One Love

It's about to go down!

2006-01-23T18:19:00.001-05:00

BABYLON IS FALLING

2005-12-16T12:08:00.000-05:00

HANDSWORTH REVOLUTION (by Steele Pulse)

I say the people of Handsworth, know that
One hand wash the other so they say
So let's join hands my bredren
Make the way for our children (our children, our children)
And their children (their children, their children)
Ensuring that they get life's fair share of...
Equality...
Doesn't justice stand for all
Doesn't justice stand for all
Doesn't justice stand for all mankind
We find society putting us down
Crowning us, crowning us, crowning us, crowning us
A place of Evil, OH, OH
Handsworth means us the Black People
Handsworth means us the Black People
We're taiklng now. Speaking Jah Jah language!
It's a long, long way we're coming from
To send this message across, across
Its been hidden, forbidden, concealed, unrevealed
Its got to come out In the open that -
BABYLON IS FALLING
BABYLON IS FALLING
It was foolish to build It on the sand
Handsworth shall stand, firm - like Jah rock
- fighting back
We once beggars are now choosers
No intention to be losers
Striving forward with ambition
And if it takes ammunition
We rebel in Handsworth revolution
Dread town, dread town, dread town,
Dread town, dread town, dread town,
Dread we are for a cause
Deprived of many things
Experienced phoney laws
Hatred Babylon brings
We know what we got to offer
We know what's going on
Don't want no favours
Cause there is still hunger
Innocent convicted
Poor wage, hard labour
Only Babylon prospers
And humble suffer
They are brothers in south of Africa
One Black represent all, all over the world
Can't bear it no longer
Blessed wlththe power
Of Jah Creator
We will get stronger
And we will conquer
And forward ever, and backward never
Handsworth Revolution
Handsworth Revolution
Handsworth Revolution
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The two Handsworth riots occurred in the Handsworth suburb of Birmingham England during the summers of 1981 and 1985. The riots were allegedy caused by heavy-handed policing and drug-related problems in this inner city suburb, fueled by a nationwide wave of uprisings in the wake of the April 1981 Brixton riot. The black people of Handsworth felt the stinging opression of poverty, abuse by law enforcement and racial discrimination on all levels. Hmmm . . . reminds me of life in Roxbury, Massacusetts in 2005. I guess not a lot changes in 20 years. Babylon is still making the rules where my people suffer. As for me, I'll just keep sticking it to them everyday until they fall. Reading a bit of the history of the fall of the ancient Babylon puts the writing on the wall: "Babylonia zigzagged between power and failure for centuries before it was lost and destoryed forever" (http://coco.essortment.com/writingwallfal_rghs.htm). It is interesting to note that the ancient city of Babylon, which was home to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (one of the wonders of the ancient world), and the tower of Babel, was located about 50km from what is now Bhagdad. Hmmmm.
"And He will bring down thier pride together with the trikcery of thier hands" Isaiah 25:11
Guidance,
Mari

I Love Him

2005-12-05T12:17:00.000-05:00

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
-- Aristotle

He knows me so well
He gets who I am
(and that is no easy feat)
I imagine sometimes that the father of creation cut us from the same fabric
molded us from the dust of the same distant star
or maybe it's like Plato said and he was once my better half
and I his

I gave him a photo of me once,
in the beginning
and, with the seeds of hope sewn in my heart,
I inscribed a secret note on the back

He is thoughtful,
beautiful
I take refuge in the harbor of his silence;
I find mirth in the wings of his laughter;
I seek pleasure in the temple of his body

He drives me wild
from across the room my heart skips a beat
He drives me crazy
But I wouldn't want him any other way

I carry his heart
(i carry it in mine)
like a precious ember
that burns ever brighter
as we ascend
I will hold tightly to him
because we are each of us angels, with only one wing
and we are flying toward our bliss together
together
together

I gave him a photo of me once,
in the beginning
and, with the seeds of hope sewn in my heart,
I inscribed a secret note on the back
which he was not to find

"I hope you are the one, too"

The next day he cleaned the frame
and discovered the note
causing my cheeks to flush
and my eyes to be cast downward
because it had not been just the note
but in fact my whole heart
which had been discovered

Because of him
the seeds of hope
cautionsly sewn that winter day two years ago
now bloom on this winter day after the first snow
and though the trees flower not
my heart is full of spring
my darkness is full of light
and my mind affirms this truth:
I love him

I'm not going to read the news anymore . . .

