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

pump the brakes
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
04 May 2022
🖨️ Print Article
pump the brakes

                                                                                     “He's a real nowhere man

                                                                                          in his nowhere land 

                                                                               Making all his nowhere plans…”

                                                                             —John Lennon / Paul McCartney

 

He slices/dices street heat from fiery

formulations he finds awkward. He froze on

Ferguson and Flint. And Arab Spring wasn’t his

thing. He wasn’t high on Occupy. George Floyd

Summer was a bummer. He cursed Striketober

when he was sober…

“shift:” To hell with Harlemites fighting to re

name a confederate-christened school after one

of their own

“option:” He tells Star-bucked baristas—sick and

tired of being sick and tired—and Amazon workers

Organizing on Staten Island: His wise words are in

dispensable:

“Slow down—lemme catch up—And lead you, fools!”

“caps lock:” Wagging his finger he moves the masses

in Manilla, Managua, Minneapolis, Gaza off

struggles for democracy costing years, ribs, eyeballs,

teeth and

Lives…

American. Wants it all. Now. Like his coffee, like his

croissant. He clicks socialist—communist—revolution!

“control:” He establishes ‘air superiority;’ ‘no fly zones;’ puts ‘boots,

on the ground.’ Screaming missiles; exploding bombs; smells of fear

unwashed for weeks; unburied bodies are canceled by sizzling bacon

and eggs and steaming espresso… In harm’s way—17” screen—he

practices palace anti-imperialism; Colorizing revolutionary mass

movements; Arguing force fully for Nationalist International

strongmen get out of The Hague cards. He knows which smart bombs

work best for backwards bus drivers, janitors, truckers, teachers,

warehouse workers without agency.

“command:” He hasn’t marched since the president began every

sentence with “Well…” fired striking air traffic controllers and

claimed Contras were Freedom Fighters. He felt the Bern—twice.

Hopping mad—chaffing—he chastised those whose pants weren’t

similarly on fire.

“return:” Just saw him again—off command and control—for a

New York minute—swapping blue light for sunlight; and monitor

screen for sunscreen

“esc:” Omniscience in fact… he’d held Sugar Hill high ground…

Supermarket or pharmacy, I see him once every other year;

Still wondering if he can

Organize himself and other two-time losers for lunch without the

same arguments Dylan heard when he hit The City? Organize

Uber rides crosstown without he and comrades splitting fifteen

times along the way—and unity DOA?

Can he dial down meds, locate a coffee shop, deli or diner; sit a

few hours with

Competitors…ORGANIZE—just ONE—unitary, militant Mayday

March of millions in Manhattan—or 12-step off; Admit his power

lessness; and

Pump the brakes on tonight’s post for proletarian revolution? ©

Former forklift driver/warehouse worker/janitor, Raymond Nat Turner is a NYC poet;

BAR's Poet-in-Residence; and founder/co-leader of the jazz-poetry ensemble UpSurge!NYC.

You can Vote for his work at: GoFundMe PayPal: paypal.me/towncrierRNT

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


More Stories


  • BAR Book Forum: Pamela Ayo Yetunde and Cheryl A. Giles’s “Black and Buddhist”
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Pamela Ayo Yetunde and Cheryl A. Giles’s “Black and Buddhist”
    18 Nov 2020
    Activists and community organizers have never known the precariousness of the threats they face today.
  • Sanctions Against Venezuela Will Continue Under Biden
    Vijay Prashad
    Sanctions Against Venezuela Will Continue Under Biden
    18 Nov 2020
    There is every indication that a Biden administration will maintain the punitive sanctions against Venezuela, suffocating the country during the pandemic. 
  • Biden-Harris and the Diverse Faces of U.S. Imperialism
    Tye Salandy
    Biden-Harris and the Diverse Faces of U.S. Imperialism
    18 Nov 2020
    From Obama v McCain to Biden v Trump, the good cop/bad cop drama of US imperial politics, continues.
  • Don’t [Mourn] Celebrate, Organize!
    Riva Enteen
    Don’t [Mourn] Celebrate, Organize!
    18 Nov 2020
    The same “injustice” system that unlawfully locked up the Central Park Five will continue unabated with Biden and his “top cop” sidekick.
  • We’ll Have to Fight Corporate Democrats for Medicare for All
    Margaret Flowers
    ​​​​​​​We’ll Have to Fight Corporate Democrats for Medicare for All
    18 Nov 2020
    We must not allow the Democrats to weaken our demand that every person in the United States have access to the care they need.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us