Left him on a Tuesday
Found him on a Sunday
Cried when I saw my
Hankerchief in his suitcase
Letter folded neatly in his pocket
With my perfume
Knew that he was lying when he
Told me he’d be back soon…
I couldn’t sleep the night
He left me with a promise
That he’d always keep me close
When the struggle got the hardest
So I…wiped the tears
Tied the hankerchief around me
Rallied up the troops
So we could
Find the Spanish army
It was time to stop the cryin’
Time to start the fightin’
Love was the beginning
But my people steady dyin’
…
And so I promised him the same thing
Gabriela blast in the name of the Philippines
I could hear em in the back of my mind
They said “Please don’t break my heart”
It could only be a matter of time…
Studying overseas
When I heard about the blast
And I knew the little girls
Who were killed in Alabama
It was Carole, Addie Mae
Cynthia & Denise
The Klan got away
In cahoots with the police
Knew that it was coming
When the Panthers started forming
So I booked the first flight to the states
In the morning
To show them my solidarity
Tightened up my afro
Books in my hand
Revolution in my heart
So I used my education
To combat the injustice
It was more
Than Malcolm X and Martin Luther
In the trenches
Sistah soldiers put ya rifles up
Angela Davis ride when the Klan try to light us up
I could hear ‘em in the back of my mind
They said
“Please don’t break my heart”
It could only be a matter of time they said
It was modern day slavery
Livin’ in the Valley
Stockton, California
Pickin’ grapes with my family
And my people broke they backs
Just to make a couple bucks
While the whiteys in the town
Ridiculed us in they trucks
So I
Picked up the megaphone
Shouted to my people, El
Pueblo Unido
Jama Sera Vencido
…Told em to stick together
Demand to be treated equal
Otherwise
These fucking crackas
Will continue to abuse us
Threw me in the slammer
20 times and some change
Yeah they broke a couple ribs
But the spirit remains
Do it again in a heartbeat
Para mi gente
Dolores what they call me
Posts
4 comments:
ever since your married to the hustle mixtape ive been following your lyrics bar for bar. ive got married to the hustle, cupcake commandments, and resurrection memorized like it was some kind of test. i really appreciate your music, its all i need to get by as a filipina trying to break down the barriers in today's society. so i just wanted to say thank you for that!
Carla,
That is AWESOME! I'm so happy that you feel enough of a connection to my lyrics that you know them word for word :) As Pinays, we're in this together <3
whoa. too beautiful.
yo ms. krish, have you thought bout updating your last.fm artist page? if you put some playable tracks or videos on there, you'd for sure get some new fans.
& of course, those of us that keep you on our top artists could rep properly. (;
much love ma'am.
I heard your interview on Hard Knock Radio on KPFA and was immediately struck by the power of your poetic voice.
Among my many incarnations, I am also the Contributing Poetry Editor for a sub-series on Daily Kos, Black Kos that posts twice a week; on Friday's, Black Kos Week In Review and on Tuesdays, Black Kos Tuesday's Chile. It is on Tuesday's Chile that I offer poetry.
Black Kos certainly is about the African Diaspora, but it also embraces all peoples of color. Though I post poetry from poets that are obvious to any familiar with the Canon; the Richard Wright's, The James Baldwin's and such; my thrust is to mostly post poetry by women of color; an obvious, under-represented group in the ivory towers of the Academy, in my opinion.
I would like to post the lyrics of "Heart" in this upcoming Tuesday's Chile, or one in the near future. It is poetry of the highest order.
Black Kos has a readership that is national and international, multi-cultural, multi-generational, and of every sexual, religious and societal persuasion. It includes candidates running for office, university professors, professional actors and musicians, theatre and movie producers/ directors, young college students and elderly retirees.
What is shared by all of us though, is a progressive politics that embraces all instead of excluding any.
You can Check out the Black Kos series here:
http://www.dailykos.com/user/Black%20Kos/diary
My diary series on Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/user/justiceputnam
and my own blog, The Justice Department, where I post my own work and any editorial work I may be doing as well.
My e-mail in on both of my sites; I would love to share your powerful poetry and link to your pages so that your poetry and music might be heard by an even wider audience.
-- Justice Putnam
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