by Raymond Nat Turner
Tic-Tac-Toe, X versus O
Shrewd black buck dancer
O a cancer— X an answer
Malcolm X Tic-Tac-Toe in the Age of…Austerity?
by Raymond Nat Turner
Vertical, diagonal, horizontal moves
Of Malcolm X, martyr, giant, live on
Like simple grid, paper and pencil games
Of Noughts and Crosses, 3-in-a-row—
Tic-Tac-Toe in the age of… Austerity
X, like exciting, expanding, extending,
X, like exalting, exemplary, example,
Excelling, exceeding— revolutionary as
Exponential, unlimited—far as you dare!
O, as in hollow, phony, posture, nothing!
O as diversion, like COINTELPRO, Psy-
Op or false consciousness like blue-collar
Workers masquerading as middle-class!
3-in-a-row, X versus O
Tic-Tac-Toe, X versus O
Shrewd black buck dancer
O a cancer— X an answer!
Africom boots on the Congo
Banksters bagging big dough
Mother Africa their hoe
A peculiar quid pro quo
Slaves cheering status quo
Their beer full of GMO—
Madison Avenue mojo!
3-in-a-row, X versus O
Tic-Tac-Toe, X versus O
Shrewd black buck dancer
O a cancer— X an answer!
Negroz go pianissimo
Fiery X’s blocked by O,
Rich white house Negro,
Attorney Generalissimo
Super of Guantanamo
Teachers rise against O
Working-class Tic-Tac-Toe!
3-in-a-row, X versus O
Tic-Tac-Toe, X versus O
Shrewd black buck dancer
O a cancer— X an answer!
Raymond Nat Turner can be contacted at upsurgejazz.com.
Raymond Nat Turner © 2013 All Rights Reserved
This week’s featured author is Brian Jones. Jones is Director of The New York Public Library’s Center for Educators and Schools. His book is The Tuskegee Student Uprising: A History.
This week’s featured scholar is Moya Bailey. Bailey is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University. Her article is “The Ethics of Pace.”
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