The Poet & The Muse

1. Can't Take My Eyes Off of You

      My mother had woken me up from my sleep.

Although it was the last Friday before winter break, she refused to let me miss a day of school. She had this bizarre belief that if I missed too many days of school, I'd be destined to work at a dead-end job for the rest of my life.

She stood by my door wearing her silky night gown. Wrapped around her head was one of her old African headbands that she had told me she used to protect her hair whenever she slept.

"C'mon baby, time to get ready." She yawned with tears forming at the corner of her weary eyes.

Her softly spoken voice was enough for me to get out of bed. After stretching my body, I headed towards the bathroom. The lights flickered around before keeping a steady pace.

I looked in the mirror and saw my reflection. My hair had been all over the place. I remembered how often my father fought with me to get it trimmed but I always found an excuse on not doing so.

A whiff of my breath had indicated that I needed to brush my teeth.

After finishing up in the bathroom, I made my way over to my room and got dressed. My middle school was strict on uniform, but as long as we wore the appropriate clothing, they wouldn't throw a fit. I wore a navy-colored polo shirt with khaki cargo shorts to match.

I didn't try to be different and switch up my clothing like the other kids, mainly because I knew my parents didn't have it like that, so I wanted to keep it simple for their sake.

My shoes were an old pair of Nike Air Maxes. They weren't in the best condition, but they were stable enough to get me to school and back.

In the kitchen, the melodic sounds of Monica had been heard echoing through the walls of my two-bedroom home. It had indicated that my mother was in a good mood. Within the kitchen, my nostrils were blessed by her world-famous chocolate chip pancakes with strips of bacon on the side.

The taste was heavenly. Each bite had me craving for another. My mother had stood against the counter as she sipped her morning coffee.

My father came from the side and surprised her with a kiss on the cheek. When her focus was on him, he used it as an opportunity to sneak in and grab a strip of bacon.

"Curtis, you know damn well the rest is for Trae." She attempted to pull away from his kisses.

"Sonya, the boy got like 5 strips alone. What harm would I do if I take one?" He smiled as he took another bite.

No matter how much she pretended to be mad, she always fell victim to his charm.

My parents had that old school kind of love—they would fuss and fight like Martin and Gina but would always prevail like Dwayne and Whitley.

My plate was bare as I made my way over to the sink and emptied it in there. My father was already dressed for work—he was an auto technician. By the way my mother remained relaxed in her night gown, it seemed that she had a day off from the animal shelter.

"You sure you don't need a ride Trae?" He asked for confirmation.

I assured him that I was content with walking to school.

He smiled as he pulled me in for a hug and kissed my forehead. Most kids would've grown out of their fathers showing them that kind of love, but I was always grateful that he still did.

Walking to school had always been the highlight of my mornings. It was something about seeing the world for what it is that always left me curious for wanting to know more. With each step I took, my curiosity had only grown.