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JuntuMae Productions & Expressions in Urban Literature
Writer
Progressive Elevation
Greetings! We are a small collective group of creative writers who specialize in poetry, short stories, journals, essays, editorials, songs, and screenplays. Our story began in the summer of 1979 and has experienced an amazing journey throughout the decades to share with the world. Currently, there is a webpage in the works to explore our gallery. We are anticipating to launch in summer 2019. We are still in the early stages of building and producing more content. Our goal is to inspire, encourage, uplift, challenge, entertain and hopefully provide knowledge for all to embrace. We’re very excited to be here as this is our first website. Most importantly, we’re here to promote progressive elevation. Peace and blessings to all. Thank you! - Juntu Ahjee
My Recent Articles
Poetry
VICTORIOUS
August 2019
VICTORIOUS
By Juntu Ahjee
Beneath the struggle of hope, lies an omen
Behind every great man, there’s a greater woman
No deed, good or bad, goes unchallenged
Turbulence is expected when life becomes unbalanced
Greatness awaits among many who are chosen
The world can be cold, but a warm heart is never frozen
A gesture of genuine kindness is shared by divinity
And goes a very long way beyond infinity
Whatever hurdles that deter the path of success
Those who stumble & fall will remain blessed
Winners are not decided on who has an award
Rather than how many times a faithful soul scored
Now, far be it from me to try to preach
I’ve been so far below the surface, choked on pride, without speech
It’s been foretold by the elders, with knowledge they teach
I am humbled with discernment, my purpose, still trying to reach
On the journey to fulfill your dreams
Always stay the course, despite how bleak things may seem
When your enemies began to smile, it will no longer be a mystery
In the end of tribulations, you will have the victory
©2019 all rights reserved
If I Only Knew
September 2019
If I Only Knew
By Juntu Ahjee
If I only knew what yesterday would bring
Listening to my favorite song, every day I sing
Forgetting the lyrics, I learned long ago
Each day that passes, time begins to show
If I only knew the meaning of empathy
Absorbing pain from those who face infamy
Love with evil intentions are unfriendly
Watching your family and keeping close to your enemies
If I only knew the difference between the truth and a lie
Embracing happiness wishing nobody ever dies
Staying grounded to the realities of change
Discernment of tomorrow may seem a little strange
If I only knew what was taught way back when
Before innocence was born into lifelong sin
No matter how woke, each path I take
A commandment of the righteous is surely to brake
If I only knew I would be blessed to see another day
Knowing the abundance of love would be here to stay
No regrets to what the future brings
The humility of man is the creation of kings
©2019 all rights reserved
Short Story
March 2019
PASSAGES (a survivor’s tale)
It’s the summer of July on the 3rd Friday, just half past midnight. A 16 year old girl nobody knows gives birth to a baby boy in a vacant lot behind an abandoned building. Its pouring rainfall with light hail continuously, but no one can her screams as she is all alone. After many hours of extreme hemorrhaging, heightened blood pressure and uncontrollable heart rate with no medical care, the young mother dies giving birth, but not before pushing her infant baby boy out of her womb by herself. Within a few minutes after the baby is born, a garbage truck arrives. The driver is picking up a load when he notices a hiss of a sound that went way beyond rain drops tumbling to the ground or the music in his earplugs. As the garbage man approaches a dumpster, looking down stepping into a flood of water and what appears to be mixed with an abundance of blood, he sees the deceased young mother as well as the infant looking up at him barely crying with hardly any oxygen. The garbage man frantically radios a nearby Am care for immediate assistance. He is shaken at what he witnesses after so many years on the job. With the rain storm slowly subsiding, it took a while for the Am Care to arrive. The garbage man with no absolutely no medical training was able to severe the mother’s umbilical cord and give the baby mouth to mouth resuscitation until Am Care arrived. After several days in ICU, the baby survived and the garbage man was held a hero by local authorities. It was later revealed that the young mother was a drug addict and had been raped by one of her relatives. Of course, this affected the baby’s growth process and afflicted him with certain deformities, which also affected his learning abilities. The hospital staff, who had been caring for him, gave him a name ‘BLESSIN’. In fact, the hospital staff would take turns on who would watch over Blessin, simply because he was such a problem child from birth and had no one to look after him. Then at 6 months old, the state determined Blessin should be under foster care. But no family would take him