Prince Lamaj
Awaken
You wanna know why HIV is important to me because the numbers are far
more than I could believe all the babies crying cause mom and dad’s
life has ceased if wanna know why HIV is important to me
You want to know why HIV is important to me because unprotected sex is
seen as cool and free it’s stupid and causes our populations to
decrease so wrap it up before you enter the sheets
You wanna know why HIV is important to me because I’m a black man and
I’m affected directly
My gender has larger numbers and my women have more than me if you
wanna know why HIV is important to me
You wanna know why HIV is important to me because I have friends who
live with this daily always questioning why, contemplating suicide,
from this bullet’s boom to their pride if you wanna know why HIV is
important to me
You wanna know why I research this wicked disease why I track its
progression with cunning and ease
To bring all the naysayers down as I please because HIV is important to me
Do you wanna know why I educate my youth And lay out to them the
despicable truth, That most that are dying look a lot like you, If
you want to know why HIV is important to me
Do wanna know why HIV is important to me because its existence is
hushed in the secrets we keep
Which doesn’t turn up til your next doctors visit screen if you wanna know
why HIV is important to me
Now don’t get me wrong not picking on those affected
Not targeting you please don’t feel neglected
Just bringing consciousness to clear public vision
For knowledge is power and power is worth living
Prince Lamaj was born and raised in Charleston, SC, and studied psychology at South Carolina State University. He currently lives in Washington, DC, where he is active in the spoken word poetry scene.
This poem is not previously published.