Give Me the Red On the Black of the Bullet by Jayne Cortez (Sallie Jayne Richardson)

(For Claude Reece Jr.*)

Bring back the life
of Claude Reece Jr.

I want the bullet from his chest
to make a Benin bronze
to make an explosion of thunder
to make a cyclone

I want the 14 years of Claude Reece Jr.
shot on the 15th day of september
shot in the back of his head
shot by a police officer
shot for being black

Give me the black on the red of the bullet
i want to make a tornado
to make an earthquake
to make a fleet of stilts
for the blackness of Claude Reece Jr.
the blackness called dangerous weapon
called resisting arrest
called nigger threat

I want the life of the blackness of Claude Reece Jr.
i want the bullet from his chest
yo make a protective staff for startled children
to make hooks and studs
for warrior masks

Give me the bullet with the odor
and the smoke and the skin and
the hair of Claude Reece Jr.
i want to make power
to make power
for the blackness of Claude Reece Jr.
the blackness called pent-up frustration
called unidentified negro
called nigger revolutionary

I want the life of the blackness of Claude Reece Jr.
i want the bullet from his chest
to make a protective staff for startled children
to make a Benin bronze
to make an explosion of thunder
to make a cyclone
i want the bullet to bring back the blood
of Claude Reece Jr.
i want to make justice

I want to make justice for
the blackness of Claude Reece Jr.
bring back the bullet with the blood of the blackness
of Claude Reece Jr.
i want to make justice
i want to make justice for the blackness of Claude Reece Jr.

*Claude Reese Junior, aged 14 years, was shot in the head by police officer Frank Bosco in Brooklyn, New York, on 15 September 1974.

From: Cortez, Jayne, “Give Me the Red on the Black of the Bullet” in To Our Comrads Inside New Year’s Book 1987 from the Real Dragon Project, 1987, p. [unnumbered].
(http://freedomarchives.org/Documents/Finder/DOC28_scans/28.real.dragon.project.1987.pdf)

Date: 1977

By: Jayne Cortez (Sallie Jayne Richardson) (1934-2012)

Tags: 1977, bring back the life, give me the red on the black of the bullet, jayne cortez, poetry, sallie jayne richardson