POETrY

The New Poem

It rises to the occasion of the emerging sun

Reports the progress of a people, a season and a warrior who decides to run

The new poem speaks loud about that which is kept secret

Announces to everyone the basic mysteries of interconnected, cosmic existence

There is nothing hidden

Be it from above or from below

The New Poem sings the half forgotten songs of childhood

Adding nothing but the wisdom of fresh experiences

The New Poem is the essence of Conscious Hip Hop

The pause between the break beat

The friction before the heat

The melody that hooks you, so sweet

Sweet because the tongue of the skilful is wilful and bashful while humble

Sweet because while Truth hurts it also opens the wound for cleaning

Against the fragile house of gossip the Truth is never leaning

But searches out the matter and emerges with the better

In Higher Learning the teacher shouted

“I am looking for evidence of Original Thought…”

And a hush fell upon the whole class

Some thinking, ‘What a stupid thing to ask”

While others said

“Original thought is something of the past.

Because what I may think is new, may have already come to pass…”

This is the Mdw Ntr

The writing on the wall, the mystic language of nature…

Is the leaf that’s fallen today the same as that of yesterday?

Is the baby born tomorrow the same as she that’s been sacrificed?

In all the hot pursuit of My Time and No Time, Me Time and even the sublime

The New Poem doesn’t even need to rhyme

It stays inclined

To the listening ear

Dispelling the fear

Removing the tear

Replacing all complaining with clarity

Knowledge

Laughter

Offering

Giving

The New Poem is not concerned with giggles

But with the people it mingles

Searching for the warmth of innocent smiles

The touch of the loverly

The kiss of the friendly

The politics of language, culture and style

It is a poem that sees the cries of slaves

Imprisoned in caves of hate and instead of crying shame, simply and silently works for change