Poems from the Book of Marvin

MARVIN X, DAVID MURRAY, EARLE DAVIS, VAL SERRANT, MECHELLE LACHAUX WITH THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT POETS CHOIR AND ARKESTRA, MALCOLM X JAZZ/ART FESTIVAL, OAKLAND, MAY 17, 2014. BAM 27 CITY TOUR. COMING SOON TO SAN FRANCISCO, SACRAMENTO, FRESNO, LOS ANGELES, SAN DIEGO, AND BEYOND

FOR BOOKING CALL 510-200-4164; EMAIL JMARVINX@YAHOO.COM

PHOTO GENE HAZZARD

 SUN RA

 

Marvin X and Sun Ra, Master Musician and Philosopher of the Black Arts Movement. Sun Ra arranged the music for Marvin's drama Flowers for the Trashman, retitled Take Care of Business. Marvin produced a five hour concert without intermission with Sun Ra's Arkestra, along with a  cast of fifty people, including the cast of TCB and  the dancers of choreographers Raymond Sawyer and Ellendar Barnes at the the Hardiing Theatre on Divisadero, San Francisco, 1972. Also,  Marvin X and Sun Ra taught in Black Studies at the University of California, Berkeley until the entire faculty was purged for being too radical for white supremacy academia. 

JOHN COLTRANE, ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS AND LYNCHING TREE

I AM JOHN COLTRANE

I am John Coltrane

not with horn

but pen

beyond words to silence

not sound

words sacred

profane obscene

no proper politically correct

beyond bourgeoisie culture police

revolutionary puritans

who say

don't say nigguh but kill nigguhs at every turn

turn holy in prison doing push ups after killing all nigguhs in the hood

don't say motherfucker

but fuck their mothers, daughters, sons and anything else under the sun

but don't say motherfucker

don't say bitch

while they are the real bitch in disguise of mother Theresa

Fuck the King's English

the king and his mama

I am Freedom in discipline

all words in context

No political correctness

Sun Ra taught somebody else's idea of somebody else's world

not my idea

Sonny said I am not holy man

ain't crucifying me

that's for Jesus, Osiris, Malcolm, Martin, Medgar

My words shall crucify you

hang you on the cross and lynching tree of truth

people want low down dirty truth

Sonny taught me

no holy ghost truth

miller lite truth

watered down diluted polluted

pasteurized homogenized truth

Don't think nice of me

no politician here

vote for me I'll set you free here truth

hate me

more people love me

common people with common sense

no academic negores holy ghost negroes

common people with common sense

don't read book by cover common sense people

seeking truth and relief from suffering

light for children slipping in darkness

somebody help me

I am shaman truth

between darkness and light

before dawn truth

working my twist while wicked sleep

your world is not my world

and my world is not your world

to you your way and to me mine

lakum dinu kum waliya din.

Catch me in my hour of madness

did you invite me to your gladness

don't want your sadness

Sonny taught me this

holy rats

bourgeoisie swine

nigguh please!

get up outta here wit dat!

Square nigguhs will get ya killed

hustler podna's taught me that

I walk alone

Men of fear

cannot walk this road

I walk alone

men who snitch

who snibble

who take evidence to pharaoh

cannot walk this road

I walk alone

john coltrane

john coltrane

a love supreme

a love supreme

space is the place

space is the place.

Muhammad said live like you here for eternity

and live like death is tomorrow at dawn

why are you breathing

exercising

what reason what purpose

what program

Huey Newton asked me in our first meeting

what is your program, Jackmon?

I am John Coltrane

writing is fighting

writing is fighting

A love supreme

A love supreme

You can't touch this

beyond the beyond

beyond words

religion

politics money sex

vote for me

I'll set you free truth

see the stars. moon. sun.

I am blue man

blue trane.

Trane moving on

catch me if you can

my intensity consumes you

get out da kitchen

I am terror in the night

the dream the prayer of ancestors

for every hurtful thing

I speak and sing songs of the lion king

nothing holy nothing nice

catch me if you can

see my mask

the mask you fear

in your bones and blood

I am the wind

a pleasure to my people

I am the sun

A pleasure to my people

common sense people

beyond edumakion from the devil people

simple minded shit

where was he ten trillion years ago

Space is the place

Space is the place.

