The System
When it is not black then it is white,
For you and i know the truth going on around us;
But the sytem had made our lives so.
I have no child and my husband is too old,
And like a wild vine in the field of love;
But the system had made our lives so.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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Related quotes
IV-TV
Black Sun came and changed our name
Made our lives this simple stain
Drove the children from their chores
Handcrafted housewives into whores
Society snake it ate our brains
Injected poison in our veins
T.V. minds hip swing grinds
Faces cracked and filled with lines
Black sun came and changed our name
Made our lives this simple stain
Introveneous T.V. feeds
Bedroom violence all he sees
Ride the lightning to the sky
Stab the clouds and watch them cry
Black sun came and changed our name
Made our lives this simple stain
All we do is smite
for what we think is right
Sound of mind bereft of sight
Denial taking human life
Clouds go by children run
Gulls do nosedives in the sun
Water falling from a spout
into wanting thirsty mouths
Black sun came and changed out name
Made our lives this simple stain
Made our lives this simple stain
Made our lives this simple stain
All we do is smite
for what we think is right
Sound of mind bereft of sight
Denial taking human life
All we do is smite
for what we think is right
Sound of mind bereft of sight
Endless blinding cathode light
song performed by by Marilyn Manson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Seth Kwesi Davudu
When the king sleeps who watches?
When the poorman sleeps who is now on guard?
With the day ana the night to learn from the Creator;
Seth, you've really made me very proud with your results.
Life is not all that roses at times,
But we have to keep on to reach our dreams!
Yes, until that day that we may reach there.
Now, you've passed in flying colours and,
I am here to stay with my sweet words;
But like the wild vine in the field of peace,
Success is all that we need in our lives.
Gather the herbs and be on guard,
Like the dressed stones from a quarry;
For today, you've made me very proud!
And now, you have your results to move on in life.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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Inner Strength
Here we sit alone in an outnumbered fight
Led to decipher between wrong and right
And some may fail, at this joke that some of
Us call life
Yes at this game that some call life
But the system can't bail me out of hell
I've made this discovery and it has helped
Believe and one day, you'll do just as well now
As you were, you little puppet, you pauper, you
Freak, that's right
That's what some of them have said to me
So I object, and try to figure things out for myself
I'm building up full emotional wealth
(Chorus)
The inner strength, is what the hate, it wants
Us not to feel
It's time that we helped, there's no room to fail
You already know the way out of hell
All we got is ourselves, I have faith in that
Believe and one day
We'll put the system in jail, we'll put the system in jail
I made it through, scraped, black and blue
But so can you. I made it through so black and blue
But you can too, I made it through scraped
Black and blue
But so can you. I've made it through,
we'll all make it through
[As printed in CD booklet
song performed by by Flaw
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sweet Pea
Oh my sweet pea,
The white child doesn't know the black child;
Oh my sweet pea,
The white child doesn't know the coloured child;
But the black child is aware of the coloured and the white!
And this poem is to bring forth the message of love to all amnkind,
Because we were all made by the Creator!
Just as it is written,
So is the seed of the Medes;
And like Sodom and Gomorrah!
For i saw people queuing for pig meat and,
Like the sins of our past.
Of the people and by the people,
Read your Bible and pray everyday;
For many are still not ready to learn.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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He Lives In You
(mark a. mancina/jay rifkin/lebohang morake)
Ingonyama nengw enamabala
Ingonyama nengw enamabala
Night and the spirit of life calling
Oh, oh, iyo mamela oh, oh, iyo
And the voice with the fear of a child answers
Oh, oh, iyo iyo mamela
Wait! theres no mountain too great
Hear these words and have faith
Oh, oh, iyo
Have faith
Hela hey mamela, hela hey mamela
Hela hey mamela, hela hey mamela
He lives in you, he lives in me (hela hey mamela)
He watches over everything we see
Into the waters, into the truth
In your reflection, he lives in you
Dream, and the voice in the wind whispers
Oh, oh, iyo, iyo mamela oh, oh, iyo
Wait! theres no mountain too great
Hear these words and have faith
Oh, oh, iyo
He lives in you, he lives in me
He watches over everything we see
Into the waters, into the truth
In your reflection, he lives in you
Ingonyama nengw enamabala
Ingonyama nengw enamabala
He lives in you, he lives in me
He watches over everything we see
Into the water, into the truth
In your reflection, he lives in you
He lives in you (oh yeah), he lives in me
He watches over everything we see
Into the water, into the truth
In your reflection, he lives, he lives, he lives, he lives in you
He lives, he lives, he lives in you
He watches over everything we see
song performed by by Diana Ross
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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No Disparities Seen
If one grows accustomed to a joke,
And lives it as if...
