All Power to the People
Long Live the Pan African Revolution!
Al Humdulilah!!!!!!!
Parable of the Parrot
for Ngugi Wa Thiong'o and the Pan African Revolution
The king wanted parrots around him. He wants his ministers to wear parrot masks. He said he had to do the same for the previous king. He only said what the king wanted to hear, nothing more, so he advised his ministers to do the same. In fact, they must encourage the people to become parrots. Yes, he wanted a nation of parrots.
Don't say anything the king does not want to hear. Everything said should be music to his ears. And don't worry, he will tell you exactly what he wants to hear in his regular meetings and public addresses to the nation. Everyone will be kept informed what parrot song to sing.
No one must be allowed to disagree with the king. This would be sacrilegious and punishable by death. The king must be allowed to carry out the dreams that come to his head. No one else should dream, only the king.
In this manner, according to the king, the people can make real progress. There shall always be ups and downs, but have faith in the king and everything will be all right.
Now everyone sing the national anthem, the king told the people. There must be a chorus of parrots, a choir, mass choir singing in perfect unity. Let there be parrots on every corner of the kingdom, in every branch and tree. Let all the boys sing like parrots in the beer halls.
Let the preacher lead the congregation in parrot songs. Let the teachers train students to sound like parrots.
Let the university professors give good grades to those who best imitate parrot sounds. Let the journalists allow no stories over the airwaves and in print if they do not have the parrot sound.
The king was happy when the entire nation put on their parrot masks. Those who refused suffered greatly until they agreed to join in.
The state academics and intellectuals joined loudly in parroting the king's every wish. Thank God the masses do not hear them pontificate or read their books. After all, these intellectual and academic parrots are well paid, tenured and eat much parrot seed. Their magic song impresses the bourgeoisie who have a vested interest in keeping the song of the parrot alive.
Deep down in the hood, in the bush, the parrot song is seldom heard, only the sound of the hawk gliding through the air in stone silence looking for a parrot to eat.
--Marvin X
4/5/10
After Friday Prayers
After Friday Prayers
After salat
salaam-alaikum
al humdulilah
we shall meet in the streets
to shout no more pharaoh
no more presidents for life
no more American aid for guns, tear gas tanks
no more uncle abdullah
no more
no more reactionary theology
no honor killings
suppression of women's dignity
no more
after Friday prayers
in Tunisia
Cairo
Yemen
Sudan
Jordan
Saudi Arabia
Persian Gulf
no more
after Fatihah/Ikhlas
we shall meet the guns of Pharaoh Mubarak
we shall meet the tear gas
death even
we shall meet
and go to paradise
for freedom
no fear of Pharaoh's guns/tear gas
no fear no more
young and invincible
we have the model
wel meet in the streets
to live again
to breathe
to love
to control our lives
feed our families
to fly in the sun of freedom and liberty.
--Marvin X
1/27/11
https://theblacklist.net/
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