The Battle: Questions

Tedious is the battle
For poor folks
Striving to live,
Not some ordinary,
Solitary, eeking
Existence; but
Really to live life
Even as preachers with
Suspect theology would
Suggest!

Can my children succeed?
Can my home be safe?
Can my diabetes be controlled?
Can my girl earn a fair wage?
Can my table be spread?
Can my old car start?
Can my boss be fair?
Can my son be promoted?
Can my momma be lifted?
Can my color be an asset?
Can my father know my love?
Can the cops love me?
Can my side of town be honored?
Can my clothes be pressed?
Can my offering be valued?
Can I find a quiet place?
Can I expect better?
Can I pray and see progress?
Can I find real hope?
Can someone see me for who I am, really?
Can I love my community?
Can I love my enemies?
Can my enemies learn enough to love me?
Can we all get along?
Can my soul be found?  Saved?
Can playgrounds be built? 
Can playgrounds be safe?
Can sidewalks be repaired?
Can homes be built? 
Can neighborhoods be made over?
Can re-investment come my way?
Can opportunity be multiplied?
Can REITs work where I live?
Can I relocate to a "high opportunity" community?
Can the national dream be realized?
Can I contribute to someone's life and well being?
Can I be truly needed?
Can a child look up to me?
Can I be worthy of respect?
Can crack houses disappear?
Can City Hall work at last?
Can I win
the Battle?

Films for February

Looking for quality films to take in during African American History Month? 

Check this source!

High Hopes

Bruce Springsteen's latest gets at much of what we witness, engage and struggle with on a daily basis.

Seeing people. . .refusing to turn away

Eternal Lamp

The constant sun breaks through familiar shade trees,
My canopy bed of leaves, branches and damp heat
Cannot block the rising of this eternal lamp.

Once on the rise, the heat yields to nothing, to no one
In the task of warming the ground and radiating concrete,
My home in this unforgiving city.

My daily trek begins today, early before many rustle,
As always, somehow seeking food, water and a hassle-free day
Building against hunger, thirst and law enforcement.

The brilliant sun has not been informed of my
Criminal life and status in this city of great muchness,
Shining down on us all, even on me, one rejected.

Living in such blinding light, yet I remain unnoticed by most,
As if I am not here; But the salty sweat on my face
Reassures me that I am present indeed.

No matter how hot, this light, my friend,
The One with hot fierceness refusing not to
Turn its unfailing light on ME!

"We take care of our own"

I been knocking on the door
That holds the throne
I been looking for the map
That leads me home
I been stumbling on good hearts
Turned to stone

The road of good intentions

Has gone dry as a bone

We take care of our own
We take care of our own
Wherever this flag's flown
We take care of our own

From Chicago to New Orleans
From the muscle to the bone
From the shotgun house to the Super Dome
There ain't no help, the cavalry stayed home
There ain't no one hearing the bugle blowin'
We take care of our own
We take care of our own
Wherever this flag's flown
We take care of our own

Where're the eyes, the eyes with the will to see
Where're the hearts that run over with mercy
Where's the love that has not forsaken me
Where's the work that'll set my hands, my soul free
Where's the spirit that'll reign over me

Where's the promise from sea
To shining sea
Where's the promise from
Sea to shining sea
Wherever this flag is flown
Wherever this flag is flown
Wherever this flag is flown

We take care of our own
We take care of our own
Wherever this flag's flown
We take care of our own

We take care of our own
We take care of our own
Wherever this flag's flown
We take care of our own

"We Take Care of Our Own"

from Wrecking Ball (2012)

Bruce Springsteen

Springsteen's Rock with a Message. . .

Rolling Stone published an interview with Bruce Springsteen conducted by Jon Stewart in its March 29, 2012 edition.  Springsteen spoke of his new album (Wrecking Ball) and of a number of his classic recordings that reflect his own social values and his vision for and concern about America.  His language is the language of community, fairness, compassion and collective will, as well as responsibility.  Here are some of his comments:

The first cut, "We Take Care of Our Own," is where I set out the questions that I'm going to try to answer.  The song's chorus is posed as a challenge and a question.  Do we take care of our own?  What happened to that social contract?  Where did that go over the past 30 years?  How has it been eroded so terribly?  And how is it that the outrage about that erosion is just beginning to be voiced right now?  I've written about this stuff for those 30 years, from Darkness on the Edge of Town to The Ghost of Tom Joad through to today. . . .

So these are issues and things that occur over and over again in history and land on the backs of the same people.  In my music--if it has a purpose beyond dancing and fun and vacuuming your floor to it--I always try to gauge the distance between American reality and the American dream.  The mantra that I go into in the last verse of "We Take Care of Our Own"--"Where are the eyes, where are the hearts?"--it's really:  Where are those things now, what happened to those things over the past 30 years?  What happened to the social fabric of the world that we're living in? What's the price that people pay for it on a daily basis?"  Which is something that I lived with intensely as a child, and is probably the prime motivation for the subjects I've written about since I was very, very young. . . .

You cannot have a social contract with the enormous income disparity--you're gong to slice the country down the middle.  Without jobs, without helping folks with foreclosures, without regulating the banks, without some sort of tax reform. . . .Without addressing those issues in some way, I don't think the country is going to hold together.  . . .at the end of the day, you can't have a society and you can't have a civilization without a reasonable amount of economic fairness, full employment, purpose and civic responsibility. (page 41)

"Bruce Springsteen's State of the Union"

Rolling Stone

Issue 1153, March 29, 2012