Word To My Brother

Jason looked across the table at his younger brother Quincy. He listened as his little brother explained how much he feels the weight of the world on his shoulders as a black man and constantly in an involuntary competition with others who looked like him. He expressed anger about gang violence in the black community, the jealousy he's endured from past friendships, and how he's lost his concern for his fellow black man. Because "if they hate themselves, then why should I love them?" Quincy's face was weary.

Jason knew this feeling all too well. But one thing he's learned over the years is that black brotherhood is necessary for their inherent well-being and survival. He leaned forward towards Quincy, "Let me explain something to you. A couple of bad apples do not define the tree, lil bro. Hear me out," he stated and then he began to explain:

Word To My Brother

Listen, lil’ bro,

I need you to hear me past the noise

Past the screens that profit off of our pain

Past the lie that says another black man

is your enemy

I’m talking to you as your brother,

not your parent,

not the world,

not the streets.

Me.

The one who wants you to thrive

They will try to sell you competition

before they ever offer you community

Tell you it’s us versus us

while they watch from a safe distance.

That’s the oldest trick in the book

Don’t fall for it

Loving your fellow black man

isn’t weakness

It’s strategy

It’s survival

It’s saying,

I won’t be used to destroy my own reflection

Violence ain’t power,

it’s interruption

It steals futures,

breaks mothers,

leaves brothers asking why

when it’s already too late

You don’t need to prove you’re hard

The world already knows we’re resilient

What they don’t expect

is unity

What scares them

is Black men choosing each other

Check your brother before the world does

Pull him aside, not apart

Correct him with love,

not ego

Celebrate his wins

without measuring them against yours

There is room for you

without taking space from him.

There is success

that doesn’t require a body count

Carry yourself like your life matters,

because it does

Carry others like theirs does too

That’s how we break cycles

That’s how we stay present

For family and community

So when they push competition,

you push connection

When they glorify violence,

you choose vision

And remember this, lil’ bro:

A black man who loves his brother

is whole

is wise

and honors God in that power

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About Kiyaza:

Kiyaza the Poet is a multifaceted author and creative whose work bridges poetry, design, and self-discovery. In her book Lost Between the Sheets, she invites readers into her intimate journey through relationships, friendships, and the layered experiences of life as a Black woman.

Beyond her literary voice, Kiyaza channels her artistry into Water Lily Studios, a design platform of journals and planners, where she encourages reflection, creativity, organization, and self-sufficiency in everyday life. 

Her latest creation, Poetry in Bloom, is a collection of handmade, framed poems adorned with pressed flowers, celebrating beauty, resilience, and the art of storytelling.

Kiyaza’s writing focuses on the raw and reflective journey of self-discovery while exploring love, loss, healing, and growth through the lens of a millennial Black woman. 

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Connect with Kiyaza! 

Email: createdbyzakiya@gmail.com

Instagram: @kiyazawrites

Website: www.zakiyacreates.com  

Book: Lost Between the Sheets vol. 1 : https://a.co/d/6PaU3bV