THE CROWS COMETH

As King Roland, the sovereign ruler of this great land slept peacefully in his bed, an angel entered into his living quarters. As she floated over to his portion of the bed the wind from her wings began to change the temperature of the room, causing his skin to produce chill bumps. She kneeled down and whispered into his ear. “Nurture your garden, for the crows cometh to destroy.” The next morning King Roland went into the palace chapel along with his consort Queen Tori, a princess from a small principality on the coast of east Africa. They both kneel at the altar where the sun hits the golden cross that was given to them by His Grace Pope Augusto of Italy as a symbol of friendship, fellowship, and faith amongst the two countries. “I have everything I need. God has allowed me to serve him, my country, and your majesty faithfully. I only want to pray for my dear children,” said Queen Tori to the King. “I shall pray for understanding, for my God sent his messenger to warm me that the crows cometh and I should nurture my garden,” replied King Roland.

Later on his majesty requested that he spend some time in the throne room alone, without the noise and side gossip of the court. He sat upon his throne for hours praying and analyzing the message from the angel. King Roland was known for his intelligence and great wisdom. He had a habit of sitting in one place for days attempting to figure out dreams, visions, political moves, logic, etc. After much mental debating with himself he began to think about the prayer of Queen Tori and how it could possibly relate to the angel’s warning. “That’s it!” His majesty insisted that his sons report to the garden on the east wing of the palace for their evening studies. He wanted to teach them a lesson about garden maintenance, which was odd coming from a person of noble blood. The royal groundskeeper has worked in the palace ever since King Roland’s father ruled. He taught the future king about learning about life through gardening.

King Roland’s three sons were said to be the most sought after princes in the entire known world. Prince Malachi (the eldest) was skilled in mathematics as well as military tactics in which he formulated through his visions. He was very controlling and arrogant, but people respected him because of his visions that have kept the country’s borders safe. As the eldest he was next in line to inherit the throne. He envisioned one world ruled by one monarch. Prince Jacob, the middle man as he was called, was very observant, social yet humble and giving. He did not talk much, but when he did people gave him their undivided attention. Prince Jacob was into expressing himself through the arts, sciences, and philanthropy. The king worried that his constant curiosity and kindness would cause people to manipulate him. Prince Yohannes was the youngest of the royal family and a skilled musician and composer. He was the most handsome of the three, although they all were attractive. Affectionately known as “The Charmer” around the kingdom, he used his title as a way of luring young mistresses both of equal or lesser value into his bed. The title, “The Kings Purse Pincher” was whispered amongst the members of the court.

When the three princes enter into the beautiful garden they were met by the royal groundskeeper. He explained to them that their assignment for today was to nurture the garden. “How dare you speak to us in such a manner? I am a prince, soon to be reigning sovereign of this country. I don’t have the time to indulge in such a lowly occupation,” yelled Prince Malachi. He then storms out of the garden. “So this bottom feeder thinks we are his slaves,” Prince Yohannes said comically. “I have no time for this! I have other important engagements. This is joke.” Prince Yohannes then walks away. “Well, I’ve always wanted to know the nature of things,” said Prince Jacob as he laughed. The groundskeeper showed him how to use the watering pail and he eventually left the prince to continue alone. “This seems easy,” the prince said to himself.

The prince enjoyed the calmness and solace that came along with the task. He took a break to write down this experience in his tablet. Prince Jacob takes it everywhere he goes. He paid attention to the way the ground would absorb the water, which reminded him of his desire and thirst for knowledge. As he continued to write, he began to hear the sound of a lyre playing in the distance. He began to move deeper into the center of the maze garden until he saw an angel sitting on the steps of the gazebo, playing a lyre ever so beautifully. The sound of the water from the two waterfalls on both sides of the gazebo had calmed him. His curiosity caused him to have no fear. He sat down three feet away from the angel and listened to her play. Suddenly the lyre began to speak to his soul. To others it may have been a simple tune, but the lyre to Jacob was like a sweet symphony to his soul.

