He wrote 65 books of poetry and prose, work has been published in more than 2000 journals and Anthologies, he was founder and publisher of Second Coming press that published a whole host of beats poets like Bob Kaufman, Charles Bukowski, Allen Ginsberg, Linda King, Jack Micheline etc... He is one of the greatest American poets of the 20th century, and still at it. For more check his wikipedia page.
He gave me this poem to publish in the Anthology.
WHEN A BLACK BOY WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT
Who would have thought skittles and icetea
Was a death sentence
Not even Doctor Oz.
When a black boy with a dream
walks home alone at night
Hard rain falling
Lady Death whisper in the air
A boy with a dream walks home at night
To watch an all-star basketball game
Gunned down by a wanna-be-cop
And Florida’s “stand your ground”
License to kill law
When a black boy with a dream
Walks home alone at night
Justice denied by a poor
Prosecution Team
And a judge’s tortured
Jury instructions
When a black boy with a dream
Walks home alone at night
No appeal for Trayvon
No appeal for the dead
In the State of Florida where
A young black boy must forever fear
To walk home alone
In the dark of night
Always within a legal sniper’s
Gun sight
When a black boy with a dream
Walks home alone at night
Lock and load the chamber
No safety on the gun
Make it as black as the night
Holster it at the back hip
To keep it from sight
Know the law is on your side
Black is black white is white
It’s OK to shoot on sight
when a black boy with a dream
Walks home alone at night
Great poetic piece!
ReplyDelete