"AmeRican" (2001)
by Tik'al Storm Rydah
a palm tree grows
in Brooklyn
forced out of the
sidewalks of shame
where the empty
vials
of Welfare and
Poverty
have eaten away
at our brains
where 6 people in
a room
get 1 cheque to
spend
and the roaches
all chill out
not one of them
ever having to pay rent
this palm tree is
a witness
to the poison we
put in our veins
growing out of
the crack
which has
destroyed our spirit
and all most broke
our reign
Kings and Queens
like the mighty
palm tree
your leaves
spread across these foreign lands
like the claws of
the American Eagle
just before it
ripped our country
right out of our
own hands
no longer a nasty
"porro-reecan"
now... "ju
an "Ame-Rican"
now... "ju
e-speak-e de eng-les"
"Ju ee-ben hab a Platinum BI-sa
for jour ar-ROZ
con gandu-les"
drive to the
liquor store
in your brand-new
Mercedes "X"
that you got from
the chop shop
cause your
live-in wife
just got her
section 8 cheque
stay oppressed by
the drugs
and live off the
sale of
much to the
befuddlement of our people
who are we?
¿que es un
"porro-reecan"?
ask the mighty
palm tree
who saw my Taino
mothers die
from smallpox and
rape
babies ripped
from their womb
WHO IS this yucca
man's "God"
the one who
ALLOWS pillage and hate?!
mighty tree who
saw my African mothers
dragged onto
slave ships
from the land
where Shango reigns
whilst my
grandmothers were returned
to the belly of
Olokun...
god of the sea...
keeper of their pain
¿que es un
"porro-reecan"?
the definition is
the revolution
when we learn
that we are split at the root
will truly be our
final resolution
a huge mighty
tree stalk
borne from the
sidewalk
on some Brooklyn
ghetto street
near a
piss-smelling stairwell
where the junkies
stick HIV
and the hookers
all look like hell
where the people
have lost everything
except their monthly
food stamp benefit
forget about
scammin'
cause AFDC's sending you to work
go buy yourself a
clock radio
so you can serve
your boss, the azzhole jerk
8:47 AM
bright and early
to do everything
you want me to do for you
except shine
your wing-tipped shoes
assistant
assistant to the
assistant
assistant to the
assistant's assistant
I promise I will
work my azz off for you, sir
clean out your
garbage for you, sir
open a door for
you, sir
in the buildings
of Manhattan
so, I can rise
before I fall
a victim of the
sins of Amerikkka
missing in the
rubble
lost to the world
death by our
headmaster's imperialism
as we fly in the
grip of the Amerikkkan Eagle
we look down to
see
all the
assistants
all the assistant
to the assistants
all the assistant
to the assistant's assistants
their lives
ending oh so tragically
the buildings
falling for all to see
like deadly
scissors, the beams
sweeping round and
round
destroying
families
changing lives
all hopes and all
bodies
are simply dashed
onto the bleeding ground
floor on top of
floor
dreams are
diminished
hopes are crushed
under the weight
of the wickedness
our Father's done
to us
"Amerikkka's
New War" declares the new Prez
but, shyt, man...
ain't this shyt
been goin' on even BEFORE Vieques?!
take it back to
1898
when freedom rang
to wake our illiterate azzes
to save us from
lack of civilisation
take our land
even re-teach the
masses
teach us to work
for you
whilst we open
your doors
teach us to fight
for you
whilst we die in
all your wars
a palm tree grows
in Brooklyn
forced out of the
sidewalks of shame
mangled by the
weeds of politics
of Amerikkka's
vicious little game
rise up, mighty
tree, rise up
let the sunshine
of Truth and Justice
pull you up, up
and away
away from all the
death and drama
AmeRican all the
way
copyright 2001 Hiali Quiñonez & SoulChango Productions