Prince Jacob had read about the lyre once before in his studies. The lyre was a kind of a harp used by the ancient Greeks as an accompaniment to poetry. It was the peculiar instrument of Apollo, the tutelary God of music and poetry. It gave name to the species of verse called lyric, to which it originally furnished an accompaniment. Prince Jacob pulled his tablet out once again and began writing the words given by the lyre. Suddenly, two crows flew into the garden and began to pick at the lyre, but the angel continued to play. Their hard beaks biting the wire were disturbing the peaceful transaction of the musical message. Prince Jacob struggled to continue to write. The message was not as clear. He was losing focus. The angel suddenly grabbed the two crows and ripped the beaks from their faces. While a few drops of blood ran down her fingers, she began to play the lyre with the beaks of the dead crows; their bodies laying lifeless next to her foot.

Prince Jacob became more curious. He continued to write even though the music sounded strange and the message wasn’t as clear. The constant plucking on the wires of the lyre forced the beaks of the dead crows to file until they were no more. The music was beautiful and the music was clearer once again. Prince Jacob began to cry as this encounter taught him a lesson about life. The angel said unto him, “Seek knowledge, seek truth, seek God, and stay focused even in the midst of confusions and distractions. Tough times are certain, but faith will put your life back in tune.” She smiled at Jacob and then disappeared. Prince Jacob ran into the castle to inform his father about this encounter, only to run into terrible news. Prince Yohannes had been murdered by a female commoner. He was found in his bed, naked, with his torso cut open. Crows were feeding on his internal organs.

Prince Malachi’s ship caught fire and burned him alive. A palace gatekeeper had informed the king the two crows had returned his eyes to the front gate of the palace. The royal family mourned the death of their loved ones for quite some time. When Prince Jacob finally had the opportunity to tell his father about his encounter, King Roland wept and thanked God for sparing his son and humbling him. King Roland died twelve years later. Prince Jacob was now the ruler of his country. He never forgot his encounter with the angel, the lyre, and the lesson he had learned. King Jacob The Humble, as he was called, was also a visionary. He built schools, roads, provided special programs for the arts, math, engineering, poor people, and women. He was the first monarch in Africa to modernize his country, establish trading routes, and introduce the outside world to Africa culture.

AT THE TABLE

As I walked into this strange room -a medieval tavern of some sort- I noticed a beautiful ivory desk in the center of this room dimly lighted by candles. The ivory top was held by four golden statues in the shape of men that in my mind resembled the Hebrew slaves. Each stood three foot high. All of them were lifting their hands in order to hold their share of the heavy ivory top. On the desk was a red book trimmed in gold, a quill pen made from the feather of a swan, and an ink bottle. Then I took a look at the chair. The chair was not as magnificent as the desk. It was a dull brownish color. I could tell that it was weak and worn. I could also tell from feeling the texture that this chair had been sat on so much that it had lost its firmness; its ability to hold someone up. Then I began to take a look at both the desk and the chair. I realized that even though the desk was far more attractive to the eye, I saw no difference. The golden Hebrew slaves lifting that heavy ivory top at the bottom was suffering from the same pain as the raggedy and worn brown chair; trembling and attempting to hold on to what little strength that they had left.

As the sun began to peak above the mountains, I noticed that the light had placed itself directly on the chair. “Please take a seat,” a voice I felt inside of me say. I cannot possibly sit in this chair. It cannot support me. “Sit down,” the voice yelled! So I slowly sat down in this fragile chair and listened as it screamed for dear life, but strangely it screamed for my life. I did not want to place my hands on the ivory desk, because I feared putting more weight on those poor Hebrew slaves. Even though they are not real, I felt a connection to them. “Write,” the voice said. I opened the red book that was trimmed in gold and began to stare at the blank pages. There was no beginning, no ending. I looked at the Hebrew slaves. I looked at the brown chair beneath me, still screaming for my life. I grabbed the quill pen made from a swan’s feather and for a moment marveled at its uniqueness, its ability to write history. I dipped it into the ink bottle, because this quill pen made of a swan’s feather cannot write history on its own.

