Wake up call – Lockdown

Does it take the loss of human lives like hundreds of prisoners being burnt up in a Honduras prison for the human rights organisations to wake up? Does it take another Rwanda that took over a million lives? Does it take prisoners being shot dead in masses or one having a plunger stuck up his anus by wayward cops?

It is amazing how flagrant discrimination continues on C-yard at New Folsom against black prisoners and no human rights groups have stepped up. Black prisoners are being denied programs that whites, browns and others are allowed based not on anything black prisoners have done. This is Black History Month, where are the black historians? Where are Amnesty International, ACLU, NAACP, FBI or Federal government to stop this unequal treatment of prisoners based on color of skin.

Back in December 2011 they said there was a race riot, so if that is true, why only black people are locked down? All other races have normal prison programs, and that is all I ask for of this inhumane prison system, equal treatment of prisoners and of people in general.

On the day of the incident most blacks were already confined to cells or at work. There was but a handful of black prisoners on the yard that day. So why are all blacks locked down?

Someone needs to step up and speak up and look into this Jim Crow treatment. Black folks in prison are still being hung from trees.

Happy Birthday

A shout out to Peace G's everywhere and to all my realness people of love and forgiveness. Please send your realness vibes and thoughts in to me. Happy Birthday February 21, a special shout out to my brilliant acting buddy, happy birthday and continuation day to you! I am with you and thinking of you. You are a blessing to Mother Earth and everyone and all Peace G's. Your smile bring light to us all. Stay real forever glowing and growing. One love, One world. 
From the African Swede Spoon.

Peaceful waters

Looking out of the thin thick plastic window where the rain has washed away the paint the prison put on the window so that we can't see outside. Thanks to Mother Earth and her tear drops of happiness and sadness. I can see two geese lying under some high thick piping, just chillin' and enjoying the morning. I wonder do they know how they free my spirit this moment? They free me to soar away from this Jim Crow lockdown. They passed out a memo and the prison is determined to get rid of all the geese this year. They are my peaceful waters inside.

My Reality

As a teaching artist, as a human being, I would be lying if I did not say I would love to travel the world, to depart to unknown places to infuse my work and to share my art. There are a host of warm hearts in Sweden and France I would treasure meeting. 

But I am an artist confined physically by concrete, steel and electric wires for 35 years. Sometimes teaching artists must stay put by choice or circumstance, yet their hearts, minds and spirits must still travel. Somewhere I read you don’t have to travel the world to know the hearts of man. These days I am not even able to travel past the bars of my own cell.

An officer told me today that a pair of geese came up to the art room fence, honking for me this morning, as loud as fog horns – their voices echoing throughout the corridor. But I will not be there today, at least not physically, because we are on lock-down for I do not know how long. 

There was a riot yesterday(*), on the big yard, between some black and brown prisoners. I will not be allowed out of the cage to run my classes... Read the whole essay at Alt/Space


(* the riot referred to is the one in November 2011)

Lockdown update

New Folsom C-facility still have black prisoners on total lockdown during Black History month. This is a Jim Crow lockdown. No other race here is on lockdown, although prison official boast of a race riot that happened last year. The prison officials, like after slavery was abolished in the south, have made an evil unjustified way of locking only black prisoners down and say it was because of a race riot. When in reality the majority of blacks on C-yard were in their cells or at work. The few that were on the yard were victims of a hate crime that the administration knew would happen. They are able to distinguish one group or gang from another inside the white or brown races but supposedly are dumbfounded when it comes to black prisoners. This side of C-facility did not even have programs that day of the incident.

So it's over two months now that only black prisoners are denied basic prisoners programs that other races have. The prison don't seem to care or have any plans to fix the problem. Please send your blessings realness people. I send mine to you!

At Night I Fly - Thank you

Congratulations to my Swedish brother Michel and all the folks involved in creating the realness documentary on Arts In Corrections! The film just won the The Guldbagge Award, the “Swedish Oscar” for best documentary. I am honored to be a part of it and to have the film named after my poem “At Night I Fly”.

Thank you for showing our realness around the world, while USA is stuck on hating and non forgiving. Thank you for beleivng in me Sweden! Stay real!

At Night I Fly 

I go where the wind hides
When it's not blowing.

I watch the clouds gobble
Up the moon.
I see my thoughts, my feelings,
My love crash
Like seas on ships.

I stand on top of swords and spears.
Iwalk up on endless staircases and mountains
On the tips of giant nails
Drinking spirits out of huge goblets.

My heart pounds against no chest.
I know not what to tell it
Crowded in solitudes.
Too many souls alone to be
One body.

The moon's a defaced minted silver dollar.
It sleeps alone in its own universe.
No longer a star.

Today I died.
I died yesterday and tomorrow.
At night I fly.

© Spoon Jackson

Buy Spoon's poetry book Longer Ago at lulu.com

Nothing Human

We big banged our love into the world.

He belongs to a community of darkness,

where robbers, liars, cheats, assaulters,

war mongers, politicians, bomb makers, business men,

preachers, pimps and stock market chasers,

way layers of hearts and souls,

dream killers of the spirit.

He belongs to the same community you belong to

where you shade your one foot in darkness.

A community of realness

where all the people walk

in their own shoes

and come together in love

peace and sharing regardless of sex, color,

gay, straight or criminal.

Seeing all peole as one people

A blessing to Mother Earth

My community believes

in freedom, hope

and forgiveness.

I belong to a community

of readers,

of scolars, a community

of healers

activists, artists and thinkers,

dreamers and lovers.

A community of the broken hearted

a community of humans

a community of knowers

that nothing human is alien to anyone.

© Spoon Jackson

Lockdown 2012 - Medical

Lockdown, Jim Crow lockdown continues, at New Folsom where only black prisoners are on total lockdown.Still no end in sight. Now the prison medical has taken me off diabetic treatment in the mornings. I don't know why, they just stopped handcuffing me and taking me out of the cell for treatment.

I have not seen any doctor to have my treatment altered. But, the Federal government have left the California state Medical prison system, so treatment of prisoners health has begun to revert backwards.

No matter, I drink a lot of water and eat sparingly. I'll keep reading and writing glowing and growing. Blessings to all realness people. Peace and one love! We are love!

(written on February 1st)