HOPES
AND DREAMS
by Kemet Mawakana, a.k.a. the Seven Foot Poet
To hear this original work performed by the Seven Foot Poet, click the flash player below
{mp3}poetry/091_7ft_hopes_n_dreams{/mp3}
Congratulations
on the birth of your new baby!
We
know you have many hopes and dreams for your new child
.
. . and that’s great!
You
want your child to be a doctor or a lawyer
An
entrepreneur mayor president pro-athlete or movie star
Or
maybe an astronaut computer engineer
microbiologist
artist or geneticists
Or
perhaps a researcher and discoverer of a cure for some deadly disease
Or
perhaps an inventor that creates an abundant energy source that’s
clean . . . wonderful!
We
love those hopes and dreams for your child!
In
fact have more of those hopes and dreams!
Hope
that your child makes more money than you
and
gets more education than you
And
then your grandchild makes more money than that
and
gets more education than that
And
so on and so on and so on . . . . hope away!
Remember
don’t let anyone take those dreams away from you
.
. . hold on to them with all your might!
By
the way. . .
We’ve
got a plan for your child.
Yes
we do we’ve got a plan and means to enact our plans for your child.
Who
are we?
Well
if we told you our names you wouldn’t recognize them
Or
maybe you would but instead let’s just use
Euphemisms
titles and legal fictions
Either
way you certainly wouldn’t do anything
Except
maybe write a poem or vote
or
something like that at most.
Yes
you keep dreaming and hoping – we keep planning and executing
We’re
going to let 2.0875% of your babies achieve those hopes and dreams
Just
so that 97.9125% keep those hopes and dreams alive
We’re
planning and executing for the year 2143
And
you’re hoping and dreaming and planning and executing
your
budget for this week
We
know because we manipulated your economic situation
Just
like we manipulate your hopes and dreams
Like
programming on radio and television stations.
Listen,
here is the plan for your baby +/- 3.78%
28.914%
will work in managerial level or below state/federal jobs
43.515%
will be incarcerated either because they were convicted of a crime or
because their job is to work at institutions of incarceration
4.325%
will be medical guinea pigs
28.902578%
will be addicted to illegal drugs
89.082113%
will be addicted to legal drugs
21.975%
will run small business
54.0335678783%
. . . . what oh . . . enough of the numbers for now
We
know they bore you and you can’t deduce their significance
we
know because we are responsible for your
education
socialization and intoxication
all
of which is towards the end of diminishment of you
We
know
And
importantly we know we are not even close to being all powerful
Actually
we -- are rather weak or grip is rather tenuous
We
do know -- that you are all powerful
We
just set you against you and then let you be you
That
socio-cultural-inertia is a mofo
So
you just keep your dreams and hopes
Because
we are depending on your babies
In
more ways than you imagine . . . at least for now . . .
So
Keep
Hope Alive
If
You Can Dream It You Can Achieve It
Hold
On To Your Dreams
Change
is Coming
and
Never
Give Up Hope . . . unless of course we instruct you to do so.
By
Kemit Mawakana (aka The Seven-Foot Poet)
Peace
(when appropriate) War (when necessary)
Copyright
2008.
Kemit
Mawakana (aka “The Seven-Foot Poet”) is a highly acclaimed
spoken-word artist, and has published two books A
. . . Z . . . Infinity
and Crucifixion
of My Soul.
The collective body of his works presented weekly in BAR are in
tribute to Listervelt Middleton, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, and “For
The People”. Currently, he is a facilitator at AYA Educational
Institute (www.ayaed.com)
and can be reached at sevenfootpoet@gmail.com.
We are joined by Pan-African Community Action member Oliver Robinson, who will explain the harm of the DC Secure Omnibus Crime Bill and discuss their upcoming town hall.
Jamaal Bowman is more of a clown than he is a congressman. His lack of seriousness and AIPAC money defeated him in a primary election. The lesson is to fight for and mobilize the people, who will…
A 2005 editorial from Ezili Dantò reminds us that when it comes to Haiti, Black huckster Ron Daniels is cruising on the wrong side of history.
US and EU forces have been unable to defeat Ansar Allah and now the US is floating a story that they’re working with Al Shabaab.
"Is ‘Duel’ the better 4-letter Dream word for ‘Debate?’" is the latest from BAR's Poet-in-Residence.