The sun I could see through the large window continued to pull its head over the mountain. As I began to place the pen onto paper, I watched as a drop of the black ink that was trapped inside the ink bottle and met this quill pen made from a swan’s feather, fall onto the paper. To my surprise, that drop of black ink disappeared before my very eyes. I did not think that it was such a matter of extreme importance so I began to write. I was writing, but the words were not visible to me. I became frustrated (after a few attempts) and continued to dip the quill into the ink bottle, grinding the pen into the paper, but I could not see what was being written. I did not notice that my frustrations with the paper, this pen made from a swan’s feather (pressing down against it), and this black ink was adding more pressure to the Hebrew slaves down below; causing this weak chair to scream for my life even louder.

I was so angry that I had mistakenly cut myself. The sharp tip of the quill pen made from a swan’s feather had slashed my left palm. As I attempted to nurture my wound I watched as the blood began to seep through my clinched fist. I noticed a drop of blood had fallen upon the paper. Then suddenly, words appeared! I skimmed through the pages only to see words written in many languages, but somehow I could understand them. The sun has arisen! The voice said to me, “If you want to write history, then you have to know your true history. I have set a few pages in this book aside just for you. You cannot begin to write until you have read everything before your section begins. I left spaces for others that will write even after you are gone. You have to understand the clues that were left for you by your ancestors. If you allow someone else to write your history for you, they control your present, they control your future. Not knowing who you are and what you are is the same as being dead or not having a soul. Study to shew thyself approve; then write. Share your wisdom with the world. In preparation for greatness, you must be willing to die for it.”

That was the day that I buried my old self. A new and enlightened me was reborn.

These Strange Fruits (Tribute to James C. Anderson & Frederick J. Carter)

(Inspired by Richard Wright, Billie Holliday, and modern day Mississippi)

I cannot move! The earth hath stabilized my body and the wind chilleth my soul. My mind spins as the electric current causes the hair that warmeth my entire self to stick out like the needles in Big Mama’s pin cushion. I cannot move! The earth beneath me grabs me with her roots and the wind bloweth equally from the four corners. None of them wish to see me fall in their direction. The waters from the heavens fall to the earth. As my toes dig into the earth, my soul becomes saturated. A sensation I felt in my torso. I begin to grow. I’ve become stronger. I am rooted and grounded. The fabrics that once fit me tore away. Is this what the Holy Ghost feels like?

As I sway to and fro to honor the God of my ancestors-the God that was forced upon them- I stretch out my arms wider to receive him. Suddenly, I feel a nudge on my left arm and a tug around my waist. It was so heavy that I began to tilt. I look to my left arm to notice a rope wrapped around it. My eyes follow the rope down to a strange fruit. The stench of this fruit caused my whole body to shake, but I dare not let it fall. The sweet juices from the busted shell of this strange fruit falls to the ground to saturate the earth. I watch as the white paint hardens on its fabric, covering its ripeness, its browness. The heaviness tightens the rope around my torso. I cannot breath, but I will not let this fruit fall.

A green truck comes by and litters the ground in front of me with another damaged fruit as it continues down the Mississippi road. I look down to see this strange fruit twisted, deformed, beaten, skinless, and rotted. I began to sway for help, but no one came. No one! Fruits birthed from different trees passed by without noticing. Even strange yet similar fruits passed by signaling their bitterness, sour, and unfavorable taste. “Help us,” I yell! Coming to the realization that no one will help us, I pull the fruit from the side of the dangerous Mississippi road and gently lay it at my feet. I carefully lift the dangling fruit to lay it on my right arm as I use my fingers to loosen the rope from its neck. I gently place it next to its brother at my feet. I cry out to the God of my ancestors, but he did not answer.

What am I going to do? I can’t leave this fruit out in the open to be forgotten, but I must cover them. I look to the right of me to notice a pole. At the top of the pole was a waving cloth with an X on it that came from a time when people were fighting over me. I wouldn’t dare use that shit! I knock the pole over into the Mississippi road and watch as the cars run over the cloth one by one. I uproot my legs and feet from the earth to bury this strange fruit beneath me. I cannot leave this fruit out in the open to be forgotten!

