Double Duty: A Tribute On The Debut

I am a poet.

Aside from the honorable service and eternal duty of being Baba to three sons, a poet is truly my professional handle and all other literary offspring conceived from my instrument is guided and nurtured by poetry.

My inspirations are many but I can name one poet especially who enhanced my sensibility and understanding of the rhythm of self-produced freedom.

The cat lived on 118 Underhill Street in High Point via the birthplace of Hamlet, North Carolina 82 years ago today.

Born on the equinox (a period of 12 hours day, 12 hours night), the epitome of balance and the breaker of bounds. He is the “soul” reason I chose today to present Audible Chocolate to the blogosphere and beyond.

Delivered to us on the solstice of Autumn but all-season in legacy.

Another Lord and Savior with the initials JC but he plays center stage through the gates of heaven and hell headlining with Miles and Thelonius…………..

Let’s go to Germany 47 years ago and get into one of “My Favorite Things”

Here he is with his All-Star line of Elvin, Eric, McCoy and Reggie……………

Speaking of an All-Star team, we are fortunate to offer the knowledge and expertise of a variety of all things ‘audible’ and ‘chocolate’ here from the perspectives of strong contributors and purveyors of The Culture on this delectable page.

Back to the smoke blowin’ on the Soul Trane…………….

Here’s one of five pieces I wrote interpreting some of my favorites from Coltrane in a collection called “25 from 25 in 25”

My Favorite Things

Coltrane's complete

history of blow on my 'pod

My Favorite Thingin'

In InterstellarSpace with another

peace graced by God

delve twelve deep

into the iconoclasts

of brass and ivory and

drips of savory saliva

sapped from ebony and

mahogany harmony

a part of me

recalls the breakdance challenge

in the empty park pool

I had the Suzuki gray and blue

finger rollin' and jump hookin'

buckets on the skins crew

in Centinela

Ratliffe or Blackshire

said "they wanna battle!!"

bells ringin' like Burger King cattle

I dropped the leather and

put the pop-lock routine

set to "Six Minutes" together

if it comes down

to my Egyptian Lover strobelite tick and

a Eddie Brown windmill

with hands on his dick,

we got 'em

"our enemy" did the "electric fag" and

that was a move we never saw

but Larry locked wicked

put the cigarette in his mouth

then flicked it back out

provoking us to bring

our signatures raw

we shut that park down and

nary crew ever stepped in

without the knowledge

they'd get clowned

that was one of my favorite things

"eliminate punks/cut –em up in chunks"

James Todd for a minute was god

Fab 5,

Dr. Dre and Ed Lover,

Chris Thomas da Mayor

Gary was the videographer

for Pump It Up with Dee Barnes

before he became F. Gary Gray and

our breakdance crew would say

"my homeboy directed Set It Off and Friday!!"

(for all the L.A. folks!)

in 84' Jesse still strengthenin' the hopes

while the Olympics were

up in the hood

the USA had the World on monsta kill

Jackie Joyner to Air Jordan to

Ed Moses to Holyfield

if I wanted to Fuck The Police

it was NWA

if I wanted to go Blackwards To The East

I X-Clanned with Funkin' Brotha J

Daddy Kane to Kwame

Biz Markie to Young MC to Moe Dee

we had that healthy balance and

like a two-parent household

hip-hop held both sides

and promptly "raised us" well

but today Daddy dashed

the young are dead-beaten

latchkeyed the seeds

and left us for naught headed to hell....... for no reason

Hip-Hop used to be one of my favorite things

Alphabet Kids and The Lockers

up in the jungle at 4040 Coco

"Pin Win" Shabba Doo and Slim

showin' up at the Soul Train getdown

with Glo-Baby Lisa Jones and Choisette

rockin' steady and readily throwin' down

the pool was always dirty

with fallen palm tree leaves

inside all the time

but with the lights underneath

it was cool enough to swim

the ice cream man sold more than

your typical ice cream (ya dig?)

and that truck jingle?

You better try Fatback or KC and The Sunshine Band

did I mention that ice cream man

would be on 4040 Coco

at 2:00 in the morning?

Shit……….

chili-cheese Fritos in the variety bag and

the little breakable plastic fork

eatin' everything in the book

that was man-made

BUT

first start off by asking…… "is this pork?"

that was one of my favorite things

celebrating my birthdays

at all the fast food joints

I knew Mama was a Don

'cause she would shut McDonald’s down

for her "li'l A.J."

or at Shakey's Pizza

where it would be MY party

but nothin' but grown folk in the way

"where the kids at?"

Moms would answer

"in front of the preposition "at"

to correct my grammar

she wanted me to speak perfectly

so if life led me downhill

I'd be the most eloquent con in the slammer!!

Mama correcting me was one of my favorite things……….

Mama……..

you don't how deep

the parent gig is

until you accept yours

the skill of her "makin' a deal" and

only showin' me the

prizewinning doors

was more brilliant of an art

than Sun Tzu's entries on war

she did fight

she DOES fight

still a general in

both hind and foresight and

havin' had a heavy bravehearted

hip-hop revolutionary

as your chief of staff

that's just as quick to kick your ass………..

but with Queen's prestige and

an aura of class

you could never be fulfilled in Love or Life

if there was any more a child could ask…………..

and for that YOU are one of my favorite things

the task………..

keep your life in order and

navigate triple versions of you

yet smaller and shorter…….

to be as well-placed

and as cool as I

home-school three jewels

plus bust beauty on the fly

is a gift I will forever glorify

so much love and

promise in these little packages

I protect them

cherish and study them

kiss and hug them

never forget to listen

pray now more than ever before and

give them what my Mother gave me

but then bless them

with the very vision

a strong man should be………

I don't worry

just stay still and know this here time

is the most meaningful and impactual

for the rest of their "mind"

those crazy behinds

are three of my most favorite things…………

and there are so many more moments to come

like Karen said, “ we've only just begun”

Thank You Coltrane,

Mr. Wone