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For Sistar Kiilu Nyasha: Freedom Is A Constant Struggle…
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
19 Apr 2018
Kiilu Nyasha
Comrade Kiilu Nyasha

Never thought I’d see
the day that I’d pray
for: Fake News;
Never thought I’d see
the day that I’d pray
for: Alternative Facts
from Boss Tweet— pray that
scribblers screwed up tenses
scribbling ‘bout a constant struggler—
3-time loser in capitalist Amerikkka:
Disabled; Black and Woman— Panther to the core,
Ida B-child soldier speaking, writing in real time—
Mentoring men and women for battlefront lives
worth living…
Flying warrior woman kites coded in humanity
through concertina censorship; smuggling
Love and hope between bars, amplifying voices…

Maybe I’m selfish and don’t wanna let go—
don’t wanna lose the grace, the smile
Sweetly staunch as principles behind it?
Maybe I’m lazy and don’t wanna lift her
Load, clicking, guiding, electric silence…
whizzing down steep hills, in swift traffic like
little cablecars that climb half way to the stars?

Maybe her meeting after meeting, march after march,
demonstration after demonstration, decade after decade
Shamed my temporarily-abled body to another level?
Or, maybe I’m afraid of losing the constant struggler—
the long distance runner— reminding me: WE WILL WIN?

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

Our poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed performing artist. You can find much more of his work at http://upsurgejazz.com.

 

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Kiilu Nyasha from proj-ect PRO:JECT on Vimeo.

poetry

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