Bones

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Beloved Asiatic Black Brothers and Sisters

So, when I was in the hospital, I got the chance to play Dominoes with some Louisianians, and believe me when I tell you that they know how to play.

They play FIFTEEN to get in!

FIFTEEN!!!

That’s a whole ‘nother game.

AND THEY DON’T COUNT NICKELS!!!

I LOVED IT!!!

I had to change my whole game. But I still beat ’em. All except for this one O/G who had spent eight (8) years in Angola and he told me, “All we ever did was play Dominoes – from the time we woke up until we went to sleep.” He told me how they would have to climb the ranks of the Domino table. But I’m not gonna tell ya’ll how. 😉 ❤

I could beat him when there was a group of us but not head to head. I love a challenge. He made me step my game up. After I played day and night with this other Brother [I helped him step his game up 😉 ] I was finally able to beat him. Allahu Akbar!!!!

So, last year when I was in NOLA, I had no cash, no ATM card (so no access to my money in the bank), no I.D., and no ticket to get back home. I ended up in the hospital and the good people in The Big Easy found me a way to get back to L.A.!!!!!! Allahu Akbar!!!! (Allah is The Greatest)

This time, I had decided I wanted to live here, and didn’t want to go back home to L.A., so when I ended up in the hospital again, I told Allah I want to live in The Treme’ – NO WHERE ELSE!!!!

And what did the good people in The Big Easy do for me this time, you ask???

They found me a place right on the outskirts of The Treme’!!!!!

Yes, Yes Ya’ll, I am no longer homeless.

I am living in a Transitional Independent Living House in the Seventh Ward, right next to the Sixth (Treme’) and I am walking (a long walk) from Armstrong Park and The “Quotah.” So, I couldn’t be happier.

My place has an infestation of roaches, but I talked to the owner and she said she would get some Borax so that should be taken care of soon. I’ve also seen two bed bugs, which is two too many, so I’m looking to transition soon. Next spot will be in the heart of The Treme’ إن شاء الله In Sha Allah (If it is the Will of Allah)

I wrote a poem.

WATER IN THE AIR

H2O -> O2

Humidity

Rises From The Sea

Atmosphere traps droplets that

Rain Back Down On Me

Hot Currents

So Fresh

So New

Nothing Like L.A.

So Much More Here To Do

To Experience

HOT RAIN

Never Felt Before

Never Want To Leave

الله أكب

Allah Has Really Slowed Me Down to a N.O. Tempo

I mean I don’t even feel it (the slowness) anymore. I’m loving the music. The food. Even the corny tailgate parties probably won’t irk me anymore.

Oh, and Delaney, Bruh…..

How could you just leave and not say Goodbye??? Brother, that really hurt, I mean we had a few “near-misses” and I can’t believe you were THAT mad that you could leave without saying goodbye, KNOWING that we will probably NEVER see each other again in life. I know I play too much, but DAMN, GINA! Seriously? I would give you my number, but there’s really no point. You know why. I get it. Maybe you thought there was no point in saying goodbye. I need closure though.
I hate loose ends.

Anyway, on another note, one day for Karoake Friday in Music Group, I sang a coupla numbers by Ella and Pops and acted like I was a lounge singer during the break (“You guys enjoying the show?” “Anybody from outta town?” LOL) just fooling around, ya know? (Oh, in NOLA, the boys say, “Ya heard me?” and the girls say “Hear?” It’s sooooooo cute. I gotta be a cute NOLA girl and start saying, “Heah?” Heah? 🙂 ) Anyway, FOUR people came up to me afterwards and told me how good a singer I am!!! And I was just fooling around!!!
One Brother told me he thought I was the recording!

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ

I’M BAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!! :)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Beloved Asisatic Black Sisters and Brothers!!!!

I GUESS YA’LL WONDER WHERE I’VE BEEN….. 😉 #imsonola (“Ya’ll” 🙂 )

I’ve been in the hospital since the 9th.

Yup.

And I don’t think I’ve written anything about “Rawlins” since I got here on the Second.

Wait.

I think I remember writing about the Essence Fest.