2005-11-21T17:44:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to read the news anymore
I do this every now and then
Because I don't just read the news . . .
I follow it
and lately, the following of the news had made me irritable
angry
and sad

I don't want to be those things

I am going top spend the holiday season in blissful ignorance of it all
I am goiong to meditate daily
I am going to cultivate inner peace

Come the New Year, I will log back on to the BBC
and dive back in
because by then something will probably have happened that I can't ignore anymore

But for now,
I will enjoy the length of the night and the way my handmade scarf warms my neck in the chilly air
I will eat clementines, four in one sitting
and play capoiera until my legs hurt
and then I will take a cherry blossom bubble bath
I will practice patting my belly and rubbing my head at the same time
and finish that painting I started last month
I will read fiction, beautiful fiction

and connect with the good in the world

until the allure of the bad calls me back

One Small Step

2005-11-10T14:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday November, 9th, the US House of representatives decided to remove the ANWR drilling provision from the budget bill. (see previous post : sucking us dry) YAY! While the House may try to sneak the issue into the final budget measure next month, last nights retreat was a MAJOR setback for hardline house republicans, the oil lobby, and (my favorite) the Bush administration. The hits just keep on comin' and you've just gotta love it! It'a small step toward returning this country to the REAL American values of conservation, environmental stewardship and (my favorite) democracy! Okay, maybe I shouldn't go that far but it is a sign, at least, that the self interests of moderate republicans in the house are dovetailing with the the the general public interest -- like a solar eclipse, a beautiful, rare occurence. ANYWAY . . .savor the moment and keep up the activism. Remember: to oppose in silence is to approve. This thing isn't over yet but suddenly the prospects look much, much better. How cute are those bears?

Napalm Nighmares in Falluja

2005-11-08T16:18:00.000-05:00

I am about to throw up. I have never seen anything like this.
I apologize in advance for the graphic content of the image above and the others on this link but I felt I had to put it out there because this is what war looks like, people. THESE ARE CIVILIANS!!! Maybe if we were reminded of this everyday we wouldn't be so apatheic about the whole thing in the first place. It is sickening, terrifying, heartbreaking -- it TEARS AT YOR SOUL. It is impossible for me to fathom how anyone could justify this.
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=12676

My Friends

2005-11-04T11:04:00.000-05:00

I went out seeking myself, only to find that I had become the journey. I struggled so long to belong, to be accepted, to feel familiar in my surroundings. I became used to struggle. So much so that in times of peace, I sought it out. It was something to which I could belong. But what I was forgetting was the most important thing: that I had not suffered alone. I had been blessed with the souls of others; we were on this journey together. It is you, my friends, that have given my life meaning. We are scattered and we are motley. We are not pillars of perfection but we are wells of strength for one another. It is through you that I know god’s love because here I am a transplanted life, some one who should be so alone and yet I am not. What majesty there is in this simple fact. I long for time spent with you. Because you make me laugh. Really laugh. And you do not judge. Ever. You give me a place in which I can be me. I’m not on sure when it happened. Maybe it was instant, but it seems the years only increase what was immeasurably precious to begin with.
You are my family. And I found you all on my own.

STOP ALITO WRITE/CALL YOUR SENATOR TODAY!!!

