R I P Amiri Baraka

If Elvis Presley is the King, then is James Brown God? 

-Amiri Baraka 

>Born Everett LeRoi Jones, formerly known as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amear Baraka, was an African-American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays and music criticism.Thanks to my friend Craig Schiffert, In the late 1980s, I was able to meet him, shake his hand, and have my Amiri Baraka Reader signed by him Most of my poetry is inspired by him. I'm really saddened by his loss.

Somebody blew up America- Amiri Baraka

Calling black people
Calling all black people, man woman child
Wherever you are, calling you, urgent, come in
Black People, come in, wherever you are, urgent, calling
You, calling all black people
Calling all black people, come in, black people, come
on in. 

                        --Amiri Baraka

"Something In The Way Of Things (In Town)"

Wise 1

WHYS (Nobody Knows
    The Trouble I Seen)
    Traditional

If you ever find

yourself, some where

lost and surrounded

by enemies

who won't let you

speak in your own language

who destroy your statues

& instruments, who ban

your omm bomm ba boom

then you are in trouble

deep trouble

they ban your

own boom ba boom

you in deep deep

trouble

humph!

probably take you several hundred years

to get
out!

--- Amiri Baraka