This week's Poet of the People is Moses Oaktree. I met Moses several years ago in Augusta, GA, when he was the manager of the Book Tavern Bookstore and a staple of the local poetry scene. Pre-COVID he would sometimes make an appearance at Mind Gravy. After COVID he moved to the Midlands and exploded on the scene. He is (in my humble opinion) the best spoken word poet in the area. He owns the stage and his work stands up well on the printed page. He is a top draw in the region and I fully expect him to become a force throughout the Southeast on his way to a national reputation.
- Al Black
Moses Oaktree is an artist, storyteller, and co-founder of Charleston, SC’s UnSpoken Word Open Mic. Mosely has performed his signature features across the United States, especially for his homes of New Orleans, Atlanta, Columbia, and Charleston. His style melds southern lyricism, historical intrigue, and a surrealist take on the African/African-American tradition to create a contemporary black American myth. He is currently working on his first book of poetry, “Heaven Be A Black Land”.
Just. Like. You.
Met someone who looked Just
Like You Today.
Honestly, it was uncanny. Your curves;
Your style--
God knows I missed your smile. She was a song
I’d once known well.
I reached for her hand out of reflex. A habit in death throes;
Memories of you echo Through places in me That have no name.
Why do you remain?
Your smile could lift the waves.
I stopped myself just as I felt
the warmth of her body. Goosebumps;
Hot needles in my skin turn to ice. Shudders;
She walked way in the moments tween my
Stutters.
I am reminded
Your smile was paradise.
I, too
I love telling folk how Dr King’s “I Am A Man” slogan turned queer in the next iteration of the movement.
I love talking bout Black Lives Matter being run by queer/women.
I love talking bout Bayard Rustin.
I love talking bout how voices, once hushed, still can find their way into the Light.
“I Am A Man”
We are equal as human.
“Black Lives Matter”
We are equal as human.
The final rendition will be “I, too, have a soul”
But if they kill me, they’ll say it wasn’t true.
Notes From Abraham
“Life was a constant miracle”, He say.
His body like smoke in the wind; He who gives shape to mist.
Substance like vapors, Both solid and shapeless.
He leans closer before he persists.
“Each breath was a gamble with death”, He say.
“I won so many times I musta cheated. Pain----
Illness----
At times, I was broken.
I took losses, but was undefeated.”
“I wanted it all…” He say.
“I made deals with the Devil- Chasing keys to Heaven.
We don’t realize the moment we
Lost Cause
The more I realized what beauty was;
The more fluent I became in the language of
God”
Time
Time Manifested
as flesh and bone
Dove into itself to discover its soul Then walked Earth’s mighty plains As the ghosts of the future.
I am
.