Will the Real America Please Stand!

Spinning to the beginning…Dreams of wealth, power, and religious freedom disembarked onto luscious green shores in the new world with space galore.  Exploration in search of riches travelled to the promise land flying flags of capital gain.

And the seed of greed planted in wild beds of racism sprouted weeds of hatred. Slavery announced its supremacy picking profits in the cotton fields. Trails of blood and tears crisscrossed the fertile terrain…overpowering the humane.

Will the real America please stand!

Insatiability reigned reaching into the new millennium its tentacles of gluttony strangling empathy…disrespecting Lady Liberty’s call “give me your poor”…Nay for ”I will build a great wall and keep the Mexicans out”…yet the Statue of Liberty beckons for all to enter the golden door.

The Ku Klux Klan…American terrorists…leaving an infamous trail of black bodies hanging from trees…burning crosses…committing religious blasphemy doing dastardly deeds in the name of Christianity…allows indifference to state “not sure of what they do but I will get back to you.”

Will the real America please stand!

Driven tyranny espousing repression ignites xenophobic mentalities clothed in a bizarre reality.  Despotic rhetoric slaps freedom of religion into a den of intolerance and ignorance…ranting and raving calling for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering this country.”…

Truth screams twice as many terrorist attacks in the States are perpetrated by right winged extremist embroiled in hate. Is it too late to rectify the lies? Is it too late for unsubstantiated fabrications to cease in the name of peace? Is it too late for the Ku Klux Klan to be repudiated for its long reign of terror?

Will the real America please stand!

The Watcher of Weight

The food demon embedded deep in gray matter, waiting to launch across the synapse, jumps on the back of neurons, bombarding determination setting desire on fire… uncontrollable!  Flashing past reason, committing treason, sabotaging moderation…the food demon bent on destruction destroys resolve. Where is the watcher of weight?  Where is the keeper of the gate? 

     

Eat…eat…eat…Taste buds activated and on alert ready to savor each tantalizing bite.  The palate waits in pleasure. Food slides down the esophagus, fills the emotional void soothing nerve endings. The demon demands more declaring war from the shore of the hypothalamus!  An onslaught…a gush of craving…a surge…Where is the watcher of weight? Where is the keeper of the gate?

Feed me …feed me... feed me. Visions of food screened by the underside of eye lids fly past. Hedonistic in desire to bind self-restraint…In the blink of a wink the hand seizes forbidden fruit orchestrating mindless gorging. The food demon sings no to self- control…laughing…taunting the mind reeling with the reality of no sense of satiety. Where is the watcher of weight? Where is the keeper of the gate?

The keeper of the gate  slowly awakes…unlocking the resistance to transformation…breaking the chains of shame…penetrating the shades of Hades freeing the watcher of weight from the dungeon of despair…then ascends the hill of guilt ready to face confrontation with a determination to vanquish the arch fiend of the food demons.

The watcher of weight sounds the call for all neuropeptides to slide with tenacity and resolution over the lobes to probe for weakness, to root out gluttony, to alleviate uncertainty, to crush self indulgence, to assuage the fear of failure, to put stress to rest... to transmit victory to the insular…the connector of body and soul.

The watcher of weight  and the keeper of the gate…inherent strength renewed… fortify temperance… bolsters confidence…then with assurance regain self control  binding the food demon forevermore and go forth to light the torch of conquest and embrace the sensation of success…success…and more success!

Here are a few definitions of some of the words used:

synapse- a junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter.

neuron- a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; a nerve cell.

Hypothalamus - a region of the forebrain below the thalamus controlling body temperature, thirst, hunger, and other homeostatic systems, and involved in sleep and emotional activity.

satiety  - the feeling or state of being full after eating

neuropeptide- any of a group of compounds that act as neurotransmitters and are short-chain polypeptides.

