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When I Grow Up…
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
10 Jan 2024
Ralph Poynter
Ralph Poynter speaking at a rally for political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.

When I Grow Up…

When I grow up I
wanna be bear hugs
and hundred watt smiles
for family, comrades and friends—
Easy to figure
out: Come correct—
Or, not at all

When I grow up I
wanna be like the
Keystone State son of
a steel worker,
in major—music theory—
Teaching poly-rhythmic
Resistance and asking:
“How do you keep the music playing,
How do you make it last???”

When I grow up I
wanna be like the
Quaker State son of
a steel worker,
in major—allowing
Resistance and the
Organizer in 
his DNA to 
Lead the way, saying
Names of Political 
Prisoners, Prisoners of War…

When I grow up I
wanna be like the 
Warrior jousting 
windmills in front of the
War House. Picketing
for the Love of his
Life—rain, sleet, snow—
Or sauna. Showing,
Not telling, the rulers,
“Let my Peoples’ Lawyer go!” 
Ain’t that lovin’ you, baby?

When I grow up I
wanna be like the cat
not above crashing 
in airports, to
Visit his Valentine
shackled to the 17th century—
Deep in the heart of
a Texas torture chamber

When I grow up I
wanna be a spirit
singing,“Lonely teardrops,
My pillow’s never dry…
Lonely teardrops, come
Ho-oh-oh-oh-Om…”

When I grow up I
wanna be like the knight
in whose eyes glint
Her name writ red in flames…

Poet’s note: Inspired by the life of Ralph Poynter …
 

© 2017. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

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: GoFundMeand PayPal.

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