Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

Buzzed In By Lewis
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
01 Feb 2018
🖨️ Print Article

5 in the morning, ‘The Lewis Sawyer Experience’
early morning Boys Club in Papa Sawyer’s Cave:
My lick for Lewis, “Lewis Sawyer, is my lawyer—”
his classic chuckle-comeback, “Well, you’re in bad shape then!”
Poets and last words, “Well, David McBurney is my attorney…”
But Lewis was a bullhorn, shouting names of our Political Prisoners,
Prisoners Of War, languishing forgotten in gulags across imprisoned
nation. He put 59,000 watts beneath their wings,without fanfare—
While reminding us: we’re just in Minimum Security…

Being buzzed in to the Mother Ship by Lewis
felt safe, welcome—presence appreciated—in
Good hands, a trillion times more reliable than Allstate
Lewis was the first face I’d see at the station—
unerring source for five-star information

Warmth was his uniform; his smile his badge,
reflecting respect back like a mirror from the
Mountaintop: all the authority a badass Angel,
sweet scientist, who could handle ‘situations…’
Required; I emerged from ‘Lewis Sawyer Experiences’
with double shot expresso optimism

A modest, minimalist, Monk life-stylist—
Count Basie of Kindness—
Not a whole lot of notes there
but his voicings sung and swung;
Duke Ellington of Passion:
Things he loved, he loved madly—
speaking of love—Lewis was LOVE
Not a mushy, gushy, sentimental bubblegum LOVE
But, an I believe in you, when no one else believes LOVE
I honor your light, anything I can do to amplify it LOVE
As you stand on stage, I’ll sit in the audience LOVE
Anything you need early in the morning LOVE
Release your worry beads, I got your back LOVE
Harness your hardships, “too big to fail” LOVE

Let’s suppose that place
preachers speak of Sundays
Exists; suppose I make the cut—
I bet Lewis will be there buzzing me in… Lewis Sawyer:
Presente!

poetry

More Stories


  • Notes from Wartorn Ethiopia
    Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    Notes from Wartorn Ethiopia
    13 Apr 2022
    BAR Contributing Editor Ann Garrison reports from Ethiopia.
  • Who Will Hold the US/EU/NATO Accountable For Its Many War Crimes?
    Jacqueline Luqman
    Who Will Hold the US/EU/NATO Accountable For Its Many War Crimes?
    13 Apr 2022
    U.S. presidents and their NATO counterparts have committed war crimes all over the world. But they exempt themselves from prosecution, and use orporate media to act as their personal advocates.…
  • Francia Márquez Mina: the Triumph of a Pedagogy of the Oppressed in Progress
    Charo Mina Rojas
    Francia Márquez Mina: the Triumph of a Pedagogy of the Oppressed in Progress
    13 Apr 2022
    Francia Márquez Mina: the Triumph of a Pedagogy of the Oppressed in Progress
  • “Voting and the Black Left”: An Interview with Kamau Franklin
    Kamau Franklin and Roberto Sirvent
    “Voting and the Black Left”: An Interview with Kamau Franklin
    12 Apr 2022
    Kamau Franklin, founder of Community Movement Builders, speaks with BAR Book Forum Editor Roberto Sirvent about the limitations of electoral politics for the left.
  • BAR Book Forum: Andrea A. Davis’ “Horizon, Sea, Sound"
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Andrea A. Davis’ “Horizon, Sea, Sound"
    12 Apr 2022
    In this series, we ask acclaimed authors to answer five questions about their book. This week’s featured author is Andrea A. Davis. Davis is Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities at…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us