“Hey. I tell you what is. Big city, hmm? Live. Work, huh? But. Is not city open. Only peoples. Peoples is peoples. No is buildings. Is tomatoes, huh? Is peoples, is dancing, is music, is potatoes. So, peoples is peoples. Okay?” – Pete (Louis Zorich), a Manhattan restaurateur, to Kermit the Frog, offering perhaps the best statement of life wisdom depicted in cinema, in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984).
— Read on www.chronologicalsnobbery.com/2007/12/peoples-is-peoples-speech-muppets-take.html

the wedding was postponed
not for lack of love 
but the abundance of it
we wanted courtship to go
on and on and on 

wedding was postponed
cuz we wanted to keep 
each other closer than 
bonds of servitude 

the ring was scrapped
and made into 
necklaces that still hang
and we hangin on to us
yeah, forever 

the ghost of ellis come to me at night
scream-in my ear bout all not right 
       can’t stand stay this way of living
       cuz I’m from black upbringing 
the ghost of alton croon to me 
about all that life could really be
       never never got the right to say
       never really got the chance to do 
       all I’ve got is the right to pray 
       harder harder and harder 
alton remind me 
about earth her lovely beauty
      cuz when the rain fall 
      everything gets green and tall
      wide woooooooooorld
      yr so understanding 
alton lion africa man  
alton the lover african 

I make like quick with my hands
and be finding new things in stands
In field afar from home where I came from
I found you sit-in’ pretty lookin lovey
dovey peace out peace in be in be out 
of work of love of life of time of now
is the time to be here lovings you
baby o gawd feel another one comin 
dew on birthings keep on birthings 
motheringssmotheringseasoning 
         bringining into 
         trustening you to bustle in 
and not know anywhen to settle then  

m-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i-m-i-s-s-y-o-u-i
o-w-e-y-o-u-i-t-r-i-e-d-i-t-t-w-i-c-e 
f-i-n-e-i-g-u-e-s-s-y-o-u-g-o-i-n
   t-h-e-m-e-m-o-r-y-b-a-n-k
             o-k

The best black music happens in secret.
— Read on harmonyholiday.substack.com/p/miss-brown-to-you-billie-holiday

fuck are you talking about
lotsa shit is carried out against us 

on a daily bases like hey batter swing
three strikes we’re outside again 
hopefully soon cuz time is essentially
out of grasp i feel a new one comin 

let’s not sit this one out 
i hate the american in me 
whose metaphors is she
using? 

let’s not sit this one out
an end is a begins etc. 
never mind me i’m stuck
again but i can recover 

let’s not sit this one out
and say we did if you want
but put our foots down 
sooner rather than later