2005-11-03T10:51:00.000-05:00

Dear Senator (name),

Please support a filibuster of Samuel Alito. He is not only a conservative, but he is an extremist. His views on critical issues reflect this extremism and are not appropriate for a justice of the Supreme Court. As a member of your constituency, I strongly urge you to do everything possible to block his nomination to the bench.
In the upcoming years the Supreme Court will be deciding important cases involving affirmative action, voting rights, and civil liberties. With extreme conservatives on the Court like Justices Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and now possibly Alito, many of the advances made over the past several decades are in danger of being rolled back in the name of strict constructionism. The constitution is a living document; our democracy depends on the life it takes on.
I will be following the confirmation process closely and I am counting on my elected representatives to take a stand against this nomination. It is important that Samuel Alito be exposed for the extremist that he is. You are my voice in the United States Congress. I trust that you will make my voice, and the voices of so many of us in Massachusetts who believe in you, heard during the confirmation process. Samuel Alito is an unacceptable choice for the Supreme Court of this great nation.
Last year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. While this was a celebration it was also a reminder that a mere 50 years ago segregation was the rule of law. It took the leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren to skillfully steer the Court into taking a progressive stand on a controversial issue during a turbulent time. In many ways, Brown v. Board of Education was the impetus that provoked a generation of people like Rosa Parks to question segregation in its entirety, not only in the narrow context of public education. The passing of Rosa Parks this past week gave us all time to reflect on how far we have come as a nation and how much farther we have to go.
Without a living constitution and the courage of Chief Justice Warren who gave it that life, Brown v. Board would not have been decided the way it was. Justices of the Supreme Court are the ones who give life to the Constitution. The times we live in are just as turbulent as the 1950's. The issues being decided by the Court are just as historically important.
The nomination of Samuel Alito poses a grave threat to the protections Americans count on, including basic workers’ rights, women’s rights, and civil rights. We call on the Senate to stand up for all of us and reject the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Sincerely,
(your name here)

You can use this sample letter as a template or write your own. It can be long winded or short and concise -- as long as you speak up! To oppose in silence is to approve! To find out how to contcat you senator go to:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Or to contact the 109th Congress Judiciary Committee go to:
http://judiciary.senate.gov/
To sign an emergency petition by MoveOn.org go to (it takes 1 minute!!!):
http://moveon.org/
Act now!

Guidance,
SJ

The Set Up (Part One): We got the Problem

2005-10-31T17:44:00.000-05:00

For the past month, I have been working as a public defender in Boston, Massachusetts. I am out there every day in the criminal justice system performing legal acrobatics to win the freedom of my clients. In mixed company I say that I am "protecting the constitutional rights of the poor from the over-reacing power of government", but what it really comes down to for me is simple -- it is a fight for freedom.

I was drawn to the job because it appeals to my sense of justice and my desire to stick it to the man everyday. I always knew it was a white man's world. My father was a Rastafari when we were growing up so he told us the ways of the Babylon sytem at an early age. I peronally have experienced racism, both the obnoxious blantnat variety and the more nefarious subtle version which is common to New England. But it wasn't until I went to law school that I really realized that the whole justice system is a big set-up for the most part.

Law is a tool of oppression in this country. It has always been a tool of opression and maybe it always will be. Even our precious constitution with all of its so-called freedoms is used to placate and oppress. In the original constitution slavery is granted importnat protections, although the word "slave" does not appear (The framers were skilled politicians, afterall ). The notorious Three-fifths clause ( Art. 1 Sec. 2 Cl. 3) - which counted three fifths of the slave population in apportioning representation - gave the South extra representation in the House and extra votes in the Electoral College. Thomas Jefferson would have lost the election of 1800 if not for the Three-fifths compromise. The Constitution also prohibited Congress from outlawing the Atlantic slave trade for twenty years ( Art. 1 Sec. 9 Cl. 1). A fugitive slave clause required the return of runaway slaves to their owners ( Art. 4 Sec. 2 Cl. 3). The Constitution gave the federal government the power to put down domestic rebellions, including slave insurrections ( Art. 1 Sec. 8 Cl. 15). Everybody likes to talk about the 14th amendment but the reality is that it's just that - an amendment, a hard won after thought that doesn't purge the original document of its inherent flaws.

