by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
With the Obama era drawing to a close, it's time reflect upon what difference it all made. The poet's wise country cousin weighs in on the legacy of the First Black resident of the White House.
My Wise Country Cousin on Commander’s Legacy
by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
Legussy?! Legussy?! Legussy?! Son, now you needa quit
Stop wit dis ol’ nappy-headed foolishness, dis legussy shit:
Wen Negroz wus runnin’ ‘roun’ wit his face on dey chests
I axe, “Lawd, why is Dem fools all sportin’ suicide vests?”
Negroz goin’ ga-ga, droolin’ all ober him lak damn fools
While he hab dat Dunkin boy privatizin’, closin’ schools
De Commanduh busy killin’ po’ peoples wit his drones—
onlest thing smart ‘bout sum damn Negroz is dey phones!
Legussy? Erack, Afgan surges, an’ Toozday drone kills
Also, deportin’ mo’ Mexicuns den Big Farma gots pills!
I peeped his maskaradin’, de way dat he han’l Skippy-Gate—
Beer stunt show me he a cog in de repressif mashene ob state
Prancin’ ‘roun’ de wurl wit threats as Commanduh ‘n Cheef
Unleashin’ Afri-Com bringin’ Mama Africa mo’ war an’ greef
H’m, son, yo queshun to me is jes’ a lil’ mo’ den a bit strange—
In Asia, Africa, Latun Amerka he know’d fo’ regeem change!!
An’ wit dat ol’ Holda boy sen’n de mos’ whissul-blowas to jail
But not nare one ob de sub-primers an’ banksters “too big to fail”
Legussy? Crushin’ all dem promisin’ young acktavis, Occupy kids
His massif spyin’—speshully on all de Mooselms an’ dey maskjids
Negroz runnin’ ‘roun’ praisin’ de so-called Afforduhbull Care Ack
Which, ‘tween me an’ you, is Insurenz an’ Farmasuitcul Kick Bak
While, lawd, he luv lecturin’ Negroz how “a risin’ tide lif’ all boats”
Why, dats lak sayin’ “Sir” stops Mississippians frum cuttin’ throats
De truf is, he nebbur planned to hab no Negroz an’ no po’folk baks
‘Cept fo’ croonin’ an’ otha weak-ass gestas in de afermaf ob attaks
Remebur how Mackavellan he play Flint, Fergusin’, an’ Baltimo’?
IF he cum, it’s wit “hearts an’ prayurs”, song an’ posin’ fo’ a foto
Caint you see dat de Commanduh ain’t got no legussy to stan on?
An’you wanna know de hones ta gawd truf: caint wait ‘til he gone!
His legussy? Bamboozlin’ po’ Negroz wit a Blak Face in a Hi Place
Sum speeches an’ croonin’ “Less Stay Togetha” an “Amazin’ Grace”
What he do fo’ Negroz ‘cept sing a few songs an’ sip a few beers?
He put Dem into a deep, deep…catnip sleep fo’ almos’ ten years…
Lawd, I’ll be glad wen Negroz grab Dem sefs sum Adult Politiks
Teachin’ dem sefs how to see rite thru rich folks tokenistic tricks
Maybe Negroz will wake Dem sefs up an’ really start to organize
While washin’ all ob dat gooey “hope an’ change “ frum dey eyes
Enuf wit all dis tomfoolery, dis mumbo-jumbo—leggussy my ass—
Negroz wake up: start seein’ dis ol’ wurl thru spektaculs ob class!
Raymond Nat Turner © 2016 All Rights Reserved
Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performance artist, and our poet in residence at Black Agenda Report. Find more of his work at http://www.upsurgejazz.com.
Anne Venhuizen is an attorney in The Bronx Defenders' Impact Litigation Practice.
Christopher Bruce is Policy Director of the Georgia ACLU.
On September 11 remember how legal rights were destroyed under the Patriot Act and how plots for worldwide endless war were hatched.
The September 11, 1973 overthrow of Chile’s Salvadore Allende offers lessons to Haiti, and the radical world.
Black Agenda Report Editor and Columnist Ajamu Baraka has thoughts on September 11, Haiti, white supremacy in Biden’s Ukraine policy, the criminalization of dissent, and other issues.
