Friday, June 22, 2007
Me attempting Poetry Part 2
Untitled
Let me take y'all on a mission to bring our people back
In fact--let's talk about how we stop annihilation
Education of our folk is beyond pitiful
Get your kids, sit 'em down show 'em what we fightin for
What you know about the red, black, green, pain and bloodshed, torment, hate, the lies, tears and the bodies spread--across Carribean waters the West better yet
Go get your brother let him know, that
That shit can't fly no more
Nigga was the name that we once died for
Now we let any mothafucka call us what they want
What is that? Take it back and subtract--what? 500 years of the lashes on our back
Men penetrating wombs or our mothers, hosing daughters, using dogs and the rope to take hope from the young ones
They saw the strength that lied in our hair, the nose that was thick, the skin far from fair
Communities, tribes and clans, families and the strong hand
Split like an oak tree--sap spilling over
And no, we don't know what to do
I guess it aint nothing new
Sankofa. Sankofa!
Learn from the past y'all
Ancestors tryna to school you
Let me take y'all on a mission to bring our people back
In fact--let's talk about how we stop annihilation
Education of our folk is beyond pitiful
Get your kids, sit 'em down show 'em what we fightin for
What you know about the red, black, green, pain and bloodshed, torment, hate, the lies, tears and the bodies spread--across Carribean waters the West better yet
Go get your brother let him know, that
That shit can't fly no more
Nigga was the name that we once died for
Now we let any mothafucka call us what they want
What is that? Take it back and subtract--what? 500 years of the lashes on our back
Men penetrating wombs or our mothers, hosing daughters, using dogs and the rope to take hope from the young ones
They saw the strength that lied in our hair, the nose that was thick, the skin far from fair
Communities, tribes and clans, families and the strong hand
Split like an oak tree--sap spilling over
And no, we don't know what to do
I guess it aint nothing new
Sankofa. Sankofa!
Learn from the past y'all
Ancestors tryna to school you
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Me attempting poetry Part 1
Not by Chance by Purpose
My life, enhanced and made wonderful, beautiful, exciting, just by the thought of the future with that One.
All of the history and enchanting moments that will be created.
That One has words of gold, thoughts and dreams of a crusader, of a king. That One takes me places that I prayed I would visit. Never did I imagine those small ventures from this world into heaven would be placed into my hands, on my lap, on my lips, upon my eyes and in my heart.
I don’t have to wish and hope that this One is everlasting. I am reassured of this One’s adoration by the touch of his hand, the deep penetration of his gaze, the exhilaration in his smile and the passion and intensity of his love.
Oh from the Almighty this One has been placed into my life not by chance but definitely for a purpose. That purpose is to take his One and my One and create an abundance of Ones that will take all of the love, joy and happiness that we possess and permeate the world for centuries to come.
My life, enhanced and made wonderful, beautiful, exciting, just by the thought of the future with that One.
All of the history and enchanting moments that will be created.
That One has words of gold, thoughts and dreams of a crusader, of a king. That One takes me places that I prayed I would visit. Never did I imagine those small ventures from this world into heaven would be placed into my hands, on my lap, on my lips, upon my eyes and in my heart.
I don’t have to wish and hope that this One is everlasting. I am reassured of this One’s adoration by the touch of his hand, the deep penetration of his gaze, the exhilaration in his smile and the passion and intensity of his love.
Oh from the Almighty this One has been placed into my life not by chance but definitely for a purpose. That purpose is to take his One and my One and create an abundance of Ones that will take all of the love, joy and happiness that we possess and permeate the world for centuries to come.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Where my friends at when I need to spit (as in kick it, as in talk, as in share some thoughts)!
So as I'm riding on the subway in Philly coming from another awesome dance show of the school where I teach, I become overwhelmed with this feeling of happiness. And where might this feeling of joy have come from you ask? From being black y'all, yes it was the craziest thing ever. I often go through phases where I love to people watch but Saturday night my observation experience was taken to another level.
