Five Great Books Of Poetry.
Raymond's Note: The reason I started 5 Things I Love Right Now is because I come across so many wonderful things in my life and the internet, facebook, twitter are wonderful ways to advance arts, positivity and great businesses.
It is my hopes that you will be inspired to share things you love by great people on your space.
I can tell from the response from the first installment we did last week, that the people I mentioned appreciated the endorsement.
This week I wanted to do books but I had so many great books to write about it could have been 500 Things I Love Right Now. So I will share some of the other books I wanted to write about that were not poetry at a later date.
1. Crossing Waters By Ray Garman
Garman's style of poetry is brilliant and blunt. He uses his words to connect us at the hip to people we would like to forget like vets that find themself with out home or country in America.
From "What Do I Know."
The Man's A Vet,
he's had it rough,
back long enough
to feel that stuff
of jungles
and rifles
and friends
who stayed.
His wife
and children
the screams
and dreams
or why he drinks
2. Ghetto Politics By Bernard Collins
You may have to contact Bernard Collins personally to get a hold of this book. Ghetto Politics came out long before self publishing sites like Lu Lu and Create Space.
Back then a young poet's publisher was Kinkos.
That Collin's felt his words so important that he used what means that were available to tell his story makes this book even more precious. However, do not be fooled. Ghetto Politics is a collection of poetry and art that is a poetic post card from the fringes of a man's world. My favorite piece is SUPER NIGGER a comedic look at stereo types of Black men in America vs. the sense of regal manhood that used to dominate the black arts scene of the early 90's before Bay Boy Records took over hip hop.
Super Nigger DOES NOT PLAY HOCKEY
Super Nigger's Kryptonite comes in the form of a book
Afraid he might lose his supernigger powers if he opens it up
to take a look
3. I Just Explained What Heaven Is By Bruce Jennings
Bruce L. Jennings is not just a poet. Jennings uses the language of poetry and words to show the world what a complex and complete black man is like. This collections brings us into Jennings' world of God, Family and Culture.
This book is literally bursting at the page with poetic jewels.
It's hard to pick one poem to highlight but here's a funny portion of Old Souls
my soul remembers
when love was behind the movie theater
with that first peck at dusk
when the moon caressed your face, her face
nah...that was just moms flashing her high beams
4. Psalms in L Major by Ti Kendrick Randall (now TK Hall)
Imagine if you will a poet, that visions herself as a profit rather than a underground rock star. Picture a woman that wants her words to be as valuable and viable as scripture rather concerned with how slick her rhyme scheme is.
Psalms In L major is written proof. Is the truth crammed into 83 solid pages. Like David's Psalms, Mrs. Hall's scripture is adorned in glorious words that flow like music...these words tend to be more for healing than for warring.
Here is a portion of a favorite....
Shall We Dance
i write my perception of you
oh, I know the real you
ain't willingly up on the pedestal i put you on
but you needn't worry
you're safe
5. The Dancing Bear by Laura McCullough
Laura's writing I like call...."I Never Thought About It That Way."
Most things I read I see the logic in it immediately and it almost hits me in the face. Laura McCullough's work forces me to dig beneath the surface of the ideas I have in my mind. I like her words because that make me re arrange the thoughts in my head. Make me pull out the sledge hammer and make room for different trains of thought.
Like Gill Scott- Heron almost every time I read one of McCullough's poems I want to sit right down and write her back.
Here is a portion from her title poem The Dancing Bear.
What are the demons
to be grappled with
and how do we meet them?
In a bar on some swivel
stool watching a wet
T-shirt contest with out
irony or in the convenience
store for the lovely
inconvenience of getting
ice-cream at half past ten.
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Honorable Mentions
There were several books and poets I will share with you at another time but I still wanted to shout out.
Naila Mattison's Lyrically Gifted should have been the first and only book of poetry award 5 Mics by The Source.
Performance poet Shyster's collection of CD's Entitled Mrs. Betty's Son are what you get if you fused Rakim/Biggie with KRS One and The Last Poets. Shyster is a force of nature in a world where spoken word seems to be shrinking.
Ron Kipling Williams book Aware and Outraged would have been on this list but I could not find the book to take a picture of it.
Trust me when I say Williams work with make you mad at him or yourself. Whatever you believe Williams' words will challenge that and push you closer to your God and the ideas you serve.
Please contact all of these great writers and purchase their past and current work.
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It is my hopes that you will be inspired to share things you love by great people on your space.
1. Crossing Waters By Ray Garman 