A love supreme

A love supreme.

--Marvin X

3/17/10

Christian Terrorists

Ever heard of WWI, WWII, WWIII, yeah, the eternal war on terrorism good for business as usual
Ask Africans was the Good Ship Jesus a nice ride to Mississippi,
Jamaica, Brazil, Cuba
How did Mali music turn into Blues in the Mississippi Delta
Ever heard of the Cross & Lynching Tree
Billi called it Strange Fruit nothin' to eat
Native Americans just love the teachings of Jesus
the small pox syphilis alcoholism wife beating
oh how we love Jesus in the concentration camps
called reservations
Now wasn't Hitler a Christian pure Christian 100%
Wasn't the KKK Christian burning crosses in the name of Jesus
the Blue eyed blond hanging on the cross looking like a hippie
How did blue eyed blonds get to Palestine, Jerusalem
was it on the Ra boat did they come from the river Hapi
Christians sliced Africa at the Berlin Conference
just split the pie Germany took a piece, France, England
Holland, Spain, took Arabia too, Egypt, Iran
did they practice human rights
administer justice kind to women
europeans cry bout Muuuuuuuuuuslims in their midst
how long did they stay in Muuuuuuuuuuuuuslim lands
did they treat Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuslims with tender loving kindness
did they not hang them, beat them, cut off arms legs lips hands
these Christian saviors of the savages saved them from nakedness
saved them from no heart attacks no high blood pressure no AIDS no Ebola
Do they not have 800 Christian army bases around the world today
occupying lands for the rights of corporations who are people too we heard the court say
corporations are people who murder in the name of Jesus rob in the name of Jesus exploit
plunder pollute like Shell in Nigeria India Peru
steal the forests for IKEDA furniture you want
Gold  and diamond mines so Negroes can have bling bling
extract African minerals so Negroes can talk on cell phones
Where you at, where you at, where you at
Is you outside Jesus you ain't back yet
been two thousand years
where you at, where you at, where you at.
Is you ISIS they look like Jesus
Is you Taliban they look like Jesus
Is you Hamas, Hezbollah, they look more like Jesus than Jesus we know
Is Al Quida Jesus
Who is Al Quida anyway
Ain't Al Quida America
Ain't Al Quida who America helped in Afghanistan then left them naked after the Russians ran home
Ain't the Bin Laden family and the Bush family lovers and friends
Bin Laden family flew out of American when nobody else could fly, remember 9/11
Baldwin said these people ain't Christians
your condition proves it
yes, Baldwin said
your condition proves it.
Where you at Jesus with your pretty blond hair pretty blue eyes
drone in the sky
poison water air food poison men women and children
Where you at, where you at, where you at
Oh, you love Native Americans so much
Your good Christian police love Negroes so much, ok they love Africans so
Ask Diallo how much they love Africans or did they think he was a Negro
we all look alike don't we
What's the difference between a Negro and African they both Black ain't they
You made them Christian didn't you
you gave them both the Cross and Lynching Tree
Messed up their minds for the next four hundred years
Dumping bleaching cream by the tons on Africa
Bleaching still in America, look at Sammy Sousa
Remember poor Michael
My grandson said he wanna be white like Michael Jackson
So why you good loving Christians crying bout Muuuuuuuuuuslims in your midst
didn't you make them devils like you
didn't they go to your good Christian colonial schools
didn't they study the Bible while you stole the land
little bait and switch here uh
Oh, now you morn in Europe
Muuuuuuuuuuuslim terrorists Muuuuuuuuuslim terrorists
all Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuslims are terrorists
All Christians are what good guys in white hats
Onward Christian soldiers kill the infidels heathens
drive them from Europe and America like Spain did in 1492
Put them on the Good Ship Muuuuuuuhammad
America is a Christian land Europe is good Christian land
let the world be a good Christian land let Jesus return in a space ship
to save us all, save us all.
where you at, where you at, where you at
--Marvin X
1/15/15 

