Burn me in a Sacred Fire

I am indeed an African from my very day of birth
As a member of the African Race I came upon this earth
I am happy and I am proud of who I am created to be
Strong gifted and black for everyone to see

I have looked at the conditions of my people in this world
They mistreated our people, adults, babies, boys and girls
They invaded Mama Africa and then took us to the west
Subjecting our people to some very brutal test

Enslaving our people everywhere across the Globe
Disrupting our Village life and robbing us of our robes
Scattering our people in grievous captivity
Human bondage and brutality are their main activities

It is now more than five hundred years since they shackled our necks
It is now more than five hundred years since they made our lives a wreck
Our Ancestors were beaten with whips across their naked backs
Kunta Kinte and millions more received some very brutal attacks

Our Ancestors struggled day and night to change the slavery scene
About our liberation our Ancestors have been keen
Now here we are still scattered everywhere that you can think
And there is no doubt my people that we are still down in the sink

So now the struggle continues as we live from day to day
And we as Africa people must really find the freedom way
This I know was said before and will be said again
But now we have to push ahead and move away this pain

Black youths are on street corners and they are getting into fights
They often kill each other and we know that is not right
Skills training centers are needed so our youths can go and learn
So they can get some skills to work so they can also earn

Now I am moving on in age and that is just a glorious fact
And I am on journey now in which I just cannot turn back
So I am trying to share with you some things which you should know
We have to do some serious work for Africans to grow

Well, time is really moving fast and really catching up with me
The future will just help us all to see what we shall see
Changes is like a river which just flow from time to time
This is something which you all should keep upon your minds

Like our great Ancestors and our glorious noble sages
We all should know by now that we do go from stage to stages
Therefore I would really like you all to really listen well
To these few words of wisdom which I am now going to tell

One of these days the lovely morning Sun will surely rise
But on that lovely morning I just will not open up my eyes
One of these glorious nights the blessed moon will also shine
But on that glorious night I then will no more use my mind

When my spirits have taken their flights
Whether it be morning noon or night
When my feelings and moods are gone
Be it at midnight or at dawn

When I can no more see the Sun
And I can no more walk or run
When indeed I cannot laugh
When I cannot even cough

When I can no more make a choice
And I can no more use my voice
When I am really out of the picture
And I can no more do my lectures

When I have no more to say
And my drums I will no more play
When there is silence in my head
And there is no need for me to be fed

When I no more can be bold
For my batteries are cold
When I do not have any feelings
So I do not need any healing

When I do not have a chance
Even to do my African dance
When I cannot say yes or no
And my beard will no more grow

When I no more play percussions
And I am not active in discussions
When I can no more go to meetings
And I can no more give the greetings

When my poems I cannot write
And my good food I cannot bite
When I can no more breathe fresh air
From this glorious atmosphere

When my organs fail to function
And I am laying by Mother Nature’s junction
When I am forced to take that mission
Of Creation’s great transition

I will have no more desires
And my activities I will retire
When I can no more have some fun
For my days on earth or done

When my friends come to look for me
But I cannot drink my tea
When I cannot wash my own face
And I just lay there in my own space

When I cannot even hear
And I can no more sit in my chair
When my songs I can no more sing
And my vocal bells will no more ring

Since I am part of this universe
I must take my creative course
I am one of Mother Nature’s creature
So I do function in various features

If you are wondering where this is going
As a poet I am just flowing
With the streams of inspiration
Which nourishes my meditation

I am really in a teaching mood
Let the farmers plant more food
You have to feel it deep inside
This one is really deep and wide

When I am missing from the group
And I cannot drink my soup
When you knock upon my door
And I answer you no more

So you drive all over town
Just to see if I am around
But you are told that I have not been seen
By my African Kings and Queens

So you make some good phone calls
But the sounds bounced off the walls
So you really start to wonder
Yes, indeed you start to ponder

Since I did not come to work
And you know that I am not a jerk
So now you have to do something
Just to see how things will swing

So you call up all my friends
And informed them of the trend
But then you did not find no traces
After checking all my bases

And this you found so very hard
So you all came straight back to my yard
So now you are all gathered as a crowd
Then knock upon my door and call my name aloud

But since I can no more listen
And young babies I can no more christen
I therefore, could not give you a reply
And so you all were wondering why

So now you force open my door
Just in order to be sure
About the causes of my absence
And why my house is full of silence

Inside my house you all explored
But I am not breathing any more
And as I lay there on my bed
You all just shout my God, my God, my God he is dead

Indeed I know there will be some sighing
But please don’t do a lot of crying
Please do not run up your blood pressure
For this is really my justified measure

Try not to do a lot of weeping
And all that everlasting wailing
For I am not really gone no where
I am still here in the atmosphere

Indeed my spirit shall be free
For all of this was meant to be
So when my breath of life expires
Burn me in a sacred fire

And just because I can no more walk
And because I can no more talk
Please do not weep and do not wail
Because my spirit has prevail

Burn my remains in a sacred fire
For that is my sacred hearts desire
This is very serious it is no joke
Let my remains go up as smoke

Ashes to Ashes and Earth to Mother Earth
Who cared and nourished me even before my birth
Do not let my Ashes linger around
Just dig a hole and place it in the ground

Now to my family and pals
I do not need a funeral
Funerals just cost too much
Give me that burning cremated touch

Now let me give you some enlightenment
I just don’t care for no excitement
And since I will no more use my nose
Don’t dress me up in no pretty clothes

There is no need to buy a casket
Put food and fruits in the Community basket
Buy some fruits some juice and honey
And please do not fight over the money

This world today reflect much doom
With all those numberless concrete tombs
The earth is plastered with concrete
Where does the farmers place their feet?

