Showing posts with label Amiri Baraka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amiri Baraka. Show all posts
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Friday, January 20, 2017
Monday, February 8, 2016
AMIRI BARAKA ~
C H A M B E R M U S I C
There might be someone you love, some one you
wanted to be with, and then, found your self
with, there were such things, such lives and
lovers. I am like that sometimes, I think, some
distant romantic wrapped in music. I wanted to know
myself, and found that was a lifetime's work, the
twists and zig zags, dips and turns, all could
disorient you, that you were no longer you but
somebody else masquerading as yourself's desire.
Rain could come. The sky grow light. It could even be
twilight, in a foreign town. Where you walked under
far noises of invisible worlds. But when you remember
all of your faces, blown now gone forever in the wind,
you'll see that you were always wanting to be you,
you were always wanting to know and love yourself, and you
found a few faces, a few names, that extended your life
into other lives, and as time marches, hours, days, decades
dance, you'll find your hand in someone else's hand, you'll
hear yourself thinking about some person other than you
and then look up and yes there will be some other person
some closeness and echoed tenderness, that makes us more than dots
under the far away, that make us more than split seconds of
light
___________
I' M N O T F O O L E D
This is still Slavery
Not fooled at all
This is still Slavery
Even with OBAMA, I'M NOT FOOLED
THIS IS STILL SLAVERY, NOT FOOLED AT ALL
IF IT WASN'T SLAVERY OBAMA COULD FIGHT BACK
HE'S DONE THINGS, GOOD THINGS, BUT
I'M STILL NOT FOOLED, THIS IS STILL SLAVERY.
So what you gonna act like Miles, tellin me "So What?"
Out yr brains closed mouth, and on the open streets
Not only so what but bump me, chump me, chump us all, you say
Actin like Miles but you ain't Miles, you the dressed up slave master ghost
Just as you always was. I ain't fooled. It's still slavery still is still is. I ain't fooled.
Excuse me
The fone ringing.
________________
A L L S O N G S A R E C R A Z Y
Some are beautiful.
Who could sing
All the songs we know?
How many of us that can, know
How many of those who sing know
What singing is.
So I who have sung and have heard song
Want to know the singers
And the song
I who have learned singing from the oldest singers
In the world and have sung some songs myself
Want to create that song that everybody knows
And that everybody will sing one day.
So what is left to do? That is how the song
Begins.
________________
O N T H U R S D A Y I F O U N D T H I S
I N M Y N O T E B O OK
When love is perfected, when love
is understood.
When love is the law
& the measure
The ruler & ruled & body of
of what is body mind of
what is mind
When love & the Soul
are uncovered
then you will always
sound like
Duke Ellington.
A M I R I B A R A K A
S O S
Poems 1961-2013
selected by Paul Vangelisti
Grove 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
TWO STRONG WINDS ~
Amiri Baraka
(October 7, 1934 ~ January 9, 2014)
Carter Camp
(August 18, 1941 ~ December 27, 2013)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/09/us/carter-camp-american-indian-leader-dies-at-72.html?ref=obituaries
(August 18, 1941 ~ December 27, 2013)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/09/us/carter-camp-american-indian-leader-dies-at-72.html?ref=obituaries
At one time in America — certainly from the 60s into the 70s — these two men held the news and our culture by storm. Before the endless era of 24-hour-vacuous, Reality TV, liars to the left of you and liars to the right, and before the general rule of zombie nation — we had activists, poets, musicians, fathers and mothers who put their lives on the line for a greater good. Carter Camp was born in White Eagle, Oklahoma and was an American Indian Movement (AIM) activist from the Ponca tribe. He was one of the organizers of the Wounded Knee standoff.
Someone at the New York Times should have their mouth washed out with soap at describing Amiri Baraka as "polarizing". Dick Cheney is polarizing, not Baraka. A man who was a poet, short story writer, novelist, essayist, teacher, lecturer, political activist, community organizer, playwright of note with an Obie Award and other celebrations, ground-cutting musicologist of the full bore jazz era — and young poets take note — with his first wife Hettie Cohen, editor and publisher of the literary magazine, Yugen, which published much of the great work of the Beats. On top of with Diane di Prima establishing a second literary magazine, The Floating Bear. These were magnificent homemade and enduring publications. Not self-published ground meal disappearing acts. A third act for Baraka was founding the small press Totem Press. Black Nationalism publications and anthologies would follow.
If anything, he was unique. Slight of figure. A rightful threat.
