ADD Ferentz to your LIBRARY and your PLAYLIST!

Quite a few members of the arts collective are currently matriculating at the esteemed Eugene Lang College ,New School for liberal arts. [Du ART...e ,Georgia Brown...and Dr. Mother Covert to be exact].

My dear friend, Georgia Brown put me down with the writings of one of her professors,Ferentz Lafargue, who is the assistant professor of literature. She tells me to check out his book "Songs in the Key of my Life". So I do. I bring it home...and it rests on my table. I had every intention to read it eventually.
But, having a startling dream and waking at 5:30 am, I find it hard to drift back into any kind of slumber so I pick up the book.
Folks, I have just completed the first chapter and with sincere exclamation I must say " it moved me!" I believe that just like huemens energy and consciousness brings certain things into fruition along with people into our space...the effects are the same with books; we either attract the kinds of readings that our hearts need at a point, or we adapt a reading to couple our emotional demands.

I am shifting. I am shifting to another area of focus, and love devotion. I am also intensely concerned with honing my creative writing craft. Lafargue scrathches beyond the surface & excites the imagination with connections he makes between songs and experiences; between nostalgia, his heritage and the intitial impact of instrumentaion. Each chapter is titled by a song, which he seemlessly expounds upon and dissects in that section.

Not only for the lover, and once loved but this book also explores the power within music.

Please put this book on your "TO BUY" list.

Join me on this path!!! LET US SUPPORT OUR ARTISTIC BLACK BRETHREN! The book is $12.95 [for all you frugal consumers] and is only 173 pages for all you non reading people. LOL.

BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT!
...and over the course of your journey with this book, I suggest adding the songs he incorporates into his story- to your playlist. It will enhance your literary-musical experience.

Shalom-mubaraak*

-Brother Johnston Michaels

I'M NOT GONNA WRITE YOU A COOL SONG!

i look in the mirror
asking myself, "how do i write a story?".
a song is nothing but a story organized to have pulse & pitch, right?!
and as often as we read them
& dance to them,
& allow old white men to offer us childhood fables to be enchanted by
& sing the "abc's" to figga out what letta comes afta 'p'...
well,
Its STILL such a daunting task to create my own.
the tales of my [daily] darkening skin
and the reason i wipe sweat from my brow cannot be notated.
they cannot be marked with trills
or broken into measures.
i experience no long trains of thought-
sooo i guess it makes me "Crazy" like Cee-lo
and my COLDEST WINTER EVER was definitely "HOTTER THAN JULY"
but it doesn't mean I can write a stevie hit.
maybe i'll just mumble on paper...
all too often we feel pressured to share with the world cohesive thought
well,
i choose to give you my fickled-fumbled-5 yr old stream of consciousness

NOW YOUR TURN?!

-Johnston Michaels

BLACK GENOCIDE...the Keys are in the S.Y.M.B.O.L.S.

This is the work of one of our collective members: Olatunji Ojore,depicting the black man as a shooting target. This sculpture speaks volumes so my commentary is unecessary . However, as an artist of color I urge that you read "The Isis Papers :The Keys to the Colors" by Frances Cress Welsing [African-American psychiatrist]. It will challenge all that you've been groomed to trust, and affirm things you may've always speculated. It dissects the system of White Supremacy , Black genocide and the psychology behind it. It's a must read for all persons of color...not just those of African descent.

Beginning is G.O.O.D.

So I recently turned 20 years old, and with aging another year comes assessing self.
And FOLKS , I grew extremely depressed! Whether you want to call it "mid-MID LIFE Crisis" or just disappointment, I felt that for the last 365 days my strides to be an incredible artist had been futile.
I then took inventory of my accomplishments over the past year & noticed that I did a lot of STARTING; When I had a vision I brought it to fruition. My dreams came to life not only by my wise work but with support from PEOPLE.
I no longer felt like a failure. Visions just should not sit. I know that this is the season to carry them through. That's what separates the FLAKE from the ambitious creator.

I don't write this passage with a self centered spirit, but for utter encouragement. I know that as HUEmens we get awfully discouraged by our own dreams...and not because they are not brilliant; but because once we breathe life into them and feed them water of diligence and time-we still dont see the growth we would like. In order to be the moguls and trailblazers we all envision ourselves as...we must BEGIN.

I am here to let you know that you are not alone.
NO artist walks alone. There are a million of us out here birthing, weezing, lactating, and crying!!!
So flash your pearly whites and keep working wise!

shalom-mubaraak*

-Master Johnston Michaels

Just breathe...

i have been in homestead,florida the entire month of june.
not as johnston michaels or the black willy wonka...but as a human.

NOT on vaca' !
NOT on a retreat
NOT even on missionary duty
... just learning to humble myself before middle school kids from this local migrant community.

