(Don’t) “Say his name!”

Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence

24 Sep 2025

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(Don’t) “Say his name!” Keep his name outta your mouths—
Unless, you too would redact rights of some … Snuff out freedoms of
‘Others,’ like cigarette butts beneath jackboot heels, becoming son of God.

(Don’t) “Say his name!” Keep his name outta your mouths—
Unless high priests place wafers on your tongues and
Grant you grape juice permission to wash them down.

(Don’t) “Say his name!” Keep his name outta your mouths—
Unless you too are lionized. Unless you, too, are about to be
Beatified. Canonized — or, at least — elevated to sainthood.

(Don’t) “Say his name!” Unless you ‘bout to be meme-coined.
Unless you ‘bout to replace Indian-killer Andrew Jackson on twenty
Dollar bills. ‘Less your bust goin’ in Statuary Hall on Capitalist Hill.

(Don’t) “Say his name!” Keep his name outta your mouths—
Unless you want work drying up, like triple-digit Death Valley
Days, during the hottest year yet …

(Don’t) “Say his name!” Unless you want your job to go poof!
Unless you want your diploma disappearing like candy coins in
Children’s magic tricks — bammo — presto!

Say, “Jeffery Epstein! Jeffery Epstein! Jeffery Epstein!” instead.
Repeat it. Over and over. Until sound vibrations of this two-name mantra
Become powerful enough to awaken our long slumbering lust for justice.

Raymond Nat Turner is a NYC poet, BAR's Poet-in-Residence, and founder/co-leader of the jazz-poetry ensemble UpSurge!NYC. You can vote for his work at GoFundMe and PayPal.

state repression

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