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

My Wise Country Cousin on The State Machine’s Machinegun-Totin’ Cops… 
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
20 Aug 2014
🖨️ Print Article

by BAR poet-in-residence Raymond Nat Turner

Dey got Glocks, pumps, tasirs, peppurspray, vess—
White magik fo’ conjurin’ cases ob “resisin’ aress!”

My Wise Country Cousin on The State Machine’s Machinegun-Totin’ Cops… 

by BAR poet-in-residence Raymond Nat Turner

Look lak de Daltuns, Youngas an ol’ James gangs
Is resirrecit, an’ up ridin’ again, doin’ dey thangs—
Bowdin’ de D train wit machinegun-totin’ police
Dey needin’ dat firepower fo’ “keepin’ de peace?”
‘Less Al Kater on de A, Boocoo Harome on de B
Dem damn machineguns make no sense, to me…
‘Less Eyesool on de C, an’ Eyesis down on de D
Dem damn machineguns make no sense, to me…
Dey got Glocks, pumps, tasirs, peppurspray, vess—
White magik fo’ conjurin’ cases ob “resisin’ aress!”

Dey shoutin’ night an’ day‘bout Eyesool and Eyesis
Coverin’ up de fac dey sistum’s tremblin’ wit crisis:
Workin’ folk tired ob takeaways an’ myzerly charity
Caint take much mo’ ob dese heists called awesterity—
Son, I tolt you once, tolt you twice, dis makes thrice
Dis a police state Negroz an’ liberuls call ‘paradice!’

Dey got C-Is, Demografick Units an Mosk Crawlers,
Ebben mens among trash hallers, an’ cable installers…
Now, it lookin’ lak to me dat Bloody Billy Bratton
Is bringin’ dat ol’ SS mess up here in Manhattun…
Sho lookin’ lak what de youngtaz be callin’ po-po
Is jes de Furor’s ol’ gang ob thugs de Gustop-po—
Well, so much fo’ hare-splittin,’ ackademik debate,
It pas’ time fo’ callin’ dis muthafucka a police state!

Raymond Nat Turner can be contacted at Raymond (at) upsurgejazz.com
Raymond Nat Turner © 2105 All Rights Reserved

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • Erica Caines
    All Black Feminisms Ain’t Created Equal
    27 Sep 2023
    Black feminism should be focused on the struggle against colonial structures and not solely on issues of personal empowerment. 
  • Prensa Latina
    Cuban President Praises Malcolm X’s Legacy in New York
    27 Sep 2023
    Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel paid tribute to Malcolm X on the anniversary of his historic meeting with Fidel Castro.
  • Larmbert Ebitu
    Pan-African Masquerade: William Ruto with the Mask Off
    27 Sep 2023
    Kenya's president William Ruto talks a good game about Pan-Africanism but in his short time in office he has become the reliable cover for U.S. imperialism.
  • Abayomi Azikiwe
    G77+China Holds Summit in Cuba Calling for a Different World Order
    27 Sep 2023
    Cuba hosted the recent G77+China Summit in Havana, where calls to change the existing world order were made by Global South nations.
  • Tanupriya Singh
    Haiti and Kenya Establish Diplomatic Ties as UNSC Mulls Deployment of Controversial “Security Support Mission”
    27 Sep 2023
    Kenya has stated it will lead a potential intervention in Haiti backed by the US and the UN. The move is yet another attack on the sovereignty of Haiti in service of imperialist interests and…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us