The defense has rested after the dance. Impressive, this very familiar American dance around, and every now and then toward imperatives of justice. The defense and their defenders demand we suspend the evidence of things plainly seen. Or perhaps we see through the lens of those who do not perceive our lives as human. For people of color this is […]
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Their philosophy their Theology of hypocrisy When it gets to me Is killology Suffocates the biology Of darker side of human tree Their hatred is in symmetry With bloody leaves on hanging tree Killology a theory of predatory Manifest destiny inflict misery It’s a mystery we don’t burn this shit down Or maybe we should but our humanity gets in […]
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(Pulled over by cop. Executed in car. Cop exonerated.) Picture me rolling I don’t stop Hands tense the wheel I see a cop Slow to the limit Pressure drop Don’t want to be no Strange fruit crop Sick of this shit 400 years 400 tears 400 fears them Muthafuckers 400 years in arrears But we ain’t gonna get paid Until […]
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(Read for the Culture Cafe of New Faith Baptist Church, Int’l) Closing the distance bridging humanity Break through vanity that seeds insanity I bring the inner me blessed of the trinity Word beat love sparks creativity Closing the distance to root soul civility Trying to be hueman and evolve the new man Lyricist of common sense the essence no pretense […]
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The sound of the Chairman’s gavel echoes through the court. The trial begins. The defendant smiles and winks at the judge and jury of Senators. The chaplain begins his prayer: “Oh, great theoretical power, bring us all together as we do thy will. Let there be no deviation from our purpose at hand. Help us to save the country from […]
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(for Kobe) The truth is we all walk through the valley of the shadow of death. And we all have opportunities to experience mountaintops. We have more in common than what we allow to separate us. The hoarders of wealth and power make great effort to distract and scare us away from this simple reality. We want to live in […]
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Proclamation Emancipation Jah people gold people bold rebels of gold soulFreedom fighters, enterprisers, world civilizers,Healers, burning spear welders, pyramid builders,Love preachers, Spirit beseechers, world teachers,Birthing high culture in systems of mystery,Heartbeat of 10000 years history,My people bold people gold rebels of old soul,Arise I arrive bearing notions to make you whole,Wreak chains free brains/ behinds will follow,Heap of beats seep […]
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Tiger and the Old Man It’s first Sunday late night in the church basement. Congregation members have long gone home. The Old Man is holding court with a group of neighborhood church pastors and ministers. He lives at the church. He offers this space and time for highly stressed ministers to unburden and unwind. Books and ancient manuscripts of every […]
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Dear Old Dunbar Dad’s High School Song Both my parents, Clarence and Joetta Powell (Oglesby) were born and raised in Earle, Arkansas (although they didn’t come to know each other and marry until many years later after Dad finished his military duty and Mom migrated north to Chicago, where they met one morning on the El train). They grew up […]
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Modest Proposal Regarding the Attempted Re-Murder of Emmett Till “They murdered that boy, and to hide their dastardly act, they tied barbed wire to his neck and to a heavy gin fan and dumped him into the river for the turtles and the fish.” Prosecutor Gerald Chatham That boy is still dead. News at 10. I’m neither a doctor, scientist […]
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