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

Vietnam
Kemet Mawakana
26 Mar 2008
🖨️ Print Article

7_foot_poet_upright_250wideKemet 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(at)gmail.com.

To read or listen to "Vietnam", please click on the link below. 

 

Vietnam

To listen to the audio of "Vietnam< click the flash player below

Click the flash player below to listen to or the mic to download an mp3 copy of this BA Radio commentary.

At a young and impressionable age

sealed was his fate.

Taught the enemy was an animal

sub-human

now he’s brainwashed

so that he can start boomin’:

 

“Boom boom boom yeah I was gunnin’

And then you look and all you see is . . . .”

 

The enemy’s tiny foothold from within

would not submit or bend;

thus and so the war begins.

 

“Homies all standin around just hangin
Some dope-dealin some gang-bangin
We decide to roll and we deep . . .”

 

The American went on a mission called search and destroy

killing men

raping women and girls

and crippling boys.

Napalm strikes by air support

reinforced thoughts

that the enemy was either a criminal

or should be shot for sport.

 

Because of the undeniable conflict

between his training

and the independent conclusions

reached by his maturing brain

the American turned to narcotics

to put his mind at ease.

 

“Since I was a youth, I smoked weed out . . .”

 

But the war won’t end

it can never end for him

until he looks in the mirror and sees

-- he’s Vietnamese.

 

By Kemit Mawakana (aka The Seven-Foot Poet)

Peace (when appropriate) War (when necessary)

Copyright 2008.

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


More Stories


  • Canadian Looting of Zambian Resources Led to Debt Crisis
    Yves Engler
    Canadian Looting of Zambian Resources Led to Debt Crisis
    21 Jun 2023
    Canadian mining interests looted Zambia of its assets and created that nation's debt crisis.
  • Canadian Imperialism in Haiti
    Travis Ross
    Canadian Imperialism in Haiti
    21 Jun 2023
    Canada joins the U.S. in imperialist interventions all over the world, including in Haiti. Canada, the U.S. and the rest of the Core Group interfere in Haitians' efforts to secure sovereignty…
  • Black Agenda Radio June 16, 2023
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio June 16, 2023
    16 Jun 2023
    Dr. Cornel West announcement that he is seeking the Green Party nomination as a presidential candidate, and a discussion of the political implications of Donald Trump’s indictment which charges…
  • The Politics Behind Trump's Indictment
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    The Politics Behind Trump's Indictment
    16 Jun 2023
    A discussion of the recent indictment of Donald Trump for allegedly mishandling of classified documents.
  • Cornel West Discusses His Presidential Campaign
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Cornel West Discusses His Presidential Campaign
    14 Jun 2023
    Scholar, author, and activist Dr. Cornel West recently announced his 2024 presidential campaign. He discussed his platform and decision to be a candidate for the Green Party nomination. 
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us