Shoe Shiner, Shine Poem by Al J. Cuesta

Breathe, breathe boy, breathe
For I've to guide you, take you slow
You'll hear about many a' great glories of old
You'll take the lessons I took in time
You'll see endless seas travellin' by
You'll be hurt and forgotten, so don't be shy
Cause the ones who remember will never die
So breathe, breathe boy, breathe
Till the day you shine

Walk, walk woman, walk
For it's in your walk you say the most
Through fifty fields of foreign lookers
With sixty strides of solemn solitude
Through bloody rivers of rivalry
Wearing boots of hardened-leather
Through love and villainy
With a wickedness never understood
But walk, n' keep on walking
For its in your walk you say the most
Till the day you shine

Measure, measure mister, measure
For you will learn to quantify your strength
Measure the length of your lax ambitions
Measure the chances given with the cost
That arise just ‘fore you forget
The time you spent doin' your trade, was an opportunity not lost
Measure the weakness of your rivals
Measure the goodness in your heart
Measure all the generous offerings of peace
Measure the lessons you cannot offer
And measure the lessons you cannot receive
Measure the opulence of those blue oceans
That mingle through your baffled mind
Measure the many a' roads not a' taken
Count all the roads you have destroyed
Collect the roads you have created
And watch all the roads you pass on by
So measure man, n' keep' measurin'
If you expect to learn a thing
So measure man, keep countin' every dime
Measure, keep' a measurin'
Till the day you shine

N'clean, oh shoe-shiner, clean
For its what you do, you do best
Cleanse the corruption within our oceans
Cleanse the deceit within our eyes
Cleanse the good, n' cleanse the great
Clean out the bad, the sad, the mad
Cleanse the idols who permanent in-debt
Relieve their souls on a false intent
To hold the hand of men and women
To walk in front all of our children
To step inside all of our homes
To teach us through their experience
What's the worth of all our souls
N'clean oh shoe-shiner, clean
For it is you who knows the most
Till it is your turn to shine