The Real National Anthem

Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom…
Gotta shoot you right down
Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom…
No matter what town

Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom…
Yet another ‘good shoot’
Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom…
Lynching at the root

Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom…
No need for a trial
Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom…
Done plantation-style

Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom…
Big or tiny town
Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom…
Shut the Mutha Down!

• Author’s Note:  Props to the Great John Lee Hooker

Former forklift driver/warehouse worker/janitor, Raymond Nat Turner is a NYC poet; BAR's Poet-in-Residence; and founder/co-leader of the jazz-poetry ensemble UpSurge!NYC. Read other articles by Raymond Nat, or visit Raymond Nat's website.