by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
We are proud to say that Michael Ratner was a friend of Black Agenda Report.
For Michael Ratner
(2 Corinthians 12:7)
by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
Another one of John Brown’s bastards—Berrigan before—
br/> checked out. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank lost a
Friend— the Cuban people too
I felt like the air had been punched from my gut, or like a
singer singing a long line, minus inspiration—even Anonymous wept…
A friend in Cali, a woman reverend, lamented: “Hope there’s a thorn
His size to replace his work.”
Relentless radical people’s lawyer, internationalist spirit of Che—
Nuclear thorn the size of a 747 in flesh of assassins and torturers!
Though Satan’s emissaries sometimes act as advisors,
Vintage vampires long of fang are lighter on their feet; have
smaller sulfur footprints; trip-plan before coming out of coffins
into light of day—and no longer laugh like trips to The Hague are
pipedreams…
Was he ever invited to the War House?
Did he care?
He didn’t believe in tooth fairies, “ghost detainees”
“enemy combatants” and black magic of “boots on the ground”
He didn’t respect scribblers opining human rights are “quaint”—
Didn’t entertain ticking time bomb “theories” for torture,
lowlife lawyer-ing making torture “enhanced interrogation”
Was he ever invited to the War House?
Did he care?
He sued Slick Wily for warehousing HIV+ Haitians at Gitmo; sued W’s
daddy for invading Iraq without congressional authorization; sued sadist
Rumsfeld for torture, and the “great Communicator” for funding cutthroat
Contras in Nicaragua, and invading Grenada; sued an Indonesian thug with
tin decorated chest, and a Guatemalan minister of murder; sued the FBI for
skullduggery dealing with Central American activists—even sued Pentagon
pimps for in-bedding reporters, turning them out as stenographers for
Slaughter. And, he always won in the court of public opinion!
Was he ever invited to the War House?
Did he care?
Whistleblowers, Wikileakers, political prisoners, detainees,
arrestees, parolees, slogan shouters, marchers, movements
seemed more his ilk—his element, the elbows he rubbed
One day, not too long ago, he let himself lean back in
his chair humming “Just My Imagination” ticking off
Ten points he’d implement as Attorney General of The
U.S. under Socialism:
Beginning with NOT enforcing some laws and
Making the rich pay;
Indicting, prosecuting W and his torture team—
Including Ol’ Satan, Cheney
Indicting, prosecuting the Christ Child and accomplices
for drone murders across the globe;
Finally, insuring no more Flints: implementing Bolivia’s
Law of The Rights of Mother Earth
He rested his musing, “I can barely wait to get started in my new job…”
Now, we muse, we pray Michael’s life’s like John Brown’s— a billion
Sperm swimming, fathering a thousand thorns in crowns of the 1%…
by Raymond Nat Turner.
All rights reserved
Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performance artist, besides being Black Agenda Report's poet in residence. You can find more of his work at the Upsurge Jazz Ensemble.
Sanctions against Cuba and the designation as a "State Sponsor of Terrorism" create great hardships for the people of that country. Recent actions demanded that Cuba be taken #OffTheList.
The recent drownings of 500 refugees in the Mediterranean call attention to the displacement of millions of people as a result of imperialist actions.
In Alabama Covid funds are used for prison construction, opportunities for the incarcerated to be released have been eliminated, and violence is rampant. Alabama makes the case for prison…
Foreign policy is our focus on Black Agenda Radio this week.
Dr. Gerald Horne is an author and historian who currently holds the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston.
