Toumani Diabate plays the Kora

The Kora taught me
listen Blues
eyes behind your head
behind heartthird eye listen
Blues beyond listen
Ali Farka played the Blues they sad
Ali said transcend America
go ten thousand years back
griot tell us stories of myth/ritual  and reality
let the Kora speak
let the Griot speak
it is the sweet music of a soul in peace
we sit at the tribal fire
we dance
Kora takes us there
men know they are men
they manhood train
women too
no struggle no fight
manhood ritual works
solid men stand tall
the women say
I hate a weak nigguh
women say
I hate a weak nigguh
young girls say the same
No man can miss the lesson
Manhood training
conquer the self
greatest Jihad
self
man in the mirror
what is your bliss?
Follow your bliss
Campbell said
marriage is the end of all things loving and proper 
job not enough
what is your mission
purpose
beyond 

money 
pussy 
\dope
greed 
lust 
jealousy 
envy
why do you desire my girl, woman, wife
get your own
I don't want your wife
I suspect she is not my kind anyway
too square
keep yo wife
I pray she keeps you
and yet as she says
you are not an entry level nigguh
you are a functional nigguh
you think I'm going to leave you
for some entry level nigguh
no way
nigguh
I wit ya to the end
wish ya would recover really
but
you are you
do yo thing
don't let me love you
don't let me hold you in honor and trust
I pray faya.
Go deep down into the purple funk
go there and be healed
face the pain
face rejection
father and motherly love
sisterly and broterly love


take the wood for the fire place
burn wood burn
burn my garbage burden on my back
destroyed my kingdom
took me from the Upper Room
to the dungeon
after all my labor under the sun
demons confounded me
demons were music in my ears
illusions convinced me
lies were truth
I am Othello
the devil whispers in my ear
I listen and I am destroyed.
--Marvin X
1/3/14