Mr. Back In The Day...

Preamble: This is a story is the long awaited follow up to The Hood. That story was about me stopping to talk to a young man on the train, about youth knife crime and youth gun crime that is currently on the streets. What the young man said to me triggered memories of my early life. The following is what I was thinking

Damn, have you ever been called Gay, Fat, and Dumb, by same the man? 

By the same the man?, damn, man, I am not gonna lie, damn, I have, 

Damn, I have, and, it's sad, this man was, you, the man I call Dad, I ain't mad, 

Dad, all your commotions, emotions, explosions, in my Nan's house, always had me implodin, 

Always had me implodin, withholdin, until, you would see, my eyes open, 

My eyes open, and, start explodin, and that's when Dad,

That's when Dad, you would say " Damn Dan I am only jokin,"

My eyes open, and, start explodin, like your closet, 

Like your closet, as, Dad, you were a man, that had, bags, and, bags, of clothin,

Dad, you were a man, that had, bags, and, bags, of clothin, and, to add, your closet was always open, 

Always open, as, you always had anything, and, everything, on show, 

On show, you had, Nike TN's, Nike Jordans, Nike Air Maxs, you had all of those,

You had all of those, and, you always hand choose, your clothes, from Probito, 

From Probito, you had, Versarce jeans, Iceberg jeans, Armani jeans, Chippie jeans, erm,, o no, 

Erm,, o no, silly me, please believe, how could I leave, the jeans that were Moschino?

Silly me, it's been while, Dad, but, fuck it, it used to rile me, when you used to, 

When you used to smile, and, say to me, "Son, don't watch my style, and, my profile",

"Son, don't watch my style, and, my profile", Dad really?   

Dad Really?, let's see, Dad, lets just say, you had a label habit, and, that was pretty much it, hehe,  

Dad, you rocked, diamond socks, jean roll ups, name brand shirts, jumpers, and, tops,  

Dad, you used to mish match em, and, mish match it, 

Mish match it, with, either the long leather, or the Avirex jacket, 

Dad, what happen? to when we used to roll through, the roads, in the nights, in the cold,

In the cold, Dad you in your cap, me with my backpack, packed with my night clothes, 

Packed with my night clothes, and my Super Nintendo games, control pads, and, console,

The nights before, my backpack, was packed with the Playstation One, or, the Ninetendo 64, 

The nights before, you used to call me fat, the nights before, you nicknamed me "Danny Rotundo"     

The nights, we used to take the Northen Line train, from Stockwell station to Tooting Broadway, 

The nights, of the 333 bus from Tooting Broadway, and, the walk to, 211 Links Road

The walk to, 211 Links Road from Mitcham Lane,  

The nights, I would to try, in vain, to stay up late, with you Dad, to watch match of the day, 

To stay up late, with you Dad, to watch match of the day, and, to watch Liverpool play,  

The nights, that we had, cheese sandwiches with the ham, chilli sauce, chips, with the doner kebab,  

The mornings, you yawning, would be warning you were awake, you were awake at usually midday,   The mornings, my Nan had the sausages, bacon and eggs in the pan, 

The mornings, my Nan, had a Blackcurrent Ribena in hand, 

The mornings, my Nan had the beef soup, dumpling, and the yam, 

The mornings my Nan, had the rice and peas, lamb or the curry crab,

Dad, now I would never be, dissin, my own Dad, just to get recognition, 

Dad, take a second, to listen, and use your intuition, before you think, what im sayin, is dissin,

Before you think, what i'm sayin, is dissin, understand, damn, as a man, man its okay, 

Man its okay, to put up your hand, 

Put up your hand, and, say damn Dan, as a man, I can, understand, what is being written,               

Man, damn Dad, you were never put in my damn position, 

In my damn position, with your Dad, that had drugs to deal, coolly chillin casually, in the kitchen,

In the kitchen, you had, weed, wrapped, while Dad you would sit and listen,  

You would sit and listen to, Mighty Crown, King Addies, Stone Love, and Black Kat, sound tapes, 

Black Kat, Sound tapes, on your sound system,     

The same sound tapes, you would sit and listen to, on your sound system, in prison,

Dad, you had that, fuck that, move dese bits, prove my shit, shot that shit, attitude, 

Dad, I watched you wrap and bill, and Dad, you took me on drug deals, but I am not mad at you, 

I am not mad at you, even though damn, Dad, you were the man that would attack my Mum, 

You were the man that would attack my Mum, with your hands,  

I am not mad at you? Okay, I thought about it? you still went to attack her? 

You slapped her, then, smacked her, so she went to get a knife to stab ya!      

Dad, how was I suppose to take advice about women, from a man who used to, tump, my Mum? 

Dad, in how many different ways, back in the day, did you used to say, I was gay?, anyways, 

Anyways, lets set you straight, I now have mates, that are gay, but hey, Dad, I'm straight, 

Back in the day, Dad you used to say, "Dan are you gay, whats taking you, so long to fuck a girl?" 

Dad you used to say, "Dan whats taking you, so long to fuck a girl and, get laid?," 

Dad, it's a shame, that mate, I remember the day, back in the day,  

Back in the day, that, I was playing away, in my Nan's living room, on my Gameboy game,  

Gameboy game?, infact, it was Pokemon Blue, and, Dad, I told you, 

I told you I caught my first Pokemon, as, I called you my Mum's boyfriends name, by mistake,

Dad, you did not even give me a chance to save the game, before you started calling me names, 

Dad, that's the day, I could see the rage, in your face, as you said "Son Are you Dumb?" Silly me,   

Silly me, Dad, How could I forget this memory, this is what you said to me, 

You said to me Son, come and sit with me on my Nan's sofa, my Nan's sofa? Silly me Dad, 

Silly me, Dad, I was meant to say my Nan's settee, 

Dad, you were drunk, as you sat me, down on your knee, and said to me, 

Dad, you said to me, "Son when you were born, I was not sure, if you were mine,", 

Dad, at the time I was torn,

Dad, at the time I was torn, as you took more, sips, from your drink, it was Martel, I think, 

Dad, at the time I was torn, between you and my mum, as you poured, this tore, me a little bit more,  

What you said left me with a taste as raw, as Wray and Nephews, in my mouth,

In my mouth, and, Dad, in my head, I was left with what you said, in the house,   

Dad, what are you going to say, " Dan that all this was back in the day!"

Dad, what are you going to say, " Dan all this is not your place to say!", 

Dad, What are you going say "Dan remember I'm your Dad?"

"A Dad?, man to man, man, damn, A Dad What is that?",

"Damn Dad nuh-ah, what's wrong? Didn't you think I would remember?"

What you gonna say Dad, "I'm gonna kill you Dan!" 

"Hey Dad, uh-ah, Mr. Temper, Mr. Temper"

Mr Back in the Day, Mr. Studley Estate, Mr Brixton 28, 

Mr. Coming straight outta Stockwell, south west eight, y'all better make way, anyways, 

Anyways, understand, damn, I am not mad Dad, I am actually glad you were the man you were, 

I am actually glad you were the man you were, as damn Dad it made me the man I am, Dad,    

Inspired by Eminem- Cleaning out my Closet & Eminem- Guilty Conscience