Published 5 November 20086 November 2008 · Main Posts poem | Maxine Clarke admin his kind of gospel might not be sopho aristophilosophy this man might not be dream in baritone like king or dangerous like us black folk all kind of thought malcolm was but never said he might not bring healthcare world peace race peace education unpoverty a revolution to his country this country the world anyone anywhere in fact he surely won’t he might not even be a good father husband lover leader person who knows or hell even cares if he’s all that genuine us browns know this man is no solution but he lets us eye our knock-kneed sons like hey maybe one day my boy could be the one so every early morning late night newscast every can I get I witness same old black shit day I drag my baby to the screen & make him watch the man & say his name the boy says obama banana obama obama in pajamas & he cackles in his crazy two-year old way a no worries in the world mud pie brown boy who just might be president one day the checkered crowd swells & heaves like a living— it is a living thing this right to breathe like damn maybe my breath counts that closing in of a noose under alabama tree that back-bent-cotton-picking wheeze that diving deeper for master’s pearls until one day your body just won’t surface those cold grey lungs salt-logged like a genesis curse will you blame us that when he called we heard will you blame us that when he called we heard will you blame us that when he called we packed up the house the life the kids the conscience grabbed the cardboard the car the coin jar & came running with all we had when we knew this man was mostly no solution might not bring healthcare world peace race peace education unpoverty a revolution to his country this country the world anyone anywhere & in fact surely would not will you blame us we didn’t know or hell even care if he was all that genuine when he let us eye our knock-kneed sons like hey maybe one day my boy could be the one from ‘Unmiracle’ (c) Maxine Clarke 2008. Maxine is performing at the the First Human Rights Arts & Film Festival Slam http://www.hraff.org.au/melbourne-poetry.html admin More by admin › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays First published in Overland Issue 228 10 November 202311 November 2023 · Subscriberthon 2023 On the final day of Subscriberthon, Overland’s most important members get to have their say Editorial Team BORIS A quick guide to another year of Overland, from your trusty feline, Boris. I liked the ginger cat story, though it made my human cry. I liked the talking cat, too, but I’m definitely in the “not wasting my time learning to talk” camp. But reading is good. And writing is fun, though it’s been challenging […] 1 First published in Overland Issue 228 9 November 20239 November 2023 · Subscriberthon 2023 On the second-last day of Subscriberthon, Overland’s co-chief editor Evelyn Araluen speaks truth to power Editorial Team To my friends and comrades, I’m not sure if there’s language to communicate how this last month has utterly changed me. This time a few weeks ago the busyness and chaos of bricolage arts and academic labour had so efficiently distracted me from my anxiety about the upcoming referendum that I forgot to prepare myself for its inevitable conclusion.
