August 25, 2019Dale ShieldsPoetryComments Off on Guitar play me fine by Mary Seymour
Movement impulse feeling in the hands.
old|young|tired|handsmusicguitar talks
don’t need to play just close my eyes and
fingers flyclose my eyes play this play
that see I don’t’ play guitar
guitar plays
me fine! Fine.
Guitar play me finemusic just come don’t know how.
Music just comejust close my eyes and fingers flyjust close my eyes and fingers flysmilin’, rocin’ and clapp’n in time see fingers fly starts to sings a new song close my eyessinging this time.
words just come don’t know how words just come don’t care howguitar say slow, guitar say goguitar plays me Fine! Fine!
guitar plays me Fine! Fine! Fine!
MARY SEYMOUR All rights reserved (c) Mary Seymour – [Iforcolor.org] NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED
July 24, 2019Dale ShieldsPoetryComments Off on I LIKE – I HATE by Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry singing. Photograph by Molly Malone Cook, circa 1957-1958.
I LIKE
Mahalia Jackson’s music My husband — most of the time dressed up being admired for my looks Dorothy Secules eyes Dorothy Secules Shakespeare Having an appetite Slacks My homosexuality Being alone Eartha Kitt’s looks Eartha Kitt That first drink of Scotch To feel like working The little boy in “400 Blows” The way I look Certain flowers The way Dorothy Talks Older Women Miranda D’Corona’s accent Charming women And/or intelligent women
I HATE
Being asked to speak Speaking getting Too much mail My loneliness My homosexuality Stupidity Most television programs What has happened to Sidney Poitier Racism People who defend it Seeing my picture Reading my interviews Jean Genet’s plays
Jean Paul Sartre’s writing Not being able to work Death Pain Cramps Being hung over Silly women As silly men David Suskind’s pretensions Sneaky love affairs.
Lorraine Hansberry, 1959. Photograph by David Attie. (National Portrait Gallery)
I listened as they called my President a Muslim. I listened as they called him and his family a pack of monkeys.
I listened as they said he wasn’t born here. I watched as they blocked every single path to progress that they could.
I saw the pictures of him as Hitler. I watched them shut down the government and hurt the entire nation twice. I watched them turn their backs on every opportunity to open worthwhile dialog. I watched them say that they would not even listen to any choice for Supreme Court no matter who the nominee was.
I listened as they openly said that they will oppose him at every turn. I watched as they did just that. I listened. I watched. I paid attention.
Now, I’m being called on to be tolerant. To move forward. To denounce protesters. To “Get over it.” To accept this…
{Author Unknown}
*
“Let’s all take a moment to remember those Presidents who carried out their duties even when water fell from the sky.”
“You Matter. You Count.” – President Barack Obama walks with mentees on the South Lawn of the White House, Oct. 14, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Once upon a time, not so very long ago,They hung us up in trees so that they could have a show.
It was a celebration, they brought children and food, They called it “pick a nigger” and said that it was good. They taught their children hatred and they nurtured the hate, They told them “It’s the way to live”, and now it’s too late. They grew up hating Blacks and all minorities,But they knew they could no longer hang us from the trees.
Cause along came Civil Rights and they had to lay low for a time because they couldn’t let their true feelings show. And so the years went by until they came up with a plan, And nation-wide they formed the biggest organized gang. They talked it over briefly said, “We know what we’ll do, Put badges on our chests and wear uniforms of blue.
We’ll take an oath that says that we’ll protect and we’ll serve, That’ll give us back our power, that’ll give us back our nerve.”So now it’s open season on us once again, They’re shooting, beating, choking every Black that they can. Doesn’t matter if we’re walking, driving, waiting on a train,Or shopping in a store, the results are still the same.
The courts are full of bullshit we see it every day, When a cop is brought before them, they just let ‘em walk away. They slaughter us daily like they slaughter a lamb, The system is a joke and justice is a sham. The situation’s bad and it will only get worse, If nothing’s done to stop it, it’s like living a curse. We’ve got to come together, bring this all to an end, Do something that will keep them from killing our men. They’re killing up our children, let’s remember that too,Anyone’s fair game, it could be me it could be you.
They’re killing all our brothers, husbands, fathers and sons, They’ve traded in their ropes, now they lynch us with their guns.
THEY’VE TRADED IN THEIR ROPES, NOW THEY LYNCH US WITH THEIR GUNS!
THEY’VE TRADED IN THEIR ROPES,
NOW THEY LYNCH US WITH THEIR GUNS!
STOP !!!!
(c) Eva Withers-Evans 2019
NO COPYRIGHT INFRIDGEMENT INTENDED
Eva Withers-Evans is an accomplished actress and arts educator who has performed and taught in the Cleveland area for many years. As an actress, she has been seen in a number of productions at Karamu Performing Arts Theater including, “Jar the Floor,” the female version of the “Odd Couple,” and the premier of “Johnny Taylor’s Gone,” among other well-known plays. Eva was also a member of Karamu’s Theater Outreach Performance Series (T.O.P.S.) for four years. She has appeared in a number of Ensemble Theater productions including, “The Kentucky Cycle” and “The Rabbit’s Foot. ” As an arts educator, Eva has worked with Young Audiences of Cleveland where she has played the roles of Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks. She has also taught drama in the East Cleveland School District, and worked on a distance learning project with the Cleveland School of Music. Currently Eva is a member of “Women of Season,” a group of women who dramatize the spoken word. Eva is always happiest when she is performing.
May 21, 2019adminPoetryComments Off on Let the Winds of Change Push You Sweetly Into Yourself
LET THE WINDS OF CHANGE PUSH YOU SWEETLY INTO YOURSELF
by Arthur T. Wilson
Let the winds of change push you sweetly into yourself not remaking yourself, but discovering yourself anew, unbowed,
the self already present without panic or judgments turned askew against you let the winds of change embrace your heart to protect you from further bellowing maelstroms of someone else’s effete and desperate lies cradle your inner voice fiercely and remember early flesh seedling times when your own mother said to you, “nothing is ever impossible to overcome,
The devil is a liar, and God reigns in you” Let the winds of change Remove your soul’s alarm from any free lading fear
Until your tears only gush to celebrate change Like warm spring rains giving wisdom briefings to a new season of roots pushing to reawaken let the winds of change push you sweetly into yourself, for in our world of willful complacency social justice still needs a bold trumpeter, a home, a voice, a warrior a steadfast uncompromising love, where the winds of change push us all into loud uncontested prayers and action to feed out children a history worth living under star gaze moon, or rising sun.
