Living as One
By Barry Woods
Early morning hours of June 5th 2022, Solano State Prison, I sit at the desk just looking out at the morning sky as dawn gives dusk it’s last chances to show us star gazers a last glimpse of the star we wish to, as dawn settles in, I look from the sky to the ground outside the cell window to stare face-to-face with a jack rabbit calmly sitting there picking burr’s from its feet, I think to myself, wow, what a hell of a way to keep clean, then another thought occurred to me, this creature has been around for millions of years and his species are here today in existence, because they’ve learned to live in harmony with Earth, as I sit still just watching the rabbit, my thoughts went to all of the different organisms this creature was consuming with each lick of his paw and from his fur, yet here this beautiful creature sat just as happy as could be. He was at one with Earth, he had found a harmony that allowed for him to consume the organisms from the Earth that would sicken or kill you or me.
This simple animal has learned to live as one with Earth, I thought as I continued to look on as it groomed its fur with saliva on its paws, it is only man who wishes to purify the Earth and make is sterile to suit his ends and as such many of the World’s organisms are now man’s worst enemy, I understand the science of it all, medicine and biology, I get all that as there are some things here on Earth that has the ability to wipe out all humankind, so I do not criticize man for his advancements, what I mean is that we’ve taught ourselves to live outside of Earths harmony, we have falsely led ourselves to believe that we are superior to even Mother Earth because, we, in our misguided beliefs, that we are superior or inferior to each other, have become delusional about our place on Earth where we assume the status as conquerors, never bothering to think we have but one home planet, why is it so hard for us to live in harmony with Earth or with each other?
The rabbit sits grooming, but never taking his eyes from me as he licked his feet to use to wash, my thoughts surged on, humankind has the ability to affect the lives of most of the species on the planet and will make the last decision abouts man’s attributes to Earth.
But then you have to pause and wonder, does Mother Earth need man for Her survival? No, she does not need man to continue to spin, as dusk fully gives way to dawn, the little rabbit finishes licking his feet and I think I’ve got to put my thoughts on paper, the rabbit takes a long look at me, then it turns to scamper away, what will be humankinds story, will Earth simply erase all traces of humankind from the annuls of World. His story is his to tell and preserve. Do we learn to live in harmony with Earth and leave behind knowledge for other species to read? The rabbit kicks up a puff of dust as it rounds the corner of building eleven and my thoughts are interrupted by a flock of early morning quail lands pecking the Earth to gather pebbles to help with their digestion.
WE MUST BE AT PEACE
WE MUST LIVE IN HARMONY, LIVE AS ONE.
THIS IS MY AMERICAN TRUTH. . .
By Barry Woods
I wondered as a child if I was African, American or African-American.
It all began one day as my dad and I were taking a walk as we usually did on the block. When some random man pulled up to the curb and yelled from the safety of his car window, “go back to Africa.” Perplexed, I looked up into my father’s face for an answer and only saw hurt, anger, and pain the sad look of a hurt man. He whispered to me, “This is your land,” as he held tightly to my hand and we continued to walk and enjoy each others company, he said to me, “You’re a true American.”
Confused as a kid about what the man meant, every year I went to the annual Fourth of July parade and waited for the platoon to pass by. Red, White and Blue flag held high. I would cheer loud with pride as my uncles Jack, Brook, Johnny, Albert, Charlie Brown, John, Thomas and Dad went by cheering loudly. My cousins Derrick, Kyle, Stephanie, Annjett, Larry, and Butch I would look on and wonder in my mind what family was more American than mine? What American family had given more of a sacrifice than mine who had given their lives as I thought back to that one time when some strange man told me and my dad to go back to Africa, beaming with pride and love for I knew my families sacrifice. I felt nothing but love for those who taught me how to be a true African-American and no amount of hate could ever make me feel any other way. As I stood on West Texas and watched as the parade rolled by, my tiny flag held high. Who could be more American than I? No hateful words could put a damper on my pride, because I was full of American pride.
This is my American truth. . . Add to this discussion and share your American truth. “ONE NATION UNDER A GROOVE”
WE ARE ONE UNITED!
By: Barry Woods
We are one a nation so diverse, there’s someone here from every country around the globe.
We are one a country so beloved people from allparts of the world risk their lives trekking the deadly seas, deserts and hills for a chance to experience the American dream. (FREEDOM) Lady Liberty a beacon torch held high to light the way through the dark nite North, East, South, and West this beacon shines so bright a guide towards freedom a land where all men can live safe and free from the constraints of tyranny and oppression where the U.S. Constitution is a guarantee of Liberty to every woman, child, and man who stands upon this land.
We are one we stand united hand-in-hand in protest for equal rights, equal justice under the law for every Asian, Black, Latino, and Native man without fear of retaliation from the police. We lift our voices, NO JUSTICE , NO PEACE let’s fix our broken prison system, get rid of racism, you have a Constitutional right to protest in the streets.
We are one Native sons Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhist, Hindu, every religion ever created by man is loved, honored and respect and practiced by Americans.
We are one straight, gay be who you are we love, sing, laugh and cry the same, we live we die.
We are one One Nation Under a Groove remember that old George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic tune that got you up out of your seat and dancing with the beat. Social issues in the music Chocolate City, What’s going on that classic Marvin Gaye song James Brown’s King Heroin there was a message in the music an attempt to unite the nation.
WE ARE ONE HELP TO END RACIAL HATRED AND LET’S UNITE TO LIFT OUR NATION AND SAVE OUR WORLD. WE ARE ONE !