I am not denying that the Consitution can be used for good. In fact, its greatest strenght is that it is a living document that can be used to meet the needs of each generation. But I want to point out that we should all be aware of what kind of a document it really is and who it was written for. "We the people" did not include black folk at the time the hallowed parment was penned. And if it includes us now, it is only becuase of the courage and bravery of those who came before us. And for all of the blood and tears that were shed , for the decades and lifetimes that were given over to the fight, we must recognize that the meager freedoms we do have are being chippped away at all the time.

The attack on our people today is more sophisiticated, it is more complicated it is harder to ferret out and expose. Rosa Parks diesd this week and civil rights movement has become a fashionable topic of conversation again. BUt what we need to realize is that the fight is FAR FROM OVER. I believe in non-violent civil disobedience, I belive in the dreams of MLK, but it is also important for use to realize that we should not be placated by the gais of a movement that is now almost 50 years old. Malcolm X once said of MLK: "He got the peace prize, we got the problem.... If I'm following a general, and he's leading me into a battle, and the enemy tends to give him rewards, or awards, I get suspicious of him. Especially if he gets a peace award before the war is over." It is not that Malcolm didn't see the iportance in Martin's work but what he understood when making that satement was that government-sponsored advances that were being made were bittersweet victories for black people. Bittersweet becuase while it is important, very important, to have a Voting Rights Act, to have a tilte VI and a title VII, we can't think that just because we have these things that the fight for freedom is over in anyway. Especially when we are dealing with the law because it remains a tool of opression even as it purports to free us. That's the nature of the set up. We still got the problem.

The problem is, once we have the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its progeney it becomes harder to openly address the opression that continue to plague us becuase the answer is "oh, didn't we already take care of that?"and "but you already have the right to vote!". But the reality is that whether we have the right to vote, wheter we have Title VI prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs receiving federal funding, whether we have Title VI protecting us from discrimination in employment, whether we have the fair housing act, the war is not over. We still got the problem! And the problem is in our schools, it is in our legislatures, it is in out courts, it is in our prisions; it is all around us. And it is not going away.

For example, according to the Bureau of justice, 12% of all black males in their twenties and early thirities are incarcerated compared to 1.6% of white males in the samae age group. If current rates of incarceration remain unchanged, 28.5 percent of black men will be confined in prison at least once during their lifetime, a figure six times greater than that for white men. As a result, nearly three in ten adult African American men will be temporarily or permanently deprived of the right to vote. But the total numbers of disenfranchised will be greater because it will include a substantial percentage of those convicted of a felony but not receiving a prison sentence (e.g., sentenced to probation). In states that disenfranchise ex-felons, it is estimated that 40 percent of the next generation of black men is likely to lose permanently the right to vote. Tell me that is not a problem.

God bless Rosa Parks for taking a stand On Thursday evening December 1, 1955. God Bless Martin Luther King, Jr. for having a dream. And God bless Malcolm X for reminding us that the struggle not over even if a few battles havea been won. The charge for our generation is to look to these leaders for inspiration and to move forward in our fight for freedom; to forward triumphantly because we have truth on our side.

Redemption Songs

2005-03-29T13:48:00.000-05:00

Old pirates, yes, they rob i;
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took i
From the bottomless pit.
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the almighty.
We forward in this generationTriumphantly.
Won’t you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
-’cause all I ever have:Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
’cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look?
Some say it’s just a part of it:
We’ve got to fulfil de book.
Won’t you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
-’cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.
-Robert Marley

