while i was home i went to my fathers grave
(always deep to see my name on a gravestone)
thought about my father and how little i knew him
a crusty oldschool general practitioner with an abiding sense
of responsibility for the health of colored memphis
once heard somebody say something about him thats
stuck with me all these years
"half the kids on the south side still belong to dr flowers
because they havent been paid for"
i love that line and use it every chance i get
it says so much about my father
and who i aspire to be
he never tried to get me to follow in his footsteps
it became clear very early that me and blood and guts
dont get along (been a vegetarian since i was 13 and saw
a pig getting slaughtered)
but i do feel that i have walked in his footsteps by
becoming a spiritdoctor
and while i was home i realized once again how much
of a sense of responsibility for the health of the
colored folk of memphis i feel
a sense of responsibility that he passed on to me
he took care of their bodies, i take care of their souls
which means encouraging that which strengthens their souls
discouraging that which does not
hustle and flow, this new pimping movie, is not soulcare
memphis has a dual personality, spiritwork and big pimping
this movie reflects and encourages that big pimping attitude and
whiteamericas fascination with black pathology
im not surprised that it was written and directed by some whiteguy
who obviously exalts that lifestyle, like the whitekids (and black) who think
gangster rappers are the only authentic blackness
when i was home, a old friend of mine, janice fullylove, a radio personality there
was bewailing what it does to our image and 'all the hard work weve done'
and its kinda discouraging to those of us trying to keep the faith
when i go to speak to my father, the greatest and wisest of men
it generally consist of me apologizing for my inadequacies
but in this case i told him little doc (thats what folk called me as a kid)
was keeping the faith, he told me long ago, bullshit tends to rise to the top
the realwork travels underground
and folk that know, know this little blackploitation fantasy is not memphis
folk down in memphis serious about our spiritwork
there is a vision coming out of memphis and it aint no big pimping
im memphis we practice a hoodoo like nowhere else in the world
hoodoo as guide and guardian of human destiny
and while i was there i met with some of the young hoodoo talent there
working on some spells that are likely to change the world
destiny players, putting the destiny of the human race in the palm of our hands
there is this great line in gayle jones the healing
"there must be more true believers in memphis than anywhere
cause it seems like yous always healing folks in memphis"
now thats what im talking about
i was going to in this post comment on haiti, the sudan, bush
and osama and the israeli wall, aids, poverty and innocent
dead brazilians but sometimes it just feels so useless
sometimes i get discouraged, my little voice railing against the
pain and suffering in the world, trying to do my little bit to
ameliorate the human condition
to heal the sick, the deaf, dumb and the blind
to awaken the sleeper, protect the weak and guide the strong
doctor flowers boy trying to be the best spiritdoctor i can be
trying to take care of the whole world, like my daddy once
took care of memphis
be well
arf
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