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

12th Man
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
11 Feb 2014
🖨️ Print Article

by Raymond Nat Turner

Where’s The 12th Man—

All 137.6 decibels—

For Mumia and Maroon?

 

12th Man

by Raymond Nat Turner

 

From “Yes, we can” to The 12th Man

The 1%’s calling all the power plays—

Bootlegging, blitzing, sacking our daze…

 

Sunday we sat slurping beer,

Gobbling pizza and buckets

Of chicken like madmen, ‘til

Heartburn and boredom set

In, ‘til The Questions came

Whizzing past like pockets full

Of cherry red challenge flags:

 

Where was The 12th Man

Shrieking, screaming, loud

As an Aircraft carrier’s flight

Deck for Marilyn Buck?

 

Where was The 12th Man

Shouting full-throated,

Loud as Apache and

Blackhawk Helicopters

For Herman Wallace?

 

Where’s The 12th Man—

All 137.6 decibels—

For Mumia and Maroon?

 

Where’s The 12th Man—

Bursting eardrums for

Whistleblowers Manning,

Snowden and Assange?

 

Where’s the quarterback,

The field general, that

Comes up to the line

Barking: ANGOLA

ATTICA #77A4283

CUT-CUT-CUT?

 

Where’s the coach that

Will argue over calls like

Leonard Peltier? Or Hugo

Pinell and Albert Woodfox—

Four decades in bathroom-

Sized, windowless, torture

Chambers, cut off from fresh

Air, sunlight, Vitamin D

22-24 hours a day? Cruel,

Slow deaths, strip sacking

Spirits, bodies and minds of>

Political prisoners & prisoners

Of war who, game faces on

Against water hoses, cattle

prods, German shepherds,

Bullets and buckshot,

Took the field for us all

 

Quadruple, triple, double

Overtime, or sudden death,

This game’s been going

On too long—

Where’s the Terrible

Towels, the Lambeau Leap

Where’s the raucous carrying

On in the Dog Pound, boisterous

Behavior in the Black Hole, where’s

The Wall of Fame, Ring of Honor

Where’s The 12th Man for our

Political prisoners & prisoners of war?

 

Raymond Nat Turner can be contacted at upsurgejazz.com.

 

Raymond Nat Turner © 2014 All Rights Reserved

 >

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • The UK-Rwanda Pact to Keep Migrants from Crossing the English Channel
    Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    The UK-Rwanda Pact to Keep Migrants from Crossing the English Channel
    12 Jul 2023
    The UK is spearheading a European drive to outsource migrants to Rwanda.
  • Homegoing for Harry…
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    Homegoing for Harry…
    12 Jul 2023
                                               “Every artist, every scientist, every writer
  • BAR Book Forum: Matthieu Chapman’s Book, “Shattered”
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Matthieu Chapman’s Book, “Shattered”
    12 Jul 2023
    This week’s featured author is Matthieu Chapman. Chapman is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies at the State University of New York at New Paltz and the Literary Director of NY Classical…
  • The History Of Affirmative Action Exposes Its Reactionary Weaknesses
    Jacqueline Luqman
    The History Of Affirmative Action Exposes Its Reactionary Weaknesses
    12 Jul 2023
    Affirmative action began as a reparations program but ends as a "diversity" project which barely benefits Black people.
  • Peru’s Black Misleadership Class Complicit with Coup Regime and International Far Right
    Clau O'Brien Moscoso
    Peru’s Black Misleadership Class Complicit with Coup Regime and International Far Right
    12 Jul 2023
    The U.S. isn't the only country with a duplicitous Black political class. The coup government in Peru has Black "leaders" who protect and defend the right wing who ousted an elected president and…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us