Boy Scouts in Arlington, Virginia in 1953 (Image: Arlington public library)
Scouting
day dreaming, dreaming, anticipating
a Hollywood Bowl where some master
painter splashed stars
all over night’s navy blue canvas…
Wow! Were we in awe? So insignificant
in the grand scheme of the
painting; its sovereign clarity—
its status; its ultimate one-upmanship?
day dreaming, dreaming, anticipating
more navy blue pants, more navy blue shirts,
caps; and gold scarves of fledgling Cub Scouts…
Our yellow bus pulled
into the lower lot among
an armada of other yellow busses
day dreaming, dreaming, anticipating
crisp practice of white handbook pages;
of memorized rules—cherished code of
Conduct—One for all/All for one ways
of being in the world…
Our yellow bus pulled
into the lower lot among
an armada of other yellow busses
day dreaming, dreaming, anticipating
tent talk; talk of knots tied with wider,
with new navy blue crew…
Our yellow bus pulled up and parked
among the armada of yellow busses—
Unloading more blue pants, blue shirts,
caps; more gold scarves… Unloading expresso,
mocha, tan, paper bag brown, cinnamon, caramel cargo…
Before—without warning—awful reign of rocks fell from
Lot above—Fell with wild, weaponized cries:
“GO HOME CHOCOLATE DROPS!!!!”
“GO HOME CHOCOLATE DROPS!!!!”
“GO HOME CHOCOLATE DROPS!!!!”
© 2023. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.
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 and PayPal.
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of NATO, we reprint W.E.B. Du Bois’ 1949 powerful testimony against the US militarization of Europe and the world.
Reaction to the first 2024 debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump focused on Biden’s performance. Ajamu Baraka, Black Agenda Report editor and columnist, analyzes the politics behind that debate…
Rwanda’s economic miracle is a lie.
Million Worker March 20th Anniversary: Project 2025— Keep Death ‘Alive?’ is the latest from BAR's Poet-in-Residence.
The 50-year-old neo-liberal agenda explains why political choices in this country provide little change that benefits the masses of people. The recent midterm election results will not bring about an…