PLEASE COMMENT ON THE RELEVANCE OF THIS SONG TO YOU IN THESE STRANGE DAYS

Bush whacking

2005-03-29T13:03:00.000-05:00

I was raised in the bush. Don't laugh, I'm serious. I was raised on a farm in the rainforest of Belize. In Belize, the folks who lived in the rural areas were said to live "back-a-bush". We were real bushies, living without running water or electricity. We chopped wood and hauled water and, of course, whacked bush. It was great. Because everything in life always comes full-circle, I have now reached a stage of my life where I am doing a whole different kind of Bush-whacking. I am no Bush-backer, although I am still, at heart, a bushie. Gimme that axe! I have complied some great Bush-whacking websites because its time to whack back at this wacko. Take heart! THE TRUTH ABOUT GEORGE W. BUSH: http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/ Bush is bad for us: http://www.impactpress.com/articles/febmar02/editorial2302.html Bush is bad for Blacks: http://rawstory.com/exclusives/dara/bush_is_bad_for_blacks_816.htm Bush is bad for the environment: http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/pub204.cfm Bush is bad for foreign policy: http://www.reason.com/0402/cr.sc.bushs.shtml Bush is bad for Fallujah (and the rest of the Muslim world): http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=2629 Bush is bad for conservatism (written by a christian conservative): http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/politics2004/bush_giving_conservatism_a_bad_name.html Bush is bad: http://www.student.virginia.edu/~critmass/sept04/article4.html Why we hate Bush (This site has a counter that keeps track of the tax dollars Bush is spending on Iraq -- watch the number climb higher every second!) http://www.whywehatebush.com/ RFK on the junk science of Dubya (Boy, is he asking for it): http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040308&c=1&s=kennedy Funny haha http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushpictures.htm And for those who want to make a fashion statement: http://www.cafepress.com/antibush04/320969

St. Paddy: a lesson in privilege

2005-03-22T14:41:00.000-05:00

A brief observation from the St. Patrick Day's Parade This Sunday I went to my first St. Patrick Day's parade in Southie. Southie is a traditionally Irish neighborhood in Boston. Everyone was wearing green and they were super excited just be out having fun. Good for them. I accepted a bunch of green beads from a young New York Police Officer, but more out of politeness than with any kind of desire to fit in of blend in. I clearly did not blend in. In my black wool coat and my hair slicked back into a ponytail and my big dark Jackie O sunglasses, I wasn't trying to blend. I was among maybe five people of color that I could see in the throngs of people gathered on the sidewalk. And I can see why. The St. Patrick's day parade is all about being white. It's like a big celebration of white privilege. I remember reading a case in law school about a lesbian and gay organization that wanted to march in the parade but were refused entry by the parade organizers. The court held that there was no 1st amendment violation because the parade in a private organization. I guess you can't be both Irish and gay. My great-grandfather is Scottish. And I have to admit, I like the sound of a bagpipe occasionally. So I closed my eyes when the bag piping fire brigade started up and tried to hear my ancestors in the music. But my overall experience at the parade that taught me a lesson in privilege. I will relate one instance that really made me think: My friend and I were at a party at a friend of a friends place along the parade route. Everyone was tipsy and having a good time. People were gathered out on the balcony to watch the parade go by. I was on the balcony enjoying the sound of the bagpipes as they went by when I turned around to face the living room. It suddenly had filled up with 10-12 uniformed police officers. I went inside and quickly realized that these police officers had just crashed the party. They did not know anyone; they were not even from Boston. They were New York police officers, maybe from the same group that had given me my green beads which at this point I was desperate to discard. They took over the party for at least 15 minutes. They went to the keg, had beer, came into the kitchen to snack, and used the facilities. The party goers were more than happy to accommodate. I hear one man comment “This is the safest apartment in Southie right now!" And that's when it hit me. I was watching the ultimate exercise of privilege. These officers just marched into a party and assumed they would be welcome. A group of 12 men is substantial, but at this party everyone felt safe because of their presence. What if a group of 12 young black men had sauntered up those stairs? I wonder of the crowd would have been so pleased. Or what if the party the officers had walked in on was a black party. Would the party goers be so welcoming then? Personally, I am wary of police officers, especially white police officers. But is not just a black-white thing. It's a privilege thing. Furthermore, it's not that I pre-judge white police officers but I am not so sure I'd be happy to have them come in large numbers into my home. But to not have to even think about these questions -- that's privilege. To feel entitled, that's privilege. To assume that everybody loves you and welcomes you -- that's privilege.

