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


  • Grim predictions about the U.S. military occupation of Africa are realized.
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    RETURN TO THE SOURCE: The US Military Swarms Over Africa
    08 Sep 2021
    Grim predictions about the U.S. military occupation of Africa are realized.
  • Photo by Nicholas Gregory
    Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, BAR editor and columnist
    Judge Blocks Sale of Historic African Cemetery: Poor People’s Rev. Barber Calls for End to Desecration at Moses Cemetery
    08 Sep 2021
    Activists secure a legal victory in the fight to save the Moses African Cemetery in Bethesda, Maryland.
  • Rethinking the CRT Debate, Part 3
    Patrick D. Anderson
    The Theory of Intersectionality Emerges out of Racist, Colonialist Ideology, Not Radical Politics—Rethinking the CRT Debate Part 3
    08 Sep 2021
    Recent debates about Critical Race Theory (CRT) have been abysmally uninformed at best and utterly inaccurate at worst.
  • Photo: Kevin W. Thorbourne
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    Bird, strings, Big Chief: 100: Harlem (For Charlie Parker/Donald Harrison/Harlem Symphony Orchestra)
    08 Sep 2021
    Bird, strings, Big Chief: 100: Harlem (For Charlie Parker/Donald Harrison/Harlem Symphony Orchestra)   Gathering witnesses bearing beautiful collisions—
  • BAR Book Forum: Erica R. Edwards’ “The Other Side of Terror”
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    ​​​​​​​ BAR Book Forum: Erica R. Edwards’ “The Other Side of Terror”
    08 Sep 2021
    In this series, we ask acclaimed authors to answer five questions about their book. This week’s featured author is Erica R. Edwards.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us