I had a friend who brought Baraka into one of the toughest correctional institutions in New York State to read and work poetry with the prisoners. She said he had them all dazzled and committed to song by the end of the visit. No surprise.
~ BA
Someone at the New York Times should have their mouth washed out with soap at describing Amiri Baraka as "polarizing". Dick Cheney is polarizing, not Baraka. A man who was a poet, short story writer, novelist, essayist, teacher, lecturer, political activist, community organizer, playwright of note with an Obie Award and other celebrations, ground-cutting musicologist of the full bore jazz era — and young poets take note — with his first wife Hettie Cohen, editor and publisher of the literary magazine, Yugen, which published much of the great work of the Beats. On top of with Diane di Prima establishing a second literary magazine, The Floating Bear. These were magnificent homemade and enduring publications. Not self-published ground meal disappearing acts. A third act for Baraka was founding the small press Totem Press. Black Nationalism publications and anthologies would follow.
If anything, he was unique. Slight of figure. A rightful threat.
I had a friend who brought Baraka into one of the toughest correctional institutions in New York State to read and work poetry with the prisoners. She said he had them all dazzled and committed to song by the end of the visit. No surprise.
~ BA
Friday, January 4, 2013
TRIBE ~
January 3rd, 2013 11:08 AM
1. They get sent off to wars that have NOTHING to do with defending America or saving our lives. They are used as pawns so that the military-industrial complex can make billions of dollars and the rich here can expand their empire. By "supporting the troops," that means I'm supposed to shut up, don't ask questions, do nothing to stop the madness, and sit by and watch thousands of them die? Well, I've done an awful lot to try and end this. But the only way you can honestly say you support the troops is to work night and day to get them out of these hell holes they've been sent to. And what have I done this week to bring the troops home? Nothing. So if I say "I support the troops," don't believe me -- I clearly don't support the troops because I've got more important things to do today, like return an iPhone that doesn't work and take my car in for a tune up.
2. While the troops we claim to "support" are serving their country, bankers who say they too "support the troops," foreclose on the actual homes of these soldiers and evict their families while they are overseas! Have I gone and stood in front of the sheriff's deputy as he is throwing a military family out of their home? No. And there's your proof that I don't "support the troops," because if I did, I would organize mass sit-ins to block the doors of these homes. Instead, I'm having Chilean sea bass tonight.
3. How many of you who say you "support the troops" have visited a VA hospital to bring aid and comfort to the sick and wounded? I haven't. How many of you have any clue what it's like to deal with the VA? I don't. Therefore, you would be safe to say that I don't "support the troops," and neither do you.
4. Who amongst you big enthusiastic "supporters of the troops" can tell me the approximate number of service women who have been raped while in the military? Answer: 19,000 (mostly) female troops are raped or sexually assaulted every year by fellow American troops. What have you or I done to bring these criminals to justice? What's that you say -- out of sight, out of mind? These women have suffered, and I've done nothing. So don't ever let me get away with telling you I "support the troops" because, sadly, I don't. And neither do you.
5. Help a homeless vet today? How 'bout yesterday? Last week? Last year? Ever? But I thought you "support the troops!"? The number of homeless veterans is staggering -- on any given night, at least 60,000 veterans are sleeping on the streets of the country that proudly "supports the troops." This is disgraceful and shameful, isn't it? And it exposes all those "troop supporters" who always vote against social programs that would help these veterans. Tonight there are at least 12,700 Iraq/Afghanistan veterans homeless and sleeping on the street. I've never lent a helping hand to one of the many vets I've seen sleeping on the street. I can't bear to look, and I walk past them very quickly. That's called not "supporting the troops," which, I guess, I don't -- and neither do you.
6. And you know, the beautiful thing about all this "support" you and I have been giving the troops -- they feel this love and support so much, a record number of them are killing themselves every single week. In fact, there are now more soldiers killing themselves than soldiers being killed in combat (323 suicides in 2012 through November vs. about 210 combat deaths). Yes, you are more likely to die by your own hand in the United States military than by al Qaeda or the Taliban. And an estimated eighteen veterans kill themselves each day, or one in five of all U.S. suicides -- though no one really knows because we don't bother to keep track. Now, that's what I call support! These troops are really feeling the love, people! Lemme hear you say it again: "I support the troops!" Louder! "I SUPPORT THE TROOPS!!" There, that's better. I'm sure they heard us. Don't forget to fly our flag, wear your flag lapel pin, and never, ever let a service member pass you by without saying, "Thank you for your service!" I'm sure that's all they need to keep from putting a bullet in their heads. Do your best to keep your "support" up for the troops because, God knows, I certainly can't any longer.
