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
  • omnibus

My Wise Country Cousin on The State Machine’s Machinegun-Totin’ Cops… 
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
01 Jan 1970
🖨️ Print Article

My Wise Country Cousin on The State Machine’s Machinegun-Totin’ Cops… 

by BAR poet-in-residence Raymond Nat Turner

Look lak de Daltuns, Youngas an ol’ James gangs

Is resirrecit, an’ up ridin’ again, doin’ dey thangs—

Bowdin’ de D train wit machinegun-totin’ police

Dey needin’ dat firepower fo’ “keepin’ de peace?”

‘Less Al Kater on de A, Boocoo Harome on de B

Dem damn machineguns make no sense, to me…

‘Less Eyesool on de C, an’ Eyesis down on de D

Dem damn machineguns make no sense, to me…

Dey got Glocks, pumps, tasirs, peppurspray, vess—

White magik fo’ conjurin’ cases ob “resisin’ aress!”

Dey shoutin’ night an’ day‘bout Eyesool and Eyesis

Coverin’ up de fac dey sistum’s tremblin’ wit crisis:

Workin’ folk tired ob takeaways an’ myzerly charity

Caint take much mo’ ob dese heists called awesterity—

Son, I tolt you once, tolt you twice, dis makes thrice

Dis a police state Negroz an’ liberuls call ‘paradice!’

Dey got C-Is, Demografick Units an Mosk Crawlers,

Ebben mens among trash hallers, an’ cable installers…

Now, it lookin’ lak to me dat Bloody Billy Bratton

Is bringin’ dat ol’ SS mess up here in Manhattun…

Sho lookin’ lak what de youngtaz be callin’ po-po

Is jes de Furor’s ol’ gang ob thugs de Gustop-po—

Well, so much fo’ hare-splittin,’ ackademik debate,

It pas’ time fo’ callin’ dis muthafucka a police state!

Raymond Nat Turner can be contacted at Raymond (at) upsurgejazz.com
Raymond Nat Turner © 2105 All Rights Reserved

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


More Stories


  • Black Alliance for Peace Africa Team
    The Black Alliance for Peace Stands Unequivocally Behind Kenya’s Youth Upholding Resistance Against U.S. Puppet State Imperialism and Neo-Liberalism
    16 Jul 2025
    Kenya's Gen Z uprising is met with live bullets and a US-funded police crackdown. The brutal repression exposes the reality of neocolonialism, where Western 'aid' arms murderous regimes and IMF…
  • Palestine Chronicle Staff
    92 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Strikes on Gaza, Including Scores in Gaza City
    16 Jul 2025
    Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, Director of Field Hospitals at the Ministry of Health in Gaza, warned that nearly half, 47%, of essential medicines are now completely depleted.
  • Raïs Neza Boneza
    Through an African Lens: The Israel-Iran Conflict and a Call for Peace
    16 Jul 2025
    Western cameras frame this as Israel vs. Iran—but African analysts see through the script: another case of ‘rules for thee, not for me’ in a system built to punish the Global South.
  • Aja Arnold
    From the Atlanta Race Massacre to Cop City: The AJC Incites Harm
    16 Jul 2025
    The Atlanta Journal-Constitution never stopped printing racist lies—it just upgraded its fonts.
  • Ramzy Baroud
    The corporate giants fueling Israel’s war machine
    16 Jul 2025
    Francesca Albanese’s new UN report doesn’t just document genocide, it indicts the corporate machine profiting from Palestinian blood.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us