Manchild in the land of cotton

Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence

16 Aug 2023

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Man-child in the land of cotton

(For Dameion Pickett and Aaren Rudolph)

“We dare maintain our rights.”

—Alabama State Motto

I.

For 40 minutes + riverboat Captain honked horn and

Pleaded over public address for pontoon boat to pull out

So big boat’s 227 passengers could disembark—after letting

Good times roll on the river…

Who knew if babysitters were blowing phones up?

If flight plans were flying south? If pregnant people were

launching into labor? If an emergency vehicle was waiting to

Rush someone into surgery?

All that was Trumped by 90 proof of plantation privilege.

Captain’s pleas answered with aerosol white supremacy.

With Johnny Walker Red-Old Grandad-Jim Beam-backed

Violence!

II.

‘White’ men “appear” to do this; Or that… Oh, not your lying eyes

Again? "Racially motivated?” “Hate crime?” No way! “Getting my

Gun!” was said in jest—just a “Riverboat Brawl;” “Montgomery Melee—”

Like the Civil War—“Very fine people on both sides…”

No. You didn’t see a ‘white’ mob N-wording; running amok in pre-

Lynch mode. Didn’t see feeding-frenzied thugs tearing into another

Black body like Great White sharks— or badges under color of

Law…

III.

Black Man-child dove deep into Alabama River

Dove deep into rivers of black resistance—Dove

Deep in the heart of Dixie…

Black Man-child dove deep—Swam against the

Tide to a dock where combative confederates spoke in

jabs, hooks, uppercuts—Repeating: Black workers

Have no authority ‘white’ men are “bound to respect…”

Black Man-child dove deep— Swam against the

Tide to a dock where racist ruffians were rat-packing

a Black worker for “doing His job…” Aligning exit

gate with exit ramp—so 227 could safely disembark

Black Man-child dove deep— Swam dolphin-like—

porpoise purpose— like Ancestors escaping slavery

Swam in solidarity against the

Tide to the dock: Stopping another F Train

Lynching; Another 9min. Minnesota murder; Another Staten

Island strangulation—Stopping white supremacist violence!

Black Man-child dove deep—Stood

Vertically— straight up steel spine!

Hi-walked worker solidarity (unlike school shooters and

Officer Prodigy—racist, rifle-strapped young gunman—

making bones— gunning down 2 and walking in Wisconsin)

Black Man-child dove deep into Alabama River

Dove deep into rivers of black resistance—Dove

Deep in the heart of

Dixie…

so that another Black worker wouldn’t rest in hospital—

Or hashtag in morgue…

© 2023. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

Raymond Nat Turner is a NYC poet; BAR's Poet-in-Residence; and founder/co-leader of the jazz-poetry ensemble UpSurge!NYC. You can Vote for his work at: GoFundMe and PayPal.

Alabama

Montgomery

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