Sunday, November 28, 2010

Group Poem 15 - tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal "Father of Jamal"

Father of Jamal
Convicted on the year I was conceived; 1982
I struggle to drape my head around the legacy I was born into
And you forcefully inherited as a free thinking black man
Allow me to use this taxi chit
To take a few minutes as attempt to ride the broken wheels of justice that lead nowhere
Through the alleyways and backhanded doors
Crawling with crowning prostitutes they took to convict you.

My brother, prince Mumia
Your script is very familiar to me
It spins several spectrums of race, class, injustice and the political power structure of America  
Your life is a movie I saw, a book I read, a black man’s circumstance I witnessed
And do not wish to relive.
You are a unanimous guilty verdict deliberated swiftly in three hours of deliberation based on hatred and racism.
You are quality of two things;
Being an outspoken, intelligent black man effective in reaching the masses
And having been at the wrong place at conveniently the right time
For big brother aka the FBI aka the CIA aka the KKK is always watching
And would never let a Black Panther youth brew into his full potential.

Although they may have your flesh falsely confined in 6x8 frame
I shall never accept the picture they paint and attempt to perfect before my eyes
May your spirits strive to reach the distance your voice has carried you thus far
Across continents, races, hurdles, into intellectual abyss  
In your own words, may you continue to "spend your days preparing for life and not death"
For your truth although delayed,
 Derailed,
 Is still determined to reach its destination insh’allah (God willing)

Mumia Abu Jamal: Humanitarian, author, journalist, activist, father, freedom fighter, icon, husband, honorary citizen of 25 countries worldwide, example of unwavering persistence.

Hayat Lyfe
Copyright © 2010

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Group Poem 15 - tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal

Oh homing pigeons
flying freely over this open space, deliver this apology mail to Mumia Abu Jamal.
I am sorry for ...
Not knowing you.
Not praying for you.
Not thinking of you.
For this and that ,
for every day I lived and I didn't move forward to freeing you.
These shackles I didn't remove.
These tears I didn't dry.
These pains I didn't heal.
Justice will peacefully come.
There is ease after hardship.
I am sorry .

Sam Said
Copyright © 2010

Dearly departed.

I am sorry about the inconsistencies that plague my prayers, when I know it’s the only benefit I can offer, while you lay underneath the earthly layers, shirts and ties, preoccupied with social delusions and lies.

The daily grind constantly at war with the hands of time, but thoughts of you never stray to far from my mind, death may have eroded the physical bind, yet I am thankful that our paths had once aligned.

Everyday I grow older, and I would like to think that as the sunset’s each day I keep getting wiser, I watch my sons grow with a hint of sorrow, knowing that for them an atom of your love from time I cannot borrow.

The world may not be the same as you had left it, the evil ones out number the morally gifted, to deprive the already destitute is emphasised and insisted, and African babies are still being born, only for a few months later, they perish like they never existed.

They say it’s the way of man, and I am naïve if I am unable to understand, the transformation of my being is the plan, am I to accept that prosperity and corruption go hand in hand.

I dream of one day being one of the many bright rays of Africa, building my continent from ashes to splendour, some of my kind laugh and say that the picture you paint is nothing more then a mind full wonder, they say you dream too big and that same dream will take you under.

If I was only to plant but a single tree, to shade from the heat a single soul whoever they might be, or to place a single foundation to inspire another to see value in his nation, then that could no longer be called dreaming, as like me, it would be alive and breathing.

I often question within me, how a person could consider themselves a separate entity, forever wishing to be disconnected from his soil’s gravity, for freedom is the key to prosperity, and where else on this earth can I truly feel free then the land that was used to create me.

Sadly you past away without our lands knowing peace, for life is nothing more then a short undated lease, in my heart I have kindled a fire, its flames will replenish my Africa, my Somalia.

There are plenty like me, of this I am certain, no genuine person on his heritage pull the blind and draw the curtain, if you call that piece of soil your land then please with me raise your right hand.

A pledge that Africa will be reborn, through me and the souls I touch, in the heart and mind the determination is such; I am to be the missing link, we can achieve, it only takes one to think, on the pages of history my blood and sweat shall be the never drying ink.

Hamza Egal
Copyright © 2010

Differences VS Similarities

 Man am short and his tall
Am really skinny and he is strong
I've got no good looks at all
Handsome he is born and every girl for him she falls

He's so confident and I am so incompitent
He always gets complimenst and i dont even have friends

George is fat and Ricky is fit
Micheal can dance while Martin dont know a thing about romance
David understands every concept thought in the class and Joe fails every exam

She got really sexy eyes
Selina got really skinny thiighs
Melisa has a beautifull face and a small waist
While Lisa no1  ever takes her on a date


I feel anger so do you
They feel pain so do we
You feel hunger so do i

I feel Love, Sadnes, jelousy, comfort and lonliness
so does evry body else
W e all feel fear and happiness
Anxiety and excitment
Cry and laugh

We all came to thos world alone and with nothing
We will allleave it with nothing and all alone

For the love of God why do we only concentrate on the litel silly stupid differences between us
Forgetting all the similarities we share.

The similarities are so much more
If we could only see
there would be peace in the streets

If we could only realise how similar we are
There would be light in the dark
Life wouldnt be so hard

When we concnetrate on the small differences
We discriminate and thats when we build the barricades of hate

SO NEXT TIME U SEE A LITEL DIFFERENCE ON SOM1 JUST FEEL THE BREEZ ON YPUR FACE AND KNOW THAT HE OR SHE FEELS THE SAME!!!!

