Marvin X reading at the University of Chicago, 2015
photo Burrell Sunrise
smarter than God people
God did not create Smart people
Smart people created God
gave birth to the God idea
There was no God before smart people
They are the mothers and fathers of God
Smart people made God in their image power glory
They define God
He does not define Smart people
Smart people marry trees dogs horses cows
do anything their hearts desire
murder lie steal rape plunder lands
destroy souls of men women children
The lands of smart people
havens of every filthy unclean bird
God cannot save smart people
nor will smart people save God.
--Marvin X
12/19/18
I have mixed emotions about this piece. I love the craftsmanship, but I don't like seeing the word "smart" being equated with ignorance. I know the author is trying to make the point that the people he's describe only THINK their smart, but nevertheless, it is essential that we ALWAYS relate the word "smart" and the concept of "intellect" with the positive, otherwise many anti-intellectuals will use it as an excuse for being anti-intellectual, and that's already a problem in the Black community. Far too many of us equate the words "smart" and "intellectual" with Whiteness, and seem to think that Black people have a moral obligation to be ignorant. Far too many of us see ignorance as cool and it is essential to fight that tendency in the Black community. There's a reason for that we've developed that attitude, but it would require an entire essay to explain it. So personally, I like to read poetry that either speak to profound truths, or inspire us to seek higher ground.
ReplyDeletesmart and intellect do not equate to positive --
ReplyDeleteit's what you do with intellect that matters.
The authors "smart" people are not made larger by their intellect- they make the world smaller.
By Smart people defining God, that puts their smartness in the pejorative, and thus makes not only the world smaller, but makes them smaller.
ReplyDeleteas we say in candid wilderness ebonix…
ReplyDeleteI love that sh*t!