A Baby Boy Poem by Melvina Germain

A baby boy is born, a sweet, innocent black baby boy.
comes to this world as a –child—not a toy.
His needs will be different for he is a black male.
Proper nurturing is crucial to keep him out of jail.

He must know society considers him a stereotype.
Lazy, drug user, sexually motivated, full of hype.
Speak gently with loving words for him to hear
Teach him to be strong, yet gentle enough to shed a tear

Put a smile on his face with your warm embrace.
Respect him, love him, teach him to have good taste
What you see is what you get in your baby boys eyes
He may follow in your footsteps, don’t be surprised

Teach him with patience, no need for raised voices
He must know how to make all the right choices
The word “no” is prevalent when raising a boy.
He must know what it means when he seeks a certain joy.

A mama is put on a pedestal from a male perspective
when she falls, it shatters his number one directive
Let him know on a daily basis that he is your special joy
a gift from God, a blessed black baby boy.