So I Could Live Free
My ode to Mother Pollard and Hugo “Yogi” Parnell.
By Barry Woods
They walked a country mile so I could be free.
With blisters and sores covering their feets they walked so I could live free.
With their heads held high they marched on with pride so I could live free.
They sacrificed their lives, their beautiful Black skin, for equality they died,
The lynchings, burnings, bombings, beatings, dog bites and shootings
They walked on with pride,
For at the end of the road is where Equality and Justice resides,
They walked so I could live free.
They walked so I could be free and, in their walking,, they instilled a strength in me,
A sense of pride, self-love and determination that won’t allow me to rest my tired feets so we can all live free.
My feet is tired, but my soul is rested.
DARE I DREAM!
By Barry WoodsDare I dream of a life outside these prison walls, a world of smiles with people who live life for tomorrow. No racial hatred outside this segregated place where racism is common place neo-Nazi’s tattooed faces, sell-outs, southern Mexicans working with the man to keep me from taking a stand cause of the color of my skin.
Dare I dream of life outside these prison walls, reunited with my children, first time meetings with grandchildren, their children, unfamiliar to my own children a strange family figure only through global tel-link they know my voice.
Dare I dream of all the beautiful things outside these prison walls I have never before seen three decades away, things are no longer the same way as when I went away.
Dare I dream of social change. Black, White, Brown, Red Yellow people protesting together for Black equality, EQUALITY, the dream come true, I HAD A DREAM, the content of one’s heart not the color of one’s skin.
Dare I to dream of freedom, Equality, and justice of all things. DARE I DREAM.
AMERICAN GUMBO
By Barry Woods
Give me your thieves, murderers, dredges of your society, enfeebled, and impoverished we are the American Dream.
American Gumbo.
Look across this great Nation, all of the different faces, all of the different races, Native American, African, Asian, Hispanic and European, we, all of the human race a melting pot of the world a shining beacon to the world. A beautiful multicultural pearl.
American Gumbo.
Jazz, Soul, Rap, Hip-hop, Country, Bluegrass, Classical and them down home Blues, the music of the soul, countless stories told (love, grief, tragedy, happy feelings and happy feet with this music a mixture of America’s heart for the world to hear).
American Gumbo, all tossed together, this is the American soul, this is the America I know.
American Gumbo.
Melting pot, you can be who you wanna be, what you wanna be, land of the free, home of the brave, country built on the free labor of the African slave, even someone that looks like me, former slave, can rise to the highest office in the land, who would have ever thunk if the President of the United States of America, a Black man? This is the America I’m so proud of, where it’s not about the color of the man but the content of what’s within. Let’s all make America great again.
American Gumbo.
A mixture of all the cultures known in the world African, English, Native American, Asian, Hispanic, Arab, we all Americans, the land of opportunity, the land that gave King the will to dream, a family, a home, two car garage, white picket fence, like the Cleaver’s I would see on black and white T.V.. This is my American dream community filled with people that look and don’t look like me.
American Gumbo. We all share a vision of the American dream, spice of life makes life so good all the flavors add to the quality of life that means the most to society. American Gumbo. A mix of the world living in harmony in search of the American dream.
LIBERTY
By Barry Woods
You talk liberty, but what does liberty mean to me?
You’ve enslaved me, you’ve locked me up, you kill me everyday in the streets. Blue shield ain’t no protector standing up for me let you shoot me in my back cause I flee, justify homicide, genocide of me, what does liberty mean when it doesn’t apply to me.
You talk liberty but you preach hate and ask me to bow in worship at your feet to an image that looks nothing like me, to embrace a religion you used to confine my race and delegate me to second rate, chattel state even your kids think of me as the beast ¼ man. Tell me what does your liberty mean to me.
My days, my nights, I spend reading in the dimness of the light, trying to understand what your constitution means to me, the laws that were used to take my freedom from me, how do I use them to get my freedom back or is this my fate: death in the penitentiary. What does liberty mean to me?
You talk liberty but what does liberty mean to me, when you cheat and lie publicly, impose your lopsided laws on me differently than you do on the white minority.
WHAT DOES LIBERTY MEAN TO ME? EQUALITY!
Throwin Rocks
By Barry Woods
Them walls don’t look too high for me.. Here, hand me a few of them rocks and let me throw a few at this penitentiary. Let me see what I can hit. Run, fool, if they come ‘cause we throwin rocks at the penitentiary. Catch me if you can ‘cause I’m gonna keep throwin these rocks just to see and when you come, I’m gonna run tear-ass cuz I ain’t tryna get caught and do no time inside no pen, so flee first sight you see someone coming cause we throwin rocks at the penitentiary. Are you down with me to throw these rocks at the penitentiary? Then fool, let me see you throw a few of these rocks at the wall and see how many you can get inside before we have to flee.
Them walls ain’t that high. I bet you can get a few inside just like me, but remember to run cause I heard it’s hell inside, but I just got to see what it’s like to throw rocks at the wall of the penitentiary. So if you’re down with me, throw a few rocks at the penitentiary.
My dad’s inside. Been three all my life. Throw a few more so I can get inside to be by his side. Throwin Rocks.
IT’S BETTER TO LIVE FREE! DOING LIFE INSIDE AIN’T NO JOKE. TAKE IT FROM A “G” WHO KNOWS FROM EXPERIENCE WHAT IT’S LIKE TO THROW ROCKS AT THE WALLS OF THE PENITENTIARY.
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