because of his differential challenges. So before age 1, Blessin was sent to a state home for special troubled kids. There he would reside for 10 years before being accepted to a family willing to take him in. It would soon reveal, however, that he would be faced with another opposition in his new adopted family, which that his foster parents were pedophiles. Blessin was definitely handicapped with the inability to read, write and count, but was extremely gifted to understand behavioral patterns of people and unquestionably know the difference between the truth and a lie. Not long after being at his new foster home, he would escape, but not before taking all of the rest of 9 foster kids with him. The other kids then asked, “Where are we supposed to go? What are we going to do? Nobody wants us Blessin, what are you doing?” Blessin replied with a shrewd and desperate look says, “If you don’t know where you came from or where you’re going then why would you wanna stay here? It’s best to keep going until you find out who you are.” Well, it didn’t take long for state authorities to catch those kids and put them back in that toxic social care system, but Blessin managed to get away. Only for a short lived time, as Blessin by being illiterate didn’t understand it was against the law to steal. And after numerous offences, Blessin, now at age 16 is sentenced to 20 years in state penitentiary. Blessin stole a candy bar from a local store, but that’s not what got him so much prison time, the public defender along with the judge and court staff knew this kid was illiterate and made him take a plea for another case to make room for open vacancies in the system. Blessin with no idea what was befallen upon him would spend 20 years behind bars for trying to feed himself. FADE TO BLACK FOR MINUTE! Seems like a very bleak and tragic ending to another sad story. Wrong! This was only the beginning of Blessin’s journey! During his 20 years of incarceration, he not only learned how to read, write, and count, Blessin also began to understand physics, learn about the definition of word play, study law, learn horticulture, mix sound with images and eventually earn a doctrine degree in developing a program for special needs children with learning disabilities. He became a martyr in discouraging youth from drugs and crime. Blessin also created a foundation for underage addicted mothers by reaching out to children locked up with him. Blessin also met his wife Glory, which oddly enough he would adopt her maiden name as his last name ‘Day’. Together they raised 3 beautiful children and over $70,000 to help dislocated children find safe homes. In under 15 yrs, Blessin was released from prison! But not as an ex-convict or a registered servant of the state, but a PHD of Lifecology! Blessin, is truly one of God’s golden blessings! True Story!
This story is simple. Be careful of who you treat because you never know of who you might meet!
Peace and blessings!
Written by Juntu Ahjee
©2019 all rights reserved
My Recent Articles
81st Street
1st place 2019 National Poetry Month Contest Winner for Nubianpoets.com
Poetry
January 2019
81st STREET
By Juntu Ahjee
On this block, resided men with mighty pride
In these households, stood strong women by their side
Connecting the gap, where all neighbors meet
Created an unbroken family on 81st street
A small piece of turf that was less than a mile
Where it truly took an entire village to raise a child
At a time when brothers and sisters, were sole to keep
Nothing came between us on 81st street
A house divided could not stand
The foundation that bonded on turbulent land
In a world of wars where ground is below six feet
A covenant of protection shielded over 81st street
The comradely we shared was unmatched by none
Earnest & genuine respect to the old from the young
Gestures of feeding love for all those to eat
Hunger could not prosper on 81st street
Reflecting back as an adult, upon a special time
Of all the treacherous places I’ve seen riddled with crime
I can only remember, winners learn how to beat
Playing with friends on 81st street
©2019 all rights reserved
Short Stories
June 2019
FOLLOWERS
(A parable about true courage)
It’s early mid-winter, very cold with anticipation of heavy snow. An adolescent teen named Caleb is outside playing with friends his father does not know. Caleb’s father calls to him, “come inside son, we have work to do’. Caleb waves goodbye to his friends and says “see ya at school”! To Caleb’s surprise and delight, his father gives him a brand new hunting knife. Caleb says, “Thanks Dad. Why after the holidays for such a nice gift?” His Dad replies, “Because tonight we are going on a hunting trip. You are going to experience manhood for the first time son; I’ll even let you carry your Grandpa’s gun”. Caleb smiles with sheer zeal as he wondered what they were hunting to kill. Caleb asks, “What are we hunting Dad? I know we’re 70 miles from dear country”. His Dad replies, “Don’t you worry son, just follow me”. Later that night, Caleb and his father arrive at the hunting site. Many miles away where there’s hardly