poetic caffeine- Java Monkey Speaks

Wow. I just got in from the Java Monkey Speak Open mic. It is hosted by a cool old cat by the name of Kodac Harrison. I hung out with Theresa and the crew from Art Amok. It was probably the most diverse venue I have been to- gender, sexual orientation, education, race, age and poetic style...but all connected by the love of poetry. I was inspired...about twenty poets read. The pieces ranged from incest, to Prince having the answer to the world's problems. I ran into some old friends and made some new ones- Cocktails, Stefen, Jewel, Rochelle, FUN, Icon, Koffee, Brain Patillo, the two young sisters from Clark...that said they loved my work (for some reason I was feeling 2 brothers- I was nervous as hell). I got about six ideas for poems that I will explore tomorrow. I am fading a little...I'm going to crash...but I will continue with this tomorrow...by the way- Neo Soul...there is no place like home...

a funny thing happen 2 me on my way to the ATL

as you would have guessed. I flew out of Austin...then to Houston...and on to Atlanta. Fate would have it that my seatmate from Austin to Houston wanted to talk... a lot. He was about 81 years old...hands worn...white...frail (but looks are deceiving)...but there was something about his eyes. He had a twinkle an unmistakeable...brightness that said I am alive... It turns out that he was an author...working on his 14th book. He graduated from A&M...in the 40's. The first thing he said was that it was back in the "bad" old days. Sidebar: I had a coworker years ago, Clayton Clabaugh, ultra conservative yuppie. He was on the cusp of accepting the real meaning of Christ (you know love your neighbor type stuff)but I digress. I remember one day Clayton and I were having one of our many philosophical discussions...and said " we have a lot of problems today with our families...I wish we could get back to the values of the 50's" and told Clayton...those wonderful values you are extolling (I probably didn't use the word extolling...but anyway)included the Klan, segrgation, lynching, under employment, etc... if those values were in place right now...you and I would not be having this conversation...he thought about it for a second and said "I still think it is better than what we have now"...I still haven't responded to that (its been nearly 17 years). I say this all to put in to context Brad's comment- the "bad" old days. He went on to tell me that he now spends his time lecturing on cruise ships. In fact he had just come off a 3 month cruise...Pacific rim...and he was on his way to catch another three week cruise. He smiled and said...they make me do three two hour lectures...a week...life is tough...but someone has to do it. Now here is the kicker...the book that he does the lecture on is what he refers to as a lark...a book he wrote in two weeks about poker. Moral to this story when you least expect it...finish your poems. He left me with this sage advice...so you are going to write this trip off...as you work on your book. Have fun in Atlanta...good luck. Gotta run...

From the ATX to the ATL- Andre...the poet

I made it to the ATL. Got my pen, my journal, and my laptop...I'm ready to do some damage. I am staying at the Baymont Hotel...downtown Atlanta. I had a chance to walk around the city a little...and wouldn't you know it. I ran into a poet. A 40-45 year old homeless brother by the name of Andre (but he said I could call him dre'). We made eye contact...I acknowleded him...I sat down to hear what he had to say. So this is what he told me..."I was born in Atlanta...but raised in Ohio. Where you from" I'm from Texas, Austin..."really I was in Texas a little while...stationed in (you guessed it) Killeen. Is it still hot"...yea..."I don't miss the heat...but the ladies...they were nice. Me and my boy...what was his name...all I remember was he was from New Jersey. We started a side business...male dancing (the Army didn't like that)...at a club called New York New York" (I need my hoodie who's to confirm this fact). What you doing in Atlanta? I told him I was a poet in town looking for inspiration...so he setout to inspire me...kicked a piece off book that would have received no less than two rewinds...I smiled...knowing that I was meant to be here at this moment. He pointed me in the direction of the ATL's version of the Chronicle- Atlanta Creative Loafing...Got the listing for concerts and poetry events. So I am on the path...

...after I finish this post...I am getting on the keyboard to write the intro to each of the sections in my new collection of poetry; Scriptures of Manhood.

