by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
Our poet in residence reflects upon the unique
and innovative skillsets deployed by those who
allegedly take their own lives in police custody
Mississippi stuntmen
by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
THANKS
to
Nina
Everybody knows about
Mississippi goddamn, Mississippi goddamn!”
But who knew about Mississippi stuntmen?
Hey Hollywood, get hip, headhunt,
Hire stunt men from Mississippi jails,
Recruit from backseats of Arkansas
police cruisers, Boy Scout, Eagle Scout-
like men, prepared to off themselves—
wizards using everyday objects; hanging them-
selves
with
dental
floss
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, men with sick skill-
sets, leaping up in jail cells, NBA hops and hang-
time
men making Michael Jordan, Dr. J, LeBron look like
weekend-warrior/couch potatoes, defying physics,
gravity, logic, performing impossible physical feats!
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, superb actors, too—
acting normal, hiding severe depression, recurring
suicidal thoughts, until the scene shifts behind bars
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, made for mysteries,
thrillers, whodunits, horror flicks; Masters of the
suicide scene, hanging themselves with anything
on the set—gaffers tape, super hero’s cape, head-
phones, chicken bones, eagle feathers, trailer tethers—
Garbage bag geniuses!
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, …”everybody knows about
Mississippi goddamn,” but who knew about Mississippi
stuntmen? David Copperfields in orange jumpsuits making
Handguns appear out of thin air, making dash-cam video dis-
appear!
Hey Hollywood, get hip, headhunt,
Hire Mississippi stuntmen, one take wonders
who’ll bring your blockbuster in under budget!
Independent contractors in right to work states
of mind: No pensions, 401ks, no social security,
no
Insurance.
Mississippi stuntmen travel and teach in Texas,
Arkansas, in fact, all over the U.S…. Up south,
Down
south,
Out
south,
Anywhere south of the Canadian Border!
Mississippi stuntmen come certified by CWS:
Crackkkers With Stars!
Raymond Nat Turner © 2015 All Rights Reserved
"United Nations Negroz" is the latest poem from our Poet-in-Residence, Raymond Nat Turner.
From the moment the first colonizers arrived in the Caribbean, the West has treated the region as a treasure chest for resource extraction and labor exploitation.
The state uses tactics such as medical neglect, to slowly assassinate political prisoners like Mumia Abu-Jamal.
It is prudent for Black people to join in coalition with the Arab and Muslim people collectively refusing to support President Biden and connect the struggle for Palestinian liberation to the…
From the decline of the triangular trade to the rapacious extraction of mineral resources and labor exploitation, Africans have organized and revolted against western domination.