Anyway, I got to see my Mellow, Brother Corey Henry LIVE!!!!!!

And as much as I LOVE the c.d……

LIVE IS EVEN BETTER!!!!!!

My man blew the roof off with that bone!!!! He did my favorite song, “Treme’ Lyfe” first and I was in Seventh Heaven.

SIXTH Heaven, rather. 😉

* * * * *

I was disappointed because he has devils in his band, but I’m used to it now, which is a very, very, very sad commentary on the state of Black affairs.

WE SHOULD LOVE EACH OTHER MORE THAN THAT. 😥

Next, I gotta tell you about his electric violin player. He reminded me so much of my son (He wears glasses 😉 )

But his solos were legendary. He was also the first member of the band to arrive, which communicated his enthusiasm, as well as, his professionalism as a musician.

The trumpet player took us off on a tangent reminiscent of Mr. Marsalis when he started playing classical trumpet at the end of one of the numbers.

Mr. Henry wanted me to pick up the tambourine again, to bring him back on track, but I LOVE classical trumpet, so I said, respectfully, “No, Sir.“

(Sorry, Mr. Bossman.)

He didn’t leave Mr. Henry out tho, I mean, he IS the bandleader and he was right there in the  pocket with him. I loved the whole thing!

But my second favorite moment was when they did a Second-Line version of The Duke’s “It Don’t Mean A Thing” and my man did Ella’s “Boo-Wop” instead of the traditional and much more common “Doo-Wop.”

Thanks, Mr. Henry, I know that was for me. ❤ ❤ ❤

My MOST favorite moment of the evening was the LAST number, wherein Cory, the percussionist and the trumpet player, sang in IMPECCABLE 3-part harmony some song. I forgot it now, but In Sha Allah, when I go tomorrow, they’ll sing it again. Maybe, I can get some video. In sha Allah (If it is the Will of Allah).

But their harmony was beautiful and right on point.

Oh, and to demonstrate how supportive the Treme’ family is, Corey let this young cat ([17 years-old] who I had heard earlier that day at a birthday party for Mrs. Marion [88 years old] in the Treme’) get on the proverbial M.I.C.

I also heard the same young cat the next day, when I followed this Bass Drum player (of The Kinsfolk Brass Band) to a wedding reception [I crashed] 😉 . They had a Second-Line all through the “Quotah.“

So, how did I end up in the hospital????

Well, I stayed one night in this inexpensive hotel ($54) but the rest of the time I’ve been on the streets – not trippin’!!! – I mean, there’s always something to do in NOLA and all I need is to rest my body and my eyes every coupla days and I’m GUCCI, as they say in the Dutty.

THE LIBRARY IS ABOUT TO CLOSE!!!!

MORE MANANA

CHECK BACK!!!!

❤

PART DEUCE

So one morning I went to the Treme’ and I found an open apartment that somebody trying to get me to sell my soul to the devil Caucasians led me to. It was obviously for people in need of a place to stay because there were laminated cards saying stuff like “Please replace the toilet paper if necessary ” and “Please don’t leave empty bottles” and whatnot.

But I did not feel right so I posted on the stoop.

So, time goes on, Oh! I almost forgot. While I was looking around the apt. I saw some FBI Agents out the window downstairs on the street. That spooked me quite a bit because technically I was trespassing.

So, I went downstairs, closed the door, and acted like it was my crib.

You know I’m nosy so when the agents finished talking to this Sister in an SUV, I waved to her like we’ve been neighbors for years and the agents came over to talk to me.

I asked them what was up.

They said they had gotten a tip that someone who had robbed a bank in Richmond was in the area.

They showed me his picture.

I wouldn’t have told them if I did know him (“Thank you for not snitching.”)

I asked how much money did he get away with.

They wouldn’t tell.

So, when that was over, I started noticing how many tours were coming down the street. So far, I had seen three bicycle tours; two of those standing two-wheel scooter thing tours; three van tours; and one one walking tour. This just in about four hours.

So these two shuttle buses slow down to about five miles an hour before they turn on to my block. All the windows are blacked out and all I can picture is a bunch of devils snapping pictures of the “porch monkeys” like we’re in some kind of ZOO!!!!!!

