Darius Simpson – The Role of the Artist

Curated By Ralph

"The Road Not Taken" is a source of inspiration for me, because it encourages me to seize opportunities and chart my own course in life.

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The black artists role in America Is to Aid in the destruction of America As he knows it Amiri Baraka Tell My Mama I'm up Before 9am Plotting Escape From The Empire again Throwing rocks at a man-made apocalypse Gathering firewood for the Pentagon Practicing my slingshot stance Trying to play dominoes with giants Trying to topple puppet governments I am Two decades late for therapy Third generation off the plantation got A bad habit of maroon conspiracies got An attraction to new African Landscapes I got a mean two-step for the after Party Tell the law nothing of substance Tell the people everything you can Tell no lies cause it's raining Pig Tongues claim no easy way out cause back Doors break too you know it's a whole Lot of textbook revolutionaries it's a Whole lot of part-time Freedom Fighters Making full-time money off surviving the 60s my father pleaded with me to keep my Head down I keep that in mind behind sandbag Barricades my poems don't mean if You don't see me Outside Outside is calling for a different kind

Of artist One who knows the importance of food Programs one who knows the importance of Spare mags one who don't back down from Defense one who knows there is a time For canvas and a time to make political Art out of a jawline

Hey... I'm Jasper!

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