no light, a group of other men arrive to participate, with trucks shining bright. Caleb asks, “Who are these guys Dad?” His father replies, “These are my friends, son, don’t look so sad. You’ll still get the first kill, I promise you that.” As the group moves across a clearing, through a frigid pond, into an abundance of cold woods, there was no dear in sight and beyond, which made Caleb feel good. Caleb never killed anything before, and was a little nervous being amongst veterans who were hardcore. Just as Caleb was at a brief sigh of relief, suddenly he noticed something that was beyond belief. He signals his Dad, “Look there’s someone over at a nearby tree.” His father grabs his binoculars and says, “Yep, that’s where he needed to be. Let’s go get him boys, follow me.” A sudden look of discernment and fear overcame Caleb, which was far from joy. As his father and the group of men rushed toward the tree, Caleb slowly walks behind and closely observes what he could not believe. An old Black man tied to that tree. Beaten, swollen and bruised from his head to his feet, so bad he could hardly see. Caleb is shaken with shock as his Dad and the other men began to throw rocks. They fire their guns in the air; Caleb is in a state of total despair. His father walks over to him and gives Caleb his Grandpa’s gun and says’ “Welcome to manhood son!” His father tells Caleb, with the most sinister fiendish look, “KILL HIM!” The situation was very grim and young Caleb’s nerves got extremely limp. The other men cheered him on while drinking 100 proof sauce, as Caleb began to feel the heat in the shadow of a burning cross. All Caleb could do was look at his father as his eyes began to well with tears and ask, “Why Dad? Why? Who are you? What are you? This is not right”. His father replies, “They’re not us son, they don’t look like us, they don’t act like us and they don’t belong here.” Caleb tearfully says, “Dad, didn’t you know my best friend is Black? We fish together on the weekends. We play basketball together. He saved me from drowning in a lake. We pricked our fingers as blood brothers. His blood is as red as mine. His parents take me to church on Sundays. His mother makes lemonade and cookies for us to eat while we fish. THIS MAN REMINDS ME OF HIS FATHER! WHY DAD? WHY?” Suddenly, stone silence sets in when the men stop cheering as Caleb defies his father wishes very soundly. His father angrily replies, “Now, you better listen to me Caleb, the Bible says ‘honor thy mother & thy father, for they days may be long on this earth’. These people are savages, sinners and complete scum. They have no place among us good Christian folks or any place under the sun. Don’t forget who you are and who brought you into this world. You wanted to hunt. Shoot that savage in the head. NOW! FILL HIM FULL OF LEAD!” Caleb takes the gun. He’s visibly shaken; terrified, scared, even wet his pants. He points the gun at the old man, who appears to be tired but absolutely fearless, stares into his eyes, then turns and looks at his Dad and crying says, “I know sin has no color, but I’m starting to wonder what color evil is.” Caleb drops the gun, pulls out his ‘new’ hunting knife, quickly runs over to the tree and cuts the old man free. Caleb and the old man are suddenly surrounded by angry drunken parasites with loaded guns and nowhere to run. Caleb’s father, with the coldest stare says, “You just committed the greatest sin against your own kind, you are not worthy to be any seed of mine.” Caleb stands in front of the broken and injured old man with only his ‘brand new’ knife, with a daring look says, “Jesus didn’t die alone and neither will I. All you tough guys with them guns. Scared of a 13 year old kid with just a knife and a beat up old man huh? If you kill him, they won’t come. But if you kill me, you ain’t got no place to run. How you gonna explain that Dad? CLEAR A PATH NOW!” Caleb’s father tells the men to lower their guns and let them pass. “It’s cold, they have no food, no water, and they’ll never last. That boy’s heart is too fragile and hallow, for my path for him is too treacherous to follow”. The old man touches Caleb on his shoulder and says, “Thank you”. Caleb takes the old man’s hand as the men begin to clear a path to allow them through. Caleb says to the old man, “Mister, please follow me and then run as fast as you can I’ll protect you Sir.” The old man then silently whispers to Caleb and says, “No Caleb, follow me on this path and I will guide you to the light from all this darkness and protect you for eternity.” As they cleared the path, in the midst of a doomed event, they both ran in different directions, almost impossible to see which way they went. The old man disappeared without a trace into the night. However, Caleb’s father could clearly see the glimmer from the ‘new’ hunting knife as his son ran away for dear life. One of the men shouted, “You really gonna let him get away with that?” But all Caleb’s father could do, as the cold fog of smoke remained in tact, was stand there in silence, watching his son run away from him and never look back.