That's the only reality lived they know.
And it is.
By what they show and choose to believe.
And surrounding themselves they do,
With jesters!
To uphold such valued standards!
It is a life felt that feels most comfortable.
Those opposing 'this' reality,
Are the ones oppressed and made to fear.
Made to become subservient.
Although they are the ones,
Closer to the truth...
Of all creation!
And their lives are despised.
Otherwise there would be no disparities seen.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Mine
A little white house with black wooden shadows
A porch with its columns all covered with vine
My broken dream house where he lives with another
But this was supposed to be mine
Two little children that look like their daddy
With the same smile and the same eyes that shine
The only thing wrong Im not their mommy
But they were supposed to be mine
Hes given to her what he promised to me
The plans that we made never can be
For each night he holds and carresses another
And she is supposed to be me
Hes given to her what he promised to me
The plans that we made never can be
For each night he holds and carresses another
And she is supposed to be me
And he is supposed to be mine
song performed by by Dolly Parton
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Wine Of Love
We take a sip of the wine
that runs through our lives.
The wine of love most purest
that comes from the tenderest grapes
upon the vine.
We sip a little each day
praying it will never go away.
The wine of love
that runs through our lives each day.
Providing the vine doesn’t whither
our love will become fulfilled
with love forever after
our cup is empty and bare.
19 March 2008
poem by David Harris
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The Great Sin Of Prejudice Against Color
Children,
who made your skin white?
Was it not God?
Who made mine black?
Was it not the same God?
Am I to blame, therefore,
because my skin is black?
Does it not cast a reproach
on our Maker
to despise a part of His children,
because He has been pleased
to give them a black skin?
Indeed, children, it does;
and your teachers ought to tell you so,
and root up, if possible,
the great sin of prejudice
against color from your minds.
While Sabbath School Teachers
know of this great sin,
and not only do not teach
their pupils that it is a sin,
but too often indulge in it themselves,
can they expect God
to bless them or the children?
Does not God love colored children
as well as white children?
And did not the same Savior
die to save the one as well as the other?
If so,
white children must know
that if they go to Heaven,
they must go there
without their prejudice against color,
for in Heaven
black and white
are one in the love of Jesus.
Now children,
remember what Sojourner Truth has told you,
and thus get rid of your prejudice,
and learn to love colored children
that you may be
all the children of your Father
who is in Heaven.
poem by Sojourner Truth
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A Coronal
WITH HIS SONGS AND HER DAYS TO HIS LADY AND TO LOVE
Violets and leaves of vine,
Into a frail, fair wreath
We gather and entwine:
A wreath for Love to wear,
Fragrant as his own breath,
To crown his brow divine,
All day till night is near.
Violets and leaves of vine
We gather and entwine.
Violets and leaves of vine
For Love that lives a day,
We gather and entwine.
All day till Love is dead,
Till eve falls, cold and gray,
These blossoms, yours and mine,
Love wears upon his head,
Violets and leaves of vine
We gather and entwine.
Violets and leaves of vine,
For Love when poor Love dies
We gather and entwine.
This wreath that lives a day
Over his pale, cold eyes,
Kissed shut by Proserpine,
At set of sun we lay:
Violets and leaves of vine
We gather and entwine.
poem by Ernest Christopher Dowson
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How long Will This Bullshit Go On? An Ode to Richard Pryor
Richard was a vessel, an artist that was black,
In a sea of white suppression, that he carried on his deck, …
He made us laugh so hard that we were all reduced to tears,
His message helped us overcome our anger and our fears.
Rich became a voice that we deep down did all desire;
Fearlessly he broached topics that set our souls on fire.
From his first appearance on TV, to his albums and his roles, ..
He steadfastly endured and made the truth part of his goals.
Although his life was mired in addiction and excess,
His heart was filled with love that he did openly express.
His legacy lives on in all our hearts and memories,
Because he knew that racism was not a joke, but a disease.
(April 10,2007–Stop & Think Poetry®)
poem by Steven Taylor
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Two in a tower
Viviette, Lady Constantine, tender
Even at her thirty, was a splendour.
Her husband had no time to engage her
As with other women he was merrier.
The tender vine lady, stake less, wandered
And, on a lad in a tower, stumbled.
She endeared the lad to explore her
While he was there to explore stars elsewhere.
Her age and dignity held Swithin.
His age and purity held Viviette.
Death of her husband rescued her from guilt;
Warmth of her lover was free to travel.
