City in the Breeze
A Poem, 2005
Audio version here.
Last week marked 15 years since #HurricaneKatrina. In the midst of multiple storms (some of which are actual hurricanes #Laura), a lost spoken word piece in remembrance and resistance. Much love to my #Louisiana fam.
***
Flashbacks to ‘98
when James Byrd was drug,
I had a dream last night
that the water was blood
Flashbacks to ‘98
when James Byrd was drug,
I had a dream last night
that the water was blood
A child wept as clouds crept,
face covered in mud,
her mother prayed to the son
who just claimed her suns
one…
two
three
strange fruits in the river
on canal street
Black mother, Black child
Black father, black clouds
in the shape of Mr. W
cracking a smile
white folks in white cloaks
began to gather around,
camouflaged in uniforms
trying to govern the crowd
there was, nothing news
about what was going down,
dark hues turned blue
when they tied FEMA around
you see, the similarity
is something profound,
you see you choke when you swing
and you choke when you drown
the similarity
is something profound,
you see you choke when you swing
and you choke when you drown
I woke up without needing a pinch
turned on the TV and saw a city was lynched
Flashbacks to ‘98
when James Byrd was drug,
I had a dream last night
that the water was blood
Flashbacks to ‘98
when James Byrd was drug,
I had a dream last night
that the water…
***