Jesus Looking Out

In Celebration of Black History

 

 

 

 

 

 

       
        (Song)
Jesus Looking Out
Jesus looking out
Oh Jesus looking out for me O’ yeah
Jesus looking out for me

       (poem)
God’s people

Snatched from the motherland
By the hand of evil
Herded like animals into slave ships
Stripped of their identity
By racism hatred and greed
All motivating factors in slavery
Yet hope enter twined with the rhythm of the drums
Sent messages of love
From Jesus above

God’s people
Families desecrated then separated
Sold into degradation
Relentlessly toiled on plantations
Beaten murdered raped chained
Greed and lust the white man’s shame
Treating fellow human beings so inhumane
Yet hope enter twined with the rhythm of the drums
Sent messages of love
From Jesus above

God’s people

Over 400 years of genocide
Men women and children died
Jim Crow the Ku Klux Clan
Black bodies strung up across the land
The philosophy of non-violence took wing
From the teachings of Jesus, to Gandhi, to Dr. King
The bells for freedom did toll and ring
And hope enter twined with the rhythm of the drums
Sent messages of love
From Jesus above

God’s people
Fast forward to today’s reality
Bullets kill life’s expectancy
Goals and dreams vanish in thin air
Hearts without hope don’t seem to care
Incarceration is the new plantation
Bloodshed and violence all over
From police brutality to killing each other
Yet hope enter twined with the rhythm of the drums
Send messages of love
From Jesus above

God’s people

God loves us
In spite of all the chaos
In spite of rage… in spite of anger
In spite of stress… in spite of man’s mess
In spite of the many lives shattered
God loves us so…Black lives still matter
God loves us so…Black lives still matter
And  hope enter twined with the rhythm of the drums
Send messages of love
From Jesus above

         (song)
Jesus Looking Out
Jesus looking out
Oh Jesus looking out for me O’ yeah
Jesus looking out for me

The Road of Impossibilities

In defiance I travel the road of impossibilities refusing to succumb to the futility of the human condition…news of the day blasting away with the atrocities committed in the name of power…blatant behavior moons empathy…stress pulls out knives and carves the kindness out of hearts…

Yet the sun rises in majesty capturing in space the beauty of existence…

Visions from the past of ships bearing human cargo speed towards an unknown destiny. Families split up…torn apart…a magnificent heritage ripped from the souls of a captured people…screams reach into the din of the new millennium filling prisons with attitudes of deliberate anger.

Yet the flowers bloom in spring dropping petals of love

Green fertile land snatched from the grasp of an indigenous people…avarice  justifies theft in the name of progress…prejudice and hatred hold hands singing of new beginnings while the blood of the people runs red in rivers…feet bloodied by a long trail of tears…bodies collapsing to return to the dust of the earth.

Yet the waves of the mighty ocean beat the rhythm of the tides against pristine beaches.

Jim Crow straddles the fence with hypocritical cries of “you can make it if you try”…”you can have your piece of the pie”…whispering voices slither along the streets bombarding minds …you failed the test…you failed the test…you dumb…you stupid …you poor…you hungry…need some money?  The bling bling of opulence blinds the reality of risks…life becomes devalued.

Yet the Grand Canyon in its layers of multi-colored strength signals the rock of ages

Ice crystals falling through the atmosphere freeze moments of fear into failure immobilizing action. Frigid temperatures stifle passion. Aspirations transform into desolation slipping off icy crevices. Translucent icicles hang on corners of dreams that never materialize slowly dripping back into the cycle of life.

Yet snow-capped mountains stand tall in their stately magnificence weathering blizzards whiteouts, snowstorms…forever proclaiming permanence in a passing reality.

Newark, NJ on the Rise

Mural by Malik

Whitaker-Hardaway


Newark, NJ on the rise

A silent silhouette against the sky

Daring to ascend from the ashes of

Racism

Political opportunism

Violence  

And economic uncertainty

Presently soaring in a restorative reality

in search of a promising prosperity

Newark, NJ on the rise

A silent silhouette against the sky

Whitney Houston

Sarah Vaughn

The voices of a multitude of angels sing on...

