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

Buzzed In By Lewis
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
01 Feb 2018
🖨️ Print Article

5 in the morning, ‘The Lewis Sawyer Experience’
early morning Boys Club in Papa Sawyer’s Cave:
My lick for Lewis, “Lewis Sawyer, is my lawyer—”
his classic chuckle-comeback, “Well, you’re in bad shape then!”
Poets and last words, “Well, David McBurney is my attorney…”
But Lewis was a bullhorn, shouting names of our Political Prisoners,
Prisoners Of War, languishing forgotten in gulags across imprisoned
nation. He put 59,000 watts beneath their wings,without fanfare—
While reminding us: we’re just in Minimum Security…

Being buzzed in to the Mother Ship by Lewis
felt safe, welcome—presence appreciated—in
Good hands, a trillion times more reliable than Allstate
Lewis was the first face I’d see at the station—
unerring source for five-star information

Warmth was his uniform; his smile his badge,
reflecting respect back like a mirror from the
Mountaintop: all the authority a badass Angel,
sweet scientist, who could handle ‘situations…’
Required; I emerged from ‘Lewis Sawyer Experiences’
with double shot expresso optimism

A modest, minimalist, Monk life-stylist—
Count Basie of Kindness—
Not a whole lot of notes there
but his voicings sung and swung;
Duke Ellington of Passion:
Things he loved, he loved madly—
speaking of love—Lewis was LOVE
Not a mushy, gushy, sentimental bubblegum LOVE
But, an I believe in you, when no one else believes LOVE
I honor your light, anything I can do to amplify it LOVE
As you stand on stage, I’ll sit in the audience LOVE
Anything you need early in the morning LOVE
Release your worry beads, I got your back LOVE
Harness your hardships, “too big to fail” LOVE

Let’s suppose that place
preachers speak of Sundays
Exists; suppose I make the cut—
I bet Lewis will be there buzzing me in… Lewis Sawyer:
Presente!

poetry

More Stories


  • Gerald Horne
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Dr. Gerald Horne Discusses the Crises of Imperialism
    22 Mar 2024
    Dr. Gerald Horne joins us to discuss US/Israeli policy driving the war crimes and genocide in Gaza. We also discuss the U.S. proxy war in Ukraine and other international issues.
  • Proposition F
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    San Francisco Criminalized Poverty
    22 Mar 2024
    Jemma Decristo joins us to discuss the passage of Proposition F in San Francisco and the criminalization of poverty and drug use.
  • Jemima
    Jemima Pierre, BAR Editor and Contributor
    2024 REVOLUTION In Haiti Against US Empire! The Full (Hi)Story Of The Uprising | Prof. Jemima Pierre
    20 Mar 2024
    Haiti has been the "laboratory of neo-colonialism" since at least 1915. At the moment, Haitians are again revolting and striving to shake off the yoke of European and American oppressors. Listen to…
  • Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    TikTok and Israel
    20 Mar 2024
    The TikTok social media platform is an indicator of U.S. imperialist angst and an incentive for greed. First China was a political target and now Zionists are on the attack in an effort to suppress…
  • Map of the Caribbean
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    ESSAY: Destabilization in the Caribbean: An Overview, Samori Marksman, 1980
    20 Mar 2024
    Legendary Pan-Africanist and Marxist journalist, Samori Marksman provides a powerful archive of the scale and scope of nefarious US actions in the Caribbean region. 
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us