Rising Fascism on the Staten Island Ferry 
So it’s saturday afternoon
the Pop Up Poets invade the S.I Ferry
today we’re a bit short staffed
our ranks being smaller than usual
we forge on relentlessly
Jon Sands,Corrina Bain,Elana Bell, Osunyoyin Alake
Syreeta McFadden and yours truly
As we enter the ferry Elana has a strange feeling
Osunyoyin says it’s premonition
I’m plodding along trying to psyche myself into doing this
Suffering post traumatic slave syndrome
I really don’t like large ships
Elana sings a praise to Yemoja in Yoruba
some deculturalized spanish chick
ironically harrasses her to speak english
more of a reason that multiculturalism and tolerance
should be taught in schools
assuming that she went to school in the first place
I launch into a poem
trying to Shift her Paradigm
she continues to scream profanity and holla
I take it as a challenge as I demand to be heard
my poem bellowing
performance poetry pointing fingers
I love to put poems in your face
demanding attention
next thing I know there’re 2 of Zoo York’s Swinest approaching
one putting on his gloves like he was ready to do damage
Obatala like, I try my Jedi Mind trick and flip the script
Calmly saying to him - Is there a problem officer
clearly disarmed he ask what was going on
it seemed someone had called saying there was a disturbance
I said I am a performance poet
performing a poem
Somewhat flustered by my cool
and trying belligerence
He asked what the poem was about
I told him it was about many things not just one subject
and that I was not alone in this venture
He says there’s no performing here
Everyone may not want to hear the poetry
I wonder who he was speaking of for by then
everyone’s attention had been captured
but my better judgement said cool it
I didn’t come to be arrested
after all this was not a protest
and a weekend locked up was not on my agenda
He says y’all can’t be screaming these poems out loud
trampling on our first amendment rights
The other poets surround us rescue style
I figured our cameras were no match for his side arm
these cops be nervous and illin’ since Occupy Wall St
On the return trip
we decided to regroup
sitting in seats and trading poems
still loud enough for anyone that wanted to hear
when we reached the shore
we gathered in the ship yard
to perform some more
Ngoma
© 4/22/2012 a.d.
22/30 NaPoWriMo 30/30 Challenge