I look to the heavens and began to see the water fall to the earth. I dig my toes into the earth. My soul becomes saturated by heavens water and the juices of the strange fruit under my roots. I felt God’s spirit. I felt the fruits of the spirit; their pain, passion, and God’s promise to them. I told God, “Now they are a part of me. Even in death, they will still grow. They shall live and not die.”

.......................Message....................

No matter where I go, I will never forget where I come from. Mississippi is where I was born. I can't be foolish to act as if its past doesn't exist in the present. I can't be bitter and point the finger, but I must take my experience in Mississippi with me wherever I go in order to be that change that I want to see in my home state. We need love, equality, and justice!

State of the Church

As Christians we have been taught that questioning God was forbidden.To be respectful to the Bible Pushers, Jesus Freaks, and those of you who are "holier than thou" I will not go there. I will however question mankind and its constant failure to understand the God that they claim to serve and the simple-complexities of the bible that we use to slaughter one another instead of uniting in spite of differences of opinion and belief. I am too a human being as well as a Christian. These are my opinions. The bible says (God says), "my thoughts are not your thoughts." I am not sure if I am right or wrong, but I do believe that God has equipped the mind to function on its own, therefore I have the divine approval to voice my opinion. I can only be reprimanded by God.

Have you ever pondered that maybe the bible was designed to be looked at from different angles? If we believe God to be omni-present in a spiritual sense, then his mind or thought must be omni-dimensional. I would imagine that if we were "created in his image" -which no one seems to know what that image looks like- then we would also be capable of multi-dimensional thought. Sadly we are not born with multi-dimensional thought or the belief that God exists. Such formulation and functioning of the entire brain must be properly nurtured in order to survive in a society of one-dimensional thinkers.

We believe the bible to be a set of laws. If God gave us laws one would think that man's decision to separate church and state would cause more corruption of such laws. I will not bore you with the historical perspective of the separation of church and state, but I will say that if a King and a Pope cannot agree on a vision for the present and future of the people in which they serve, then the man-made mentally induced idea of an egotistical craving for power comes into play. They have no choice but to separate. This leads to political, social, and psychological agendas that are designed to confuse and control the powerless. It also adds fuel to mankind's attempts to force their man-made agendas by using God as a reference without his divine approval. An example would be using a friend or family member as a reference for a job application without their consent, only to prove your credibility and legitimacy. Using a multi-dimensional thought, one would believe this to be a form of "bearing false witness(es)."

Of course the church had its flaws before the separation, but I think that the separation has definitely allowed believers to question their faith due to mankind's lethal injections of corruption and flesh domination. When I think about it I invision a decaying temple. We can see from our Muslim brothers and sisters that church and state (mosque/Islamic law) does not always mix when corruption is at its core. I believe that if church and state never coagulate as natural siblings, then they should at least function as branches of a unified umbrella with a true multi-dimensional understanding of God and his laws at its center.

Although we share this earth with brothers and sisters from different backgrounds (race, sex, morals, orientation, and faith), we are still obligated to love one another. Until we begin to educate ourselves spiritually, politically, realistically, put more emphasis on developing multi-dimensional thought, and unite we will continue to be failed experiments in the eyes of God. In conclusion, I will leave you with this simple phrase. "You can be whatever it is that you want to be, but no that you will never be God."

SOUL MAN

A wandering soul roams the earth in search of its home, squeezing and forcing itself to fit into figures created for another for 8 years. "Who am I," cried the soul? The wandering soul passes a mirror only to notice that it has a reflection. "Is this who I am," asked the soul? The soul began to transfer itself into its reflection. "Such a perfect fit! This is who I am. This is where I belong!" The soul had now become a Soul-Man. He named himself Mark. Mark devoted all of his time into grasping the newness of himself. He mastered the understanding and the importance of the five senses.

