Black politics of today (1992)


Well me study every kinda philosophy
An me study some religion, religiously
I don’t want fe offend nobody
But me jus study an tek what is fe me
See if yu live in Jamaica ghost is duppy
If yu live in Englan a ghost is spooky
Anywea yu live life is reality
Anywea yu are check tings politically.
De Black Politics of Today.

Here I stand a Dreadlocks, a modern day Rasta
Me feel me want progress me want progress move fasta
Me know me roots an history is true Africa
Fe climb me family tree yu need a long ladder,
I never use nothing fe mek me Whiter
Every day me learn me start feel Blacka
Some people sey me reddish but dat nu matter
When yu dealing wid yu Class an Race yu stick together
Ina de Black Politics anyway.

Me luv being, me luv singing, me luv loving
Me luv life
Me check fe equality between a Husband an Wife
Me luv watching nature growing
An finding out an knowing
Me like going to de cinema
Depends on what is showing,
But if I gu an I am searched, dat is what I hate
Den I find quite naturally I mus question de State
An if I end up Downtown in a cell
Den I find quite naturally I mus Rebel
Me know some people sey dem don’t deal wid politics
But de fact dat dem sey dat mek yu know sey dem get trick
So long as yu is living an yu want eat food
Enter de arena yu nar intrude
Our destiny is in our hand an we mus make a move
Black people situation mus improve
Some people sey dem hav enough so nows de time fe start
An if I hav some children I’ll tell dem I played me part
In de Black Politics, all de way.

Well I will help wid Nicaragua
An deal wid Chile
I give it an I need it, it is Solidarity
I want fe see a place pon Earth called Kurdistan
Me hav radical views pon Northern Ireland
I don’t move leff right an centre cause me know
Wea me stand
Dis is a new ting fe Black Man an Woman
So another generation can grow up an gu long
Me know Unity is strength an Unity will mek we strong,
Now if yu like a Britain me dealing wid yu
Me hav me views pon Arab an Israeli issues
Me vocabulary is changing I don’t use coloured or bitch
Because I am Vegan I will not eat de Rich,
I won’t invest in Sid or British Telecom
Because me study Slavery me know wea dem cumin from,
Nobody is perfect but knowledge mus increase
So long as yu are living yu deserve a piece
Mine is
De Black Politics of Today
Is dat me a sey
De ting nar gu awey
De Black British Politics of Today,
Many Poets write bout it
An now we ago deal wid it,
De Black Politics of Today
De Black British Politics of Dis Day.




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"Black politics of today" is from Benjamin Zephaniah's book "City Psalms" which was first published in 1992.






Also check out these poems by Benjamin Zephaniah: