by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
Our poet in residence reflects upon the unique
and innovative skillsets deployed by those who
allegedly take their own lives in police custody
Mississippi stuntmen
by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
THANKS
to
Nina
Everybody knows about
Mississippi goddamn, Mississippi goddamn!”
But who knew about Mississippi stuntmen?
Hey Hollywood, get hip, headhunt,
Hire stunt men from Mississippi jails,
Recruit from backseats of Arkansas
police cruisers, Boy Scout, Eagle Scout-
like men, prepared to off themselves—
wizards using everyday objects; hanging them-
selves
with
dental
floss
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, men with sick skill-
sets, leaping up in jail cells, NBA hops and hang-
time
men making Michael Jordan, Dr. J, LeBron look like
weekend-warrior/couch potatoes, defying physics,
gravity, logic, performing impossible physical feats!
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, superb actors, too—
acting normal, hiding severe depression, recurring
suicidal thoughts, until the scene shifts behind bars
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, made for mysteries,
thrillers, whodunits, horror flicks; Masters of the
suicide scene, hanging themselves with anything
on the set—gaffers tape, super hero’s cape, head-
phones, chicken bones, eagle feathers, trailer tethers—
Garbage bag geniuses!
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, …”everybody knows about
Mississippi goddamn,” but who knew about Mississippi
stuntmen? David Copperfields in orange jumpsuits making
Handguns appear out of thin air, making dash-cam video dis-
appear!
Hey Hollywood, get hip, headhunt,
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, one take wonders
who’ll bring your blockbuster in under budget!
Independent contractors in right to work states
of mind: No pensions, 401ks, no social security,
no
Insurance.
Mississippi stuntmen travel and teach in Texas,
Arkansas, in fact, all over the U.S…. Up south,
Down
south,
Out
south,
Anywhere south of the Canadian Border!
Mississippi stuntmen come certified by CWS:
Crackkkers With Stars!
Raymond Nat Turner © 2015 All Rights Reserved
"Department of War: What’s new is so old" is the latest from BAR's Poet-in-Residence.
Turning the Caribbean into a US bombing range requires local collaborators. Neocolonial governments have volunteered to play this role, betraying their people's right to peace and sovereignty.
In this series, we ask acclaimed authors to answer five questions about their book. This week’s featured author is Tracie Canada. Canada is the Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor of…
The Africa Climate Summit is a greenwashing front for a new wave of colonialism. Under the guise of "nature-based solutions," corporations like the Gates Foundation are pushing schemes that will turn…
The SanctionsKill campaign exposes how US economic warfare kills civilians across the Global South. Meanwhile, the Palestinian-led BDS movement represents a legitimate tool of grassroots resistance…
