Ahmad Maceo Eldridge Cleaver

was Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver’s only son

For him there was only one book anybody needed, the Qu’ran

But, he did share with me a book entitled Jesus

He also suggested I read Panther Baby by Jamal Joseph

I took heed to everything this brotha shared with me

After all, the Black Panthers impressed me immensely

Irrespective of his contradiction, citing the two book additions

I would never call my dear brotha a hypocrite

There I found myself listening to Miles Davis

Munching on Oreos, laying on an air mattress, in a tent

Only minutes after applying to one foot an ointment

A foot cream — see I had a nasty foot fungus, disgusting

Then I thought, well damn, this is how I’m living

I might as well share it like some Cribs on MTV

So I snapped a photo hoping to get a laugh after posting the picture to IG

Some friends sent giggling emojis supporting me

Marquis especially wrote that my life was like an urban monk, indeed

Anthony replied with a power fist salute to my spunk

One more detail I must mention or I’ll be remissed

I also wore one sock to prevent the spread of the ointment

7 days later many things became clear

The world received news we didn’t want to hear

It was 7 days thereafter when Nipsey’s body went limp

And remember just 7 days prior I was in that tent

What’s curious about these facts is that

When I saw Nipsey’s body carried out on that gurney

I noticed his body still wore one sock on his left foot

I felt shook

7 days earlier

I was eating Oreos,

Listening to Miles Davis,

Reading Panther Baby,

While wearing one sock on my right foot,

in that tent