The Bishop, a widower, was enchanted
With the company of Lady Constantine,
And was desperate to secure her hand,
Her young widowhood taken for granted.
Viviette had loved Swithin for her shake
And more for his shake; she subjected her
.Self-love to his benevolence, and made
Her motherly love shade her sexual love.
.
She coerced him to set out for his future
And forced herself to desert his gesture.
She made herself marry the widower
To be father for her expecting child.
Viviette again became a widow
And for Swithis’ return, she stood in glow.
The joy of reunion took her life;
The child got him, the bona fide father.
Her first husband deserted her
Her lover could not marry her.
Her second one is not her choice.
She thanked her lover with a child.
“‘tis in the mercy of her eye
If poor love shall live or die;
A silver line is her child,
In her life, full of cloud.”
29.08.2000, Pmdi
[ a novel by Thomas Hardy]
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
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Rock'n'roll Is Alive (And It Lives In Minneapolis) (Tony Fly Mix)
And It Lives In Minneapolis)
(Rock 'n' roll is alive!)
Rock 'n' roll is alive (Rock 'n' roll is alive!)
(Rock 'n' roll is alive and it lives in Minneapolis!) {x2}
From all over the world the people came
Even the President flies in 2 worship a thing called fame
Red, white, and blue boy / girls - 2night everyone's the same
Some people say it's dyin', but we don't wanna play that game
Rock 'n' roll is alive and it lives in Minneapolis! (Sing!)
Rock 'n' roll is alive (and it lives in Minneapolis!)
Rock 'n' roll is alive and it lives in Minneapolis! (Sing!)
Rock 'n' roll is alive (and it lives in Minneapolis!)
Sure as the drive around Lake of the Isles is cool I know (Oh)
Rock 'n' roll will never die like the Minnehaha flow (Oh)
Sure as the land of a thousand lakes is sometimes made of snow
There'll always be another king 2 die butt-naked on the floor (Oh)
Rock 'n' roll is alive and it lives in Minneapolis! (Sing!)
Rock 'n' roll is alive (and it lives in Minneapolis!) (Oh)
Rock! Rock!
(Very impressive)
Rock! Rock!
(Sing!)
(Rock 'n' roll is alive and it lives in Minneapolis!) (Sing damn it!)
Rock! Rock!
Rock 'n' roll is alive! (Yeah!)
(Rock 'n' roll is alive and it lives in Minneapolis!) {x4}
(Rock 'n' roll is alive and it lives in Minneapolis!) {x4
song performed by by Prince
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Wearing White
Phones were ringing, tongues were wagging
Hot gossip was flying
All around town
She heard the talk, the lowdown was
The shameless color of
Her wedding gown
It's white
I mean really who's she trying to kid
Everybody knows the things she did
It just isn't right
Won't that be a sight
To see her wearing white
She was wild, a wayward child
To put it mildly
She made her life a mess
But she was young, the past is done
Now she's in love
And putting on a new dress
It's white
And it's nobody's business what she wears
Anyway the truth is she don't care
Baby it's her life
She'll do what she likes
And she likes wearing white
He's all nerves when he sees her
As far as he's concerned
She's an angel
In white
He just can't believe that she is his
What a crazy miracle this is
Who she was he don't mind
'Cause on their wedding night
She'll be wearing white
She'll be wearing white
She'll be wearing white
song performed by by Martina Mcbride
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Black and white photo
truth is in the beholder's mind
good or evil lives
haiku by Lorraine Margueritte Gasrel Black
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White Angel the Easter Rabbit
Out of a lovely fantasy…..,
She appeared one Springtime day…..,
And made our world……,
So happy in every way……,
It was a vision so wondrous……,
As we colored our eggs…..,
For the Easter Holiday
White Angel, The Easter Rabbit…..,
Brought sunshine to our lives…..,
When it came to joy we had it…..,
White Angel, The Easter Rabbit…..,
She’d hop, hop, hop….,
All day long…..,
Be dancin’ around……,
And singin’ a song…..,
As Easter came so merrily…..,
She was so much fun for us to see……,
White Angel, The Easter Rabbit…..,
Brought sunshine to our lives…..,
Lovin’ her was a tireless habit……,
White Angel, The Easter Rabbit…..,
But poof just like each night and day……,
Her visit soon had to end …..,
So she hop, hop, hopped on her way……,
Off to visit her fairytale friends……,
As we sadly bid farewell to her…….,
She said, “Come on now, don’t cry…..,
I’ll be back again some Easter Day”…..,
White Angel, The Easter Rabbit…..,
Brought sunshine to our lives…..,
When it came to joy we had it…..,
White Angel, The Easter Rabbit…..,
Pure white gold in 24 karat…..,
White Angel, The Easter Rabbit….! ! !
