It's Kwanzaa Time!

Kwanzaa is here
In a time when so many people fear
Economic conditions
But the voice of Kwanzaa shouts out
Umoja-Unity
God is our security!

Kuchichagulia – Self Determination
Know who you are
keep on pursuing your aspirations
And your dreams no matter how hard it may seem
Ujima – collective work and Responsibility
Let’s join together to rebuild our communities

Ujamaa-Cooperative economics
Build legitmate businesses
Don’t be fooled by the tricks
And the illusions of society
Nia – Purpose
Set goals and it’s in God you must always trust

Kuumba – Creativity
Fill the world with joy… peace…and beauty
Imani – Faith
Believe! Never doubt
That God is awesome
And that God is great!

Count it All Joy

On Tuesday night at the House of Love Soup Kitchen we fed 111 people. The numbers are running high in these difficult economic times. There are over 100 people being served each week and of these numbers 30-40 are children.
According to:
http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/child-hunger-facts.aspx

“The problem of childhood hunger is not simply a moral issue. Child hunger hampers a young person's ability to learn and becomes more likely to suffer from poverty as an adult. Scientific evidence suggests that hungry children are less likely to become productive citizens.”
• In 2010, 16.4 million or approximately 22 percent of children in the U.S. lived in poverty.

Winter is settling in around parts of the country yet the occupy movement in many places is still standing strong. There are those who are of the opinion that these young people are wrong in the way they are going about bringing attention to the financial inequities in this country but their efforts are keeping a song of freedom alive in the hearts of many. There’s a scripture in the bible St. Matthew 23:4 “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” This describes congress, the banking industry, insurance companies, and all the financially fat cats that control 97% of the wealth in this country and don’t care that they are laying hardships on the backs of the poor, the working poor, and the middle class. Who’s going to help us? The hungry children…the homeless millions…struggling workers…I say power to these young people who are keeping the struggle alive and a fire burning in the hearts of the people who are being sacrificed each day for the love of money.

Trauma walks through the door seeking solace from a world filled with turmoil. Lost my job…getting evicted…program ending…just got out of prison…haven’t eaten in a few days…alcohol blows in from the street falling over feet oblivious to hardship…drugs nod out lids heavy shutting out pain and shame…words of hope infuse the atmosphere…count it all joy to draw closer to the source of life proclaiming victory over adversity and power to fill hours stretching into eternity with wisdom of understanding…laughter floats on waves of camaraderie creating a sense of solidarity with random voices accentuating momentary unity which blends with the aroma of food announcing dinner is ready.

New Africa

New Africa is the place in our minds
That floats free through wide open spaces
Then runs along the river Nile
Stops and plays awhile with lions and kings
And then sits at feet of Shaka Zulu learning all about who we are
Never straying far from the love of our people

New Africa is the motherland of our past
Invaded by ships with masts and sails billowing in the wind
With pale men on board
That came disguised as friends
Yet in the end steal our past
Our present
And our future

New Africa is the blues 7th
Riding the slave waves to America
Then sold
Beaten
Knocked down
Kicked around in the cotton fields
To produce a new blue sound

New Africa is the field holler
The blues
Spiritual
Looking afar to the North Star
On the slim hopes of reaching the Promised Land

New Africa is jazz standing on a mountain top
Improvising on dreams of freedom through out a land
Where black music reigns supreme
Soothing the souls of the inhabitants

A New Dawn

Bullets fly
People die
The death angel sweeps the streets
Screams for shattered dreams
Reverberate through the air
Piercing hearts filled with despair
Feet run jumping fences
Landing in trenches
Filled with the stench of decaying life
Trapped in the muck and mire of existence
Insistent on pursuing illusive riches
The death angel sweeps the streets
Rivers of blood flow freely
Coloring the ground red
Reflecting the dread of
Dead souls rising in search of
The re-creation of the imagination
Wavering in the light of a new dawn…