I WAS LIVID!!!! So I flip them two birds arms length looking dead at those tinted windows.

TWO BUSES!!!!!!!

TWO!!!!!!!!

So, they pass but I’m talking to one of my Zawji’s Doppelgängers and getting hotter by the  second.

So The Treme’ is the oldest Black neighborhood in the United Snakes and it is EXTREMELY RICH in culture. And there’s this museum on my block celebrating The Treme’s rich cultural history.

Now, I was there on Thursday for Mrs. Marion’s birthday party. That was where I first met Corey. He grew up down the street from Mrs. Marion and he and my other bebies came out and played for her birthday. I asked him if he was having a birthday party (the 14th. It was the 7th). He said probably at his weekly gig. That’s when I realized it was that night too, so that’s when I saw him perform again frfr.

The next night (Friday, the 8th) was the reception and Second-Line in the Quarter.

Saturday morning was when all this stuff happened.

So when I was there on Friday day, I went to the museum and loved it. There is information on the Mardi Gras Indians, the Brass Bands and other societies. All I could think about was our posterity. But there were nothing but devils in there and for some reason the owner DID NOT LIKE ME.

All while I’m loving him because he was a journalist and had collected all of this memorabilia after decades of covering everything happening in The Treme’!!!

He had generations of old cameras and press passes and you know that’s my specialty. So, I’m going out of my way trying to get to talk to him and he’s avoiding me like the plague!!!

So Saturday, I’m so pissed off now I’m throwing stuff (glass bottles and scissors and whatever else I can get my hands on) at every devil that walks in front of my stoop, especially the tours. I’m yelling “DON’T COME BACK!!!” and I heard one of the tour guides apologizing and saying, “This has never happened before!” And I was like “Well, get used to it”

So, then here come the museum owner in his little get around scooter telling me to leave the devils (his customers) alone.

Now, there are some Black people who love devils for certain privileges. This was one of them. Mrs. Marion too. We got into it a coupla times. I’ll never forget she told me don’t let my religion make me think I’m better than white people. LOLOLOL I KNOW IM BETTER THAN WHITE PEOPLE!!!!

Anyway, so Sylvester starts getting all up in my grill so I threw this 64 ounce bottle of ice in his face and we started fighting.

I stabbed him in the hand with my ink pen and he started having an asthma attack LOL Old goat!!!!

Anyway, somebody called the police and THAT’S how I ended up in the hospital AGAIN….

 

 

NOLA AGAIN!!!!

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

As-Salaam-Alaikum Ma Bebies!!!! 🙂

MY LAST DAY IN “THE A”

GOT TO SAY “GOODBYE” TO THE HOMIE.

I was scared I was going to have to leave without saying, “Bye”

When I left L.A., I was so emotional, my roommate caught me crying. (Hey, P!) And I didn’t want to go through that again. But it was different this time. Idky. But I didn’t want to just up and leave without saying goodbye, like I did when I left L.A. Then, I just left. It felt too permanent, saying goodbye, so I just kinda snuck out without telling anybody.

This time, I felt so empty, like I would’ve been missing something if I didn’t get to say goodbye I would’ve been really REALLY missing something. CLOSURE. I guess.

So, I’m really happy about that.

I took the Megabus to NOLA!!!!!

I LOVE IT HERE!

I LOVE THEIR ACCENTS EVEN MORE THAN NYC ACCENTS!!! And the gold teeth!!!! Ikr? When it’s done right, I think, it can be really cool.

I finally had a heart to heart with a Brother from the A.

OMG, why did I get kicked out the program???!!!!

I am not one to behave like a sheep. I can’t stand people bossing me around or telling me what to do, and that’s all they do there. SHEEEEEEEPPPPPP!!!!!!

I AIN’T THE ONE!

So, when I wouldn’t go to bed when everybody else single filed to their respective bedrooms, homegirl called the police on me. I was so through, I just didn’t say nothing and they took me to the hospital.