Sucking Us Dry

2005-03-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

d "Babylon system is the vampire, sucking the blood of the sufferers" Last week, the Unites States Senate voted 51-49 in favor of drilling in the Alaska Artic National Wildlife Refuge. There are enough republican congresspeople in the house for this measure to pass there as well. If it passes in the house, let the drilling being. Oil prices reached record highs last week. During a news conference before the vote, Bush expressed concern about rising energy prices and again pressed for the opening of the refuge as part of a package of energy legislation the administration has been pushing. However, contrary to what the Bush administration and its supporters would like us to think, drilling in a national park is not the answer to our energy woes. In law school, we are taught to balance the interests involved then faced with a question. Here, the balance is between corporate interests and the public interest. As is usually the case these days, the corporate interests are winning. The only people who will truly benefit from opening up this national treasure to oil drilling in the big contactors like the Haiburtons of the world, and the big oil companies. There is not enough oil in the proposed drilling area for even a single generation. Even assuming, arguendo, that such drilling would cause oil prices to go down, after about 5-10 years we would be back to where we are today. Furthermore, why do we think that low oil prices are necessarily better? Maybe oil should be expensive. Maybe it should be $5 a gallon, $10 a gallon or more. Two dollars a gallon is cheap when you consider the actual costs of fossil fuels to the world. The Kyoto protocol, which entered into force last month, but which the US still refuses to become a party to, requires manufacturers to make huge cutbacks on their carbon dioxide emissions. The cost associated with making such cutbacks is huge. In addition, rising sea levels and melting permafrost and ice-caps are threatening the survival of entire nations. The island nation of Tuvalu has an evacuation plan that will take effect in the next 50 years. How do you measure the cost of losing your home, your nation? Native American Tribes in Canada have been forced out of their tribal lands because of the melting permafrost that destabilizes the soil and alters their way of life. Because of the warmer climate in northern regions animals that Tribes depended on for food are migrating and mating at different times than they did even 10 years ago. How do you quantify the loss of a way of life? Economists call such displaced externalities. What we are doing is externalizing the actual costs associated with the burning of fossil fuels onto minorities and the environment. The average American, numbed as she is by the sickly-sweet taste to carbonated sugar water, fat-injected chicken sandwiches, and the degenerative force of the cathode-ray tube, has no conception of what is really going on. They call us "conspiracy theorists" or "liberals" but they don't even sit down to analyze what those labels mean or why they are there. No one wants to ask questions anymore, or doubt the system. Well, I do. If this country took the resources that will be spent drilling for 10 years worth of oil and invested it into wind farms and solar power, we would no longer be a renegade state in non-compliance with international law. And if we took the longer view, not just the "I don't wanna pay $4 for gas" view, than we would realize that charging more for a substance that is destroying this planet as we know it may not be such a crazy idea. If we charged more for gas than people would be internalizing the costs. With the extra money, gas companies could invest in alternative energy and move away from traditional fuel sources. If gas cost more, more people would ride bikes for short trips and take public transportation for longer trips more often. Amtrak might actually get funded properly and cities might actually decide to build better commuter rail systems and subways. I might never have the chance to visit the Alaska National Artic Wildlife refuge. But I like to know that it is there. I like to know that there are caribou and bears that live freely and wild. They live in harmony with their little corner of the world and they have no idea how much we have fucked up the rest of it. I take the long view because I want to have children and I want them to have children. I am only protecting the world for future generations. This world does not belong to me. It is not mine to use and abuse and then throw away. It is not disposable. It is the only one we have. I wonder how many for those 51 senators who voted for the drilling drive SUVs and take $$ from the big oil companies and contractors. What I do know is that none of them know what it is like to live in harmony with nature, to live off of the land and then to have that all taken away. Articles on the Senate Vote: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=7338 http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=588271 The Alaska Drilling Measure is part of a budget resolution. The law that protects the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has not been changed. To find out about the budget process, go to: http://www.sierraclub.org/wildlands/arctic/budget_process.asp Take Action: World Wildlife Fund: http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=24456 Alaska Wilderness League: http://www.alaskawild.org/ Sierra Club: http://alaska.sierraclub.org/actions/ National Resources Defense Council :http://www.nrdc.org/action/default.asp

