Black Man's Autumn

Call it no shave November  
I just pray I see December  
It’s so hard being a man  
Even harder being a black man  
Call you a smart boy, instead of an intelligent man  
I guess the hue of our skin makes it hard to comprehend  
Call it land of the free but all I see is no man’s land  
At least for a particular kinda man  
No matter how many degrees they see  
All they still see is BLACK  
I’m just trying to live my life  
Just trying to get home to my kids and my wife  
Getting up every day to do my 9 to 5  
Keeping my head down hoping I’ll survive  
Our hearts are so big but we choose to hide  
No one can hurt us if they can’t get inside  
We conceal sensitivity  
As we deflect the negativity  
It’s as plain as the full beard on my face  
Say a prayer for us if we fall from grace  
The life is so hard but we can’t always be tough  
So take time to love your brother  
Before you leave make sure you hug your mother  
Black man’s autumn covered in leaves  
And as winter approaches I just want to breathe