My Mentors and me

BAR Poet-in-Residence Raymond Nat Turner

13 Nov 2019

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My Mentors and me

Standing out in the cold shivering,
shoveling white bean soup in my mouth,
A mentor appears, two assistants in tow.
Mind butcher shop sharp with a
New York nano second for bullshit,
she’s heard scores of $campaign
slogans and $election promises…

Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal
interview: centenarians and technology;
and she’s still in her writing workshop.
I feel validated because she too uses
spiral notebooks; winding wire coils
lower to higher, mirroring her life…

When we met a year ago, she
taught me how to meditate as I
wake mornings. A Jew 102— A
year later she’s here for me103!

My other mentor’s African-
American and 97—though barely 95
when he named me “The Town Crier.”
Moment our paths crossed, my
curiosity got the best of me, “Whoa,
who’s this lean, mean elder with
boxing gloves and punching bag?”

I found out later this Brooklynite
grew up with Jazz legends; hoists
black dumbbells twice the weight
I hoist; and puts wannabe
Thugs down for subway naps…
So wonderful—so fabulous—
Him showing up for our gig at The
Commons and giving us two thumbs up!
Gosh, wish I could reciprocate, being the
writer telling his story—even his
work for a Collection Section of
IBM—Italian Business Men…

Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performing artist, and an official of the National Writers Union. Find much more of his work at http://upsurgejazz.com.

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