I have no doubt you all were devastated... devastated, I tell you... that I did not offer up my usual Wednesday post yesterday... ;-) "Where is she? Is she okay? What else is going on to cause this blip in her like-clockwork M-W-F blog schedule?!?" Ha ha ha ha ha! I actually already had something planned, and ready on Tuesday afternoon to hit Publish on Wednesday morning, when Tuesday night found me logged into Grant Peeples' (a gravel-voiced, singer-songwriter/poet/provocateur in the best possible way, who I was lucky to present four times at our UU church Labyrinth Cafe concert series) Clay Tablets, a monthly online streaming show: "art, music, poetry, guests, prose, viewer mail, video, photography, philosophy"... :-)
The guest interview was with Carrie Elkin (via Grant's cell phone); May was Steve Poltz. It was a wonderful hour of cheer as well as thoughtfulness... and I loved the chat aspect, with many music-loving friends in attendance: BrianW, RobbyG, BeckyA, Sparky, LouiseB, AmiliaS, even Carrie's mom Donna. I was so inspired by Grant's song and shared poem (below) that I completely recalibrated my offering, which took a bit more time and effort. Also invited Nancy on a short road trip for a patio visit with Reba, bringing her romaine and raisin bread (hmmm, title for a song or memoir?). Then stopped at Parlour Vegan on my way home to pick up a previously-placed order of tamales, empanadas... and guava pastellitos for my husband. Home by 3 p.m. Out of steam, tired, done. Leftover Sicilian Supper for dinner, finished my book (Shrill by Lindy West), then capped off the evening with two episodes of The Durrells in Corfu. I've gotten very attached to this family and their various escapades of life on a Greek Island, and will be sad when I get to the end of Season 4... 😢
And that's why I was a day late in posting!
SONG: Nigger Lover by Grant Peeples (lyrics below)
“You're a nigger lover and I don't like your looks
Just you wait till the school bell rings
I'm gonna whip your little nigger loving ass
Can't wait to smash your stupid face in
I hate your guts, nigger lover”
Yea, that's what they called me
on the playground at school. But that was a lotta
years ago, and those kids have all grown up and
they don't use those words any more
– hardly
No, these days they use other words
They say other things, thing like
“You're a liberal socialist, a Communist activist
And you're gonna see in the next election
We're gonna snatch our country back for real Americans
We'll be proud again, stand tall again
Gonna put an end to all you bleeding heart liberals”
Yea, that's what they say NOW days
That's what you hear
But they haven't changed, and I know they still mean:
“You're a nigger lover and I don't like your look
Just you wait till the school bell rings
I'm gonna whip your little nigger loving ass
Can't wait to smash your stupid face in
I hate your guts, nigger lover”
I hate your guts...”
~ words and music, copyright Grant Peeples - LeftNeck Music - SESAC
BOOK: How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
POEM: by Haroon Rashid
We fell asleep in one world, and woke up in another.
Suddenly Disney is out of magic,
Paris is no longer romantic,
New York doesn’t stand up anymore,
the Chinese wall is no longer a fortress, and Mecca is empty.
Hugs & kisses suddenly become weapons, and not visiting parents friends
becomes an act of love.
Suddenly you realise that power, beauty & money are worthless, and can’t
get you the oxygen you’re fighting for.
The world continues its life and it is beautiful. It only puts humans in
cages. I think it’s sending us a message:
“You are not necessary. The air, earth, water and sky without you are fine.
When you come back, remember that you are my guests. Not my masters."
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