The moral and message of this story is clearly simple. Racial bigotry and hatred is a learned behavior. It’s hereditary in the homes, schools, churches etc. To this date, there’s only one planet where humans exists but occasionally, angels pop in for a visit. Hate is a wasted emotion and life is way too short. Look into your heart, what remains unseen. This story took place in 2019.
Written by Juntu Ahjee
©2019 all rights reserved
Literary Essay
March 2015
Freedom of Speech: Watch What You Say
“Liberate the minds of men and ultimately you will liberate the bodies of men” (Marcus Garvey). Unanimously, the freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It could be considered the most important liberty we have as a union and a nation. Freedom of speech creates the ability to generate new ideas, give insight to different opinions, and allow expression of individual values. In contrast, this compulsive behavior of sovereignty has taken a double standard in our world. The sins and atrocities of the past still determine how society adjusts to change. We are now in a state of such political correctness that the liberty of free speech is becoming more non-existent.
It is a malicious falsehood to believe words are not powerful enough to influence impressionable minds. Even those with a privileged upbringing can be intrigued by persuasive language. Speaking your mind or giving your opinion is the only truth we posses as human beings. This is what differentiates us as individuals. Unfortunately, sometimes even in a free society, this abrasive behavior can make for an uncomfortable environment. History has surely taught us the power of words. “I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator” (Adolf Hitler).
Does intelligence breed ignorance? Can good intentions have evil consequences? Words take on an entirely divergent meaning when it's injected by one's personal opinion. Television, social media, talk radio (among many others) incorporate this function to subsidize their common agenda. It's all about popularity. The majority rules and an indigenous thought could lead to severe ridicule. In other words, if you go against the grain, you'll get thrown under a bus. The tragedy which occurred at Charlie Hebdo in Paris cost innocent lives over a play of words.
“Freedom of speech, however, is upheld by certain rules and laws in our society and governments. There will always be a minority who refuse to play by the rules. This reality means that merely having a public profile and expressing views on contentious issues can put one at risk” (Yousef Munayyer). There is a serious contradiction in the representation of free speech. An incident occurred recently at the University of Oklahoma where a fraternity made derogatory racial chants in a song. This, of course, was met with swift punishment. Does the punishment fit the crime? Would this incident have gained as much attention if it had not been video taped? Were those students exercising their right to free speech? The growing consensus is that if African-Americans can call themselves the 'N' word, then why can't others use that term. It has been perpetuated through rap music for years, and many Caucasians see a justification. Words only have power if they have meaning behind them. Analytically speaking, America has always been extremely biased and hypocritical in race relations. These same so-called liberals who scrutinize every single racial epithet which goes viral, makes one wonder what truths are being expressed privately. Many believe that racism is non-existent since the election of President Barack Obama. On the contrary, it's more prevalent than it was 50 years ago. Not acknowledging that racism is still a deadly cancer in this country, is just as much racist as those who preach it. Furthermore, making people disappear for speaking their mind is not solving the problem. It's merely putting a bandage over an open wound until it bleeds again.
In today's society, free speech is delegated soley by popularity. Political leaders have adopted this theory for years. However, some subjects are still taboo, such as gay marriage, legal marijuana, and abortion. Who determines what you can say and what you shouldn't say? “When it emerged in 2006 that AT&T, Bell-South and Verizon may have broken U.S. laws by aiding the National Security Agency in possible illegal wiretapping of its customers, Congressional representatives called for an FCC investigation into whether or not those companies broke the law. The FCC declined to investigate, however, claiming that it could not investigate due to the classified nature of the program– a move that provoked the criticism of members of Congress” (Wikipedia). Regardless of personal opinions, religious beliefs or political preference, free speech only pertains to what the majority wants to hear. By design, free speech was the gateway to an open democracy, now it's just an allusion to censorship. People are afraid to be themselves because of the backlash or dislikes that will follow on their social media page. There was a time when being opinionated was noble. Significant change began to increase when one took a stand. This is what describes true democracy; the ability to agree to disagree.
