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

I’m just a patsy; Don’t let me be patsy…
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
29 Mar 2017
🖨️ Print Article

by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner

Some are called for the job, while others are chosen. Some folks practice and study and audition, while others stumble into it blindly. Some are coerced and some more are prepped and primed and meticulously prepared for their few minutes of infamy...

I’m just a patsy; Don’t let me be patsy…

by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner

by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner

Some are called for the job, some others are chosen. Some folks study and auditiion, while others stumble into it blindly. Some are prepped anbd primed and meticulously prepared....

’m just a patsy; Don’t let me be patsy…

by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner

yes,
I
Plunged the
black blade 18”
into his brown back
repeatedly
and saw scarlet geysers spurt
familiarly

yes,
I
Traveled north to NYC
to kill black men

yes,
I
Hung with Hitlerites
in Germany
and learned to
Heil

yes,
I
Hunted rag-heads,
camel jockeys,
sand-niggers
in Afghanistan for
salary—
serving two tours
warring on terror
Perfecting
cold-blooded craft

yes,
I
was
broken
down
like legos
and built up like
an Aryan Supreme
erector set in boot camp,

yes,
I
could’ve
Killed
a bunch of
black men in
Uniform—or in
Baltimore—
had I roots there
but
I’m
just a
Patsy—
guinea pig—
like the Baltimore black boy who
Killed 2 Brooklyn cops
when Black Lives Matter
Marches
scorched streets, 170 cities

I
remember
where
Fort Detrick is
in Maryland,
but
I
have no idea
how
Neurotransmitters work;
how
Psychotropic drugs
Alter moods and
Change consciousness,

I
sought
Help
dealing with demons—
but
Demons
found funding for
dealing with me—
I’m
just a
Patsy,
don’t let me be a patsy:
Making Amerikkka great…,

Raymond Nat Turner © 2017 All Rights Reserved
Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performing artist.
Find much more of his work at Http://upsurgejazz.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


  • Julia Kassem
    ‘Israel’: The Glue That Pieces Together the Maxwell-Epstein Saga
    18 Feb 2026
    Julia Kassem argues the Maxwell–Epstein saga is best understood through the lens of Israeli intelligence networks, tracing a continuity of espionage, blackmail, and media influence from Robert…
  • BAR Radio Logo
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio February 13, 2026
    13 Feb 2026
    In this week’s segment, we discuss conditions in Libya, the forces behind the assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and the struggle to regain sovereignty after the 2011 US/NATO destruction of that…
  • Dockworkers strike
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Chris Smalls on the Dock Worker Actions in Solidarity with Palestine
    13 Feb 2026
    Chris Smalls is the founder of the Amazon Labor Union, the first independent worker-led union in the US and the first to successfully organize an Amazon warehouse. He joins us from London to discuss…
  • Saif al-Islam Gaddafi
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    The Assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Conditions in Libya
    13 Feb 2026
    Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya's assassinated president Muhammad Gaddafi was himself assassinated on February 3, 2026. What does his death tell us about Libya today? We are joined by Essam…
  • Jemima Pierre on MAKC
    Jemima Pierre, BAR Editor and Contributor , Jared Ware
    What's Really Going on in Haiti Right Now? Featuring Jemima Pierre (& Lessons We Fail to Learn)
    11 Feb 2026
    Dr. Jemima Pierre, BAR Editor and Contributor, joins Millennials are Killing Capitalism for a conversation about US-led Imperialism's latest schemes for the people of Haiti. They discuss tactics…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us