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


  • Open Letter to Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), on the need to Support Haitian Sovereignty
    Black Alliance for Peace Haiti/Americas Team
    Open Letter to Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), on the need to Support Haitian Sovereignty
    12 Oct 2022
    An Open Letter to Her Excellency, Dr. Carla Natalie Barnett Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), on the need to Support Haitian Sovereignty
  • Chocolate City: Ground Zero for the White Settler's Reclamation Project
    Jon Jeter
    Chocolate City: Ground Zero for the White Settler's Reclamation Project
    12 Oct 2022
    Washington DC was once known as Chocolate City. After years of gentrification Black residents are now a minority of the population.
  • "Society Has Shut Down On Us:" Prison Strikers Across Alabama Demand Change Despite Severe Retaliation
    Haley Czarnek
    "Society Has Shut Down On Us:" Prison Strikers Across Alabama Demand Change Despite Severe Retaliation
    12 Oct 2022
    The 13th amendment allows slavery for incarcerated people. The state of Alabama pays nothing for prison labor, rarely grants parole, and retaliates against those who protest unsanitary and unsafe…
  • EXPOSED: Before Ukraine Blew Up Kerch Bridge, British Spies Plotted It
    Kit Klarenberg
    EXPOSED: Before Ukraine Blew Up Kerch Bridge, British Spies Plotted It
    12 Oct 2022
    The secret British intelligence plot to blow up Crimea’s Kerch Bridge is revealed in internal documents and correspondence obtained exclusively by The Grayzone.
  • Pentagon Doesn’t Know If It Trained Burkina Faso Coup Leader
    Nick Turse
    Pentagon Doesn’t Know If It Trained Burkina Faso Coup Leader
    12 Oct 2022
    Captain Ibrahim Traore deposed the last man who overthrew the previous government — Lt. Col. Sandaogo Damiba — who did extensive training with the U.S. Africa Command, AFRICOM.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us