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

I’m just a patsy; Don’t let me be patsy…
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
29 Mar 2017
🖨️ Print Article

by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner

Some are called for the job, while others are chosen. Some folks practice and study and audition, while others stumble into it blindly. Some are coerced and some more are prepped and primed and meticulously prepared for their few minutes of infamy...

I’m just a patsy; Don’t let me be patsy…

by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner

by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner

Some are called for the job, some others are chosen. Some folks study and auditiion, while others stumble into it blindly. Some are prepped anbd primed and meticulously prepared....

’m just a patsy; Don’t let me be patsy…

by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner

yes,
I
Plunged the
black blade 18”
into his brown back
repeatedly
and saw scarlet geysers spurt
familiarly

yes,
I
Traveled north to NYC
to kill black men

yes,
I
Hung with Hitlerites
in Germany
and learned to
Heil

yes,
I
Hunted rag-heads,
camel jockeys,
sand-niggers
in Afghanistan for
salary—
serving two tours
warring on terror
Perfecting
cold-blooded craft

yes,
I
was
broken
down
like legos
and built up like
an Aryan Supreme
erector set in boot camp,

yes,
I
could’ve
Killed
a bunch of
black men in
Uniform—or in
Baltimore—
had I roots there
but
I’m
just a
Patsy—
guinea pig—
like the Baltimore black boy who
Killed 2 Brooklyn cops
when Black Lives Matter
Marches
scorched streets, 170 cities

I
remember
where
Fort Detrick is
in Maryland,
but
I
have no idea
how
Neurotransmitters work;
how
Psychotropic drugs
Alter moods and
Change consciousness,

I
sought
Help
dealing with demons—
but
Demons
found funding for
dealing with me—
I’m
just a
Patsy,
don’t let me be a patsy:
Making Amerikkka great…,

Raymond Nat Turner © 2017 All Rights Reserved
Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performing artist.
Find much more of his work at Http://upsurgejazz.com

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


More Stories


  • BAR Radio
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio November 6, 2026
    06 Nov 2026
    In this week’s segment, we hear about the Southern Human Rights Organizers' Conference (SHROC), which will be held in Jackson, Mississippi, in December. But we begin with an analysis of the Michigan…
  • Abdul al Sayed
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Abdul El-Sayed's Senate Victory in Michigan
    06 Nov 2026
    Abayomi Azikiwe is editor of the Pan-African Newswire and a Detroit-based activist. Abdul El-Sayed won his election and will represent Michigan as a United States senator. He defied the Democratic…
  • SHROC logo
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Southern Human Rights Organizers' Conference
    06 Nov 2026
    Jaribu Hill is the executive director of the Mississippi Workers Center for Human Rights in Greenville, Mississippi. She joins us from Greenville to discuss the upcoming Southern Human Rights…
  • Jamarl Thomas and Jemima Pierre
    Jemima Pierre, BAR Editor and Contributor , Jamarl Thomas
    The Truth About Haiti's "Gangs" --US Guns. UN Troops. Blackwater Drones | Dr. Jemima Pierre
    04 Nov 2026
    Jemima Pierre joined Jamarl Thomas to discuss the ongoing occupation of Haiti, deaths at the hands of Eric Prince's mercenaries, El Salvador's intervention at the behest of the U.S., and the…
  • Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    U.S. Plans for An Attack on Iran
    04 Nov 2026
    Public opposition to war with Iran has forced Trump to wait until after the midterm elections to commit more war crimes. But all signs point to an imminent attack.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us