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	<title>Uptown Notes &#187; Poetry</title>
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		<title>Happy Birthday Assata: Affirmation</title>
		<link>http://uptownnotes.com/happy-birthday-assata-affirmation/</link>
		<comments>http://uptownnotes.com/happy-birthday-assata-affirmation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:20:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dumi]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boundaries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreign policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grassroots]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harlem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.uptownnotes.com/?p=1125</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of my favorite portions of Assata are the verses interspersed. In honor of our great freedom fighter Assata Shakur [&#8230;]<div id="crp_related"> </div>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One of my favorite portions of Assata are the verses interspersed. In honor of our great freedom fighter <a href="http://www.assatashakur.org/" target="_blank">Assata Shakur</a> I&#8217;m posting &#8220;Affirmation.&#8221; As the US re-articulates relations with Cuba remember, &#8220;<a href="http://mxgm.org/web/events/hands-off-cuba-hands-off-assata.html" target="_blank">Hands off Cuba, Hands off Assata</a>&#8221; (<a href="http://www.gopetition.com/online/29289.html" target="_blank">sign here</a>) and love to all the <a href="http://mxgm.org/web/biographies/index.html" target="_blank">PP</a>s.</p>
<div class="imageframe alignleft" style="width: 270px"><a title="assata-sing-loud" href="/app/uploads/2009/07/assata-sing-loud.jpg"><img class="attachment wp-att-1126" src="/app/uploads/2009/07/assata-sing-loud.thumbnail.jpg" alt="assata-sing-loud" width="270" height="400" /></a></div>
<p>I believe in living,</p>
<p>I believe in the spectrum</p>
<p>of Beta days and Gamma people.</p>
<p>I believe in sunshine.</p>
<p>In windmills and waterfalls,</p>
<p>tricycles and rocking chairs.</p>
<p>And i believe that seeds grow into sprouts.</p>
<p>And sprouts grow into trees.</p>
<p>I believe in the magic of the hands.</p>
<p>And in the wisdom of the eyes.</p>
<p>I beleive in race and tears.</p>
<p>And in the blood of infinity.</p>
<p><span id="more-1125"></span></p>
<p>I believe in life.</p>
<p>And i have seen the death parade</p>
<p>march through the torso of the earth,</p>
<p>sculpting mud bodies in its path.</p>
<p>I have seen the destruction of the daylight,</p>
<p>and see bloodthirsty maggots</p>
<p>prayed to and saluted.</p>
<p>I have seen the kind become the blind</p>
<p>and the blind become the bind</p>
<p>in one easy lesson.</p>
<p>I have walked on cut glass.</p>
<p>I have eaten crow and blunder bread</p>
<p>and breathed the stench of indifference.</p>
<p>I have been locked by the lawless.</p>
<p>Handcuffed by the haters.</p>
<p>Gagged by the greedy.</p>
<p>And, if i know any thing at all,</p>
<p>it&#8217;s that a wall is just a wall</p>
<p>and nothing more at all.</p>
<p>It can be broken down.</p>
<p>I believe in living.</p>
<p>I believe in birth.</p>
<p>I believe in the sweat of love</p>
<p>and in the fire of truth.</p>
<p>And i believe that a lost ship,</p>
<p>steered by tired, seasick sailors,</p>
<p>can still be guided home</p>
<p>to port.</p>
<div id="crp_related"> </div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>The Michelle Obama Mandate by Celli Pitt</title>
		<link>http://uptownnotes.com/the-michelle-obama-mandate-by-celli-pitt/</link>
		<comments>http://uptownnotes.com/the-michelle-obama-mandate-by-celli-pitt/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:17:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dumi]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Race]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.professorlewis.com/myblog/?p=617</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A declaration and dedication to Michelle Obama by Celli Pitt "Sisters and Brothers, the true gift of this election is validation and vindication of Black Womanhood!!
Everyone take note:

Barack has done himself and us a great service by marrying Michelle Obama.
Thank you Michelle for being strong and not diluting your strength.
Thank you Michelle for being highly intelligent and not dumbing down yourself.
Thank you for not starving yourself and not lipo'ing your curves away to fit "standards" that are not authentically yours.
Thank you Michelle for helping to make a great Man Greater.
Thank you Michelle for showing us that intelligence is the True Sexy-- bling and oiled biceps can't compete!
