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

Mengele Medicine… Free
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
12 Jul 2017
🖨️ Print Article

by BAR poet in residence Raynmond Nat Turner

This week our poet examines the links between the blankets settlers distributed among Native Americans and capitalism's reckless disregard of human, environmental and medica ethics.

Mengele Medicine… Free

by BAR poet in residence Raynmond Nat Turner

I.
My mom inspected
hell holes, City of
Angels,
ruled by devils.

Captured Angelinos
complained about
Not getting water.
Red punch, sí— water, no;
As the Founding Fathers,
The Framers—of warriors
and truth-tellers—intended…

Outside the city,
concertina wire veils
Loveless gray walls
keeping a grim gulag
out of sight, out of mind;
Concealing the work camp,
pharmaceutical
playground, infested
with sadistic torturers;
and Mengele medicine men
standing on skeletons—
suffering side-effects
of pulse-less persons,
$500.00 an hour lawyers.

Mengele medicine men,
practicing goober dust,
black cat dander, four-
leaf clover, rabbit’s foot,
aspirin for cancer quackery.
Experimenting with
effects of no water,
sugar water, fracked water,
black water, white bread
on diabetic shock subjects—
Side effects of remote-
controlled Death Panels,
posing as parole boards…

II.
Warriors, Freedom Fighters’
Sacrifices paved our way—
Heroic lamp-lighters
Long for light of day
And they gotta be Free, Free, Free
‘Cause they hold the Key, Key, Key

Resistance isn’t crime
When tellers of truth fight back
From cages of endless time
And peculiar tenure-track
And they gotta be Free, Free, Free
‘Cause they hold the Key, Key, Key

Torture arisoners, Prisoners of War…)

(1st stanza 1st time Rubato; Ballad feel;
1st stanza 2nd time to Groove)

Raymond Nat Turner © 2017 All Rights Reserved

BAR's Ppoet in residence, Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performance artist. We'll have to put up a booking page for him here soon. Meanwhile you can 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


  • The State of Mississippi Fights Jackson's Black Leadership
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    The State of Mississippi Fights Jackson's Black Leadership
    24 Feb 2023
    Nsombi Lambright is Executive Director of One Voice, a statewide non-profit located in Jackson, Mississippi. She joins us to discuss a legislative proposal to create a new court system within the…
  • Ukraine One Year On
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Ukraine One Year On
    24 Feb 2023
    Margaret Kimberley participated in a February 21 webinar sponsored by the United National Anti-War Coalition, Ukraine One Year On. These are excerpts of her remarks.
  • No to War, No to NATO: North American Perspectives on Ukraine, Russia, and NATO
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    No to War, No to NATO: North American Perspectives on Ukraine, Russia, and NATO
    24 Feb 2023
    Margaret Kimberley was a panelist on a February 19 webinar entitled “No to War, No to NATO: North American perspectives on Ukraine, Russia, and NATO” which was hosted by the organization World Beyond…
  • National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa Support Mumia Abu Jamal
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa Support Mumia Abu Jamal
    24 Feb 2023
    U.S. political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal has supporters around the world. Irvin Jim, General Secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, discusses his support of Mumia’s fight for…
  • Ukraine 2023: Black Agenda Report Special Issue
    The Editors
    Ukraine 2023: Black Agenda Report Special Issue
    22 Feb 2023
    This issue of Black Agenda Report focuses on the U.S. role in the Ukraine crisis.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us