BLACK OSIRIS

_________________________________

Jes Grew

“no 1 knows
how a new loa
is formed”
—Ishmael Reed
Mumbo Jumbo

with astonishing—
digital rapidity
jes grew internet.

baron samedi—
ditches cotton-patch history
possesses new forms.

enter net loa—
driving yellow cadillac
smooth & really fast.

Young Osiris Blues

“Oh Harlem,
great Negro sea
of unrest”
—Ishmael Reed
“Harlem Tom Toms,”
Mumbo Jumbo

o egypt, great nile—
ancient negro delta
young black osiris!!!

engulf me, thebes—
luxor languishing gods
submerge me again.

egypt cabaret—
pyramid saxophone blues
nightclub by the nile.

naked in the reeds—
catting around in cat-tails
mud oozing thru toes.

*

black osiris kid—
worshipped by priestly eunuchs
chariots waiting…

a dip in the nile—
to remind you young pharaoh
of your moses loins.

strolling down lenox—
outta harlem renaissance
summoning the tides.

*

automatic glyphs—
hieroglyphing outta past
into media.

amon warning you—
hyksos corporate moguls
invading again.

tv, newspapers—
fanning wars, taking over
after civil war.

*

papyrus warlords—
yellow journalism and
cnn news-whores.

so much for old-style—
walter cronkite reportage
“and you were there, folks.”

no more viet nam—
day-by-day dead denouement
ending the fuckin’ farce.

*

they learn from mistakes—
late capitalism lords
our so-called masters.

corporate think rules—
by controlling media
bubblehead newspeak.

wanna see the future?—
orwellian dystopia?
turn on your tv…

*

black eros pharaoh—
mumbo jumbo voices from
telepathic past.

speaking thru readers—
old radio script listeners
talking books thru them.

loa listeners—
listening to hoodoo
voodoo dead voices.