The Celebration

2005-01-25T21:39:00.000-05:00

Outside the morning air
is warm
and humid
a solitary seagull glides
dives
then rises again
against
a canvass of over cast sky
I have made your bed after sleeping in it with you
And though you are gone
I feel you
still here
Is this ancient or new
what I have discovered in you?
I want to fall and end in flight
I am the seagull
No, that's not right
Your familiarity is exciting
and this excitement is familiar
we may destroy ourselves
in the fall but I say, jump
anyway
for fear is the beginning of death
and this life is for living, afterall

After all these years of playing Icarus
with wax & borrowed feathers & too close to the sun
I will take my lesson from the seagull
whose wings are his own
and whose fight is not a quest
but a question, a mystery:
Beauty in Survival;
Celebration of Life

Copyright 2004

Translation of Life

2005-01-12T11:19:00.000-05:00

Translation of life (Somewhere, a hummingbird)

My earliest memories are of rain
The life giving force of creation
Pouring love out of the sky
The river would swell brown
And two little brown girls would find mirth in the bubbling pools

This is how my life began:
Wet, green and innocent
Full of familar
Hide and seek in the wild bananas
The heady perfume of rain lilies and night blooming Jasmine
And god’s low murmur rolling in from the edges of the world
Thunder was our lullaby

Baptized in the laughing waters of earth’s compassion
I emerged from the cloud forest
With the scent of rebellion in my skin
And only love in my heart

You look at me now
Walking with a hurried pace
Through your hallowed halls
Through your world of white noise,
broken promises and secret handshakes
My arms appear full
But really they are empty
Really they are reaching
Reaching for the ladder that you are pulling up
From under me
Really
They are reaching
For the truth

You can take your Locke and Kant
And liberal ideals
Your rhetoric of equality
And television heroes

I have read your theories
And justified your justifications
I have been bled by your cultural leaches
And numbed by the sugary taste of consumption

I have survived in your world
Even though its whole purpose is to tear me apart
Again
And again
And again

I have translated my life
Into your thick and carnivorous tongue

I have survived
With my sense
Of justice
Intact

But what have you done
To know who I am?
Do you assume I am like you
Just because I seem to fit in?

I take comfort
In knowing
That you are faint of heart
That you are more cowardly than you think
Because bravery does not come from the exercise of privilege

Rather, it comes from humility

I take comfort in knowing
That you do not care to know
Who I am
How I got here
Because it leaves me with something
Maybe the only thing
In this world
That I know
Is really mine

Something that I do not have to translate
Something wet, green and familiar

Somewhere, a hummingbird
Seeks sustenance in the succulent purple blossom of a wild banana
Clouds gather on the edges of the world
And god hums along

Copyright Sarah Jane Forman 2004

Hotel Rwanda

2005-01-11T14:54:00.000-05:00

Last night I saw the film "Hotel Rwanda" which recounts the true story of a hotel manager during the 1994 civil war in Rwanda that resulted in the death of 800,000 people in 100 days (that is one tenth of Rwanda's entire population) . Everyone should see this movie. The acting is very good and the story is tragic and compelling. It is sad that after so many years of human evolution, we still turn on one another like savages over diffferences that are irrelevant. But perhaps the greatest misfourtune is the way white people from the indistrialized 'global north' refused to intervene to save the lives of Africans. Some people may think that colonization is over, that salvery is a thing of the past but situations like this make it all to clear that old attitudes die hard and that 800,000 black lives are not even worth one white life.

It has been ten years since the world sat by and watched genocide devastate Rwanda, now we are sitting by again as it happens in the Sudan. People, we can do better.

For more information about Rwanda visit:
http://allafrica.com/rwanda/ or http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rw.html

To see BBC coverage of the Rwanda Genocide visit:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/africa/2004/rwanda/default.stm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3594187.stm
To See the Frontline's coverage visit: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/evil/

For information about the ongoing genocide in Sudan visit:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3991759.stm
For more about the current slave trade in Sudan visit: http://www.lnsart.com/Sudan%20Slave%20Story.htm