Prisoner Strangely Set Free The noble progress of Socrates Fortlow C. Doug Blair, Waterloo, Canad, 2015 In appreciation of the provocative writings of Walter Mosley
Socrates
Eight years out now And stayin tame Stayin low Kilt a man over a woman Kilt her next Dese hands, dese crushin hands Den came twenty-seven years
Indiana's guest Locked in my cell Locked in my head Locked in my heart and hope. Don't neva rock the Man Don't neva speak out But crack a black man Sometime for respect Or for an orderly house Dass allright. My little quiet place Poor, puny and peeling But mine. And I collects things From evywhere. Also cans and bottles for refunds. Brought a boy here For a break and a bite He so close to dem gangs
And death Watts here is a smolderin fire Hate and hypocrisy. He been comin along. First sight was him Killin my chicken out back Didn't know no different And he come to know I was OK with dat. I was a man of murder Lookin straight and quiet now Missin a wife and kids Missin they laughter And purpose. Coupla friends meet With me at the Book Store Talkin bout everything Sizing up our ways and arguin. Old Lady at the counter Lets us come
And smiles extra hard When her Man arrive Gentle stooped ovah They saints to me And friends lettin me speak. Lettin me come. New job is a blessin Packin and deliverin groceries Fine old folks Smilin, sayin “thank you”. A wage, a walk and a way. I hung on applyin Til they said “yes” And I woik hard an strong Kids around me shapin up Curious about dis ole man. But so many Messin with girls, guns and drugs Would they see
What I seen. Who knows? Mebbe I'm heppin a lilbit? Sleepin comes better, easier Even with dem fights and fires outside. An some o my dreams Turnin bright.
(Images inspired by excellent book Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by Walter Mosley. And the memorable character Socrates Fortlow.)
Thinkers' Thursday Nights We don't often get the answers The questions they come and go But in this small house of mutual respek The love and trust gotta grow An old con, he got it rolling Done his silent years in the pen The kitchen smelt good An from the dark 'hood Come broken up girls and men So tired of Death's gang-bangin'
And turnin' the tricks Momma taught And hidin' one's heart an fearin' That inner hopes might be caught. But Socrates axed the questions Then sat back an watched the flow Of life with its cuts And bruises an such Brought out to the Light to know An black and brown Stopped to listen As each speaker got a turn An white an worn felt a kinship Forgiveness jes bein' learned. The answers they proved elusive Ole Socrates sat and smile The comments felt good And in a changed 'hood Sweet blossoms Burst forth from bile. No church could've brought This blessing Seemed codes and clothes Blocked the way Here silent prayers raised
An honest thoughts praised Agape love had its say.
The Right Mistake
What if it been da right mistake A fool's choice of da past A die was throwed An roads was changed An hurt come up so fast A woman gone A rage so foul It brought you to the brink A drunken night An killin hands
Before you even think. An years locked up With simple things Po' servant of the bell An nights so cold An full of fear With screams an deeds in hell. But you still here Yo' time done paid An now you free to go The State keeps its long memory But you've another throw. An this time Measurin' consequence An humbled by the fall You lookin fo free breath and sight To make amends Dass all. An with dat little place you got And friends done cross yo track You havin' nights Of healin talk
And gumbo from out back. You checkin hate An checkin fear An bringing gangs ta peace An freeing slaves From ghetto raves An soichin Love's release. You breathin still An Fate's strange hand Has birthed another way An where it leads Through kindly deeds Da blackest man caint say.
Note: Here we go again with the third book on Socrates Fortlow, ex-con murderer released to work healing and liberating discussion with a strange cross-section of friends looking for another way for their down-trodden inner-city community. He offers his sheet-metal covered abode affectionately called the "Big Nickel". The folks talk through a wide assortment of hurts, hates and healings. The police look on with darkest suspicions. Wonderful read and wonderful character by Walter Mosley. A strange modern Socrates still offering arresting philosophy and questions.
Boys at the Beach The boy and I Get down in the sand
Every now and then Listen to that big ole Pacific Groan and hiss. Barefoot. Fishin jest an excuse. He goin ta school now An doing so well The old Jewish couple Put him up close to studies Showin their love Teachin him household. I wouldna done any of it Ya know...without Darryl Took him from the streets Carousin' and killin' Jes like I been So many years before. Brought him to my plywood shack Lacking til then one candle of purpose Or reason for an honest job An he took the help so well Started to talk and smile Took to lovin' my two-legged dog An some responsibility. Then come the Thinkers' Nights
An a whole lotta people Trustin' in me Wantin' desperate-like to gather An' I's jest an ole fool With a lot of dirt and death To get over. The System and the Law Never forgettin' who I was Lookin' an spyin' for chances To put me down. But I got this fightin' chance Found me a true woman An' a baby girl long tha way They keep me straight An' the good war continues.
From Romans 12 in The Message (Eugene Peterson) 3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. 4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t. 6-8 If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. 9-10 Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. 11-13 Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. 14-16 Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. 17-19 Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” 20-21 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
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