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

Bad Hombres
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
25 Jul 2018
🖨️ Print Article
Bad Hombres
Central American has the highest murder rate on the planet, thanks to 2 centuries of US intervention.

Miguel was a precocious
six-year-old. And Maria,
his mother, swore the
Sun’s shine started in
his green eyes. ‘Ojos Verde,’
she lovingly called him.

Blessed with perfect pitch,
Miguel’s music aptitude
was off the charts! He could pick
Melodies out on the tiny, beat up
guitar, his Grandpa rescued from
Rich folks’ trash and put in Miguel’s
small hands the moment he walked.
And the sky was the limit—before
Bad Hombres with
Badges kidnapped him…

Floods of florescent light, 24/7
and arbitrary darkness behind
blacked out windows…remind
Miguel that his world is flipped
Upside down like a car skidding out of
Control somewhere in Oregon or New York.
He misses his Mommy; He rocks and chants
staccato licks, “Ma-ma, ma-ma, ma-ma…”

The sharp needle pierces his tender
Brown flesh. He screams, “Ma-ma, Ma-ma!”
Sunshine drains from emerald eyes into slo-
mo replays like red flags thrown through the
Rest of his life…

After 54 days Miguel’s reunited with his Mommy.
She searches scabies and lice for emerald sunshine,
Finding busted windows where a tortured soul and
Nightmares reside profitably: Childcare provided by
Bad Hombres—
drug dealers
and rapists…

© 2018. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performing artist. Find much more of his work at http://upsurgejazz.com.

Central America

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


Related Stories

John Perry
UN “Experts” Fueling Washington’s Attacks on Nicaragua
01 April 2026
The UN panel’s reports on Nicaragua recycle claims from U.S.-backed opposition groups, serving as a propaganda arm for Washington’s regime chan
Gerald A. Perreira
Turning Its Back on Cuba: Government of Guyana Sells Its Soul
25 February 2026
Cuba has provided Guyana with doctors, scholarships, and healthcare for nearly five decades.

More Stories


  • Is The “Conscience of the Congress” Unconscious?
    Dr.Wilmer J. Leon, III
    Is The “Conscience of the Congress” Unconscious?
    30 Nov 2022
    The Congressional Black Caucus has strayed far from the politics of its original members. Once called the "conscience of the congress," the group is made up of Democratic Party loyalists living off…
  • The Two Types of Death Penalties
    Kalonji Changa
    The Two Types of Death Penalties
    30 Nov 2022
    The governor of Missouri refused to grant clemency to Kevin Johnson and the state Supreme Court denied motions to halt his execution. The US Supreme Court refused to hear his case. Kevin Johnson was…
  • DC Government’s Racial Equity Plan is Elite Capture by The State
    Pan-African Community Action PACA
    DC Government’s Racial Equity Plan is Elite Capture by The State
    30 Nov 2022
    Racial inequity is the result of racist and capitalist policies and can't be defeated by the self-interested Black political class. 
  • Dominican Republic: Exploitation and Forced Labor in the Central Romana Corporation Has a History
    Micely Diaz
    Dominican Republic: Exploitation and Forced Labor in the Central Romana Corporation Has a History
    30 Nov 2022
    There is a long and terrible history of exploitation and abuse of Haitians and Haitian descended people in the Dominican Republic's sugar industry.
  • Venezuelan Government and Opposition Sign ‘Social Agreement’, US Approves Chevron License
    Andreína Chávez Alava
    Venezuelan Government and Opposition Sign ‘Social Agreement’, US Approves Chevron License
    30 Nov 2022
    The US desire to secure Venezuela's oil has resulted in the easing of the diplomatic and commercial "maximum pressure" campaign. The Venezuelan government was resolute in its fight for sovereignty.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us