by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
Our poet in residence reflects upon the unique
and innovative skillsets deployed by those who
allegedly take their own lives in police custody
Mississippi stuntmen
by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
THANKS
to
Nina
Everybody knows about
Mississippi goddamn, Mississippi goddamn!”
But who knew about Mississippi stuntmen?
Hey Hollywood, get hip, headhunt,
Hire stunt men from Mississippi jails,
Recruit from backseats of Arkansas
police cruisers, Boy Scout, Eagle Scout-
like men, prepared to off themselves—
wizards using everyday objects; hanging them-
selves
with
dental
floss
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, men with sick skill-
sets, leaping up in jail cells, NBA hops and hang-
time
men making Michael Jordan, Dr. J, LeBron look like
weekend-warrior/couch potatoes, defying physics,
gravity, logic, performing impossible physical feats!
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, superb actors, too—
acting normal, hiding severe depression, recurring
suicidal thoughts, until the scene shifts behind bars
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, made for mysteries,
thrillers, whodunits, horror flicks; Masters of the
suicide scene, hanging themselves with anything
on the set—gaffers tape, super hero’s cape, head-
phones, chicken bones, eagle feathers, trailer tethers—
Garbage bag geniuses!
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, …”everybody knows about
Mississippi goddamn,” but who knew about Mississippi
stuntmen? David Copperfields in orange jumpsuits making
Handguns appear out of thin air, making dash-cam video dis-
appear!
Hey Hollywood, get hip, headhunt,
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, one take wonders
who’ll bring your blockbuster in under budget!
Independent contractors in right to work states
of mind: No pensions, 401ks, no social security,
no
Insurance.
Mississippi stuntmen travel and teach in Texas,
Arkansas, in fact, all over the U.S…. Up south,
Down
south,
Out
south,
Anywhere south of the Canadian Border!
Mississippi stuntmen come certified by CWS:
Crackkkers With Stars!
Raymond Nat Turner © 2015 All Rights Reserved
An errant balloon from China sent the U.S. into a frenzy of fear and hatred. The president, congress, and corporate media all made sure that a harmless incident was viewed in the worst light…
The late John H. Bracey, Jr. argued that Black Studies should be wedded to African liberation, not to the corporate-bureaucratic structure of the university.
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This week’s featured author is Brian Jones. Jones is Director of The New York Public Library’s Center for Educators and Schools. His book is The Tuskegee Student Uprising: A History.
