Monday, April 19, 2021

New Poem by Marvin X: American ghosts

 


Marvin X at Laney College, Oakland CA

photo Alicia Mayo


American Ghosts



Sometime long ago

back into the winds of time

after hollow declarations of freedom

liberty or death

yet soon come slavery

negating holy documents

signed by slavers

who visited women, men, children cotton pickers by night

seeking love from Africans exhausted from can't see to can't see

No matter slave love 

they were sold New Year's Day

Tina said what love go ta do wit it?

Did slaves enjoy massa's love

white kind loving hands

tender rapist touch

African men women children

even slaver's he raped then sold

they were nothing to him his precious seed

nothing

commodity for the auction block

and these are humans you say

they are ghosts to me

long gone yet alive today

blood soaked into white minds

suffering denial

addiction of the first kind

Didn't Baldwin say

To solve a problem

first is recognition of the problem

ghosts don't recognize

spirits travel absent hearts souls

even devoid of minds

there is no there there

Amiri Baraka said it best,

"Where the soul's print should be

...only a cellulose pouch of disgusting habits!"

We pray kneecaps off to no avail

We may wail wail

the ghosts say only

would you like to go to jail

Maybe, if I can make bail!

Ghosts say, "I can shoot you in the head.

Or release you. 

Depends on your voice

Don't you know the tone test?"

Dear brothers and sisters, know the tone test:

1. kill you

2. jail you

3. release you

Depends on your tone of voice.

Please listen to me so I can save your life.

Didn't Jesus give up his coat and cloak to live another day?

Ghosts love death don't you know?

Again, Amiri Baraka said,

"The king sold the farmer to the ghost!"

Baraka said, "In the middle of the Atlantic ocean

is a railroad of human bones...."

Oh, Baraka, you told us, "Don't let them take your UM BOOM BA BOOM!"

You said, "If they take our um boom ba boom 

we in deep trouble. 

Probably take us a few centuries to get out!"

Don't listen to the ghosts

they sold the farmer

rice growers

iron workers

warriors

priests

holy mothers

children of divine

African ghosts of the kingly kind

Europeans ghosts of the Good Ship Jesus

Can you believe John Hawkins had an Amazing Grace

on the Good Ship Jesus

Can you believe

God saved a wretched wretch like him

John of Amazing Grace

Ghost ship captain

you enjoyed his journey through the door on no return

just remember you ghost lovers

AB said, "The king sold the farmer to the ghost!"

Alas, the black ghosts live as the white ghosts

they are one

what did Nkrumah say, "Neo-colonialism is colonialism playing possum!"

You give us a flag, national anthem but our banks belong to you. IMF is you.

WHO is you! You send the virus and vaccine Covid19. 

This is how ghosts dream. Their dreams do not lose do not end

and never do you win with ghost captains of the Good Ship Jesus

you suffer

you bleed

can't breathe

can't breathe

ghosts foot on neck after you dead no pulse dead

foot on neck ghost

hand in pocket ghost

no heart no soul ghost

and you swear they human!

--Marvin X

4/19/21






 


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