The internet has created a platform for society to express freedom of speech. How far have we evolved as a country? In close observation, by various blogs and/or comments on a multitude of sites, an astounding number of people are massively divided. Honesty, it's a feeling of being rejected backwards towards segregation. “With the increase of smart-phones in recent years many have all griped about the narcissism of people who spend all their time on social networks, text messaging at a dinner table or taking photos of the food they eat. There is talk about how social networks and new devices like the Google Glass visor have diluted privacy, to the point that Google published do’s and don’ts for using the visor as guidelines on how not to be “creepy or rude (aka, a ‘Glasshole’)” (Tom Risen).
Ultimately, words can build and destroy nations. A provocative opinion or ingenious idea can mold generations. Freedom of speech is what chronicles America. Occasionally,
society will face opposition on many issues. The defining moments when people can come together for a righteous purpose is humanity. Whatever position an individual represents relies on their choice of words. Right or wrong, words are what tell the mindset from children to adults. What is the comparison between extremists and fanatics? Upholding the rhetoric of madness a brilliant mind incorporated with the stroke of a pen. What do the Klu Klux Klan and the Black Panthers have in common? They both want to sustain the constitutional right to express their cause among those who reject them. Speak now or forever hold your peace
My Recent Articles
Latest Work
Short Story
February 2019
TRESPASSERS (an allegory about truth)
It was the last day of school and one week before the summer, a young African-American fifth grader named Jasmine (Jazzy) receives her report card. Jazzy had problems with math but worked very diligently to get a passing grade. To her surprise she received all A’s. Jazzy’s teacher even rewarded her a certificate for outstanding student of the year. All of her classmates applauded and congratulated her achievement. Jazzy stood proudly full of smiles, as this was a first reward for her. At age 10, she found a new beginning, because for the first 9 years of her life were very challenging. Jazzy was born with dyslexia and had a slight speech impediment. But last year was the worst, as Jazzy’s father passed away in tragic car accident. Not to mention her mother was suddenly hit with a tremendous amount of debt and expenses. However, Jazzy’s spirit remained resilient as she never once allowed none of those terrible obstacles, for such a young age, to get her down. On this particular day, she had more bounce than ten thousand basketballs! Jazzy along with some friends walk back to their neighborhood from school only ten blocks away. There is some gang activity and a fight breaks out, but Jazzy is on cloud 9 and pays it no mine. She goes home to her Mom and waves goodbye to her friends, runs in and embraces her Mom, then shares the great news about her report card. Jazzy’s Mom smiles with sheer joy and tells Jazzy we are going to celebrate this one and says “I’m very proud of you baby and I know your Dad would be too if he were here.” Jazzy looks at her Mom while eating sunflower seeds and causally says, “I know Mom, but he’s here in spirit”. Jazzy’s Mom then says, “Well boo boo, don’t stay up too late. We are going to visit your Grandma in the morning since school is out.” Jazzy then says, “Ok Mom!” Later that night, Jazzy’s Mom is awakened by a very loud noise. As she looks out her bedroom window at what appears to be a fight between gang members in her front yard. She then becomes extremely concerned as she noticed one of them with a gun. Jazzy’s Mom, then calls 911 as she reaches for her own gun in fear and protection of Jazzy. Suddenly, as quick as a finger snap, her house was hit with a barrage of bullets, ripping through the sheetrock of walls, destroying furniture and shattering glass. Jazzy’s Mom was hit 4 times, once in the shoulder and once in the back. But she couldn’t feel a thing as she ran vigorously to her daughter’s room to shield her from the bullets coming in, as she was also hit in her leg and chest. When the gunfire stopped, Jazzy’s Mom forcibly kicked down her daughter’s bedroom door. She stood petrified in disbelief and says, “No, no this is a dream, I’m not awake right now, I’m just not awake right now. My baby is alright! My baby is alright! She’s okay! I’m dreaming! Please Lord Jesus, tell me I’m dreaming! TELL ME LORD! NO! NO! NO! OH NO, no, no, no no! Jazzy’s Mom reaches down and cradles Jazzy, who was hit in the back of her head by a stray bullet and died instantly. Jazzy’s Mom, who was very badly