Light and Water Married to Make a Rainbow

 

 

Light and water married to make a rainbow, and

All the children of the world were born.

 

Prismatically from our multi-colored species,

From light and darkness cast upon the world,

Scattered unto the earth’s four corners

Each frequency to its own destiny was hurled.

 

Alas our time lacks the certain knowledge of

Its polychromatic birth;  In hues of rage

Resounding cries in choruses pour forth,

A testament to the ignorance of the age.

 

Despotism, nationalism, greed and tyranny,

All infirmities of our modern time

Create the cacophony of hatred

Which afflicts the body politic and mind.

 

As surely as Christ’s message was of peace,

Humanity must see past the color bar,

For when we look far enough in the distance,

We are our  own image from afar.

 

The truth is simple: this is one big planet

Encompassing all races, ethnic groups, and nations,

Our choice is: hell wrought from bigoty and pride,

Or heaven built on tolerance and patience. 

 

Somewhere Isabelle Davenport is smiling.  Isabelle was a second mother to my family, a big, soulful, warm hearted woman who understood the plight of the African American, who would feel what I saw last night at Everett and Jones, a BBQ place in Oakland near my office at Jack London Square.  Isabelle was a great woman.

I wandered up to Everett and Jones after work yesterday, arriving about 6:30 pm, as the earliest returns came in from the East Coast.  The place was packed, all three large rooms, holding hundreds of Oakland residents of all types, but especially African-Americans.  The owner, Dorothy King, is a very bright business woman who puts on the Oakland Blues Festival, and is one of seven sisters, each of whom runs one of the family’s restaurants, selling BBQ with their own special sauce.

 

I found a convenient spot leaning against one of Dorothy’s couches (she uses unique furniture so the place looks like a very friendly old house), next to a large woman with short white curly hair, and watched the returns come in.  I had conversations with many African American men, and what I had hoped for was coming to pass, let’s call it the Obama effect.  We had become brothers, there was an air of forgiveness, and congratulations as we waited with anticipation for the results.

The score slowly mounted as Obama’s total surpassed 200.  270 needed to win.  Here comes Florida, here comes Virgina, Ohio, Pennsylvania.  We could add and it was clear that all Obama needed was the West Coast, and we all knew that he had California.

We waited for the 8:00 polls to close on the West Coast, and as we waited we all knew what was coming, but still it was mythical until it arrived.  Dorothy had TV monitors all through the restaurant, the lounges, and a big screen set up in the back room where I was leaning against a couch, having bought a glass of chardonnay for the white haired woman, and a Mountain Dew for Myself (I gave up drinking after a Native American Church ceremony on the eve of New Year’s, 2000, but that’s another story), all tuned to CNN.  Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper were bringing us the blow by blow description.  

8 pm came, and suddenly across the tv screens ran the words, ” Breaking news: Obama elected President!” The restaurant exploded with howls, screams, cheers, applause, and such a beautiful cacophony of voices and hands has never been heard before.  It was as if an energy was being released of agony, disenfranchisement, and suffering giving way to freedom and inclusion such that you would have thought they had torn down the Berlin Wall, and in a sense they had.

The rest of the evening was chaos.  The party moved out into the street where Dorothy had set up grills and BBQ – ribs, links, and chicken – were being sold for $5 a plate.  A band was performing and everyone was dancing in the street.  It was like the end of WW2.  Hugs and handshakes were everywhere.

The party shut down around 11:30 pm.  I had tried to call a few people but it was impossible to hear their responses, even with the head set on.  I got home around midnight and went to sleep.   Photos by iphone