Takumbe

Takumbe

Son of Harlem & Nigeria

Hip Hop boombox advocate

I am a Puerto Rican

I too have West African blood in my veins

Fela's afrobeat speaks to us,

"Ala roye Yokode" keeps us alive,

Hermano, my broda,

this is our common-unity,

our communidad ,

our birthright.

Heir to a throne unclaimed,

you deserve more than street corners and tips.

Go forth and dance on the streets of life,

may children's laughter be your audience,

Move this mountain.

Smile and fill our lives with song Takumbe,

smile for every injustice served onto our plates,

smile for the atrocities handed to us with friendly grins,

smile your beautful smile,

taste true harmony for those left

with no tongue to speak.

It is time to birth legacies.

Jah Jah say time to be heard.

Step down Mista Politician.

No more colony.

You friend, are a King,

and under the Tree of Solomon

you will sing your final song.

Branch out into the world for me, Takumbe.

Smoke for me in the next life, great teacher,

smoke until your words reach me here on earth,

Invade my city with reason and a bright future.

Smoke until you realize, brother,

"when policeman aid Papa and take me back to Africa" it was not a curse,

That 2yr old was returned home to become who he was destined to be.

New York is not your resting place Takumbe,

this city is not your Hip Hop.

And off to follow the God's you now go,

I did not shake your hand to say goodbye Takumbe,

but to thank you for opening my eyes,

I now see the world is much bigger than my community.

It's sounds are more exotic than any mixtape,

It's grandeza more beautiful than

the sparkle of hope in your eyes.

May Fela one day greet your entry into paradise chanting

"Ori-ginal, no arti-fici-ali-ty!"

Roberto Irizarry © 2010

escombros de mi corazon

angels by traumzauberbaum

Tu luz me alumbra


I’m reminded of

A smiling child in the morning sun

Timeless Neverending New 

Unaware that the dark takes breath 

Cynical eyes ache in the glare of souls reborn 

Dancing to the endless tune of their hearts melody

Dancing to the tune of their heart’s rhythm

We move keeping time

Who are you?



A sip of coffee, a candle’s light

Lingering in moments

Numb to pain

Common sense sits in another realm 

Chilled furnaces blaze in the face of a dawning moon 

Assault me with your eyes

Paralyze me with your words

I dont want to survive this fight

(No one survives)



This (skin) no longer contains me 

Languid glances dizzying senses

These empty streets can’t contain us

These hollow sounds don’t vibrate within us

Hot to the sight

Loud to the touch

Shivering Incindiary Sizzle

Ice cold fire juxtaposes

Breaking flames into palms

Branding universal symbols of aberration



Timeless Thoughtless Stark 

Light fuses with bone

Truth absorbs emotion

Feeling precipitates on the brow

Sweat drips down into valleys

Of unknown words 

We

Undiscovered Untainted Impenetrable

Encased in mystery

Eternal Fluid Ebb

Are you?

Can you?

Will you?

Write me down

History will know my name

Will speak in your voice 

Our explosion will go down in history 

Firmament bends under your will

Kinetic Reverberation Vibration

 

I don’t fade

I burn away

I whisper to you in storms

I scream thunder

Destroy the entire earth 

For you to be the only thing left to gaze upon

Nothing but essence

Energy speaks truth



Tomorrow burns bright

Swiftly Clean Pure

Your yellow lives in my eyes

Endless strokes of blue in green

Miles of sound

The sky glows

Backstroke in my mind

Your name is reflected in oceans of blue

I dive into you hoping to drown

Buoyant 

Calm eyes closed

Sailing into dreamlike state



Fade into you

Slope into you

Burrow into you

I wish to slake my thirst

These salty oceans hold no satisfaction 

Tears of time drowning

Filling Enclosing Me

Cellophane windows of pink & red

Peering out of my quiet heart

Pink fades to black 

Sleep owns your face

Dreams await

That will be soon

The bride of hope

Glistening gossamer decends

Do I obey?

Are my eyes open?

Opening portals of fear 

Strike Slamming Tremors

Spray stains, pain erupts

Careening into stone

I belong to the waves 



Words stumble and fall

When not speaking of you

To smile is to struggle, I notice

When you’re not around...

I don’t look for you

I search for you

I will never hold your hand

I will embrace it

Letting go is not an option

You will be my death

My judgement 

My resurrection

(Stop me before I start)

There is nothing but brick on the other side of the rainbow

But all I want are the colors that are in it

Painted grins

Sprayed with abandon 

Names emblazoned on concrete

Nothing that can be erased

Nothing that can be rebuffed

Nothing that can be replaced

Existant Claimed Illusion 

Name soaked into stone 

Paint your name across my canvas

Savor the crimson

Brace for eternity

I am afraid of the blue

Crisp, verdant, languid & lush

Passion blooms in purple swollen palms 

Slamming little hands into walls hurts

Bleeding dripping clenched fist covered in ink for your pleasure



I refuse to linger

I refuse to stall

I divorce the impossible

I divorce the past

I divorce the doubt

I divorce silence

I divorce the thoughts of anything but this

We speak in a language that only angels understand

While holding the hands of saints

We’ve walked on holy ground

It’s produced a miracle

The sun is dancing in Fatima

The moon is dancing in your eyes

You take on the confidence of warriors 

(I see the cracks in the facade)

The battle is bloody

This tear-stained ground calls up a warning

Songs smoke up from hallowed ground

These words 

Pure Holy Sacred 

Sound like nothing

Say nothing



You need only to look at me to know the truth

You need only to look at me to know the truth

Written by Jani Rose & Irizarry Santamaria

purple strings

break break break my concentration

my focus is taking me higher into the mountains that i saw on the horizon

like a bullring, like a home-cooked meal across the arid plains

follow follow follow your goal, your path, your future, your DEssssSTINY

i see the red balloon and eyes up, nose up i follow

running behind it, tripping on jagged rocks

patent leather mary-janes scuffed, gouged, stuck in crags

breaking my stockings and mussing my socks

my dress is getting dirty

i can hear the music there

the first strains of violins and tambourines

my own song playing from over yonder

follow follow follow the red balloon

break break break my concentration

the threads of purple hold me back

pop pop pop they pop with the pressure of my pushing chest  

go forth, little girl

little hands behind me, i grip

hundreds of tiny hands at my waist 

at my back, i grip

i feel like a linebacker 

i feel like a bulldozer

i feel like a shovel in the sand

as i raise my head and crane my neck to follow my red balloon.

Jani Rosado copyright 2009

Art by Tattoomaus78 ~deviantart