"Her Name" my favorite poem from Nationals & some other things

This is my favorite poem from this year's National Poetry Slam in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Oh, and in case you wanted to know how my team did.
We placed in the Top 20 teams in the Nation!
Empire MindState Slam Team (I.E. Slam Team)
Also, our Youth Team got 17th Place at this year's Brave New Voices in Chicago.
if you live in my region and may wanna go to next year's National Poetry Slam and wanna compete,
you can find our Slam schedule @ www.lionlikemindstate.com

here are some pictures of my damn Handsome team!

we had practice on the beach







then we (they) but we took the stage and did what we weren't supposed to...
WE FUKKED SHYT UP!










And our Lady, Treesje was killing it...unfortunately...not footage was caught of the Hurricane Powers

and then Rudy Francisco happened. (He had been happening for years..but then he happened) San Diego Slam Team and the Pride of not only the I.E. but all of Southern Cali. Look him up


This is what a Poet's Title looks like...actually, this is the Trophy






But my Trophy was these. This Team of ROOKIES (1st Time at Nationals) and the 1st Team EVER raised up out of the Inland Empire. "Prove I.E." Indeed we proved the I.E. and made it all the way to Semi-Finals.
It was wild, stressful, expensive and beautiful.

One day- short

One day my sons will
have names that rest foreign on your tongue.
You'll look up meanings that dont make sense
in this systematic way
the West was won.
they will smile and quote poetry.
will smile and add all that has been subtracted
multiply what is divided and come out with a whole speech

What say you

So I am still formulating and editing my blog on Hell and Light and the right mind according to Jesus NOT tradition (in my opinion)

but in the meantime...what say you about this?
you dont have to be a "christian" to have a voice on this...i wanna know what you think!

This Poem

This Poem

This poem is conducive to prayer
and worship
and love
and sex
and repentance.
This poem is what your heart says,
when your mind is silent.
This poem is what the Prophets say,
when our lands are violated.
This poem is the point of
spiritual pleasure and worldly pain.
This poem is submission;
laid prostrate on the floor
in the kitchen.
This poem is pure in every language
and only corrupted by tongues.
This poem is good intentions
paving the way when your personal Hell is re-invented.
This poem is the "Kingdom of God" here and now.
And hereafter there will be this poem.
It is the God of no religion.
Punishment only caused by mistrust and lust.
The salvation of the rich man is
Peace, not paid for.
The salvation of the Poor man is
bread before midnight.
And this poem promises
both Meat and Milk.
It is an Altar in our hearts
raised by no hands.
This poem is a carbomb of correction
driven by a woman named, "Mercy".
Driven to dire straights because
she has not met her namesake.
For God's Sake,
we wage war on one another.
And for the Sake of man
God forgives and gives poetry,
a fresh breeze, a new day,
fruit in due season,
another second chance at living.
This poem will serve as
the Poet's Philosophy
the Sorcerer's Alchemy
the Prophet's Sermon.
Another brick in the Pyramid;
the Gnosis in the land of
Ignorance, Desert and Desolation.

This poem is faith with every good reason.
And is conducive to prayer
and worship
and love
and sex
and repentance

I wrote “Terrorist” after the life of Sean Bell was extinguished by the NYPD and finished it a week before a Police Officer representing Inglewood PD shot and killed a 19 yr. old unarmed boy in the back. (and I almost forgot) Jena 6. And in the time in-between these occurrences I, for the first time in my life was at the wrong end of a standard issue law enforcing and often terror producing gun, wielded proudly by a Police Officer representing the LAPD.

I understand now how unarmed people are murdered in the dark by the same force we pay taxes for them to protect us.

One Officer on my driver side collecting my info. One BRIGHT LIGHT behind me so I cannot see whats behind me. Then, his partner seemingly sneaks up on my passenger side with gun already drawn, taps at the window with his gun pointed towards my chest.
(Now what do you suppose would’ve happened if I was startled?!? Jumped? Yelled? My hands were in my lap, all he had to do is say, “I couldn’t see his hands... and he made a sudden move...” and of course, “he fit the description...” )
Time’s up.
Lemme tell you what might’ve happened. He would’ve let loose his whole clip in my little chest and his partner would’ve ran over and for good measure emptied half of his clip in my back.

I understand now how unarmed people are murdered in the dark by the same force we pay taxes for them to protect us.

(Good thing I was more sleepy than scared causing my reflexes to be just a little slower than usual.)

Then I got to thinking (and connecting dots like I normally do).
I thought of Hannibal and bar Kochba and Nat Turner and Judah Maccabee. What do all these men have in common?
They are all classified as heroes to they’re people and as Terrorists to the systems they fought.

I had watched the movie “To catch a fire” about the Apartheid and was instantly reminded of all of this like it was one event. Then what I already knew, dawned on me again.
Oppressors create their own enemies.
This is why we had Black Panthers and Brown Berets, a Boston Tea Party, and even the United States of America.
One man’s Terrorist is often another man’s Hero.
But sadly, the story is often told by the winner and three fourths of the truth is suppressed.

A Conversation via text message

A conversation via text message about a Haiku I wrote, enjoy:

This is the ensuing short exchange between myself and a theology major.

(theology major: The study of God?!?

It’s still beyond me how we think we study the Unsearchable)

Haiku for you:
This Morning I found
the audacity to bless
even the Devil.
-Judah 1

Girl: and where does scripture teach that?!

Self: Ha

“Love your enemy...bless those who curse you...”

...Its a radical concept of Jesus

Girl: ha ha. But I think ur using it out on context...not too certain

Self: I think you are missing the point of art

And (excuse me) the scripture is also “art”

Girl: yes my dear friend but if art is not in line with scripture then it is still wrong. Artistic license doesn’t give excuse for bad teaching, right?

self: am I teaching? Not at all.

Love god more then you hate evil (is the base foundation of the haiku)

Why are you trying to extract a literal meaning out of figurative language?

-Sigh- sadly we do this with scripture, too

The point is that people are often found to have (d)evil in them. And even though they curse and come against you, to bless Them. And that is the “audacity” of blessing even the Devil. I was gonna get into how Satan is an Angel and Agent of God (see the Book of Job, Chapter 1) and that he is doing his job. He is no enemy of God, rather merely an Adversary of Man. And as scripture (rather the People called Israel) grow and learn and progress, the role of the Devil changes and grows, as well...he is here to tempt and test us. To in a way, help perfect us with fire (trials). I think of art of the Middle Ages and their depictions of the devil over a cauldron. And while that image of a red horned creature with a pitchfork is far from true, the cauldron is important. Heat is the Element of Change. And is this not what man is always seeking, to change? I believe God answers our prayers and desires with Heat (tests or trials) wrought forth to bring the desired change in us. And we blame the devil for bringing heat that we, ourselves ask God to deliver to our souls.

But what would be the point...she studies God

Knowledge is(a) power.
But translating is Powerful.
-Alchemy 101