Group Poem 15 - tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal "Father of Jamal"

Father of Jamal

Convicted on the year I was conceived; 1982

I struggle to drape my head around the legacy I was born into

And you forcefully inherited as a free thinking black man

Allow me to use this taxi chit

To take a few minutes as attempt to ride the broken wheels of justice that lead nowhere

Through the alleyways and backhanded doors

Crawling with crowning prostitutes they took to convict you.

My brother, prince Mumia

Your script is very familiar to me

It spins several spectrums of race, class, injustice and the political power structure of America  

Your life is a movie I saw, a book I read, a black man’s circumstance I witnessed

And do not wish to relive.

You are a unanimous guilty verdict deliberated swiftly in three hours of deliberation based on hatred and racism.

You are quality of two things;

Being an outspoken, intelligent black man effective in reaching the masses

And having been at the wrong place at conveniently the right time

For big brother aka the FBI aka the CIA aka the KKK is always watching

And would never let a Black Panther youth brew into his full potential.

Although they may have your flesh falsely confined in 6x8 frame

I shall never accept the picture they paint and attempt to perfect before my eyes

May your spirits strive to reach the distance your voice has carried you thus far

Across continents, races, hurdles, into intellectual abyss  

In your own words, may you continue to "spend your days preparing for life and not death"

For your truth although delayed,

 Derailed,

 Is still determined to reach its destination insh’allah (God willing)

Mumia Abu Jamal: Humanitarian, author, journalist, activist, father, freedom fighter, icon, husband, honorary citizen of 25 countries worldwide, example of unwavering persistence.

Hayat Lyfe

Copyright © 2010

Group Poem 15 - tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal

Oh homing pigeons

flying freely over this open space, deliver this apology mail to Mumia Abu Jamal.

I am sorry for ...

Not knowing you.

Not praying for you.

Not thinking of you.

For this and that ,

for every day I lived and I didn't move forward to freeing you.

These shackles I didn't remove.

These tears I didn't dry.

These pains I didn't heal.

Justice will peacefully come.

There is ease after hardship.

I am sorry .

Sam Said

Copyright © 2010

Group Poem 15 - tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal "Prince, Father of Jamal"

Silence.

Shelter brought a pack of panthers, suffering violence,

Silence.

After racism oppressed the mother’s pride of a lioness,

His silence.

Worthy of credence.

Prince, father of Jamal,

Hold faith in the palm

Of your hand.

Let me hold the other, united we stand!

Life didn’t cast a pall of gloom over you.

Three decades of uncertainty is what you lived through.

Justice? Reproached for being unjust.

Supreme Court you lost my trust!

You found him guilty, without proving guilt!

Shot! Blood shed on the floor, now you wish to see him wilt

In a cage!

Justice? Be an outrage

Against dignity!

You wish to see him on his knee and plea.

Guilty?

Let me bring you back to reality.

Hate and racism pulled the trigger,

"Yeah, and I'm going to help them fry the nigger"

Where do we go from here?

When judges have nothing to fear?

When judges put lives on the line?

When judges commit crime?

When judges invite liars to the court?

When judges don’t follow the laws neither have heart?

When judges judge and hate the other colour?

When racists, filled with hatred, come to power?

You accuse an innocent man!

We support, father of Jamal to the best we can.

From Paris to Berlin, walking his street

“Rue Mumia-Abu Jamal” generating more heat

Than light, because of injustice and its shadow,

Wishing to see another widow!

Prince, father of Jamal, we shout the place down!

You already succeeded to the crown!

If suffering was meant to be.

“With hardship comes ease” Trust in the Almighty!

Dedicated to a man, who is sitting somewhere for too long

Where he shouldn’t sit, you showed the world how strong

You are, we feel your tragedy!

We pray for remedy!

We fight your enemy!

We start

With your art

Putting Pen to the Paper

Pen 'N' Paper

Copyright © 2010

Group Poem 15 - tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal "Framed"

A man, an activist, a father

An inspiration, a fighter, a truth seeker

Mumia is many things, but not a murderer

Where’s the justice so many speak about?

The justice that includes all, where no ones left out

His case is known across the land

Nonetheless real defence is banned

Till this day appeals have been denied

Is it because justice ain’t really blind?

It was that fateful day December 9th, 1981

That led the unfair fingers of a jury, point to one

They were filled with hate and willing to frame

An individual who was not to blame

Since then many have backed his cause

Waiting for his release, imagine the applause

When will you see the U.S. judicial system?

That Abu Jamal is the real victim

Not one to give up and sink in his sorrow

He’s been active and preparing for his tomorrow

Behind bars, behind walls, behind an ocean of hate

A shocking case that is the cause of much debate

Brother Turn to Allah and trust in Him

Amidst all this madness, His light will not dim

These events in your life were written long ago

Seek refuge in Allah from mans worst foe

Remember none can harm you when your protector is Allah

You’re part of the bigger picture, the Muslim Ummah

Remember my brother across the waters

You are not alone and you have many supporters

Nimo Yusuf

Copyright © 2010

Group Poem 15 - tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal

Group Poem 15 - tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal

No one deserves to be treated in such a cruel way. Mumia has been deprived of living out his life for so many years, and now they're trying to put an end to his life.

Fight alongside this innocent man.

Don't let this happen -it could happen to you someday as well. 

Mumia Abu Jamal 

Imprisoned for more than a decade,

Deprived of living out his life,

His memories still un-faded,

He continues to strive. 

Mumia Abu Jamal he is known to be

The truth in his eyes we can see,

From this false crime he wishes to be free,

But why can’t the world hear his plea? “fry this nigger” the so called judge says,

But stronger Mumia becomes throughout these harsh days. 

Skin is black,

His innocent for a fact.

On death row his placed,

With the worst reality he is faced.

Calm and tranquil he remains,

Faith in his heart he sustains.

Advises himself aside never to cry,

And to save his life he’ll try.

For so long he has been fighting,

And for the sake of justice the way his been lighting,

Black he may be, But the truth always sets us free.

Mumia brother, never give up hope,

Injected with poison or hung by a rope,

Beside you we’ll fight,

The blind and narrow minded will see in you the light.

Put aside your prejudices and give this being his right to live,

Take off the blind folds and this story do believe,

Cause all I see is a man fighting for his life,

And with all his heart he continues to strive.

Help save the life of another,

Despite his skin he’s still our brother,

Show some care,

And this story, with the whole world share.

- Nimo Abdi Warfa

 copyright ©2009