myself and guided by the feel good senses in the pleasures of poker;
Thought I was sitting high with a ten and had the nerve of a straight face, thought I was the man with hearts in the palm of my hand with my ass on her couch;
I was only playing myself, playing a game against a queen sitting easy with a diamond smile in a full house;
My love for you no game, I must be insane to make such a terrible mistake;
To be without you too difficult to realize,
Sorry, I didn’t hear you, what did you say?
(Sing) “IT’S TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE, IT’S TOO LATE”
No baby no, this feeling inside me hurts to the core, my heart was crushed the moment you sent me walking out your door;
Why, why, did I ever take a chance in chasing that dead beat hand? I see clearly now, I was looking to release in that feel good sense in me, this thing I must ignore;
This part difficult to see and hard to understand;
Please come back to me so we can start again with a new plan;
I know it’s easier to forgive than it is to forget, and you have the right to a new deal, just wanted you to know, never again will I gamble with your love, open your blinds so you can see me, I’m a different man
Troy Balkum©
Written 04/23/2008

The Very First Moment I Saw You

You were young and filled with the same captivating energy and wit that you carry around in that elegant but sexy little purse of yours to this day;

I think your smile enslaved me into this intoxicating trance;

I think it’s the width combined with the warmth;

Like an inviting bubble bath inside the fertile crescent of Kush floating through the molecules of air;

My hormones exploded with an inquisitive rush of fever;

The candlelight in your eyes communicated with my heart with the intrigue of an African killer bee moving into the stigma of your head;

The increase in the blood flow instantly moved me into the flame surrounding your ornamental expression;

Who or What is this creature?

This beautiful thing that just suddenly appeared from nowhere now occupies those areas that drive the manhood of my mind wild;

I wasn’t prepared for this type of stimulation;

I was moving about in my day with the routine of my business and just like that, a magician pulls a bouquet from his sleeve;

Standing there looking for the source of this thunderbolt hitting my heart;

I searched for the dialog of a gentleman’s courtesy to tie the favor of this image being sketched before my very eyes;

Where am I? Have I stumbled upon Utopia?

The lines of this beautiful specimen creates a baroque of mysterious style, I just got to taste it!

Who is the artist responsible for creating this image that blossoms before me?

I would love to meet Him one day;

I begin to see the colors form inside her lines;

But just as fast as the image appeared she suddenly became faint and then,

POOF

My vision was gone,

At the same time a Cherubim sitting in the corner began to sing;

This Angel sang sweet melodies of passion igniting my chariot which began to go ablaze as I galloped towards her scented Kush;

And there she lay looking at me with chocolate kisses in her eyes with the body of her nineteen year old innocence;

At the time, I couldn’t appreciate much of her half drawn frame;

I guess the Artist hadn’t completed His masterpiece but I could see the potential;

So, the Billy Dee in me reached out for her hand, I laughed inside at the ingenious of this little woman at work;

She must have planned this every step of the way;

So, I flirted with the display of fireworks shooting my heart and whispered in my Billy Dee voice,

Are You Alright?

There’s that smile again and now I’m close enough to see the lines drawn in caramel on her lips, UMMMMMMMMMMM

I can taste the sweets in the bliss of her treats;

I close my eyes so I can visualize her beautiful smile in my mind, for future use;

I quietly slipped her my number on her way up;

I wonder if I’ll ever see her again;

About a week later the telephone rings, hello, who’s this?

Yeah, you’re the flower that loves to talk just as much as I love to listen

Troy Balkum©