I don't "support the troops" or any of those other hollow and hypocritical platitudes uttered by Republicans and frightened Democrats. Here's what I do support: I support them coming home. I support them being treated well. I support peace, and I beg any young person reading this who's thinking of joining the armed forces to please reconsider. Our war department has done little to show you they won't recklessly put your young life in harm's way for a cause that has nothing to do with what you signed up for. They will not help you once they've used you and spit you back into society. If you're a woman, they will not protect you from rapists in their ranks. And because you have a conscience and you know right from wrong, you do not want yourself being used to kill civilians in other countries who never did anything to hurt us. We are currently involved in at least a half-dozen military actions around the world. Don't become the next statistic so that General Electric can post another record profit -- while paying no taxes -- taxes that otherwise would be paying for the artificial leg that they've kept you waiting for months to receive.
I support you, and will try to do more to be there for you. And the best way you can support me -- and the ideals our country says it believes in -- is to get out of the military as soon as you can and never look back.
And please, next time some "supporter of the troops" says to you with that concerned look on their face, "I thank you for your service," you have my permission to punch their lights out (figuratively speaking, of course).
(There is something I've done to support the troops -- other than help lead the effort to stop these senseless wars. At the movie theater I run in Michigan, I became the first person in town to institute an affirmative action plan for hiring returning Iraq/Afghanistan vets. I am working to get more businesses in town to join with me in this effort to find jobs for these returning soldiers. I also let all service members in to the movies for free, everyday.)
Edward Dorn
Tribe
My tribe came from struggling labor
Depression South Eastern Illinois
Just before the southern hills start
To roll toward the coal country
Where the east/west morainal ridges
Of Wisconsin trash pile up
At the bottom of the prairie, socially
A far midwest recrudescence of Appalachia
My grandfather French Québécois
Master pipefitter in the age of steam
Indian fifty percent, very French
Who didn't derogate himself
As a breed, showed none of those tedious
Tendentious tendencies. Came down
From Chebanse, from Illinois Central
In Iroquois County, to the Chicago &
Eastern Illinois line's division at Villa Grove
In one of the Twenties boomlets,
The last precipitous edges of the great devolvement.
These forebears on my mother's side
Owned a nice clapboard house in old town
Where I was brought up off and on during
The intensity of the depression, parents
Wandering work search, up and down
The bleak grit avenues of Flint, following
Other exodus relatives, Belgian in-laws
From another french connexion
Michael Moore-land from the beginning
Manmade poisons in the cattle feed way
Before Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and angry cows —
Governments always conspire against
The population and often
This is not even malice;
Just nothing better to do.
I'm with the Kurds and the Serbs and the Iraqis
And every defiant nation this jerk
Ethnic crazy country bombs —
World leaders can claim
What they want about terror,
As they wholesale helicopters
To the torturers —
But I'm straight out
Of my tribe from my great grandma Merton
Pure Kentucky English—it would take more paper
Than I'll ever have to express how justified I feel.
Farewell to the Prairie
I think I'm dying
because I'm listening
to Prairie Home Companion.
Monday, 11 October 1999
from Edward Dorn ~ Collected Poems
Edited w/ a preface by Jennifer Dunbar Dorn
w/ Justin Katko, Reitha Pattison and Kyle Waugh
Afterwords by Amiri Baraka & Jeremy Prynne
Carcanet Press
Alliance House
Cross Street
Manchester M2 7AQ
www.carcanet.co.uk
________________________________
January 3rd, 2013 11:08 AM
Those Who Say "I Support the Troops" Should Just Stop, Out of Respect for the Troops
I don't support the troops, America, and neither do you. I am tired of the ruse we are playing on these brave citizens in our armed forces. And guess what -- a lot of these soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines see right through the bull**** of those words, "I support the troops!," spoken by Americans with such false sincerity -- false because our actions don't match our words. These young men and women sign up to risk their very lives to protect us -- and this is what they get in return:1. They get sent off to wars that have NOTHING to do with defending America or saving our lives. They are used as pawns so that the military-industrial complex can make billions of dollars and the rich here can expand their empire. By "supporting the troops," that means I'm supposed to shut up, don't ask questions, do nothing to stop the madness, and sit by and watch thousands of them die? Well, I've done an awful lot to try and end this. But the only way you can honestly say you support the troops is to work night and day to get them out of these hell holes they've been sent to. And what have I done this week to bring the troops home? Nothing. So if I say "I support the troops," don't believe me -- I clearly don't support the troops because I've got more important things to do today, like return an iPhone that doesn't work and take my car in for a tune up.