I'm sitting there on the train and I look around me and I see nothing but black people (a little different from my train experiences in Manhattan). When the train opens the doors at the "Wyoming" stop a beautiful older black couple (maybe in their 40s), about 3-4 young guys and two young women in their mid twenties get on the train. I sit there and I just admire all that is going on around me. The couple sit there and they discuss what happened at a birthday party earlier, they're not energetic or bubbly, they don't make much eye contact. Their conversation is very relaxed and smooth almost soulful. Every now and then one of them will smile or give a touch on the knee or hand. The young guys clearly look like they've either partied or pre-partied cause they lookin right, fresh jeans, fresh sneaks and fresh highs. They don't talk to each other they just sit back in the cut and observe as I'm doing on this hot Saturday night. The two young women enthusiastically engage in a conversation about a religion class (not really noticing their volume)they're taking at the university, and how stupid it is in comparison to church on Sunday.
Later as the train door opens at the "Allegheny" stop a short very charismatic brother walks into the center of the train and begins speaking to the passengers about a homeless organization that he's working for that collects donations to feed and clothe the needy. This man, even though I had a hard time understanding why he was out making this speech at damn near 11 o clock at night, sounded like velvet, his words bounced off the train walls and fell upon my ears with so much grace, poise and magnetism. He had a way of making his sentences sound like versus to a song, man I love black people. No one taught him that, he wasn't coached I'm sure, he just knows that he needs to be heard. Two guys sitting next to me are covered in dust and paint, holding on to tools, similar to the young dudes they never acknowledge each other but as one gets up to leave he says to the other "alright brother see you tomorrow, have a good one."
Just as I'm about to exit the train I look back one more time at the train full of Black folks. Most of them looked tired, very hard, like they've been through a lot within their time here, but despite it all I saw a sense of purpose in their gazes and I felt something very familial within their energy. And that feeling right there made me overjoyed and oh so happy to be Black.
I'm sitting there on the train and I look around me and I see nothing but black people (a little different from my train experiences in Manhattan). When the train opens the doors at the "Wyoming" stop a beautiful older black couple (maybe in their 40s), about 3-4 young guys and two young women in their mid twenties get on the train. I sit there and I just admire all that is going on around me. The couple sit there and they discuss what happened at a birthday party earlier, they're not energetic or bubbly, they don't make much eye contact. Their conversation is very relaxed and smooth almost soulful. Every now and then one of them will smile or give a touch on the knee or hand. The young guys clearly look like they've either partied or pre-partied cause they lookin right, fresh jeans, fresh sneaks and fresh highs. They don't talk to each other they just sit back in the cut and observe as I'm doing on this hot Saturday night. The two young women enthusiastically engage in a conversation about a religion class (not really noticing their volume)they're taking at the university, and how stupid it is in comparison to church on Sunday.
Later as the train door opens at the "Allegheny" stop a short very charismatic brother walks into the center of the train and begins speaking to the passengers about a homeless organization that he's working for that collects donations to feed and clothe the needy. This man, even though I had a hard time understanding why he was out making this speech at damn near 11 o clock at night, sounded like velvet, his words bounced off the train walls and fell upon my ears with so much grace, poise and magnetism. He had a way of making his sentences sound like versus to a song, man I love black people. No one taught him that, he wasn't coached I'm sure, he just knows that he needs to be heard. Two guys sitting next to me are covered in dust and paint, holding on to tools, similar to the young dudes they never acknowledge each other but as one gets up to leave he says to the other "alright brother see you tomorrow, have a good one."
Just as I'm about to exit the train I look back one more time at the train full of Black folks. Most of them looked tired, very hard, like they've been through a lot within their time here, but despite it all I saw a sense of purpose in their gazes and I felt something very familial within their energy. And that feeling right there made me overjoyed and oh so happy to be Black.