(2011)
poem by Trade Martin
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Strong Black Woman
Baby, such a long life, my child
So many stories I have to tell you
Of slavery and of tragedy
Sit down and listen to my tales
Everybody thinks that the strong black woman died
No, she only stood back because she had not cried
She took a minute to rest. She cried. Her heart so heavy
But she’s back, baby. And child, she’s so pretty
I’m a strong black woman, and I am fighting
Don’t mess with me; I’ll leave your eyes shining
I give these children all the love they crave
I’ll beat away any energy that makes life grave
Hallelujah, the strong black woman still lives
Hallelujah, the strong black woman still gives
Hallelujah, can you feel the strength of her?
Hallelujah, this woman is one you can’t deter
Praise the lord’s name and speak in tongues
May all the strong black women live so long
I am a strong black woman, I am here
A strong black woman lives in my heart
Hallelujah, the black woman is so strong
Hallelujah, this has become my favorite song
Hallelujah, the strong black woman prospers
Hallelujah, she is no different than her brothers
The strong black woman never died, she lives
See, no matter what happens she always survives
I am here, I am a strong black woman, in disguise
And this newly strong black woman never dies
Praise the lord’s name the black woman is back
Now the world knows that we survive any attack
Give her all the suffering children or people in despair
Because the strong black woman will return them to air
The strong black woman was not lynched or killed
She gave herself a proud face and lived on so skilled
Praise the lord’s name and know that she lives on
Hallelujah, the strong black woman will never be gone
poem by German Alcala
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I Thank You For Your Assistance
You made choices in your life.
With accusations made to others,
That I believed I knew 'everything'.
And if that was remotely true...
People would have lived happier lives.
And you,
Come to me with attitude,
Accusing me of ignoring 'you'?
~Sir...
May I please use the PA system in your store?
I am trying to locate someone who is totally lost.~
'Sure.
Go to customer service and let them know,
You have my approval.'
~Ladies and Gentlemen...
May I have your attention, please.
I wish to locate someone that is lost.
And I'll repeat what I just said to them,
To you...
In the hopes we can find this person's mind!
THIS is what I said:
You made choices in your life.
With accusations made to others,
That I believed I knew 'everything'.
And if that was remotely true...
People would have lived happier lives.
And you,
Come to me with attitude,
Accusing me of ignoring 'you'?
If you see this fool in your presence...
Please direct them outside,
Where I am going to breathe some fresh air.
I thank you for your assistance.~
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Bread And Wine!
i saw the buddha
in the eyes of the prisoner,
waiting to be executed.
our system of justice,
demands retribution,
as long as it's someone else!
preferably,
someone poor,
addicted, uneducated,
black, Hispanic,
or just plain old
white trailer trash.
the homeless man,
the man who's lost it all,
the man with no job,
no future, no dream...
no one will miss them anyway!
while the 'gods of success',
wheel and deal on the market,
playing with lives,
as if playing cards.
starting wars that make them rich,
raping the planet, even richer!
and taking from the poor,
always the poor.
immune?
above the law?
a different set of rules,
and a phony morality.
they kill the buddha
for bread and wine...
bread made of flesh,
wine made of blood!
the cost of justice...
afforded by the few!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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An aside on the Vedanta Paribhasha of Dharmaraja Adhvarindra
A child with shining eyes,
eyes as alert as any wild creature
guarding its life; free as a human child
who’s loved and watched for,
walks along the beach. In the morning sun
shells, newly washed by the receding tide,
sparkle in the morning sun.
A distant sparkle, noted among many,
continues to sparkle. Bend down and pick it up,
sandy, a dropp of water held in perfect curve;
is it a shell, nacreous in many shades
as it’s lifted to the light, beautiful as if
the Creator had made it only at the dawn today?
or is it a silver dish from that liner that went down,
shaped as a shell, stamped SS Perpetua?
And is it silver-plated from the lower deck,
or solid silver from the first-class deck?
What does the child care? Seeing with
a child’s pure eye, that shell’s more beautiful –
-tells more about the world – than any silversmith
could make?
Carrying whatever it is, the child returns to home;
shining eyes remind the parents of that time
when all the world spoke truth made visible
that knowledge, consciousness, and bliss
are what truth tells, and lives, and is.
*
[With smiling respect to Dr Kuntimaddi Sadananda,
who is conducting a learned disquisition on this text
on the internet..]
poem by Michael Shepherd
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