wounded herself, could not feel a thing as she profusely bled and wept holding Jazzy’s lifeless body in her arms. As the smoke began to clear and the dust started to settle, it was revealed that, in fact, it was the police that mistakenly shot into the wrong house trying to apprehend the gang members. And after months of extensive investigations by state authorities, the police officers were not charged with the death of Jazzy or the endangerment of her mother. Also, those gang members still roam Jazzy’s neighborhood to this day. Jazzy’s Mom, however, did recover from her wounds and after months in ICU, she was released. She currently resides with Jazzy’s Grandma. Jazzy’s Grandma asks, “Baby, everything is gonna be fine, but are you okay?” Jazzy’s Mom responds by saying, “Oh yes Granny! Jazzy paid me a visit while I was in the hospital which is what kept me alive. She said, ‘don’t worry Mama, it didn’t hurt at all, didn’t feel a thing. I slept sound as a rock all the way through. Oh yeah, Dad says hello and we’re doing fine. Great to see Daddy again! Don’t worry about us. We will catch up with you later. I love you!”
This story is dedicated to all who lost a child or a loved one because of senseless police and/or gang violence. This happens far too often in our neighborhoods, and our children are suffering because of it. Our children deserve a right to live abundantly. Jazzy could have easily been the next doctor, scientist, teacher, businesswoman or have a cure for cancer. To take the life of a child is destroying the future. Peace & blessings!
Written by Juntu Ahjee
©2019 all rights reserved
Literary Essay
October 2015
Guilty Until Proven Innocent: An Exoneration of Freedom
by Juntu Ahjee
“For as the blood of Christ had been shed on this earth, and had ascended to heaven for the salvation of sinners, and was now returning to earth again in the form of dew and as the leaves on the trees bore the impression of the figures I had seen in the heavens, it was plain to me that the Savior was about to lay down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and the great day of judgment was at hand” (Nat Turner).
A disturbing and horrific truth exist in the American justice system, or lack of justice. Many are eluded to believe that the criminal justice system solely consist of people convicted of felony offenses. This couldn't be more far from the truth. In fact, an alarming rate of innocent civilians are incarcerated as those who have committed crimes against society. Statistically, we will never know for sure, but the few studies that have been done estimate that between 2.3% and 5% of all prisoners in the U.S. are innocent (for context, if just 1% of all prisoners are innocent, that would mean that more than 20,000 innocent people are in prison). This is an unacceptable and gross injustice to all citizens. In colossal proportions, it devastates people of color in minority communities. It brings to question in ones mind, if in fact; is it generational genocide by design?
Try to imagine preparing to start your day for work, embracing your family, sending your children away to school, and on the way to work you are ceased by the police to pull over, only to become the case of a mistaken identity. Make no mistake; this can happen to you! The criminal justice system has failed on every level imaginable. We are now in such a deranged state of capitalism to where power and control supersede growth and wealth. Greed has saturated the economy of good & evil, in default very few invest in morals nor acknowledge right & wrong. Justice is bankrupt as long as corrupt souls write bogus checks. The mutual benefits from a free society bloom from fair negotiations.
Is wrong the new right & right the new wrong? The world consistently breaks brand new ground without warning. The monopoly of life will relish in deceptive behavior. Will mankind adapt to the teachings of the youth or adapt to the sins of the elders? The grim reality of being persecuted in a savage penal system is invidious, if you're innocent it's a nightmare.
Kwame Ajamu was just 17 in 1975 when he was convicted of murder in the killing of a Cleveland money-order salesman. On Tuesday, Ajamu, now 57 and out on parole since 2003, wept after a judge cleared all charges against him. A witness recanted his testimony after it was revealed that police intimidation was a key factor in bringing a conviction. This young man served 27 years of his life in prison based on a lie. People who were found to be wrongfully imprisoned can receive more than $40,000 for each year they were imprisoned per Ohio state law. Can you really put a price tag on a human life? The prison industrial system more than quadrupled that amount each month from inmate labor.