Thank you Michelle for speaking your mind and not allowing that ugly "bitch/angry black woman" label to fertilize itself-- thanks for killing it on the vine." Read the whole post for more!<div id="crp_related"> </div>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I should be writing, but this is too good not to share. I honestly am more of a fan of Michelle than Barack, so this resonated with me immediately. It&#8217;s penned by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/cellipitt" target="_blank">Celli Pitt</a>.</p>
<div class="imageframe alignleft" style="width: 400px"><a title="michellegrantpark" href="/app/uploads/2008/11/michellegrantpark.jpg"><img class="attachment wp-att-621" src="/app/uploads/2008/11/michellegrantpark.thumbnail.jpg" alt="michellegrantpark" width="400" height="287" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p>Hear Ye!</p>
<p>Hear Ye!<br />
Let it be known that November 5th is now the <strong>Michelle Obama Federal Holiday</strong>!</p>
<p>You both have inspired me and given me new hope in my community, in my people, in my humanity, and undoubtedly in my blackness!!</p>
<p>Sisters and Brothers, the true gift of this election is validation and vindication of Black Womanhood!!<br />
Everyone take note:</p>
<p>Barack has done himself and us a great service by marrying Michelle Obama.<br />
Thank you Michelle for being strong and not diluting your strength.<br />
Thank you Michelle for being highly intelligent and not dumbing down yourself.<br />
Thank you for not starving yourself and not lipo&#8217;ing your curves away to fit &#8220;standards&#8221; that are not authentically yours.<br />
Thank you Michelle for helping to make a great Man Greater.<br />
Thank you Michelle for showing us that intelligence is the True Sexy&#8211; bling and oiled biceps can&#8217;t compete!<br />
Thank you Michelle for speaking your mind and not allowing that ugly &#8220;bitch/angry black woman&#8221; label to fertilize itself&#8211; thanks for killing it on the vine.<br />
Thank you Michelle for keeping your South Side flavor &amp; roots while upgrading yourself and your community.<br />
Thank you Michelle for showing us that we can have it all&#8211; maybe not all the same way or at the same time&#8211; but we can indeed have it all.<br />
Thank you Michelle for showing my nieces, female cousins, and all of us women who are trying to do our part in our own skin&#8211; that we are more than fine, we are Excellent people who shouldn&#8217;t settle and deserve the BEST that life has to offer&#8211; unapologetically. We are wothy. Period.</p>
<p>Thank you Barack for recognizing these wonderful qualities in Michelle and crowning them with love, a ring, and a vow&#8211; not intimidation and blame!</p></blockquote>
<div id="crp_related"> </div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>the gospel</title>
		<link>http://uptownnotes.com/the-gospel/</link>
		<comments>http://uptownnotes.com/the-gospel/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:44:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dumi]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hip-Hop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.professorlewis.com/blog-dev/the-gospel/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;hard to be a spiritual being when shit is shaking what you believe in.&#8221;<div id="crp_related"> </div>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img style="width: 200px" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/39/Respiration.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>&#8220;hard to be a spiritual being when shit is shaking what you believe in.&#8221;</p>
<div id="crp_related"> </div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mirrors of Truth</title>
		<link>http://uptownnotes.com/mirrors-of-truth/</link>
		<comments>http://uptownnotes.com/mirrors-of-truth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:04:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dumi]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.professorlewis.com/blog-dev/mirrors-of-truth/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let go of your worries and be completely clear-hearted, like the face of a mirror that contains no images. If [&#8230;]<div id="crp_related"> </div>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Let go of your worries</p>
<p>and be completely clear-hearted,</p>
<p>like the face of a mirror</p>
<p>that contains no images.</p>
<p>If you want a clear mirror,</p>
<p>behold yourself</p>
<p>and see the shameless truth,</p>
<p>which the mirror reflects.</p>
<p>If metal can be polished</p>
<p>to a mirror-like finish,</p>
<p>what polishing might the mirror</p>
<p>of the heart require?</p>
<p>Between the mirror and the heart</p>
<p>is this single difference:</p>
<p>the heart conceals secrets,</p>
<p>while the mirror does not.</p>
<p>-<a href="http://www.armory.com/~thrace/sufi/life.html">Rumi </a></p>
<div id="crp_related"> </div>]]></content:encoded>
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