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

I Celebrate Red Roses of Resistance
BAR Poet-in-Residence Raymond Nat Turner
30 Oct 2019
🖨️ Print Article
I Celebrate Red Roses of Resistance
I Celebrate Red Roses of Resistance

San Francisco singer sitting in a Manhattan
restaurant, ringlets trickling down ‘round
Angelic paper bag brown face, like sweat
gathering on her glass of white wine.
Her fries stand at attention, saluting
from stainless steel cylinder. Bold white 
letters emblazon her tight-fitting black tee-shirt:

             “IMPEACH
THE MOTHERFUCKER!”

I celebrate red roses of resistance—
tiniest spark in the dark…
bumper sticker, slogan, soundbite;
tiny tussle, or Good Fight. I rejoice at
friction—contradiction—more beautiful 
than perfect…Embryonic class struggle…
Obeying revolution’s laws written in Russian,
Arabic, Creole, Chinese, Spanish, Farsi, French,
English and oceans of blood over Africa, Asia and 
the Americas.
I celebrate them like
I celebrate red roses of resistance—
that pierced cracker Cotton Curtain
claims, “Our nigras were fine until
the Jews started coming down from
New York and stirring them up…”

I celebrate red roses of resistance—
Marching through melting ice, burning forests,
into teargas storms, truncheons, torture and its
elastic time…

I celebrate red roses of resistance—
Revolting warehouse workers, janitors,
truck drivers, bus drivers, carpenters.
Rebelling rubber, steel, auto, longshore,
fast food workers! Resisting teachers, 
nurses, train operators, youth and students!

I celebrate red roses of resistance—
blooming behind bars, springing up from
solitary, baring concertina wire thorns!
Resistance rallying ‘round time clocks, water
coolers, rising from rivers, bursting forth from 
fertile football fields!
Resistance rearing its beautiful head 
in classrooms, concert halls, halls of 
congress, pews, pulpits, side streets, 
back alleys—the planet’s unlikeliest 
nooks and crannies!

I celebrate red roses of resistance—
sprinkling spring water and compost,
grown folks’ faith in the masses; love 
of the people—the 99%—making messy

History…

© 2019. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

Raymond Nat Turner is an accomplished poet and performing artist. You can find much more of his work at http://upsurgejazz.com.

COMMENTS?

Please join the conversation on Black Agenda Report's Facebook page at http://facebook.com/blackagendareport

Or, you can comment by emailing us at comments@blackagendareport.com

Impeachment

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


Related Stories

Ukrainian Roulette: The “Ukrainegate” Gamble
Enzo Calandra
Ukrainian Roulette: The “Ukrainegate” Gamble
04 December 2019
Liberals have enlisted the CIA to repudiate a clearly obscene and grotesque president because they themselves are obscene and grotesque in many of
Freedom Rider: The Ukrainegate Farce
Margaret Kimberley , BAR editor and senior columnist
Freedom Rider: The Ukrainegate Farce
20 November 2019
The Democrats are hoping that Ukrainegate will succeed where Russiagate failed and they can win the presidency without helping their voters.
Impeachment and the Long Road to a Democratic Party Defeat in 2020
Danny Haiphong , BAR contributor
Impeachment and the Long Road to a Democratic Party Defeat in 2020
09 October 2019
Impeachment helps the Democratic Party catch a breath of temporary relief from subjects such as Medicare for All or climate catastrophe.
Impeachment Watch
Ann Garrison , BAR contributor
Impeachment Watch
09 October 2019
In their crusade to get Trump and distract from their own corruption, the Democrats have moved on from Russiagate to an impeachment inquiry over “U
Impeachable Boss Tweet
BAR Poet-in-Residence Raymond Nat Turner
Impeachable Boss Tweet
09 October 2019
in the swamp, downstream  not far from the White Supreme Court and Capitalist Hill,

More Stories


  • Colonial Contradiction of Haiti
    Erica Caines , Austin Cole
    The Unspoken Colonial Contradiction of Haiti
    01 Nov 2023
    The impending invasion of Haiti is the latest in a long line of colonial aggressions perpetrated against that nation.
  • “Civil Society Strengthening Program (CSSP)
    Travis Ross
    As MSS Tries to Subdue Haiti’s Resistance, USAID Will Assemble “Civil Society” Puppets
    01 Nov 2023
    USAID is a front for U.S. imperialism. In Haiti its creation of "civil society" projects will be used in service of the next plan for occupation.
  • A child is carried from an ambulance after a bombing
    U.S. Peace Council
    U.S. Peace Council Statement: End the Israeli-US Attack on the Palestinians of Gaza!
    01 Nov 2023
    A No-Fly Zone over Gaza would prevent the Israeli Air Force from continuing its war crime against the Palestinian people.
  • Representatives of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) meet with Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chair Yasser Arafat.
    Krys Cerisier
    Black Ties to Palestinian Liberation
    01 Nov 2023
    Most of the world's people are in solidarity with Palestine, but Black people in this country have a special bond born of common struggle.
  • Israeli Ambassador at the United Nations
    Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    Israel Declares Most of Humanity Illegitimate and Irrelevant
    01 Nov 2023
    After 120 members of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Israel demonstrated its increasing isolation by declaring the UN illegitimate and irrelevant.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us