Gil Scott-Heron: Jose Campos Torres

from: The Mind Of Gil Scott-Heron (a collection of poetry and music) (Remastered 2000; Original 1978)

I had said I wasn't going to write no more poems like this
I had confessed to myself all along, tracer of life, poetry trends
That awareness, consciousness, poems that screamed of pain and the origins of pain and death had blanketed my tablets
And therefore, my friends, brothers, sisters, in-laws, outlaws, and besides -- they already knew
But brother Torres, common ancient bloodline brother Torres is dead
I had said I wasn't going to write no more poems like this
I had said I wasn't going to write no more words down about people kicking us when we're down
About racist dogs that attack us and drive us down, drag us down and beat us down
But the dogs are in the street
The dogs are alive and the terror in our hearts has scarcely diminished
It has scarcely brought us the comfort we suspected
The recognition of our terror and the screaming release of that recognition
Has not removed the certainty of that knowledge -- how could it
The dogs rabid foaming with the energy of their brutish ignorance
Stride the city streets like robot gunslingers
And spread death as night lamps flash crude reflections from gun butts and police shields
I had said I wasn't going to write no more poems like this
But the battlefield has oozed away from the stilted debates of semantics
Beyond the questionable flexibility of primal screaming
The reality of our city, jungle streets and their Gestapos
Has become an attack on home, life, family and philosophy, total
It is beyond the question of the advantages of didactic niggerisms
The motherfucking dogs are in the street
In Houston maybe someone said Mexicans were the new niggers
In LA maybe someone said Chicanos were the new niggers
In Frisco maybe someone said Orientals were the new niggers
Maybe in Philadelphia and North Carolina they decided they didn't need no new niggers
I had said I wasn't going to write no more poems like this
But dogs are in the street
It's a turn around world where things are all too quickly turned around
It was turned around so that right looked wrong
It was turned around so that up looked down
It was turned around so that those who marched in the streets with bibles and signs of peace became enemies of the state and risk to national security
So that those who questioned the operations of those in authority on the principles of justice, liberty, and equality became the vanguard of a communist attack
It became so you couldn't call a spade a motherfucking spade
Brother Torres is dead, the Wilmington Ten are still incarcerated
Ed Davis, Ronald Regan, James Hunt, and Frank Rizzo are still alive
And the dogs are in the motherfucking street
I had said I wasn't going to write no more poems like this
I made a mistake

• Category

  Music

[Jim Culhane]

Rest In Revolution Brother Gil, i guess you can now hold your Grandmas hands again.

[Jack Houlton-Vinyl]

Why doesn't Gil get taught in schools. I feel that this song should be required listening for everyone

[Kelebrimbor]

It gets taught at my university, in the Introduction to Literature course :)

[Jamile Wilson]

man he had powerful word.

[emiliot53]

this poem refers to the houston,tx police killing of a handcuffed Jose Campos Torres found in a bayou in the 70s, don't remember what came out of it as to the police. But thank you Gil Scott Heron for remembering the racial injustice.

[steven wofford]

this is real.



[rickeyb8]

GHS, A true visionary poet of our times. Years before the Trayvon Martin murder he shed light on the atrocities that happen all too often in America. Wake up Everybody!!!

[jimmie darks]

being from Houston, I remember Mr. Torres, His situation was typical of HPD at the time. I, a few years later transported his young son to and from school.

[John Bondola]

the world lost a great poet.

[ilikesexypie]

I think this matches to the jose campos torres, oscar grant and now troy davis.

[semrete]

Absolutely LOVE this poem, really makes me FEEL. Everlasting BLESSINGS to Brother Gil Scott-Heron. This album ~ The Mind and Poetry of GIL SCOTT-HERON Deserves a GRAMMY or THREE

Rajesh Semrete Selassie Aggarwal FRSA