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

It Is Better To Give Than To Receive
Bill Quigley
10 Sep 2008
🖨️ Print Article

It
Is Better To Give Than To Receive

by Kemet Mawakana

To hear this original work performed by the Seven Foot Poet, click the flash player below

{mp3}poetry/1007ft_better_2_give{/mp3}

You
gave me your name

     And
I took it.

You
gave me your number

     And
I took it.

You
gave me your friendship

     And
I took it.

You
gave me your trust

     And
I took it.

You
gave me your love

     And
I took it.

You
gave me your self

     And
I took it.

You
gave me the world

     And
I took it.

I
finally am ready to give – and you can’t take it anymore.

By
Kemit Mawakana (aka The Seven-Foot Poet)

Peace
(when appropriate) War (when necessary)

Copyright
1996.

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.

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


More Stories


  • Anthony Rogers-Wright
    Environmentally, There’s Not Enough Daylight Between Democratic Party Policies and Project 2025 to Fuel a Solar Panel
    21 Aug 2024
    Election season has sparked a frenzy of hysteria around Project 2025 and people are leaning on the Democratic party to stand as an oppositional force. However, just as with many other policies, the…
  • Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    “Reflections on Parenting and Revolutionary Struggle”: An Interview with Steven Salaita
    21 Aug 2024
    “Reflections on Parenting and Revolutionary Struggle” is a space for parent-organizers to share their experiences and struggles with parenting. In this piece, Roberto speaks to Steven Salaita.
  • Jon Jeter
    Screams Without Words: How the White Settler Weaponized Sexual Violence Against Men
    21 Aug 2024
    Settler colonial states always include sexual violence as a function of their domination over the colonized population. The genocide in Gaza by Israel and the sadism it inflicts on the Palestinian…
  • Ed Newman
    ALBA Movements: Neither Cohabitation nor Transition! Venezuela has Decided!
    21 Aug 2024
    Colombia and Brazil, once supportive of Venezuela's sovereignty and democratic process, have recently called for new elections and a cohabitation government.
  • Zophia Edwards
    Profits for Unilever, Pressure for the Trinidad and Tobago Worker
    21 Aug 2024
    The global south is bombarded with exploitative corporations that control the economic conditions of the countries in which they operate. Unilever is among them, one of the leading corporations…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us