If you are a native
speaker of digital
or
if you were born analog 
and learned digital
or even
if you’re analog still
pure
analog

no matter what
I’m still your people,
your people, don’t leave me,
don’t leave me,
please don’t go away

if
when Jay-Z and Kanye are mentioned
the room glows neon gold
for you
if
when KRS-One and Chuck D are mentioned
the room glows fire-red warm
for you
but
if Mutubaruka is mentioned
if Blowfly is mentioned
if Linton Kwesi Johnson 
or Lee Scratch Perry are mentioned
and you find yourself sitting in the dark
they’re still your people, your people;
you can know them, your people, your people;
don’t leave them, leave them, your people,
please don’t go away…

There is nothing easier 
than ignorance
in this country
that enables ignorance
as a point of pride

I spent the 80s ignorant
of Michael Jackson
When I say this
people are amazed

It was easy

Easy enough to disappear left of the dial
into an alternative punk rock
world music classical folk-friendly hole
where it was required that you sneered
at what everyone else was doing

Segregation 
was easy there
Still is

So don’t leave me, don’t leave me
I’m still your people, your people
Please don’t go away

Let’s play a game
You say one thing, I’ll negate it
At the end we’ll see who wins

You say
Kerouac 
I say  
co-opted rebellion
You say Bukowski
I say
drunk
I say
Watchmen
you say
unwatchable men
I say 
Geronimo
You say
bin Laden
You say
baseball
I say 
what the hell is that

And someone will validate you
And someone will validate me
And we’ll find boxes where we can hide

but don’t leave me, don’t leave me
I’m still your people, your people
Please don’t go away

above all
the quietest division
that we are not the same
at all
that we are unique and suffering
and ecstatic
each unable to understand each
each unable to speak to each
generations and communities juxtaposed
and bound away from touching
because we each say we do not know
the truth of the other side
or deny the truth on the other side
we are more than our pop culture
my trivial penstroke is your vital document
your passionate gold is my aluminum trinket

please
don’t go away
because there is a gulf between us
please
don’t go away
because they don’t teach swimming around here
please
don’t go away
my people
I reach for you
you’re a sight for blind eyes
please 
don’t turn away