MY LORD,ive had several SELAH moments here!
some of these moments simply involved inhaling.
other moments were quite revelatory and introspective.

i mean...i call myself an advocate of communal/tribal living. but honestly,i dont breathe much anymore.up north i have gotten lost in the rubble of fast living, pollution, schedules & short term goals.

im slightly afraid to go back to philly because for the past 4 weeks i have been consumed by tides in a place where there's no space or time... concerning myself solely with the well being of my students and colleagues.embracing everyone with pure intentions. and morphing myself into a solar powered vehicle[ moving to move others]. how rephreshing.

and now more than ever, i realize that...

i just want to help people. i want to L.O.V.E.
& i desire that L.O.V.E. not be some acronym for a larger cause. but to just be love.

i dont want my humanity to exist only in UTOPIA.

folks,i have begun living.

breathing starts now...

Humbly yours,
Jonathan Wise

Summer Time, And the Living Ain't Easy...

It seems like everyone in the Mint is scrambling and searching for summer plans. A place to stay, a place to travel and...something to eat! IDK, the fact of the matter is that the summer used to be a time of rest/relaxation and no school work. But for us the werk is neva ova. (Sorry for the phun spelling but I could not help myself) As of now we are all dispersed across New Amerykah From Florida>>>Maryland>>>DC>>>>Pennslyvania>>>New York to Boston. But our connection to the universe is strong and unbreakable. Bonds are tight and not meant to be broken. Only through the strenght of our numbers will the movement remain strong. Love Revoultions will concur all. That leads me to my POETICS of the DAY.As I sit at this desk and remain vexed by the presence of the man I ponder on these words...



You are the gold in my sun

the silver in my moon

so why can't I be everything to you...



I knew I loved you too much when
I began to pray for you more than I prayed for myself.
And in the absence of knowing what my 3rd eye longed for,
I prayed for you.



You never even believed in God,
And I prayed for you.


For every time you were told you couldn’t do it.
And every time you believed it.
Cause not only does time make dreams deferred,
so does man.
And we all know what happens to a dream deferred.
And I needed for you to live.

So I could paint love poem portraits on sheets and
let wimpering bed pillows weep. Weep
bodies of water dead like the sea in Israel.
Stinging finger nail scratches on your back
that I left trying to latch on to…You
didn’t even notice.



In your silent slumber I tried to
Enter your dreams.
Hoping my daymares would
be your nightmares so
you too could know
what it felt like.

I need you to know what it feels like. This
young fresh love that was fostered in
a place where no roses grow from concrete.
And no daddy’s tucked her in at night, where
would she end at night when
the silence of your slumber keeps
me awake like the
Pitter patter of rain drops on the
Tin roof of my mind, Im
pressing rewind,
remembering the time,when I prayed for myself. And you offer no help.



Your silent slumber stalks me like
The shadows on my wall. And no
I may not know it all. But
I do know that love is a two way street, and
I’ve been walking it with two bare feet…alone.

Laying next to you I’m alone.
My biggest fear used to being alone.
But I cant sleep next to fear anymore because
Fear is the cousin of death.

And I been died 4 times, 3 times removed
from the Father, Son and Holy ghost…you are a ghost.
And I can feel you heavy like freedoms burden,
laying next to me, your
burdens laying next to me, your
a burden laying next to me.
And I prayed for you.

-Georgia Brown: A Southern Honey Bee

Ready to Start a Revolution...

I’m ready to start a Revolution
Got a mind like Toni Morrison’s “Guitar”
But 7 days is 24 hours
And my weapon of choice is power
Of the mind
Of mine
Divine
The divinity of the hand of God himself
So Im good

And I wont lie sometimes I get scared
Cause I might die
Shit I might fry
For the things I say outta my mouth
Without a doubt I want it
I want this REVOULUTION

Like
Like Bush wants Saddam
Like a cop wants a crime
Like a pimp wants a dime
Like Israel wants Palestine
Or vice versa

With a glock nine shooting bullets of truth
I headed to the steps of the white house and takin over
Yelling chants of life, liberty and the pursuit of the O’ mighty dollar
Cause hell that is happiness
The revolution I’m ready to start will be televised
And no you cant sensor me for FOX News cause
I got one finger on both hands
Aimed at anyone at anyone to shook to be down

If you can’t tell I aint on no
“we shall over come”
Im on that “I got my gun now Run”
Cause their’s a strange fruit growing in my garden of Eden
And no I ain’t no heathen
Just anti- pacifist, anti-racist and anti ant anti…
Everyone that ever oppressed my people
My life
My mind
My body
My spirit
Free

As a bird in the wind flying
Over head like a helicopter
In the hood searching searching searching
For a way out a way in
a way above above above
above my home
above the 9th ward
above the white house
the oppressive house
stand clear and make way
It’s OUR day and the REVOLUTION I’m ready to start is on the way

Adding fuel to a massive fire
That plans on burning down this United States of America
The Southern Poverty Law Center has ME on its list of Amerika’s Most Wanted
And Im proud cause I’m
Takin a torch to the white porch
And no it aint either “the ballot or the bullet”
Malcolm did that a long time ago
My weapon of choice is power
Of the mind, divine
Divinely sent from the hands of GOD so I’m good
Bet you wish you could repress
But don’t stress
Better yet do stress
Cause whomever wants beef is
Next!

I got a feelin
I got a feelin Lord
I got a feelin
My people wanna start a Revolution

-The Hip Hop Mona Lisa: A Neo-Healer