i believe in forever
By Alice Lovelace
bless nature for the diversity of life
simple to complex, all in her plan
rendering the world complete
and life sustainable.
bless the ibo who disembarked ships
built to transport slaves turned as one
walked back into the sea
declaring themselves free
to be who they desired to be
not what others wished to make of them.
bless he of the talking book,
who heard the words and set our course
to force a tongue, not ours by birth,
to tell our story.
bless nat turner and his fever dreams
of another path to freedom;
genetic reaction to subjugation
that still courses through our veins.
bless denmark vesey
bless gabriel prosser
ancestors supreme
linked blood to action.
bless sojourner truth
great deity of faith
bore the slavers whip that tattooed
the scar of a tree on her back
continued her fight to plant her feet on free ground.
bless harriet tubman who fought a system
as she served a nation
tucked her people in her pockets
delivered them the freedom long dreamed of.
bless david walker who signaled the alarm
rallied the minds of those
who did what words could not
set the fire in our pens/our tongues/our actions.
bless marcus garvey and his black star liner,
called us back to the blood, to the promise,
set afrika in our souls as a destination,
re-ignited resistance and revolution as a
god given destiny.
bless frantz fanon and his illuminating truths
penetrated the mask
to open my eyes to revolution
and self-determination.
bless mao, che, lumumba, nkrumah and fidel
for challenging the order of the world and the word
opposing the status quo and class domination
illuminating our connection to the universe
worker to worker.
bless mark hampton, fred clark, jikki riley
bless the countless others
who live each time their names are uttered
bless the dead and those imprisoned who for our right to be free.
bless the rabble-rouser in our midst,
the radical ones who contribute their gifts
who challenge this system
who live for tomorrow while providing for today.
bless those who care more about life on this earth
than eternity in someone else’s heaven
who know who they are and stand firm in their convictions.
bless those who wish for themselves what they wish for others
food on the table, adequate shelter, clean water to drink
babies born healthy, the right to dance when they want to dance
write their own history, worship who they choose.
bless those who understand the beauty of revolution,
like the earth in its daily turnings—all things in their own rotation.
bless the compassionate who see others as their equal
all fates are parallel possibilities, understand revolution as harmony.
By Alice Lovelace
bless nature for the diversity of life
simple to complex, all in her plan
rendering the world complete
and life sustainable.
bless the ibo who disembarked ships
built to transport slaves turned as one
walked back into the sea
declaring themselves free
to be who they desired to be
not what others wished to make of them.
bless he of the talking book,
who heard the words and set our course
to force a tongue, not ours by birth,
to tell our story.
bless nat turner and his fever dreams
of another path to freedom;
genetic reaction to subjugation
that still courses through our veins.
bless denmark vesey
bless gabriel prosser
ancestors supreme
linked blood to action.
bless sojourner truth
great deity of faith
bore the slavers whip that tattooed
the scar of a tree on her back
continued her fight to plant her feet on free ground.
bless harriet tubman who fought a system
as she served a nation
tucked her people in her pockets
delivered them the freedom long dreamed of.
bless david walker who signaled the alarm
rallied the minds of those
who did what words could not
set the fire in our pens/our tongues/our actions.
bless marcus garvey and his black star liner,
called us back to the blood, to the promise,
set afrika in our souls as a destination,
re-ignited resistance and revolution as a
god given destiny.
bless frantz fanon and his illuminating truths
penetrated the mask
to open my eyes to revolution
and self-determination.
bless mao, che, lumumba, nkrumah and fidel
for challenging the order of the world and the word
opposing the status quo and class domination
illuminating our connection to the universe
worker to worker.
bless mark hampton, fred clark, jikki riley
bless the countless others
who live each time their names are uttered
bless the dead and those imprisoned who for our right to be free.
bless the rabble-rouser in our midst,
the radical ones who contribute their gifts
who challenge this system
who live for tomorrow while providing for today.
bless those who care more about life on this earth
than eternity in someone else’s heaven
who know who they are and stand firm in their convictions.
bless those who wish for themselves what they wish for others
food on the table, adequate shelter, clean water to drink
babies born healthy, the right to dance when they want to dance
write their own history, worship who they choose.
bless those who understand the beauty of revolution,
like the earth in its daily turnings—all things in their own rotation.
bless the compassionate who see others as their equal
all fates are parallel possibilities, understand revolution as harmony.
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