B.B. King
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You see a pattern now. In the North Carolina, you saw over 90% of black people vote for Sen. Barack Obama over opponent Sen. Hillary Clinton. You saw it in South Carolina. Before South Carolina's primary, pundits were scratching and shaking their bowed heads, utterly perplexed as to why Blacks had not taken a shine, so to speak, to the skinny black guy with the funny name, to one of their own. But that was all before former Prez Bill Clinton came to town. That was before "the black president" pulled the race card, suggesting that the skinny black guy was just another Jessie Jackson without a big afro, suggesting, indeed, that the skinny black guy's entire campaign was nothing but a "fairytale." Since then, black voters have said to Hillary and Bill in no uncertain terms: "We don't like you anymore, and we're not going to vote for you."
So, to paraphrase the great singer Roy Orbison, how do you say "it's 0-ver?" You could say "Parting is so much sorrow," but do you really want to resort to the actions of which you accuse Hillary and be dishonest.
You could, like the great African American poet Langston Hughes, ask rhetorically "What happens to a dream deferred" then answer dramatically, "Maybe it sags like a heavy load...Or does it explode?"
Perhaps you could opt for a more elegant, though bitter-sweet, transcendence and recite this poem by the great Palestinian poet Samih Al Qassim :
A s h e s
Like B.B. King, you could just start singing a song that, unfortunately, we African
Americans know all too well:
"The thrill is gone..."
11 comments:
Or how about this one for Billary to sing. . .
Well you don't love me
and it's plain to see
that I'll be cryin, cryin, crying
what can I dooooo
I'm cryyyyyyyyyin
cryyyyyyyyin
oooooverrrrr youuuuuuu.
Sorry Roy, I fudged the lyrics the best I could
I love Orbison. Hey, I thought of you as I was writing this post. I know you're a blues lover. Blessings.
Since we're in a poetic mood:
Obama was not my first choice.
It was Hill and Bill I knew so well.
Though Obama was black like me,
I hoped Hillary would give him hell.
Had Bill kept his mouth shut,
And surrogates had done the same,
I would still be trying to spell
Obama's strange sounding name.
No, everyone had to get in on the act,
To bury him with lies and deceit.
It reminded me of a lynching,
And scary guys wearin' sheets.
On the radio, TV, and the Internet
Obama's whole name was given.
His pastor words were used against him,
By pundits that seemed unnaturally driven.
Now that Hill's behind in the delegate count,
There's talk of her as a running mate.
Obama's got her on his short list,
But, for Hill, I think it's too little too late.
oh my, Macdaddy, you sound melancholy...troubles at home or just tired of it all?
How about this one If I could turn back the hands of time. She would have realize that we didn't belong to her.
fire next time: I love the poem and your name-- the name of one of my favorite books, by my favorite writer. Keep writing.
Anon: I think you hit on something. I do have a little sad for Hillary Clinton. After the disgusting behavior of her husband Bill, she had a chance to turn her life around and become a truly progressive politics: to really fight for workers, women, and people of color. Now, by reducing herself to speaking in racist codes, by pandering to the public, and by, frankly, giving Sen. McCain and Republicans ammunition against Obama in the general election, she has messed her political career. She's lost more than black votes; she's lost that intangible yet most valuable thing of all: integrity. Can she get it back? I don't think so.
no brotha I'm not speaking of hil's blues--judgin by that sad poem you wrote sounds like you be having blues in your own crib
blessings to you
Jim: Welcome. As utilized in the post, the poem speaks to a torturous and sad ending to what was once a mostly positive relationship between the Clintons and black America. Since you missed it, I'll repeat that it was written by Quassim, a Palestinian poet who now lives in Canada. Visit again.
jbrock: "If I could turn back the hands of time." Tyrone Davis. The leader of his band was Joe Young. They called him Mighty Joe Young, a very good rhythm and lead guitarist out of Chicago. Okay. I'm dating myself. Thanks.
'Honeyboy' Edwards, Delta bluesman, outlasts them all
Just read this. . . .
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080511/ap_on_en_mu/people_honeyboy_edwards;_ylt=AghHMmV_b2AX_FddNTbUBsms0NUE
By CHRIS TALBOTT, Associated Press Writer
JACKSON, Miss. - With his 93rd birthday a month away, David "Honeyboy" Edwards admits it's getting hard to walk long distances.
I love this quote. . .
"Blues ain't never going anywhere," Edwards said. "It can get slow, but it ain't going nowhere. You play a lowdown dirty shame slow and lonesome, my mama dead, my papa across the sea I ain't dead but I'm just supposed to be blues. You can take that same blues, make it uptempo, a shuffle blues, that's what rock 'n' roll did with it. So blues ain't going nowhere. Ain't goin' nowhere."
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