Poem 18:  A Tribute to Allen Ginsberg “Needed Medicine”

I saw the madness all around me. Black men dragged by their broken

Feet. Perforated dreams

Holes in their family

Death not an adequate explanation

Teenagers, far from their gilded homes

Experimenting

Not afraid. But Christ

They should be. The power of unity

Taking us for an ill-fated ride

We know not why or

How. But we protest what we don’t know, and stand up for what we

Also don’t know.

If I hear the word justice one more time, I will

Puke. All it means is keeping the world as it is.

Destruction, disrespect, jealousy. But mostly

Fear. Big strong men, in armour. A brutal

Army… fighting off innocence.

There might not be

Corruption, if everybody gave in. But then the world would

Suck, even more than it already does.

Serving the country by killing. Having to be

Stoned, to survive the memory.

Assholes. Telling me what to do when they’re

Drunk with power.

Let us

Camp in the tents of our souls. The insects

Don’t bother me. Let the wind take us

At least it knows where it’s going.

But if you want money for people with minds that hate

All I can tell you is brother you have to wait*

 

*Revolution (Lennon/McCartney)

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