Do Better

I gotta do better
Gotta speak better
Gotta live better

I gotta do better
Gotta love better
Gotta give better
I gotta do better
So much better than
What I am doing
I gotta do better
Better, better, better
Better, better, better

It’s crazy when reality is much more frightening than your dreams
What happens in the world it’s much different when your skins pigmented
He asked me what I mixed with
I said I’m black and black he scrunched his face up I’m like what’s wrong with that
Love who you love it don’t matter to me
But what irks a sister
Nah, what really hurts a sister
Is when you get with them snow bunnies and exotic queens
To sit up on your throne and look
Down at me
The One who birthed you
The one who raised you
The one who mourn you
The one who is left to raise all
Of your little kids
Sometimes it takes so much
To be a black woman
When we’re happy, we’re too loud
We got standards were too proud
When we say how we feel it
Comes off as aggressive
Now everybody in the spot
Thinks were so offensive
So we gotta dim our light
And become submissive

But, Lord, I’m so tired, I’m so sick and tired of this muzzle
Why every word I speak sounds muffled
How can I for fill my destiny if I can’t even
Open up my mouth and say my piece
Can somebody please explain this to me

I gotta do better
Gotta speak better
Gotta live better

I gotta do better
Gotta love better
Gotta give better

I gotta do better
So much better than
What I am doing

I gotta do better
Better, better, better
Better, better, better

Why is this cold world inhabited
By so much evil
Why do we post naked pictures
With positive affirmations
Knowing daggone well
That we’re capping
In them captions
Why can’t we choose love and
Learn how to watch our actions
Why can’t we support each other
Like the people who hanged us
Why we just can’t be ourselves without
Them thinking we’re dangerous

She says she’s been raped
Why her mama don’t even believe her
This trauma has opened up the door for the deceiver
To deceive her, he shames her, and tells her that she’s nothing
The lies he filled her head with
Are now on her arms and wrists
She could’ve been someone
Done something special
Or off to college
To make an effort
To be a high achiever
Give it her all and never let up
But the world ain’t let her
Instead like an evil beast ready to feast
It consumed her flesh and soul
Kinda like Hannibal Lecter
There it was taking all she had
Like a debt collector

I gotta do better
Gotta speak better
Gotta live better

I gotta do better
Gotta love better
Gotta give better

I gotta do better
So much better than
What I am doing

I gotta do better
Better, better, better
Better, better, better