We must reach back,
and reaching, grab past
ancient scars, old indignations,
past shackles and chains,
back to Mali, Songi, Timbuktu,
back to civilizations upon which
all civilizations were built:
back to us.
We must distill and sift our selves/lives
until the dregs, the filth, the worst
that can be us
has settled to the bottom
of us.
We must become our ancient, cultured selves:
must become moral, decent, learned persons.
doesn't matter too much if you are a child of Ham,
or an original man from the Tribe of Shabazz:
we must become that first person;
not the primitive, uncut self,
but the pure self, essence self.
Gotta pull from the ground up.
Must enlist the Creator.
Gotta reach back, teach back, teach black,
learn.
Go from the inside out.
Must think and think continously:
Self, family, community,
Self, family, community,
Until it becomes our own personal mantra.
we must reach back and grab the first one within our grasp,
and pull them along for the ride for two reasons:
Because they might need the ride,
and because we are definitely going to need the company.
Like a circle, just reach back and grab a hand,
and that hand grab a hand,
and we will find by reaching back
we've grabbed a little bit of the future.
And Lord, I can't tell where the circle might lead,
but might this be a solution (?)