The Negro Knows Everything

The Negro knows everything, don't tell him nothing
Cause he knows everything
History of the atom
Construction of the pyramids
Exact location of Bin Laden
How to grow marijuana with air
Everything
Expert
Scientist
Einstein's teacher
The Negro
He knew the world was round trillions of years before the white man
He was with God in the beginning
He knows how to be a loyal slave like no other
His drugs are holistic
He doesn't need treatment, but more drugs
What would a Negro be without drugs, his morning wake up
Start the day right
Ask him which way is east or west
He'll have a nervous breakdown
Wanna fight
Insulting his intelligence
But he knows everything
Does he have an exit plan
Just in case America falls and FEMA is closed?
Does he have water, food, guns?
Of course he does
Think the Negro is stupid
He knows everything
Don't tell him nothing
Leave him alone
He's dangerous to your healthâ?¦..
say peace when you see him.
On her dying bed, my Moma said,
"Marvin, leave them nigguhs aloneâ?¦.."
but I love dem nigguhs, Mama
LEAVE DEM NIGGUHS ALONE
Mama, I love dem sick crazy
hog eatin liquor drinkin
jesus lovin white man creation
nigguhs
MARVIN, LEAVE DEM NIGGUHS ALONE
Mama, I can't stay way from dem nigguhs
dem all nite party get down funky
ugly lookin wig wearin weave headed dreg locked dead locked nigguhs
Dem black african bilalian afro pan centric endemic nigguhs
anti freedom fightin job loving hate doing for self scared fearful
fearless when fightin for the white man
killling each other beatin they wife ass but never touch the white man
cowardly nigguhs
MARVIN, LEAVE DEM NIGGUHS ALONE....
Mama
MARVIN....
Mama but I
MARVIN
Please, Mama can I
MARVIN
I love
MARVIN
Mama dem nigguhs
MARVIN......
And Mama died........
and I love dem nigguhs................
and Mama died and I love dem nigguhs
and Mama died and I love dem nigguhs
and Mama died
and I love dem nigguhs.

10/5/01

Little African Woman

Little African woman

full of wisdom speak

strength of your silence

calls me like the Sirens

silence calms by soul

whisper your love energy

send it my way if you can

I will flow wit da flow

listening to you

screaming silence in my ears

calm down

the deal is done

no rats can bite this cheese

ancestors have this day in the sun

I listen to you

your soft words are the sea

the tide is in and we are happy.

--Marvin X

2/2/15

I AM AMERICAN

I am American

no citizen of the United States

gave that up years ago

in Toronto

protesting US in Vietnam

exiled in Canada

underground to Chicago, Harlem

crucified at Fresno State University

same time Angela Davis was on the cross at UCLA, 1969

I am American

exiled a second time in Mexico City

with all the exiled Americans from the Americas

from Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Columbia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Brazil

they call me Pele Pele Pele on the streets of Mexico City

want to touch my hair for good luck

I am American

in Mexico City founded by Africans

now exiled by president for life regimes

we are young men of resistance

and women too, my wife is with me

young men

put aboard planes that landed in Chapultepec Park

cerca de Paseo de Reforma

my wife and I live near the Metro by the park

we see the lovers in the park on Sundays

and we are in love

she is pregnant with our daughter Nefertiti

I am American

I cannot speak with my brothers in exile

Jorge from Choco, Columbia

Enrique from Venezuela

I speak Spanish pochito

muy pochito

no Portuguese

I can only say Poder Negro to my revolutionary amigos.

They comprende

I give them the black power salute

I am American

I flee Mexico City for Belize

I pass through Yucatan, Vera Cruz, Merida, Chetumal

the land of Yanga el Africano Mexicano

Yanga was so bad the Spanish gave him a town

San Lorenzo de los Negroes

down in Vera Cruz

I flee against the advice of my Elizabeth Catlett Mora

my elder revolutionary artist

she begged me not to go

those negroes are in raw colonialism

not neo-colonialism she said

I am American

young and hard headed

easy to lead in the wrong direction

hard to lead in the right direction

I am American

I want to hear English

tired of Spanish

basta ya!