Soothing the hearts of the people

Bebop-ing through despair

Bending the flat five into thoughts that care

Scatting hope into the air

Newark, NJ on the rise

A silent silhouette against the sky

Amiri Baraka writer extraordinaire

Dared to defy the establishment

And now a new torch of hope burns bright
Shining light on New Jersey's largest city
Demonstrations...collaborations...unity...prayer
Prayer for Newark and Newark's new mayor...
The honorable Ras Baraka

Newark, NJ on the rise

A silent silhouette against the sky

Urban hot spot shouts
Stop the school to prison pipeline
Stop the decimation of public education

Youthful voices

Heads held high...proclaim to the sky

That justice will prevail

The people will not fail

Newark, NJ on the rise

A silent silhouette against the sky

Community activism fires up complacency

Calling for all to stand up in  solidarity

To confront social issues to push for that breakthrough
To have freedom in the new millennium
Freedom from mass incarceration…

Freedom from self annihilation

Freedom from bullets of bigotry

Newark, NJ on the rise
A silent silhouette against the sky

Newark's artistic legacy trumpets self determination...

Kuchichagulia!..Singing...swinging
Dancing...prancing...painting across the horizon
We will not die but but live
To sound the call to all…

The call for liberation…the call for the emancipation

Of the many beautiful minds currently suspended in time.

Newark, NJ on the rise

Newark, NJ on the rise
Newark, NJ on the rise
A silent silhouette against the sky

When I Lift My Eyes to the Sky

When I lift my eyes to the sky the magnificence of colors in creation soothe my troubled soul. Swimming in turmoil through turbulent waters navigating the human condition wiping away the dilemma of days lost in the rapid passing of time.  Hours devoured pursuing a flat line of self-serving deeds…combative aggressive types intensify the hype vicious in their pursuit of power. Greed the cataclysmic seed to success reigns…yet the fortissimo sound of unified voices harmonizes hope.

When I lift my eyes to the sky the magnificence of colors in creation soothe my troubled soul.  News of the day rocks reason in a season taunted by hostility.  Demonic voices destroy tenuous threads of sanity.  The rata tat tat of assault rifles signify the right to bear arms while babies crying with fear who want  mother love…papa love…family love…wail and weep drowning in a sea of retribution…yet gurgling music tones sing “Joy cometh in the morning!”

When I lift my eyes to the sky the magnificence of colors in creation soothe my troubled soul. War ravages the earth.  Cultures clash…civil war erupts…ideologies abruptly declare the right to eradicate with hate ideals of difference. Poison toxins contaminate breath…bombs explode…bullets mock life laughing at resistance mowed down in the name of dogma…yet a peace encompasses the universe tolling a bell of love that cuts through strife heralding the fragility of life.

When I lift my eyes to the sky the magnificence of colors in creation soothe my troubled soul.

Who is this Jesus?

All over the world people have heard this name

There is no doubt about his fame

He came to earth as a symbol of love

Sent to us from God above

Assigned by his Father a difficult mission

He sacrificed his life for sin remission

He was beaten and bruised for our evil ways

Yet his spirit of love lives on today

Who is this Jesus?

Who is this Jesus?

God gave us Ten Commandments to live by

Moral standards to apply to our lives

“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy…”

The day to worship God and him only

Thou shalt not kill…thou shalt not steal

Don’t lie on people…keep it real

No adultery…no envy of others

Show love to your neighbor…your sisters…your brothers

Who is this Jesus?

Who is this Jesus?

But man could not keep the royal law

So God sent Jesus to be an example for all

Starting with his miraculous birth

He went on to perform many miracles on earth

He healed the sick…gave sight to the blind

And invited all to his table to dine

He fed a multitude with one fish and some bread

And even brought loved ones back from the dead

Who is this Jesus?

Who is this Jesus?

Religious leaders in their jealousy

Had him tried for blasphemy

He was tried convicted and crucified

Defeated the grave and came back alive

Now through Him we can have eternal life

He gives us peace in the midst of strife

He gives us joy in the place of heartache

And continuous victory over our mistakes

Who is this Jesus?

Who is this Jesus?

 When we are depressed and can find no comfort

Jesus is there to ease our hurt

When we are shackled with an addiction

Jesus becomes our restoration

When we are in jail locked away

Jesus frees our spirit each and every day

When bad health has beaten us down

It’s in Jesus our healing can be found

Who is this Jesus?

Who is this Jesus?

No one is perfect…we’ve all done wrong

Yet to Jesus we all belong

We confess to Him the sins we did

And in the name of Jesus God will forgive

Jesus is the hope for humanity

He sacrificed his life to set our souls free

He knocks at the door of our hearts

So let Him in and he’ll never depart!

Who is this Jesus?

Who is this Jesus?