Balogun Posted December 13, 2012 Report Share Posted December 13, 2012 The Good Ship Jesus *The Good Ship Jesus", or the "Jesus of Lubeck," was a 700-ton ship that would become the first vessel to bring Blacks, as slaves, from Africa to the Americas I am Mandinka Jawaaro, Mandinka Warrior From Kunga to Sinkandinga And, with these black fingers Curled around my spear and my shield, I stood with other boys, who wished to become men And learned the dances of death; Learned the Warrior Ways; Learned the tactics, strategies and rules of engagement Training from dusk ‘til dawn, as the Elders instructed, But knowing in my heart that no one would try to attack our village Nor try to rape, rob, or pillage us For we were Mandinka… Wise, fierce and skilled builders of Sankore, Timbuktu and Songhay Praised in parables, poems, plays and song – They Even worshipped us as Gods in Greek and Roman Mythology We gave this world literature, art and technology We were Mandinka… No one could possibly defeat us… That is, until the coming of the Good Ship Jesus I am Mandinka Jawaaro, Mandinka Warrior From Kunga to Sinkandinga And, with these black fingers I gently caress Fanta’s swelling belly Pressing my lips against the smooth, brown skin And singing songs of praise to the growing warrior Resting peacefully within Fanta’s womb Looking up into my Fanta’s big, brown eyes and telling her I love her This beautiful wife, warrior and mother to my child My Queen blesses me with her enchanting smile, As brilliant as a million sunrises reflecting off the surface of the azure sea And I know we must always be together Forever For, to lose her would tear me to pieces… As I discovered with the coming Of the Good Ship Jesus I am Mandinka Jawaaro, Mandinka Warrior From Kunga to Sinkandinga And, with these black fingers I clawed at the shackles placed upon my wrist, neck and ankles as I slept With these black fingers I pounded on my chest as I wept For, immobilized by these heavy, rusty chains I could do nothing to save my beloved Fanta As Tubaab – Those stale-faced beasts, Who slithered out of the pestilent bowels of that old, ‘Good Ship’ Invaded my lovely Fanta; My beautiful Fanta; My crying, screaming, dying Fanta… Invaded her With reeking, filthy flesh And blood-encrusted steel Giggling wickedly with glee As they snatched the little warrior Our little warrior From Fanta’s precious womb Through the jagged chasm they had torn In her once smooth, brown belly These black fingers burrowed into the blood-soaked sands of the shore As I watched my little warrior struggle to take his first breath… Struggle, as Tubaab stood upon his tiny chest Crushing my son under the oppressive weight of his boot-heel… His boot-heel… His boot-heel, crushing my beautiful, black son My cries of anguish, My cries of despair, My cries of absolute, all-encompassing anger Mere whispers compared to the giggles, chuckles and chortles Of those stale-faced beasts, Who slithered out of the pestilent bowels of that old, ‘Good Ship’ And I asked the ancestors, The all-wise Alifa Falolu, To rescue me… To break these heavy, rusty schackles And allow me to taste sweet revenge “Monibo di naa! Monibo di naa! Moniba di naa, ye na muso ning dinga!” “Give me revenge! Give me revenge! Give me revenge, for my wife and my child!” Tubaab smiled… And stared into my eyes, Which burned with sweat, sand and tears Tubaab stared into my eyes, Soiling my soul with their wicked gaze And I felt myself being pulled to my feet; Felt Tubaab’s cold, pale hands clutching at my aching, black flesh; A rope, tossed over my head And then, the tightening… The tightening… The tightening… As I was hoisted higher and higher into a baobab tree Hung on the baobab by Tubaab, Who giggled, chuckled and chortled with glee And, as darkness overtook me, I gave praises to the Ancestors For, I realized… I realized… I realized they had freed us Freed us from the pestilent bowels Of the Good Ship Jesus… The Good Ship Jesus… The Good Ship Jesus… They had freed us from a nine-thousand mile journey On that old ‘Good’ Ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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