by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
in which our poet compares the connection between needed undertakings on the part of each according to her ability unto each according to her need to some other undertakings bearing the same name....
“Operation”
by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner
I hear the Dr.—
the healer—speaking
fractured eye sockets,
shattered skulls,
ruptured bladders—
tubes in throats
singing silently
of blunt force
My snare tightens—
beating about blessings the
children and I were granted
I hear the Dr.—
the healer—speaking of
Bronx boulders, deadly detours,
tragic odysseys, then seven years
good luck, studying in Cuba!
For the umpteenth time I wonder
what life would’ve looked like had
the boulders not blocked my
Brother’s path to pinstripes?
She speaks passionately
about bedside manner, care,
Healing—thankfully—not a
whisper of ‘insurance’ or
‘coverage…’
Her passion echoes my Mom’s—
wearing out phones;
Marching shoe heels off,
Fighting for—founding her
Community’s hospital and
Medical School—
room temperature tears
crescendo down my cheeks,
flooding Memory Lane…
I’m imagining magic of Mom’s hand:
peppery greens, golden cornbread,
turnips, beets, pinto beans,
crispy fried chicken, or meatloaf,
peach cobbler, or sweet potato pie—
seven courses for every year the
Dr. studied medicine in Spanish;
I’m watching them clear the table—
Launching into ‘hows,’ for
Serving
The People—even better!
Seconds later—another program
Is on—and I
hear its Dr.—
of night vision goggles, air support,
blast radius, speak ‘theaters,’ for
an
‘Operation’
To ‘retake’ Mosul…
Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performance artist, and our poet in residence at Black Agenda Report. Find more of his work at http://www.upsurgejazz.com.
BAR executive Editor, Margaret Kimberley, and Garland Nixon join Danny Haiphong to break down Israel's devastating pager attack on Lebanon and what it means for the possible outbreak of war after…
In this week’s segment, we learn about Aurora, Colorado, where a landlord used right-wing media to create a story of a non-existent gang crisis just as he was ordered to court to address violations…
Dr. Butch Ware joins us from Santa Barbara to discuss the Green Party’s campaign, why it is under a sustained attack by Democrats, and what that means for black voters.
D. Musa Springer joins us to discuss reports that Venezuelan gangs have taken over apartment buildings in Aurora, Colorado, and the reality, that a landlord used right-wing media falsehoods to cover…
Haitians are unforgiven for waging a successful Black revolution. Racism follows wherever they go, even in a state like Ohio, which is in need of a labor force and a larger population. Of course,…
