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


  • Politicians Make Black People the Face of Crime
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Politicians Make Black People the Face of Crime
    02 Nov 2022
    Manufactured crime panics are still a successful method of getting votes from white people.
  • SPEECH: Thomas Sankara to the United Nations General Assembly, 4th October, 1984
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    SPEECH: Thomas Sankara to the United Nations General Assembly, 4th October, 1984
    02 Nov 2022
    While the spirit of Thomas Sankara may be behind the recent coup in Burkina Faso, his vision remains an inspiration for everyone, everywhere, committed to anti-imperialism and third world autonomy.
  • Glaring Western Hypocrisy on Human Rights in Africa: Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo
    Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    Glaring Western Hypocrisy on Human Rights in Africa: Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo
    02 Nov 2022
    The US and EU are complicit in the continued Rwandan and Ugandan incursions into the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as in their support of their TPLF proxies against Ethiopia.
  • Hair in the game…
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    Hair in the game…
    02 Nov 2022
                                                           …
  • Insurgency and Counterinsurgency: An Interview with Dylan Rodriguez
    Dylan Rodríguez , Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    Insurgency and Counterinsurgency: An Interview with Dylan Rodriguez
    02 Nov 2022
    Roberto Sirvent and Dylan Rodriguez discuss the challenges of sustaining radical liberation movements.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us