Wardhi Axmad
Copyright © 2010

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Group Poem 15 - tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal "Prince, Father of Jamal"

Silence.

Shelter brought a pack of panthers, suffering violence,

Silence.

After racism oppressed the mother’s pride of a lioness,

His silence.

Worthy of credence.
Prince, father of Jamal,
Hold faith in the palm
Of your hand.
Let me hold the other, united we stand!
Life didn’t cast a pall of gloom over you.
Three decades of uncertainty is what you lived through.
Justice? Reproached for being unjust.
Supreme Court you lost my trust!
You found him guilty, without proving guilt!
Shot! Blood shed on the floor, now you wish to see him wilt
In a cage!
Justice? Be an outrage
Against dignity!
You wish to see him on his knee and plea.
Guilty?
Let me bring you back to reality.

Hate and racism pulled the trigger,

"Yeah, and I'm going to help them fry the nigger"

Where do we go from here?
When judges have nothing to fear?
When judges put lives on the line?
When judges commit crime?
When judges invite liars to the court?
When judges don’t follow the laws neither have heart?
When judges judge and hate the other colour?
When racists, filled with hatred, come to power?

You accuse an innocent man!
We support, father of Jamal to the best we can.
From Paris to Berlin, walking his street
“Rue Mumia-Abu Jamal” generating more heat
Than light, because of injustice and its shadow,
Wishing to see another widow!
Prince, father of Jamal, we shout the place down!
You already succeeded to the crown!

If suffering was meant to be.

“With hardship comes ease” Trust in the Almighty!


Dedicated to a man, who is sitting somewhere for too long
Where he shouldn’t sit, you showed the world how strong
You are, we feel your tragedy!
We pray for remedy!
We fight your enemy!
We start
With your art

Putting Pen to the Paper

Pen 'N' Paper
Copyright © 2010

Dear Beauty

I question you, beauty; if I can purchase you in the black market,
Trade unattractiveness, to attract superficial, that considered me no asset,

See, my complexion is too cheap, Beauty,
despite the fact that “beauty is skin deep” Beauty,
they will never sell me next to you, Beauty,

Society has paralyzed me, blinded me to embrace the blessings,
Led me to undervalue God's creativity of his perfections, 
Convinced me that I am poor quality, in the eyes of you, Beauty,

That I am inferior to those with silky hair, and light skinned,
That I am too fat to gain attention, so I starve to be thin
till I puke all have within, until I remain with –not a thing,

Elders spoke before “doqon iyo habeen baa madow!” 
But even the nights have moon and stars that glow,
So Beauty, I ought to have qualities that show!
(Qualities that undermine my ashy elbows,)

I question you, beauty; if I can purchase you in the black market,
Trade unattractiveness, to attract superficial, that considered me no asset,

Poet's note: The Full Poem is written elsewhere, will share soon! 

Yasminah Somalia Mohamed
Copyright © 2010

Group Poem 15 - tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal "Framed"

A man, an activist, a father
An inspiration, a fighter, a truth seeker
Mumia is many things, but not a murderer
Where’s the justice so many speak about?
The justice that includes all, where no ones left out
His case is known across the land
Nonetheless real defence is banned
Till this day appeals have been denied
Is it because justice ain’t really blind?
It was that fateful day December 9th, 1981
That led the unfair fingers of a jury, point to one
They were filled with hate and willing to frame
An individual who was not to blame
Since then many have backed his cause
Waiting for his release, imagine the applause
When will you see the U.S. judicial system?
That Abu Jamal is the real victim
Not one to give up and sink in his sorrow
He’s been active and preparing for his tomorrow
Behind bars, behind walls, behind an ocean of hate
A shocking case that is the cause of much debate
Brother Turn to Allah and trust in Him
Amidst all this madness, His light will not dim
These events in your life were written long ago
Seek refuge in Allah from mans worst foe
Remember none can harm you when your protector is Allah
You’re part of the bigger picture, the Muslim Ummah
Remember my brother across the waters
You are not alone and you have many supporters

Nimo Yusuf
Copyright © 2010

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Group Poem 15 - tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal


Give Chase

I gave chase to life, now for more than two decades
Everything changed colour, not only the house facades
It makes me wonder, what is it that keeps me going
Back home my father lost everything, but didn’t see him slowing
Down. Yes, he felt down, you would, if you lost your brother
In a civil war, siblings killing one another
Dazzled by the light of confusion


One nation forgetting to embrace their people, giving chase to an illusion
Called retention of power, what power? If you weaken your folk
We all felt the pain, but now we gain, by the wisdom written on chalk

Give chase to life, considered and moderate
Those words are written in chalk, take shelter from the rain seasons fate
Give chase to life, make use of your time
Those words are written in stone, make use of your prime

I gave chase to many things in life so far
Dashing, if you compare life to golf, I never reached that par
Faith tells me to be patient, life can sometimes be lifeless

Nevertheless
“Only in the remembrance of Allah, can the heart find peace.”

Genuinely, these are the times when my heart feels truly at ease
Worldly desires led to more fire in my soul
Relentless, burned out, still didn’t reach my goal
As one desire, leads to another liar
That’s when my soul feels gutted by fire

Give chase to your values and who you want to be
Someone with ideals and use your heart to see
As our eyes will never set us free
From that pre-

Pre-agreed by the eyes
Pre-colonial a throw of dice
Pre-revolutionary by surprise

Give chase to life
Give chase and strive

Pen 'N' Paper
Copyright © 2010