Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

Buzzed In By Lewis
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
01 Feb 2018
🖨️ Print Article

5 in the morning, ‘The Lewis Sawyer Experience’
early morning Boys Club in Papa Sawyer’s Cave:
My lick for Lewis, “Lewis Sawyer, is my lawyer—”
his classic chuckle-comeback, “Well, you’re in bad shape then!”
Poets and last words, “Well, David McBurney is my attorney…”
But Lewis was a bullhorn, shouting names of our Political Prisoners,
Prisoners Of War, languishing forgotten in gulags across imprisoned
nation. He put 59,000 watts beneath their wings,without fanfare—
While reminding us: we’re just in Minimum Security…

Being buzzed in to the Mother Ship by Lewis
felt safe, welcome—presence appreciated—in
Good hands, a trillion times more reliable than Allstate
Lewis was the first face I’d see at the station—
unerring source for five-star information

Warmth was his uniform; his smile his badge,
reflecting respect back like a mirror from the
Mountaintop: all the authority a badass Angel,
sweet scientist, who could handle ‘situations…’
Required; I emerged from ‘Lewis Sawyer Experiences’
with double shot expresso optimism

A modest, minimalist, Monk life-stylist—
Count Basie of Kindness—
Not a whole lot of notes there
but his voicings sung and swung;
Duke Ellington of Passion:
Things he loved, he loved madly—
speaking of love—Lewis was LOVE
Not a mushy, gushy, sentimental bubblegum LOVE
But, an I believe in you, when no one else believes LOVE
I honor your light, anything I can do to amplify it LOVE
As you stand on stage, I’ll sit in the audience LOVE
Anything you need early in the morning LOVE
Release your worry beads, I got your back LOVE
Harness your hardships, “too big to fail” LOVE

Let’s suppose that place
preachers speak of Sundays
Exists; suppose I make the cut—
I bet Lewis will be there buzzing me in… Lewis Sawyer:
Presente!

poetry

More Stories


  • Mukasa Dada
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Mukasa Dada and the Liberation Movement
    26 Jul 2024
    Mukasa Dada talks to us about his liberation movement work and his recent participation in a delegation traveling to Nicaragua.
  • Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Nicaraguan Democracy Exposes the U.S. Oligarchy
    24 Jul 2024
    The Republic of Nicaragua recently celebrated 45 years of its revolutionary government. The U.S. labels it and other nations that demand self-determination and sovereignty as “undemocratic." However…
  • Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    CHAPTER: The Ford Foundation and Black Power, Robert L. Allen, 1968
    24 Jul 2024
    The late Robert L. Allen broke down the dialectics of Black elite co-option and counter-revolution. Hello, Kamala.
  • ​​​​​​​ Ajamu Baraka, BAR editor and columnist
    War, Genocide and Coups: Biden/Harris and The Irreversible Crisis of Neoliberal Fake Democracy
    24 Jul 2024
    The Imperialist chickens have come home to roost.
  • Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    Chicago Authorities Want a “Conversation” with the Poor People’s Army about the DNC 2024
    24 Jul 2024
    The Poor People’s Army has a permit to march to the steps of the Democratic National Convention in August, but now Chicago authorities want to have a “conversation” with them.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us