Umbilical cord cut black
Yet white became and could not go back
Dizzying dazzling dangling child
Life was lived on the wild
Thrilling spectacular sounds
For which many gave a pound
Glitter from tender five
Many died to watch live
The world sits and mourn
For a man who was a cultural yawn
With a destitution to become white
And such values as light as kite
The path of life is the same
You choose to walk it in shame
Or manipulate talent in fame
Such is the fate of fame
Small boys shrieking in bed
All for a moment to get fed
Grand juries failed to nail
But God in eternity will not fail
Rest in peace Michael!
Doing 'La-pour' in the City of Accra
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When I was a curious, capering child street-sauntering at Achimota School,
there was an obliging, octogenarian gardener with no known name. People
called h...
8 years ago
Penpowder, this is genius. But also scathing. I like it nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteThis flows smoothly...interesting read...such use of words and sounds...peace
ReplyDeleteI found it distasteful, that for a man of such immense talent, one would seek of all things, to change the colour of your skin. Your comments will inspire me to delve into poetry, my long lost love...Thank you.
ReplyDeletethis sounds like off the cuff given the time frame? am i wrong? but it's so beautiful to read the way the words blend!
ReplyDeletei guess i know understand the meaning of your designation: Pen Powder!
but, about the issue of skin collour change, i'd inclined to believe the man Jackson himself who tells us that his skin collour change was no attempt to become white but rather that he suffered a kind of skin 'disorder'! he makes it clear he's proud to be black anyway!
personally, i don't see the big deal if a black man wants us to see him black! same way Eminem says he's a black man with a white skin! big deal? me think not! but the story of mike cannot be limited to perceptions! his own words matter and i'd rather stick with what he himself says than to follow the tabloids!
there sure are a lot of things that have been said about Michael. the kid abuses, for me only God, Michael and the kids involved know the truth!
but again, nice art!
*Wow* Harsh, brilliant and sums up our perceptions of MJ as he was portrayed by the media.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the media, there was a British newspaper headline today "Michael Jackson, Death by Show-business”. They could not have said it better. Michael Jackson's talent never allowed him to live an ordinary life. He grew-up in the limelight, his wacky weirdness was a result of the limelight and ultimately he was probably killed by the limelight.
As for the Black or White issue; someone texted the BBC this morning from Ghana saying MJ did amazing things for black pride.What? I concede, the Jackson 5 and early-phase MJ did good things for black music, black pride and black self-esteem. By attempting to remove all traces of his own blackness thru plastic surgery etc, MJ clearly demonstrated that he had issues with blackness.Some say that Michael physically mirrored the racist society in which he grew up...if that is the case, then how come Jermaine Jackson and most of the family are still adorning beautiful mocha-chocolate skin?
Perplexing...
Novisi, I really wish I could agree with you, and let the man`s words speak for themselves. But I find his actions, far louder than any of his words. Let us perhaps be very honourable, and give the man his respects for his talents, as to his identity or lack of it, where I come from we say "He who has died, can do no wrong"
ReplyDelete