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


  • Open Veins of Africa Bleeding Heavily
    Ndongo Samba Sylla , Jomo Kwame Sundaram
    Open Veins of Africa Bleeding Heavily
    07 Dec 2022
    African nations are rich in resources yet remain impoverished due to onerous IMF and World Bank loan policies and capital flight.
  • Unjust Measures Imposed on Labor and African Americans After Midterm Elections
    Abayomi Azikiwe
    Unjust Measures Imposed on Labor and African Americans After Midterm Elections
    07 Dec 2022
    The Biden administration and congress forced railroad workers to accept a contract without paid sick leave and Jackson, Mississippi residents face an administration consent decree on water…
  • Black Alliance for Peace Stands in Solidarity with the People of Haiti and Haitian Migrants Against Racist Harassment and Mass Deportations in the Dominican Republic
    Black Alliance for Peace Haiti/Americas Team
    Black Alliance for Peace Stands in Solidarity with the People of Haiti and Haitian Migrants Against Racist Harassment and Mass Deportations in the Dominican Republic
    07 Dec 2022
    The Black Alliance for Peace again brings attention to the Dominican Republic's human rights violations against Haitians and Haitian descended Dominicans.
  • Merkel Reveals West’s Duplicity
    Scott Ritter
    Merkel Reveals West’s Duplicity
    07 Dec 2022
    Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted that the collective west never had any intention of honest dealings with Russia. This "war of choice" was not provoked by Russia.
  • Afghanistan News Update #15
    Black Alliance For Peace
    Afghanistan News Update #15
    07 Dec 2022
    The U.S. continues its theft of Afghanistan's assets, and the people there continue to suffer. 
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us