Marvin X at Laney College, Oakland CA
photo Alicia Mayo
American Ghosts
Sometime long ago
back into the winds of time
after hollow declarations of freedom
liberty or death
yet soon come slavery
negating holy documents
signed by slavers
who visited women, men, children cotton pickers by night
seeking love from Africans exhausted from can't see to can't see
No matter slave love
they were sold New Year's Day
Tina said what love go ta do wit it?
Did slaves enjoy massa's love
white kind loving hands
tender rapist touch
African men women children
even slaver's he raped then sold
they were nothing to him his precious seed
nothing
commodity for the auction block
and these are humans you say
they are ghosts to me
long gone yet alive today
blood soaked into white minds
suffering denial
addiction of the first kind
Didn't Baldwin say
To solve a problem
first is recognition of the problem
ghosts don't recognize
spirits travel absent hearts souls
even devoid of minds
there is no there there
Amiri Baraka said it best,
"Where the soul's print should be
...only a cellulose pouch of disgusting habits!"
We pray kneecaps off to no avail
We may wail wail
the ghosts say only
would you like to go to jail
Maybe, if I can make bail!
Ghosts say, "I can shoot you in the head.
Or release you.
Depends on your voice
Don't you know the tone test?"
Dear brothers and sisters, know the tone test:
1. kill you
2. jail you
3. release you
Depends on your tone of voice.
Please listen to me so I can save your life.
Didn't Jesus give up his coat and cloak to live another day?
Ghosts love death don't you know?
Again, Amiri Baraka said,
"The king sold the farmer to the ghost!"
Baraka said, "In the middle of the Atlantic ocean
is a railroad of human bones...."
Oh, Baraka, you told us, "Don't let them take your UM BOOM BA BOOM!"
You said, "If they take our um boom ba boom
we in deep trouble.
Probably take us a few centuries to get out!"
Don't listen to the ghosts
they sold the farmer
rice growers
iron workers
warriors
priests
holy mothers
children of divine
African ghosts of the kingly kind
Europeans ghosts of the Good Ship Jesus
Can you believe John Hawkins had an Amazing Grace
on the Good Ship Jesus
Can you believe
God saved a wretched wretch like him
John of Amazing Grace
Ghost ship captain
you enjoyed his journey through the door on no return
just remember you ghost lovers
AB said, "The king sold the farmer to the ghost!"
Alas, the black ghosts live as the white ghosts
they are one
what did Nkrumah say, "Neo-colonialism is colonialism playing possum!"
You give us a flag, national anthem but our banks belong to you. IMF is you.
WHO is you! You send the virus and vaccine Covid19.
This is how ghosts dream. Their dreams do not lose do not end
and never do you win with ghost captains of the Good Ship Jesus
you suffer
you bleed
can't breathe
can't breathe
ghosts foot on neck after you dead no pulse dead
foot on neck ghost
hand in pocket ghost
no heart no soul ghost
and you swear they human!
--Marvin X
4/19/21