Between 2000 and 2010 the number of inmates serving sentences in private prisons doubled. Today, the $5 billion industry houses close to 20 percent of federal prisoners and about 7 percent of state prisoners, and private prisons are increasingly being used as immigration detention centers.
A prison population of up to 2 million – mostly Black and Hispanic – are working for various industries for a pittance. For the tycoons who have invested in the prison industry, it has been like finding a pot of gold. They don’t have to worry about strikes or paying unemployment insurance, vacations or comp time. All of their workers are full-time, and never arrive late or are absent because of family problems; moreover, if they don’t like the pay of 25 cents an hour and refuse to work, they are locked up in isolation cells. Corporate stockholders who make money off prisoners’ work lobby for longer sentences, in order to expand their workforce. The prison industry complex is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States and its investors are on Wall Street. This multibillion-dollar industry has its own trade exhibitions, conventions, websites, and mail-order/Internet catalogs. It also has direct advertising campaigns, architecture companies, construction companies, investment houses on Wall Street, plumbing supply companies, food supply companies, armed security, and padded cells in a large variety of colors.
In order to continue this thriving slave trade, requires people at any cost, regardless of innocence or guilt. Anthony Ray Hinton is an Alabama man who was on death row for the murders he was accused of, against two restaurant managers, John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vasona in Birmingham, Alabama on February 25 and July 2, 1985. He remained on death row for nearly 30 years, often in solitary confinement. The Jefferson County district attorney’s office on Wednesday April 1, 2015 moved to drop the case after their forensics experts were unable to match crime-scene bullets to the gun. Prosecutors admitted they could not match bullets found at the crime scene with Hinton's gun (the only evidence in the original trial). On April 3, 2015, Hinton was released from the prison after Laura Petro, Jefferson County Circuit judge, overturned his conviction and all charges were dropped against him. Hinton's representation was provided by the Equal Justice Initiative. He is the 152nd person exonerated from death row in the United States since 1973 and the sixth in the state of Alabama. This is a merciless reality; this is a fact of life in the American judicial system.
It brings a provocative question to one's mind, which is, what repercussions happen to those who are trusted to make valued decisions over peoples lives? Do the rules still apply to those who willfully abuse power and authority in the name of justice and righteousness? If we as citizens want to alleviate the problem of civil unbalance then we must first confront the cancer of racism, destroy the hunger for greed, and hold those accountable who forsake our freedom and liberty for profitable gain. When the tables are turned around, only then we will begin to see equal justice. An analogy to a ship facing a great tidal wave swarming on both ends without no sign of land. How resilient do poor people conquer unbelievable circumstances at impossible odds? Why does absolute privilege determine who wins or who loses?
One thing is unquestionable; we will all face judgment one day. In this life or the next, each of us will be held responsible for our individual actions. The probability of karma exists as certain as the law of gravity. We can no longer turn a blind eye to this evil travesty which is affecting our children as well as the families of their children. Growing paranoia of immigration laws, past atrocities from different minority groups, fear from personal prejudice has this country divided at an unprecedented level. Isolation and consolidation is the only solution to those who masquerade the truth about who they are. It's what people know about themselves which makes them afraid, not crime. Righteousness is a fallen branch from a broken tree shattered into millions of splinters. Justice has been compromised into a commodity for wealthy lawless political parasites who drain away the endurance of honest, hard working law abiding brothers and sisters. One should think for a moment about so many who have lost their lives, being separated away from their families, the despair, the anger, the tears, the pain, the danger, the fear and victory against those who try to oppress us. Time is something you can never get back, but death is imminent.
