Rain of Terror
By Abiodun Oyewole
Excerpts from a poem by Abiodun Oyewole, of the Last Poets. We would like to thank Abiodun for permission to reprint.
America is a terrorist killing the natives of the land
Killing and stealing has always been America’s master plan
To control the earth and everything on it
To divide and conquer is all they wanted.
America is a terrorist killing the buffalo that roam the plains
Killing and slaughtering animals was turned into a game
Giving blankets contaminated with small pox
The natives were killed, the beginning germ warfare
The beginning of white fear.
No respect for the land, the trees, or the air we breathe
And Christianity was an excuse to bring others to their knees.
America is a terrorist with a slave system in place
To take away the humanity of a darker race
Put people in chains, then beat them with whips
Made them give up their names
Those who survived the slave ship.
America is a terrorist with a Howdy Doody grin
Using the Bible to keep others in check
While America commits all the sins
Thou shalt not kill, that’s not part of the American dream
For to kill is a thrill they love to show on your TV screen
Romance the gun just for fun.
Drop a bomb just for charm.
This is the American Way.
And all of this talk about equality, justice and peace
Spewing out of the mouths of these governmental beasts.
But every time Blacks tried to find a way to do for self
The American terrorist wasn’t having it
And fear was all Black folks felt.
America is a terrorist feeding off racism and greed
Not caring or sharing, but enjoying watching people bleed.
For over 400 years Blacks have lived in fear of the vicious cruelty of the racists.
They tried to march for justice and civil rights to be treated fair
Attacked by dogs and fire hoses, beaten by police, forced to live a life in total despair.
They bombed the church in Birmingham while the children were in Sunday school
Took the lives of four little girls, yes this terrorist was just that cruel.
American terrorism is like a virus that’s home grown and spreads across the planet too.
Selling guns and chemical weapons, gift-wrapped in red, white, and blue.
Soldier boys selling guns for hard drugs in exchange
It should be obvious by now that this country is deranged.
America is a terrorist and no one wants to admit
And pointing the finger at others is the ironic part of it.
Drop a bomb in Philadelphia to wipe out an organization called MOVE.
Killed unarmed women and children because the police had something to prove.
And all the Black Panthers who were trying to help their community
Wiped out by the FBI for trying to create Black unity.
Put drugs in the hood, set folks up for no good.
Kept unemployment high, education is laced with lies.
Turn the people against each other.
Made money more sacred than your mother.
Cause an avalanche of grief by trigger happy police.
Locked the Black man up in jail, made him think he was born to fail.
And no place are you safe if you have a darker face.
Henry Dumas, Amadou Diallo, Yusef Hawkins, Michael Griffith, Anthony Báez, Eleanor Bumpers, Emmett Till, James Byrd, just to name a few
Died at the hands of American terrorists.
Terrorism here ain’t nothing new.
