I am angry at you
For you thought you were wise
With your thoughts of grandeur
And air of intricacies

You opened the door
When I told you to shut it
But you wanted power
Power to do what had already been done

You thought you were special
You thought you were unique
Compelled in your ways
And thus you traveled in arrogance

I taught you the path to take
To follow my steps, as I followed my fathers’
But you separated without notice
I taught you the difference
The difference between power and influence

You chose power
But no man has power
Some men influence other men
But you wanted power and thus believed in him

Thus you claim you sold it
And can’t get it back now
You, my son, an ally to him!
I did not know until too late
How could I have saved you?

You should not have befriended him
You should have listened to me
For I knew his ways
And I told you of them

Perhaps it is not your fault
Perhaps it is mine
Your blood and my blood are not deluded
We are all paying for your mistakes
For I am your father
and that shall never change!

I will ask my father to set you free
To guide you and protect you
For your trek is treacherous
The outcome is bleak
You must be patient
if you want to be free
It will take a while
but I trust in him
for our sake, Amen!

And at 10:14 a.m., on October 22, 2005, as I typed the WORD, “Amen,” for the first time since he’s been incarcerated, my son made his first phone call to me, from his new home in Rikers Island. To me, there is no better testimony! The Lamb is Alive!