If you lived through the 80s in the Bronx, then you know exactly what I’m talkin bout here.
You’ll also know that Word of Mouth’s KING KUT is the best soundtrack to go with the poem.
Word.
Ode to Government Cheese
[Poem was here, can now be found at The Rumpus.]
No backstory here as I’m really trying to get to 30 poems this month.
Portrait of Ray-Jay as Atlas
[Poem was here.]
Good commentary going on over at Bryant Terry’s twitter feed. It’s always tough when folks can’t get over an artist’s political leanings and even worse when folks want their artist to exist as blank political slate so they don’t have to disagree with em. All I know is I like authors to be real people with real opinions and if I agree with their politics-cool. If I don’t agree with their politics, then I have to think twice about buying their books. If the author claims to have no political leanings at all, then I really don’t want their books.
You don’t need to sign-up for Twitter to get to know Bryant Terry’s politics. Just read a few recipes from his excellent book, Vegan Soul Kitchen, and you’ll get great insight into fair food practices, find where culture and the kitchen meet, and (score!) yummy recipes that take advantage of local produce and get folks to spend some time in the kitchen.
Here’s today’s poem and sound track follows:
Politics at the Dinner Table
[Poem was here.]
Been trying to write this one for a while. In case you’re wondering, I am NOT Lil O. During my writing last summer I came up with three characters who were coming through my stories, one of them is Omar and that’s where the name comes from. On the flip side, I have never actually been a b-boy and that’s the piece of me that is true in this poem. Not that truth is any kind of prerequisite for a poem.
Soundtrack is embedded below.
Lil O Will Never Be A B-Boy
[Poem was here.]
Damn, Gov Brewer. What da hell happened? Who got it in your head that this would be a good idea?
Too many questions and too much anger and you best believe it’s going to get hotter in AZ before it’s all said and done.
The soundtrack for this song is a bit of departure but works for me.
By the Time I Get to Arizona
[Poem was here, now posted at Facebook’s Poets Responding to SB 1070 and in La Bloga’s On-Line Floricanto.]
