Testi-lyin’ | Black Agenda Report

Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence

07 Apr 2021

Testi-lyin’

Northeast, midwest, southwest, south,
down south, up south, out south—south
of the Canadian border—Slouched down
in his cruiser, slow-rollin’ the ‘hood; Or a-
top his horse, bullwhip barking at shiny
bent Black backs: “150 lbs of cotton today!”
It’s in his DNA—he’s trained that way…

Chokehold; blood choke; bullets to back;
electric shocks; sheets; garbage bags or
Overdoses of fists and foots intended to
Slay—it’s in his DNA—he’s trained that way…
Trained to follow orders of the 1%. The poor,
unhoused, unemployed, on strike, anti-war,
water-protectors must be brought to heel…

“Raise your right hand—not that high—not
that angle. Do you swear to tell the the truth
and nothing but the truth so help the founding
fathers?”

“I do. Monday morning quarterbacks be damned—
second guessing officers—police work is hard!
Foul-mouthed disrespecting elders; beating
people up—smashing doors and heads;
Invading homes; forcing yourself on women in
the line of duty—being a bully—judge, jury and
Executioner is not easy…
Writing six-figure fiction sending men and
women away on upstate adventures is tough—
it’s a thin blue line between class and ‘race!’”

“Do you know how hard it is to keep your knee
on a man’s neck 9:29—9 minutes and 29 seconds?
It requires incredible concentration: Dispassionate
demeanor of a scientist or professor demonstrating
for his students; Focus of a TV prosperity preacher
preaching scripture ‘bout Satan by showing rather
than telling; Calm of a Super Bowl quarterback leading
his team on a 9:29 drive to pay dirt… No, you don’t know
how hard it is to work before hostile mobs—fearing for your
life; fearing for your partners’ lives, putting another Hulk
Hogan down—It’s a thin blue line between class and ‘race!’”
© 2021. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

BAR’s poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner is an accomplished performing artist. You can find much more of his work at https://www.youtube.com/user/zigilow

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