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 Karefa Rogers-Wright
    Trash Panda Politics Guides the Black Misleadership Class’s Electoral Dumpster Dive
    29 Jul 2026
    The Congressional Black Caucus electoral strategy has turned the 2026 midterm elections into a dumpster dive for corporate interests and Zionist approval.
  • Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright
    U.S. Support of Israel is Absolutely an Issue of Affordability and Economic Populism…So Why Won’t the Democrats Discuss it as Such?
    29 Jul 2026
    The Democratic Party's continued support for Israel's genocide is not just a moral and political liability but also an economic one which impacts its voters, yet the party refuses to frame it as such.
  • Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    hand ‘em another $350 billion to fight Communism?
    29 Jul 2026
    "hand ‘em another $350 billion to fight Communism?" is the latest from BAR's Poet-in-Residence.
  • Mark P. Fancher
    The Foolish, Futile Struggle to be Both African and American Will be Televised
    29 Jul 2026
    Corporate media require American identity politics which contradict African authenticity.
  • Ramzy Baroud
    The Spark in Tell: How a Village Resistance Disrupted Israel’s West Bank Strategy
    29 Jul 2026
    Palestinians have the right to defend themselves under international law and they exercised it in the town of Tell on the West Bank.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us