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

pump the brakes
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
04 May 2022
🖨️ Print Article
pump the brakes

                                                                                     “He's a real nowhere man

                                                                                          in his nowhere land 

                                                                               Making all his nowhere plans…”

                                                                             —John Lennon / Paul McCartney

 

He slices/dices street heat from fiery

formulations he finds awkward. He froze on

Ferguson and Flint. And Arab Spring wasn’t his

thing. He wasn’t high on Occupy. George Floyd

Summer was a bummer. He cursed Striketober

when he was sober…

“shift:” To hell with Harlemites fighting to re

name a confederate-christened school after one

of their own

“option:” He tells Star-bucked baristas—sick and

tired of being sick and tired—and Amazon workers

Organizing on Staten Island: His wise words are in

dispensable:

“Slow down—lemme catch up—And lead you, fools!”

“caps lock:” Wagging his finger he moves the masses

in Manilla, Managua, Minneapolis, Gaza off

struggles for democracy costing years, ribs, eyeballs,

teeth and

Lives…

American. Wants it all. Now. Like his coffee, like his

croissant. He clicks socialist—communist—revolution!

“control:” He establishes ‘air superiority;’ ‘no fly zones;’ puts ‘boots,

on the ground.’ Screaming missiles; exploding bombs; smells of fear

unwashed for weeks; unburied bodies are canceled by sizzling bacon

and eggs and steaming espresso… In harm’s way—17” screen—he

practices palace anti-imperialism; Colorizing revolutionary mass

movements; Arguing force fully for Nationalist International

strongmen get out of The Hague cards. He knows which smart bombs

work best for backwards bus drivers, janitors, truckers, teachers,

warehouse workers without agency.

“command:” He hasn’t marched since the president began every

sentence with “Well…” fired striking air traffic controllers and

claimed Contras were Freedom Fighters. He felt the Bern—twice.

Hopping mad—chaffing—he chastised those whose pants weren’t

similarly on fire.

“return:” Just saw him again—off command and control—for a

New York minute—swapping blue light for sunlight; and monitor

screen for sunscreen

“esc:” Omniscience in fact… he’d held Sugar Hill high ground…

Supermarket or pharmacy, I see him once every other year;

Still wondering if he can

Organize himself and other two-time losers for lunch without the

same arguments Dylan heard when he hit The City? Organize

Uber rides crosstown without he and comrades splitting fifteen

times along the way—and unity DOA?

Can he dial down meds, locate a coffee shop, deli or diner; sit a

few hours with

Competitors…ORGANIZE—just ONE—unitary, militant Mayday

March of millions in Manhattan—or 12-step off; Admit his power

lessness; and

Pump the brakes on tonight’s post for proletarian revolution? ©

Former forklift driver/warehouse worker/janitor, Raymond Nat Turner is a NYC poet;

BAR's Poet-in-Residence; and founder/co-leader of the jazz-poetry ensemble UpSurge!NYC.

You can Vote for his work at: GoFundMe PayPal: paypal.me/towncrierRNT

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 Agenda Radio
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio April 5, 2024
    05 Apr 2024
    This week, BAR's poet-in-residence discusses his work, we learn why Bill Clinton, the CIA director and Tony Blair recently visited Guyana. First, the Black vote and election year politics in Michigan.
  • Map of Michigan
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    The Black Vote and Swing State Michigan in 2024
    05 Apr 2024
    Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of Pan-African News Wire joins to discuss Michigan's Black voters, the Abandon Biden campaign, and the prospects for the swing state in the 2024 presidential election.
  • Raymond Nat Turner
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Raymond Nat Turner, Upsurge NYC and Black Agenda Report
    05 Apr 2024
    BAR Poet-in-Residence, Raymond Nat Turner, joins us from New York City to talk about his work and an upcoming performance with his group, Upsurge New York City.
  • Organization for the Victory of the People in Guyana
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Guyana is an Imperialist Target
    05 Apr 2024
    Gerald Perreira of Organization for the Victory of the People in Guyana joins us to discuss the long running territorial dispute with neighboring Venezuela and the increasing activity of U.S. in the…
  • Destruction of Al Shifa hospital
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Israel and the U.S. are Gangster States
    03 Apr 2024
    Any sign of even tiny opposition is enough to send Israel into a frenzy of bloodletting. Hospital attacks, murders of aid workers, violations of the sovereignty of embassies, are all par for the…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us