I want to see los Negroes

in Belize

esclavos pero Negroes

yo esclavos tambien

I am American

This is my land the Americas

all of it

I was here before Columbus

Before Maya Aztec Incas Olmec

I was here

I came by canoe from Ghana, Mali, Songhay

from the land of Sonni Ali, Askia the Great

the bling bling of Mansa Musa

a thousand camels with gold on his haj to Mecca

I am American

in Belize los Negroes speak English

pero muy rapido pero English

Espanol tambien

I am American

Norte Americano Africano

Simon Bolivar Americano

Simon Simon Simon

I am American

North Central South American

Caribbean American

I am American

from Toronto, Montreal

to Georgetown, Caracas

Slums of Mexico City are mine

shacks of Belize are mine

madness of Kingston are mine

cocaine of Port of Spain are mine

yes, Trinidad

land of C. Eric Williams

victim of Capitalism and Slavery

Guyana is mine

I interviewed PM Burnham at his residence

Africans with AK47s at his gate

the genocide of Jonestown

assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney

how can we forgive the reactionaries

who never turn into Buddha heads

who never put down their butcher knives

I am American

in Belize I join the revolution of Evan X and Shabazz

on trial for sedition

the government is games old people play

this is sedition

I covered the trial for Muhammad Speaks

this was my sin

a 1970 Wikileaks

exposing the emperor has no clothes

the people have no clothes

no water no electricity no toilet

no nothing

brothers want to know why I left American with no gold

they want to go to American to get the gold

why did I leave without the gold

good question

I am American

the people are rich in Belize

joy and peace, sun and land

gardens of paradise

islands in the sun

I love on Gales Point

a little shack with no water no electricity no bathroom

but I am happy

my wife is pregnant and happy

except for the sand flies

mosquitoes who love her blood

we bathe in the river

the out house is on the other side of the island

the catfish collect the waste

people do not swim on that side of the island

I am American

the people beg me to teach black power

I do not check in with the village headman

a drunk man sings outside my house

day comin ta git ya in da mornin

been down here teachin dat black power

day comin to get ya in da mornin, boy

my wife and I laugh

wish dat drunk nigguh git way from our door

but they come to get me in the morning

I am American

When I get on the boat into the city

five hour ride through the jungle

police on boat

I am under arrest

but don't know it

police undercover

don't say nothing to me

when we get to the city

he don't say nothing

police come to my friends house

call me out

I grab rifle

but put it down

surrender

a mulatto greets me outside

I am under arrest

take me to Ministry of Home Affairs

Minister reads my deportation order

Your presence is not beneficial to the welfare of the British Colony of Honduras

therefore you shall be deported to the United States on the next plane to Miami

leaving at 4pm.

Until then you are under arrest.

Mulatto takes me to police station

I am told to sit down. No cell, no handcuffs.

Soon the police gather around me

I am in the middle of a circle of police

I do not know what's up.

Soon they say, broder man, teach us about black power!

I am American

victim of the slave system

police victims too

teach us broder man.

I say

Marcus Garvey came here in 1923

told you to get the Queen of English off yo walls.

It's 1970 and you still got that white bitch on yo walls.

Get that bitch off yo walls!

police crack up

they say you all ite broder man

They point out uncle tom police

they say he black man wit white heart

black man wit white heart!

I am American

Plane came for me on time. Mulatto pushed me onto the plane. I refused to leave without my wife. The plane door slammed. Fly south to Tegucigalpa, Spanish Honduras.

I ask for asylum . Espera un momento, Negro!

I am marched back onto the plane.

We land in Miami. Two gentlemen greet me at the airport. Escort me to my hotel suite at Dade County Jail. I am put into a pit with dead, deaf dumb and blind negroes.

I call them brother.

They say we ain't yo brother, nigguh. I am silent.

After a few days the gentlemen come to transfer me to Miami City jail, the Federal facility.

White Cuban drug dealers greet me. What do you want, my brother, they say.

You need money, food? We send out for food to the restaurant, what do you want.

I am American

I want hamburger, fries and milkshake!

No problema, hermano!

They give me money to call my wife.

She is home in America.

I am American

Cubans say again, whatever you need just let us know.

I am American

like Simon Bolivar

like Che

like Fidel

Toussaint

like Nat Turner

Grabriel Prosser

Harriet Tubman

Malcolm

Like Garvey

Stokely

CLR James

Padmore

Chavez

Morales

I am American.

--Marvin X

1/29/11