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the entire world, then lose his soul” (Matthew 16:26)
My Recent Articles
Poetry
A Soldier’s Son
by Juntu Ahjee
in the battlefield of love and anger
a soldier's son never cries
in the midst of pain, despair & danger
a soldier's spirit never dies
a broken man who bonds with mighty pride
finds reassurance from family ties
the strength he shows through endurance to guide
only resonates from those who survived
a soldier never leaves a man behind
in the combat of good and evil, many were left
a soldier's prayers were never declined
because Jesus wept in hope that faith be kept
a soldier can fight for right and wrong
misunderstood by many, misjudged by some
a prophet's story was told in lyrics of the same song
in a war of souls, a man walks alone & trust no one
life is a promise, death is a reality
but a soldier's son can never cry
only God represents immortality
because a soldier's spirit never dies
©2015 all copyrights reserved
Poetry
March 2019
DISCOVERIES
By Juntu Ahjee
It was foretold in the past
God watches over babies and fools
Faith is a remedy to pain, to heal a bleeding soul fast
For a wounded heart vulnerable, in a world that’s cruel
Those who don’t know, don’t worry
Misunderstood by the chaos surrounding them
A blind look in the mirror where the future seems blurry
Ignorance is perishable among the brilliance we condemn
Insanity is adaptable to a crazy world
Who has enough sense to face reality?
Without the benefit of a doubt while living in peril
Facing the consequence of uncommon duality
What is normal in a toxic, corrosive society?
An opinionated mindset is objectionable
Who elected to be born without anxiety?
Ye who stands alone is what makes you exceptional
What is ordinary to some, depends on how it’s defined
Many perpetuate nefarious ideology as means of control
Who you are determines the direction of your mind
Enduring the complexities of what makes a person whole
©2019 all rights reserved
Dedicated to those suffering from mental illness, emotional deficiencies or just misunderstood.
You are not alone! Peace and blessings!
Poetry
February 2019
MORAL GENOCIDE
By Juntu Ahjee
Since the existence of time, to which nothing waits
A soul is a vessel inhabiting life beginning to the end
All rebuttals will be resolved at the gate
By default, we’re born into sin
In apocalyptic days that we face
There are no reparations for a superior race
The only ramifications are the choices that you make
The prince of darkness never shares, only takes
It’s imperative to remember, to be mindful of the wicked
Enemies, family & friends; those we love we also hate
It’s reciprocal when the laws of karma come to pay a visit
Joy and pain of life and death does not discriminate
Even with 40 acres and a mule with the power to spend a trillion
There’s still no escape from gentrification of good and evil
Not building and sacrificing the economics for our children
Immobilizing the destruction of our own people
I was told we’re living in the days of revelations
We can not eradicate the future of the unknown
A warning to those who fear eternal damnation
Be very careful of the stones that have been thrown
©2019 all rights reserve
Poetry
August 2019
Through the Eyes of an Angel
By Juntu Ahjee
In this life, pain is birth
Born into a world made of water & dirt
Awakened from confusion, not knowing her worth
In the eyes of an angel, she is the most precious jewel on earth
She screams tears of joy, not that of sorrow
In hopes of what love will bring tomorrow
Don’t fret little one, things around you may become very hallow
I am your angel, you have all my love and will never have to barrow
She wonders, ‘why so much despair and anger?’
‘All I wanted to do was play with toys, maybe grow up to be a singer’
Sometimes family can bring harm to you worse than any stranger
Fear not, I am your angel, I will protect you from all danger
She then asks, ‘God, why does love hurt so much?’
‘Why I am afraid at the slightest touch?’
She became a rock totally invisible to crack or bust
In the eyes of a child, how do you know who to trust?
In the end, she no longer cries or asks questions
Her demonic enemies cannot hide full confessions
Fear not baby girl, I am your angel, no need to keep guessing
I will forever keep you away from evil with eternal blessings
©2019 all rights reserved
This poem is dedicated to Maleah Davis and any/all children who are victims of abuse. Regardless of race, color, religion, class or whatever, this is one of the most extremely disturbing vile stories I’ve ever heard, and I’m deeply wounded by it. No child deserves this! It’s unacceptable! The kids are the future folks, we must protect them at all cost. Whatever it takes. Peace & blessings. Juntu
The Legend of Sister Hattie Harris
July 31, 2019
This is a rare opportunity and a privilege to tell the story of an incredibly strong African-American woman, who was not only a powerful force of nature with her family and those she touched in her path but also a major game changer throughout the course of history.
Life Is a Story: Embrace Every Chapter
Why put off today, what you should have done yesterday knowing tomorrow ain't promised.
Grover Gutter Sr.
Senior Writer
One of the greatest perks of my job is getting feedback and interacting with readers. Contact me if you’ve got any comments or questions for me, I’d love to hear from you.
405-510-7141
