Lyrics Mosaic - Donovan Livingston

Now this that OutKast on back of buses and double-dutches
And plying MASH with bad crushes
Sipping Jungle Juice with bagged lunches, sammiches with no crusts
And making fun of Mr. Bucket
And then we'd play the dozens, yo, your momma was so fat
Teachers, they would look us in the eye and say, don't rap
But by then, I'm rocking tall tees under throwback
And all we lived for were head nods, make your toes tap
But I go back further, polyphonic my ringtone
Man, behind the mic yo, I swear I had wings on
Now that I've lost friends and I've gained enemies
No matter how fly I get, nostalgia can center me
Recall my identities lost in these city streets
Stuck between who I really am and pretend to be
Fayettenam, I write it on a start for my beloved
As I squeeze a universe in eight couplets, and it goes like this

Reflections on the past make the present seem clearer
Life is made of glass like the mirror
You wanna be a hero, everyone to revere you? I hear you
But have you conquered what you are in fear of
Cheer up - we're fragile and we often break
But I'm a love the parts of me I'm taught to hate
Because the best me is what I ought to chase
My healing, may it start today

Now, with this poetry I sow a seed holy as a rosary
But a speck of dust until He molded me
The goal to be the greatest emcee - that was the motive, B
But I had to find another road, it took a toll on me
Now, find me in the future reminiscing on an older me
The Netherlands and France, me and wifey treated cordially
Live on stage, now I'm introducing POTUS, please
The one between 45 and 43
Now all I am is flesh and bone, collections of distorted dreams
I'm not a Saint, but I unfurl like the fleur de lis
Another metaphor, wrote euphoria and rode the beat
So you see within this art of war, I hope you go in peace
You gotta stay woke, and when you go to sleep
Just know it's me, still stunting like I'm supposed to be
Every single poem more official than your notary
I put my all into this thing baby, totally

Reflections on the past make the present seem clearer
Life is made of glass like the mirror
You wanna be a hero, everyone to revere ya? I hear ya
But have you conquered what you are in fear of
Cheer up - we're fragile and we often break
But I'm a love the parts of me I'm taught to hate
Because the best me is what I ought to chase
My healing, may it start today

Present and past, though it all overlaps
Did you ball, did you fall, put it all on your back
Were you lost on the path? Did you call for a map
You see yourself in the glass when it seems like it's cracked
Present and past, though it all overlaps
Did you ball, did you fall, put it all on your back
Were you lost on the path? Did you call for a map
You see yourself in the glass when it seems like it's cracked

Reflections on the past make the present seem clearer
Life is made of glass like the mirror
You wanna be a hero, everyone to revere ya? I hear ya
But have you conquered what you are in fear of
Cheer up - we're fragile and we often break
But I'm a love the parts of me I'm taught to hate
Because the best me is what I ought to chase
My healing, may it start today