...Tomorrow...I am doing a little football...Vikes vs the cow girls. Going to hit the park or starbucks...to write some ....get dress and head out to Java Monkey Speaks in Decatur- try to hook up with Jon Goode and company

...and then Monday ...I have to flip a coin...I'll tell you what the choices are tomorrow... holla

Another New Piece- I Sing U

remember when i was your music…that steady beat…in perfect synch with your heart
your friday night hip hop, your saturday evening old school and your sunday morning praise…see i worshipped you…cause we were always on each others lips

remember when every love song was our song…when dj’s would spin glimpses of you, i and forever….we were like harmony…for each other…i brought the base…and you were my lead… cause i would follow you anywhere…even here

remember the first song we ever wrote…that late night collaboration…unrehearsed…uninhibited…just pure inspiration…reincarnating the birth of jazz…baby

i do…. remember the sound of your touch singing hope into my life…
i remember you headlining sold out concerts for one and encores going late into the night…
i remember our music…humming it like memories…and now…i sing you…at stop lights, and in showers…and
i swear i hear you in bend of sandbloom’s wrist, in wedding songs, and gangsta rap samplings of luther, stevie…
And i wonder
do you remember…when my heartstrings were custom fit to your touch…when i was the only song in your rotation…how i wish you would press rewind…so i could hear us once again…please…i’m listening…for us

New Piece- OJ vs Osama Bin Laden

In a recent poll published by Newsweek Magazine
The question was posed
Who do you believe deserves to be in jail the most, Osama Bin Laden or Oj Simpson?

And guess who received the most votes by nearly three to one….
That rights America’s new favorite piss boy …the Juice
Now the truth is there was no such poll taken
I made it up…
to prove the point that it is not too farfetched of a notion for you and I to believe that an African American man found innocent in a criminal court of law for killing two white people…is more hated and reviled in America than a Saudian Arabian man who leads an international terrorist group that has admitted on tape, over and over again to masterminding the killing more than 2,618 americans more than 75% white.

When oj shows up on the news golfing, eating or stealing his shit back…it usually followed with immediate cries for his head…OJ need to go somewhere…people are genuinely pissed off at the mere sight of OJ.
As compared to when bin laden sends out another tape saying he hates Americans and will be coming to kill us soon…no immediate out cry… no anger…but genuine curiosity…is the tape authentic….is his beard longer….do think they will raise the threat level to orange…

and no matter how you feel about OJ…about what he did or what he got away with…there is something very wrong with this picture…
it has gotten to the point that OJ has come to symbolize everything that is wrong with our society, our justice system….
You would think that before oj there was no such thing as a miscarriage of justice…that no ever got away with…or was falsely accused of murder like the Scottsboro nine, the four little girls, Kenneth Foster, and Willie Bennet and my list could on but hey if it makes you sleep better at night knowing that no matter what the crime is we always know that oj did it…its like oj is the new white boogey man, the cutty black sow, the colored chuchacbra…that maternal threat that is whispered to little children right before they drift off to sleep if you are not good oj’s going get you …sleep tight

I won’t be surprised if in this upcoming campaign cycle that the republican and democratic parties adopt the “OJ did it” platform….I can just hear it now in the 2008 presidential debate so Senator Obama…former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan…stated the following If the pernicious drift toward fiscal instability in the United States and elsewhere is not arrested and is compounded by a protectionist reversal of globalization, the adjustment process could be quite painful for the world economy. " what do you think Greenspan was trying to tell us… well its obvious given the context of his statement …just a cursory review of the key leading indicators ….tells you that quite clear that OJ did it, next question
Mayor Guilianni, you are the only candidate in the race that has direct experience in responding to terrosist…you where at ground level zero for the worst crime ever perpetrated on American soil…Tell us what are the key strategies needed to deal with this rise in international terrorism which threatens the very existence of the American way… if I learned anything from that tragedy…I learned that you have to meet threat head-on…so the first and most important thing is to neutralize OJ; to the extent that we can minimize the OJ threat the rest is a cake walk. “

I am not saying that oj is innocent
What I’m saying is that he is innocent of being the answer to every problem we…
Mired in Iraq- Oj did it
Black kids don’t graduate- OJ did it
Rise in domestic abuse – OJ did it
Illegal immigration,
Rising cost of gas
Can’t sell your poetry
Got laid off
Got knocked up
Got knocked out
Neighbor kicked your dog
OJ did it
Well vick kicked the dog
But that is a different poem

What trying to say is that it is easy to get caught up in this culture of focusing all of our energy, resources, time on celebrity solutions to real problems…Lindsey lohan, Britney spears, micheal vick, paris Hilton, and george bush….that’s right george bush…are not the answers to our problems…we are
But hey if it helps you sleep better at night knowing that oj did it…
Sleep tight don’t let the bed bugs bite….