It was aight. NO has the best psych ward I’ve ever seen. Most hospitals’ psych wards are so dismal and depressing looking, you would think it wasn’t even part of the hospital. I don’t know WHY they do that. As if psych patients weren’t already mentally depressed, they house us in facilities that are dirty, and rundown and dismal and DEPRESSING.

In NO, I had a view of a waterfall, huge windows of the skyline and it was peaceful.

Anyway, I met a Muslim Brother and he was so animated and lively. I LOVED talking to him. Brothers from the A have a cool accent too.

It was the first time anybody called me “SHAWTY” 😀 I LOVED THAT TOO.

❤ ❤ ❤

So, when I got out the hospital, the Security AND one of the Techs broke me off with some dividends!!!! $20 each. Which was hella cool cause I was kinda broke. SHUKRAN IKHWAN!!!! WA RAHMATUALLA WA BARAKATU!!!!

So, when I got out the hospital, Allah Told Me it was time for me to leave the A, I just had to decide where to go. For a while, I was really considering going to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I read they have a shelter for Muslims and My Zawji ❤ ❤ ❤ went to Florida not too long ago.

I always end up following him.

Then, I was thinking about going to NYC, cause I met this Buster LOL Rhymes  doppel from Queens and he made me want to go out there to meet Rakim or somebody with equal swag.

But there’s no place like NEW ORLEANS.

THE MUSIC PERIOD.

I told my Sister, “If I’m going to be homeless, I want to be homeless somewhere FUN!!!“

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO IN NEW ORLEANS.

And I had planned on being out here for the Essence Music Fest, but I thought it was in late July or August.

Why did I arrive in town during the Fest???

Allah is The Best Planner.

I didn’t go to any shows because I found out MAXWELL had performed the night before I arrived in town, and nobody else compares, so I just enjoyed the fringe activities.

* * * *

MY LAST DAY IN THE A – PART TWO

I got to see the REAL ATLANTA, where the Black Folks live.

I spent my entire month in the A downtown, in FIVE POINTS, my second home, New Orleans is my first home. But Five Points is where I was living.

When I got in town, I thought I was going to get an apartment, or a weekly, or even a shelter, but Allah Had other plans. He wants me to experience homelessness and what a vast majority of Black people are going through.

It helps me relate better to them.

But, one night I watched a GMOB video, and I was like “that’s” the Atlanta I wanna see – the Atlanta where Black folks live. I hadn’t seen nothing but drug dealers, crack heads, hoes, pimps, homeless people and the uppity Black folks that work downtown and love devils. Oh and of course, the Muslims.

(Hey KeKe, Lanyah, Kimmie and Kahleelah!!!! I miss you guys sooooo much!!!!!!!!! Next time I see you, In sha Allah, I want to see you all in LONG SKIRTS! You can keep your kicks, like me. Don’t give your Dad a hard time and go easy on the old bats at the Masjid. I’m making DUA for your Mom and T.T. too. 🙂 ❤ السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته)

But when I saw that video, I started trying to see a RESIDENTIAL neighborhood, you know HOUSES. I had seen a few, but it didn’t look like where GMOB shot their video. So, I took a busride and ended up in BUCKHEAD. (I know, they got some crazy names outchea. Some good ones like “Sweet Auburn,” “Augusta” and “Peachtree” but Buckhead? Anyway, I had heard that that was where the rich Atlanta celebrities like Ush and JD live, so I wanted to see that area.

It was bigger than I expected, but it was a rich WHITE neighborhood. I was expecting a rich BLACK neighborhood.

So I was still on the hunt.

So anyway, Allah Had Been Signaling me to buy a camera. So, when I was in the hospital a brother told me about a pawn shop where I could get one for cheap and they guarantee all their stuff.

So, when I got my check, MY LAST DAY IN THE “A”, I headed out to this pawn shop.

It was on Campbellton Road, which is where everybody told me there were TWO Nation of Islam mosques, so I was hoping I would get to see those two, but I had no idea what Allah Had in store for me.

