6.20.2009

A Love Story To Be Jealous Of...

So, I was reading the Chicago Sun-Times the other day and after flipping through the first few pages, I ran across two articles about kids killing kids ("10 yrs. for teen in murder of Julian student") and a hate crime ("Gary mom: Son was burned in hate crime"), of course he was black. The articles, especially the first reminded me of a poem I heard on HBO's Russell Simmons presents Brave New Voices.

"Brave New Voices is a monumnetal festival that features teen poetry slam champions from cities, rural, and suburban areas from all over the world. Held in a different city each year, Brave New Voices has taken place at esteemed venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, The San Francisco Opera House, The Apollo Theater, and the Chicago Theater, drawing thousands of audiences each year." Check out http://www.bravenewvoices.org/ to find out more information. This year's festival will be held downtown Chicago from July 14-19 and most of the events are free. Definitely will be in attendance myself. =)

Anyway, below is the video of one of the poems performed by two poets, Nate Marshall and Demetrius Amparan, from the Chicago team. It's entitled "Lost Count: A Love Story". Loooove this poem. And Chicagoans should be able to relate (and see why that article reminded me of the poem). Scroll further and you will see the words.





Lost Count: A Love Story
Will they ever call your death beautiful
Your life a sacrifice
Will the meeting of blood and bullet every be called romantic
A love story to be jealous of
Chris…
I remember you when Guatemalan green matching your flag on your Independence Day
Your hair was a black puff of curl and confidence
In homeroom you always had homies in the hallway waiting for you
We’re still waiting
I couldn’t sleep for a week
When you washed up water logged in the Calumet River
Puffed and purple like violets before bloom
Eddie, you were the first to say high to me
First day of school when I stepped in with Bugle boy jeans and a high top fade and I saw YOU
Possibly, the coolest dude to ever grace elementary
September 22, 2006, 8th period
“We really need to hang out”
“Yeah, that’ll be cool”
“I’ll see you later, D”
September 22, 2006 8:30 PM may be a little later than I thought when your path ended on Vincennes Road
Run down by bad luck…. and a police officer
Lives like these shouldn’t be shortened
Sentence fragments of a future
And in the 14 days it took us to write this
We’ve had to add more names to this list
Because in this city, before we blossom
We must weather storms unforecast because
Every intersection can become Virgina Tech
So excuse me if the news be mixed with my emotions
See being brown in Bigger Thomas’s town makes you endangered
And in the past TWO years I’ve seen over SIXTY Native Sons set…. in the graves
I guess… this is the part where, poets produce plans
And we don’t have any
In Chicago, anyone under age 20 is a target
And I don’t know how to do more than be afraid
That in age allowing me to be on this stage
Might have me murdered by Monday
I’m 18!
I play pick-up basketball games with ghosts!
Is there a reason, I’m making it out of a community that has martyred young men I might be mistaken for
I!
DON’T!
KNOW!
Will they ever call your death beautiful
Your life a sacrifice
A love story to be jealous of
How many deaths will it take
Before THIS is considered genocide


The poets on BNV are AMAZING. I've been hooked since a friend told me about this poem. I'll post throughout the month the poems I loved, or try. ONDemand was on to something, too bad it only lasts for so long.

Overdose on the intellect, creativity, and courage that is Brave New Voices.