How should tears come?

“How should tears come?  What would I be regretting then? In the decline of my life I have found it hard to take out anything that has found its way into my spirit and to say of it that it has brought with it peace and the good stillness which understanding brings.”

~Ayi Kwei Armah, Fragments

Moika & the Elephant Path

I am moika

I am moika

My good spirit

Can not be stopped

Even when I am sick

And tired

My poetry

My realness

My curiousity

Won’t stop me from

Trying things out

And becoming the leader

My people need me to be.

                        Jan 2010

Lupe's Ghosts, Tina's Words, Marlena's Change.

Alert.  Great San Ko Fa moment happening.  ...See this segment documentary video by Boston 
police officer Bill Willis  (it is part 5 of 6 clips) -a GREAT video:

A prophetic voice, Tina Chery, happens around minute 4:09. Sister works for the Louis Brown Institute for Peace- in honor of her slain son. Lupe (& others i have seen in the community, first hand) are fulfilling / creating learning moments for me, such that i have felt like...like 'we are achieving' in the spirit of Tina's words.  A big 'GIVE THANKS' to these brothers.  I give thanks to my Brothers for catching hell, catching cases, catching lead, catching this ERA (not seen since the peak of lynching 1 century ago) that our parents and grandparents didn't keep from us.  That we focus and real change to end it.

Tina Said Until...

Mi Hija: May You Understand

 "The road will never swallow you. The river of destiny will always overcome evil. May you understand your fate. Suffering will never destroy you, but will make you stronger. Success will never confuse you of scatter your spirit, but will make you fly higher into the good sunlight. Your life will always surprise you." 
~Ben Okri, The Famished Road

Artists. Don't Ever Lose Your Ability to Infect Another With Your Sincerity (art).

“Art is what you give up,” 

 “Art is what you give up,”

 “Art is what you give up,”

 “Art is what you give up,”

 “Art is what you give up,”

 “Art is what you give up,”

 “Art is what you give up,”

 “Art is what you give up,”

“Art is what you give up,” he says, “if you’re trying to hold on to cash.”
~SALIF DIABAGATÉ

Justice ness

"...blind goddess to which we black are wise, / Her bandage hides two festering sores / That once, perhaps, were eyes"
~Langston Hughes, from Justice

No Mirrors In Nana's House

Idren: Be Careful With Each Other

Ch art er Whey?

"The entire senior class at Chicago's only public all-male, all-African-American high school has been accepted to four-year colleges. At last count, the 107 seniors had earned spots at 72 schools across the nation." (more).

...positivity image, good intention... whey design? Dem a be molded fi fit. ..become a better him pon dem matrickulation whey Their colleges? Jaah know.

Fresher Stronger Wings (172k)

I wish for you fresher stronger wings
to battle the ever blowing winds
we encounter with each new year.
_
I know you have it in you to soar
beyond every single wall and roar
I know you won't let me down.
Soar, my friend, where eagles dare.
~Nana Kofi Acquah

Raisin In the Sun (sounds)

The single greatest moment in "A Raisin in the Sun".
(kiotd-download)
a.
Some runner's up:

..one for whom bread is not enough.

Well, where are they coming back from?

They teachin you how to be a man? ...How to take over and run this world boy?

[ Beneatha is AWAKE ]

...so this is what the new world hath wrought.

Lorraine a damn mind.

Mashpee Pow Wow

This summer makes idren's 7th (formal) year of both celebrating alternatives to U.S. Holydazes and not celebrating U.S. Holydazes. Each fourth of youlie, ini spend time wi n8v bruddah/sistah. Every year ini see somethings that am supposed to see, needed to see. This year, at their 83rd Pow Wow, there were four especially memorable experiences. One, the Gombey dancers-Bermudian afro-amerN8Vs returned. Two, afro-n8v brothers and sisters, young & old came again -dem ah caryee da ways of de crown & idren saw it. Three, brother Annawon spoke some necessary words about 711 & 'rules' that i needed to hear. Four, sister Lorin, made a upspirit gesture during a yut's dance that struck me in my heart (last 'money' dance idren danced was with Fon of Mankon visit 2 winters ago-bconx live). Pure livity.

The Day That The Truth Lost His Clothes

One day at the river of knowledge, The Truth and the Lie stood on one side, while a Wiseman stood on the other. The lie was cunning, and admired the clothing of the Truth. The Lie said to the Truth, "Do you see the Wiseman over there watching us? I'll bet you that I can swim over to him faster than you." The Truth said, "Well, I can only do my best, we will just have to see." So they both took off their clothes, and jumped into the river and began to swim toward the other side where the Wiseman sat watching them. The Truth was a very strong swimmer, but the Lie was much swifter. The Lie reached the other side first. The Wiseman asked him, "Who is that swimming in the river?" The Lie said, "It's the Truth, he has always been slower than me." After saying that, the Lie jumped back into the river and began to swim back to the other side. When the Truth finally reached the Wiseman, he stood up and looked back at the river, the Lie was almost halfway back across. The Wiseman said "Who is that swimming in the river?" The Truth said, "Oh, that is the Lie, he has always been swifter than me, but one of these days, I am going to beat him." As the Truth and the Wiseman spoke, they agreed upon many things. The Truth said, "I must return to get my clothes, but I will come to you again." So he jumped back into the river and began to swim stronger than before. When the Truth finally reached the spot where they had left their clothes, the Lie had already taken the Truth's clothes, and left his clothes for the Truth to wear. The Truth looked back to the other side where the Wiseman was watching, and said, "I have been tricked out of my clothes, but I will not wear the clothes of the Lie." The Truth said, "Util I can catch up with the Lie, I will have to go on, as The Naked Truth."
~A.J. Wright

Pictures Speak 172k Words

Giant Marimba O' (smile).

A Girl Like Me

KnauOghtty Dreads & Afros

If idren are unfamiliar with m130s-affi ovas: global afric -dem na all bby poisoned deaded...Yet.

Learning Landscape

Interesting project to re-enforce yut understanding. "Learning Landscape", at the Kutamba School for orphans of AIDS in rural Uganda. (more). Affi call on all design ideas for ground breaking of RBG facility :)

Chinua Achebe returns home for only the 2nd time in 20 years

...More than 2,000 people turned out to listen to him.
He spoke to them in a slow, gentle but strong voice. His message was clear. He is deeply disappointed at how little Nigeria has achieved since independence.
His generation struggled for freedom, but "we don't seem to have the receipt", he says.
Nigerians must "overcome that miseducation that we received under colonial rule... and celebrate our lives".
He believes that Africans must not reject their own culture but look to their past to discover values that will enable Africa to develop now. ( more )

Rootz fya.

Bconx Alert: Shegureh Instrument