One day he asked himself, "is there anyone else here like me?" He began to study the habits, lifestyles, and customs of other Soul-Men. He was particularly intrigued by the way some manipulated others for their own benefit. A part of him attempted to restrain the idea, but the other self acquired a taste for domination. Soon, Mark could no longer control his hunger. His craving for power began to eat away at his flesh. He mastered the art of manipulation and control without emotion or moral attachment.


On his 36th birthday, Mark decided to take a stroll around the earth. On this strange day, he passed a mirror only to notice that it had a reflection. "What is this? This can't be me! I know who I am!" Mark began to attempt to transfer himself into his reflection only to have the mirror shatter right before his eyes. Mark began to take a look at himself. He was no longer a man. It became as it once was, a wandering soul.

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Mark 8:36

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Understanding Your Masterpiece

I sat at my lab desk to continue some research only to feel an excruciating earthquake of a headache. As I held on to the desk, holding on for dear life I felt the nodes that were connected to my brain shoving it down into the back of my throat like fingers to a melon. My eyes began to roll to the back of my head only to view this phenomenon take place. I coughed and gagged uncontrollably until I was able to regurgitate my brain onto the wooden desk. I was told to dissect it, study its different parts, its functions, and learn how to turn them on and off on my own.

As I began to understand the magnitude of power that God has created and has packed into the masterpiece called the human brain, I noticed that a large portion of this power goes unused. Certain unused areas gave way for others to sabotage my knowledge of my natural and super-natural abilities. I was a free man, but trapped in mental bondage. I had power, but the world had planned my conformity before I was born. Conformity that is forced by fellow man prevents the human race from attaining that power in its entirety. Schools, politics, laws, man-kinds inconsistent views on religion, spiritual correctness, spiritual connectedness, socio-economic status, man's detachment with nature and other living things may have good intentions, but these are just a few areas and institutions that force conformity.

A person would rather feel like they belong than to feel like an outcast or a mutant. The world's greatest minds have challenged the norms that man has created to keep individuals inside the circle of conformity. The actions of those great minds have changed the world we live in today. People like Moses, Jesus, Martin Luther, John Henrick Clark, Socrates, Martin Luther King, Rene Descartes, Charles Darwin, Joan of Arc, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Ghandi, the ancient Egyptians, the Ethiopians among others defied the odds by changing their ways of thinking and tapping into those portions of the brain that man had forbidden them to find.

Eras like the Golden Age, The Age of Reason, The Age of Enlightenment, The Harlem Renaissance, The Protestant Reformation were times when normal people began to "find themselves" by expressing their mental powers through song, poetry, art, activism, science, theatre, dance, pure thought, and etc. By finding their God-given power they were able to not only change the direction of the world, but also prevent others from substituting a natural and happy way of life with tangible things that only bring momentary happiness and bliss such as the idea that the wealthier you are, the happier you will be.

People who take the time to study their own masterpiece(brain) can see and view things in a different way that normal people cannot. People who use all areas of their brain can understand the circle of life or how everything on this earth is connected. Some may be able to tap into other realms and talk to spirits, some may be have the imagination that allows them to create a long list of award winning films. Some people have the power to heal, to persuade, to prophecy, or to create a masterpiece that will revolutionize life on earth.

I believe that positive progression of the mind and the positive influence you have on others brings pleasure to the Divine Spirit. The negative powers that will call you crazy and cast stones are God's way of testing your heart and mental strength as an individual. You have the choice to decide if you will use that power for good or evil. A human being born with flaws cannot always provide you with an accurate answer. They fear change and will fight against anything that goes beyond their understanding.

As I began to put the pieces of my brain back together,I asked the Divine Spirit why did I have to take pieces of myself apart? He replied, "because I had to make sure that you could actually see the magnitude of power that I have equipped in you. As it develops before birth, it has to develop in natural life. Your powers, your differences are not disabilities! I have given you a portion of me. I created your mind so that you could be your own master, so the world wouldn't turn you into a slave. Tis an awful site to see my masterpiece return to me in shambles."