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Audio Poems

A Poem For No Reason

A Poet From The African Diaspora

In Defense Of Whales

Other Poems

    • Park in snow
    • 3.9.11
    • Studs

      the park in snow

    i have rested in this park before the snow

    then, it was grass green
                                          now, white as the robes of a ghost

    i sit to rest a moment
                                      the trees are grey/green

    and dusted with snow
                                        they too are resting

                                                                      c. 12.4.02
                                                                 delbert l. tibbs

     

     

    3.9.11

    This day—3.9.11 is a day for celebration in this state called THE LAND OF LINCOLN. No more DEATH 
     ROW. From East to North and from South to West in Illinois and… it is about TIME. After twenty men 
    have been released because of the GRACE of God and the hard work of Human Beings with righteous
    hearts have made it so and now we know  that we, even we in Illinois, are victims to human fallibility
     and are prone to mistakes of identity and the mistakes of poverty and the mistakes of fear and o’ yes,
    the mistake of race and of being  and “being in the wrong place.” This moment is born from the work of
    a host of nameless and well known human beings of conscience who have bravely fought and overcome
    a broken, inhuman and brutal system; these are they who have moved our political process to this
    Kairos moment; I, poet, salute you all. No more DEATH ROW in Peoria and Cicero and Effingham and
    bill that State Sen. Kwame Raoul pushed up the hill of the Illinois Senate and Representative Karen
     Yarbrough battled for and sheparded through the House of Representatives. We salute all of these who
    have sought for and fought for an equitable system of Justice for this State that is proud to be called the
    Land Of Lincoln ____ No Mo’ death row, Chicago and Rantoul and Rockford and … It is about time.
    We have become a more integral member of what we like to call the civilized world and it is about
    time. Hail and congratulations to Murder Victims Families for reconciliation and The Illinois Coalition
    To Abolish  and The Campaign To End It and to Alice Kim and Nan and Dick Conser and Bill Ryan and ten
    thousand more who have marched and fought  and wished and hoped and sang and prayed for this day.
    And as is likely, that there be innocent ones who were wrongly struck down before this day, we pray for
    forgiveness, men and women are fallible. No- mo’ death row in Springfield. The Gov. has signed his
    name to the BILL from the PEOPLE and it is LAW. This is a good day, here in Illinois.
                                Copyright, 3.9.11… Delbert L Tibbs

       studs: a prose poem/eulogy or elegy

    studs gave up the worn out garment that his body became at 96 man yrs. old
    once said that he didn't know so much about no soul, whether dross or gold or if such a thing existed at all
    sure, he knew richard wright, r-u kidding, he asked? knew nelson algren, willard motley, knew
    them all.

    I’d heard studs on the radio, before; when we were boys my friend donald and i asked each other
    ------" is this cat for real?" we asked that 'cause studs was so passionate about the things he'd read
    and said so right there on that radio program that he talked from when we were kids, donald and i
    then we met at a community health seminar that dr. q young was conducting at the u of i
    and i told him that i'd read one or more of his books, maybe that i'd heard him as a child

    i realized that when we met i was probably not the first person that he reminded of the elfin folk and he was as bright and spright-ly as i'd ever imagined such folk might be
    i liked him right away and told him that i too, would like to write someday and was even doing it , then, a little bit
    he smiled and asked if i knew any car hikers-- people who drive like motorized mad men as they park other people's expensive cars. said he wanted to meet some people like that 'cause he was
    putting a book together  about working people  and i said i would let him know
    i wasn't interested in hikers; the yrs. passed tumultuously fast and he did that book and i returned
    to chicago from death row
    and there he was and there we were at a rally to oppose the death penalty; i was a speaker and he the  m.c. he
     introduced me and  we had contact, again. he was , as always, doing another book
    "will the circle be unbroken" he titled it. He’d be interested in interviewing me , because i'd been
    on death row and all of that; he was curious to know my thoughts on the whole affair, the soul and all; i told him what Lord Krishna told Arjuna in the Gita and that i believe
    Krishna said " there never was a time, Arjunia, when U and I did not exist and there will never be a time when we cease to be." we laughed and drank tea and i felt honored to be in his presence. 
    i wish u God speed , young fellow and peace.
                              copy-r. 11.6.08...delbert l. tibbs...i.t.s