my women, to all my black women   t.a.m.i.    uh      dear tami,   my heart bleeds for you    words on a page, my calm and my rage   beauty that's undescribed, we coincide in one vibe   given the rhythm that makes me come alive and I-ve   been thinking about this for awhile   when I mention my love for you    feeling like a child inside   fortified by the image of your face   see she's the one that sat a nigga down and laced me   I remember you as a little girl   daddy was gone, had never been in your world   mother was struggling, three-job juggling   you seemed oblivious like it wasn't nothin'   Tami shined with her brilliance, bounced with resiliance   worked with the cards that you deal with   life was hard and I was too young to see   you had a crush on me, that was dumb to me   I just wanted to run the streets    hollar at the hoes, drink 4-0's   but when I take a moment and think   I sink into the ink and begin imagining    her strength and how it's making me weak   I never thought I woulda thought it was me   but when I close my eyes and get a vision of love   she's all that I see   ghetto diamond, free from confinement   sparks in my mind lit plains in my heart   the part that is...      Tami, the only one that understand me   days and nights I count the ways she remind me    of dreams and things my inspiration brings    into a world so crazy      I look in your eyes and see a woman rising   all of the guys been tryin' to get between your thighs   an' true lies they tell, what your innocense hides   they would've never guessed you were so wise   I feel blessed to be able to see the part of you that's more special   I remember the stress, you passed the test   plus you never needed to fuss throught the strife    you taught me how to keep my head high, now my life is yours   and I apologize for the things I did to cause you pain   I SPEAK not these words in vain   my days & nights are spent trying to put my name in lights   convinced mommy raised me right   it only makes sense that you would be the one for me   you been with others but I know you're savin' some for me   you ain't mine, I would never try to contain you    let you shine, and with this, I put it all on the line    I find that it's...      Tami, the only one that understand me   days and nights I count the ways she remind me   of dreams and things my inspiration brings into a world so crazy      At night we take flight on into the morning   to the days first light, we blaze the purple haze   count the ways the world rotates and stays crazy but never faze me   we travel the maze days by stars, lust and expensive cars   material dreams, results of extensive scars   nobody knows but you when the doors are closed   my wars unfold and view these stories told and true      Tami, the only one that understand me   days and nights I count the ways she remind me   of dreams and things my inspiration brings into a world so crazy