I am just not trying to be rude
But the farmers need land to plant their food
Planting is the farmers life
That is how they feed their wives

Land for cultivation soon won’t be found
With all them casket in the ground
Where on earth shall our vegetables grow
This is a question, and I really want to know

How can it be realistic?
To clog the earth with all those plastics
How can we preserve good morals
When we clog the earth with all those metal

So let me float up in the breeze
And give my family a ease
Save the lands pace for the farmers
To plant oranges and bananas

Save the land to plant tomatoes
Also onions and potatoes
Plant some cabbage and some scallions
Black eye peas and water melons

Use the land for cultivation
Let us plant food for the nations
Let us cause the earth to flourish
Let humanity be nourished

Think seriously about these lyrics
I had to make this one a classic
I really have to tell you how I feel
About the way they turn the social wheels

Try to do some critical thinking
Then you will see that this world is sinking
They are making mistakes everywhere
World leaders are not really seeing clear

I need my people to be aware
I need you all to take good care
Please listen well to what I say
For soon one day I will be on my way

I did my work as an African liberator
But one day soon I will be a great Ancestor
So you must keep black unity growing
And keep those liberation rivers flowing

Give respect to one another
As African sisters and brothers
Give your families a treat
Stop the violence in our streets

And please don’t give yourselves no sorrow
If I just go away tomorrow
For what is to be shall surely be
So do not distress yourselves because of me

Just sing some sweet redemption songs
While as smoke I move along
And even as my smoke ascend
Try your best to comprehend

That I do not really have no fear
As I float up in fresh air
And although you may not see my face
I am just traveling into space

It is also good to know
That I may visit you as snow
Some times I will come down as showers
Raining on various plant and flowers

So much of me is made of water
So now I will ascend as vapor
One two three four five six seven
The winds will take me to the heavens

As I go up to the clouds
You can call my name aloud
Please keep my words and do not blunder
For I may visit you thunder

With hail stones I will come along
So sing me sweet liberation songs
My breath will blow in the great Tornadoes
My ashes will flow in the great Volcanoes

My dreadlocks with me must remain
With me into this world they came
They are really part of Mother Nature’s glory
I hope you are listening to my story

Listen now to what I have to tell
Hear my words and hear them well
Stop all those shootings in our streets
That is quite bitter and will never be sweet

And since I will no more be eating from dishes
I am now sharing with you my wishes
We have a great lot of work to do
For our liberation to come through

So to my African people everywhere
We must wake up and be prepare
Our Villages and our people we must now restore
Our heritage and our culture we must now adore

Our children are really gone astray
We really have to teach them the African way
We must redeem them from their sorrow
We must make them to be good teachers of tomorrow

For Mama Africa is now weeping
Mama Africa is now wailing
For our people are widely scattered
Being down pressed brutalized and battered

So please work hard for black unity
In our collective African communities
Let us face our social and cultural realities
We need to create and nourish African solidarities

No one really know what tomorrow will bring
No one really knows how the wheels will swing
No one knows how the wheels of life will turn
No one knows how the fire of reality will burn

So since I am leaving you behind
I must ask you all to be loving and be kind
Remember that it is good for us to share
And you must all try to take very good care

Spread the faith among our people
Let unity be our glorious vehicle
Continue to do our first fruits celebrations
And work to elevate our African nation

Keep the faith and practice Kwanzaa
Always put into practice the Nguzo Saba
And try your best to save our youths
Please give to them knowledge and the naked truth

The Red black and green must be on the scene
Display also the Red Gold and the Green
Establish a Cultural Kwanzaa table
And show the world that we are able

To keep our Cultural Roots alive
And for our restoration we must strive
Black liberation is our subject
Africa for Africans is our object

This is the life which we all should live
Love one another and try to for give
Respect each other in a very good way
As you all live from day to day

Since I am moving on in age
Each day I turn another page
And since African liberation is my subject
My views of life I do make public

Time is not waiting on me
And still my people are not free
I work for African’s liberation
So here I do make my proclamation

My knowledge has become so vast
So the baton of realities I must pass
From generation to generation
And this I do without hesitation

As African people we must establish
Peace love and unity without malice
Our families we must stabilize
If unity and prosperity we must realize

I am trying my best to shine some light
In each of my poems which I write
There are lessons for us to learn
There is knowledge for us to earn

Some times will I blow in the great hurricanes
Some times I will come down as blessed rain
See now I have written much to you
So you will know just what to do

So now I hope you get the message
From my creative writing passage
This is my great creative vision
But now I am reaching the conclusion

So now I told you what to do
So you do not have to feel real blue
It is all written down here
There is no need to be in fear

Oh yes, I am coming to the end
So I am cooling off my pen
I am leaving you with glorious moods
While I give you this mental food

So try to feel my meditation
Inside this humble poetic proclamation
Try to keep some peace inside
And spread your love real deep and wide

There is no other way to go
Let peace and happiness just grow
Time is our greatest and loving master
But wars are nasty great disasters

Now I hope I have past my poetic test
For I have tried my very best
To share with you the greatest knowledge
From my humble internal College

Now get some pure water from mother nature
And pure for me a great tambiko
Then use your mental elevator
To pay respect to our Creator

Another Creative work from the creative mind of Baba Ras Marcus
Updated on January 24th 2006 all rights reserved