I get on this bus, right? From off the train, and I saw this like huge area of about a half-acre of nothing but TREES!!!!!! I was like “Okay…” and I asked this Brother, who I had just asked was this S.W.A.T.S (SOUTHWEST ATLANTA) that GMOB is always talking about, “What is that?” He said, “SWATS.” I was like OMG!!!!! Why are there like huge areas with nothing but TREES, like right on the sidewalk (if there was a sidewalk) LOL

I was just busting up laughing to myself. I could not believe there were so many TREES and shrubbery and whatnot, like RIGHT THERE!!!!!!!

Where I’m from, you have to drive for hours to see something like that and they have them right next door or even in their backyard. All I could think about was how much FUN it must be to be a child and live somewhere like that.

So, as soon as the bus got to the end of the line, I headed straight for them TREES. I HAD to get into them. It was wonderful. I had on all white, some fresh new white shelltoes, but I didn’t care!

I was hitting them TREES. (Pun intended) 😀 j/k
Muslims don’t smoke.

To say I loved it out there in those trees would be an understatement.

I am so grateful to have been able to see that on my LAST DAY IN THE “A.”

ALLAHU AKBAR!

AS-SALAAM-ALAIKUM

I have more to write, but time is up on the computer.

Check back tomorrow, In Sha Allah….

❤

* * * *

MY LAST DAY IN THE A – PART THREE

Okay, so after I left the forest of TREES, I was returning to the bus depot and one of the bus drivers called out to me. So, I stopped. I was going to get on his bus anyway, to escape the heat, but I saw the bus I needed behind him so I was going to keep walking if he hadn’t said something.

So, I looked and at first I thought he was one of my husband’s – THE KING’S – doppels, then I looked again and it was my Brother from THE SAME FATHER (ALLAH, WHO CAME IN THE DIVINE PERSON OF MASTER FARD MUHAMMAD, TO WHOM BE PRAISED FOREVER) JOOOOOOEEEEE!!!!!!!

I could not believe it!!!!

He and his family moved out to the A in 2006 and I have not talked to him since. His wife is my cousin but things have not been right between us since our friends and family gave her a going-away party and didn’t invite me.
(SO-CALLED FRIENDS AND FAMILY)

It’s some other stuff too that I don’t want to put out here but I called her twice and she called me once but I felt like, no, WAIT, she didn’t call me, she commented on one of my poems on FB. 😥 And I felt like she was only trying to let everybody know she knew me. And I was straight.

But Joe.

They met each other through me and my then boyfriend. And they’ve been married for about twenty years or more.

My father and my son were in the A at the same time, but out of all the people in my family, I ran into my cousin-in-law, the good Brother, Joe. Allahu Akbar!!!

We talked for awhile and I was so happy to see him. He looked good. Older and more mature but happy and healthy. And he told me my son got to reunite with his cousin, who is just one day older than him.

They are Yahya and Isa.

My son still relates the “now” funny story about when the Farrakhaners forgot he and his cousin were in the Mosque and locked them in. SMH They were three years old.

Me and my cousin were waiting for the Brothers to drop them off for like hours, not knowing our babies had been locked in the Mosque and were about to be left there to fend for themselves. My son told me they were yelling and banging but one of the Farrakhaners forgot his Quran and other books, and that’s the only reason they got out.

My son can tell the story better, but that was a RED FLAG.

I ignored it.

Another RED FLAG was when I was over my cousins house watching a Farrkhan video and he appeared to have horns like a devil.

I told my cousin what I saw but we just laughed it off.

F.O.R.E.S.H.A.D.O.W.I.N.G……..

So, anyway, Joe gave me his phone number. But I don’t really have anything to say. He looked goo and that was good enough for me. Our children can keep in touch, In sha Allah (If it is the Will of Allah). He was reading one of Farrakhan’s newspapers and asked me if I had been to the Mosque. So, I can’t agree with him. When he asked those questions, I dismissed myself before we got into an argument.

He said he had recognized me from a distance, that’s why he called out to me. He still called me by my birth name and I didn’t even correct him. I think because my Zawji still calls me that. BUT NOBODY ELSE better call me that ever again. JOE, MY NAME IS LOVE.

~ LOVE ALLAH

AND DON’T YOU FORGET IT.

❤