2. While the troops we claim to "support" are serving their country, bankers who say they too "support the troops," foreclose on the actual homes of these soldiers and evict their families while they are overseas! Have I gone and stood in front of the sheriff's deputy as he is throwing a military family out of their home? No. And there's your proof that I don't "support the troops," because if I did, I would organize mass sit-ins to block the doors of these homes. Instead, I'm having Chilean sea bass tonight.
3. How many of you who say you "support the troops" have visited a VA hospital to bring aid and comfort to the sick and wounded? I haven't. How many of you have any clue what it's like to deal with the VA? I don't. Therefore, you would be safe to say that I don't "support the troops," and neither do you.
4. Who amongst you big enthusiastic "supporters of the troops" can tell me the approximate number of service women who have been raped while in the military? Answer: 19,000 (mostly) female troops are raped or sexually assaulted every year by fellow American troops. What have you or I done to bring these criminals to justice? What's that you say -- out of sight, out of mind? These women have suffered, and I've done nothing. So don't ever let me get away with telling you I "support the troops" because, sadly, I don't. And neither do you.
5. Help a homeless vet today? How 'bout yesterday? Last week? Last year? Ever? But I thought you "support the troops!"? The number of homeless veterans is staggering -- on any given night, at least 60,000 veterans are sleeping on the streets of the country that proudly "supports the troops." This is disgraceful and shameful, isn't it? And it exposes all those "troop supporters" who always vote against social programs that would help these veterans. Tonight there are at least 12,700 Iraq/Afghanistan veterans homeless and sleeping on the street. I've never lent a helping hand to one of the many vets I've seen sleeping on the street. I can't bear to look, and I walk past them very quickly. That's called not "supporting the troops," which, I guess, I don't -- and neither do you.
6. And you know, the beautiful thing about all this "support" you and I have been giving the troops -- they feel this love and support so much, a record number of them are killing themselves every single week. In fact, there are now more soldiers killing themselves than soldiers being killed in combat (323 suicides in 2012 through November vs. about 210 combat deaths). Yes, you are more likely to die by your own hand in the United States military than by al Qaeda or the Taliban. And an estimated eighteen veterans kill themselves each day, or one in five of all U.S. suicides -- though no one really knows because we don't bother to keep track. Now, that's what I call support! These troops are really feeling the love, people! Lemme hear you say it again: "I support the troops!" Louder! "I SUPPORT THE TROOPS!!" There, that's better. I'm sure they heard us. Don't forget to fly our flag, wear your flag lapel pin, and never, ever let a service member pass you by without saying, "Thank you for your service!" I'm sure that's all they need to keep from putting a bullet in their heads. Do your best to keep your "support" up for the troops because, God knows, I certainly can't any longer.
I don't "support the troops" or any of those other hollow and hypocritical platitudes uttered by Republicans and frightened Democrats. Here's what I do support: I support them coming home. I support them being treated well. I support peace, and I beg any young person reading this who's thinking of joining the armed forces to please reconsider. Our war department has done little to show you they won't recklessly put your young life in harm's way for a cause that has nothing to do with what you signed up for. They will not help you once they've used you and spit you back into society. If you're a woman, they will not protect you from rapists in their ranks. And because you have a conscience and you know right from wrong, you do not want yourself being used to kill civilians in other countries who never did anything to hurt us. We are currently involved in at least a half-dozen military actions around the world. Don't become the next statistic so that General Electric can post another record profit -- while paying no taxes -- taxes that otherwise would be paying for the artificial leg that they've kept you waiting for months to receive.
I support you, and will try to do more to be there for you. And the best way you can support me -- and the ideals our country says it believes in -- is to get out of the military as soon as you can and never look back.
And please, next time some "supporter of the troops" says to you with that concerned look on their face, "I thank you for your service," you have my permission to punch their lights out (figuratively speaking, of course).
(There is something I've done to support the troops -- other than help lead the effort to stop these senseless wars. At the movie theater I run in Michigan, I became the first person in town to institute an affirmative action plan for hiring returning Iraq/Afghanistan vets. I am working to get more businesses in town to join with me in this effort to find jobs for these returning soldiers. I also let all service members in to the movies for free, everyday.)
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@MichaelMoore.com
@MMFlint
MichaelMoore.com
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