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.
The following is part of the first installment of our “Captive Maternal Roundtable” on Joy James’ new book, In Pursuit of Revolutionary Love: Precarity, Power, Communities.
Haitian trade unions and civil society groups are united in demanding sovereignty for their nation and an end to foreign interference.
The late Eddie Conway was a young member of the Black Panther Party who was framed for the killing of a police officer and spent more than 40 years in jail. His experience as a political…
The people of Peru continue to protest the coup which ousted President Pedro Castillo Terrones. The 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine is a discredited relic, but Washington still considers the…
The perfect storm of austerity policies and US imperialism sends billions of dollars to Ukraine but ends pandemic era emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
