Lees over Beunka Adams in het Nederlands.

Below are the poems Beunka wants to share to express his experience of prison life and death row.

Black blood
All I ever was
All I am
All I ever want to be
All I ever will be
Black is the rythm of my life
The beat by which my heart beat
That same beat to which I move my feet
Got nothing to do with light or dark
Good or evil
It's the way I walk
The way I talk
The passion in my love
Te fury of my anger
What is a black man
Can
be found in my blood, sweat, tears
Trials, tribulation, and triumph
That laid my foundation
Yes
A man here I stand
And the black
Forever in my blood

The Revolution
What happened to the revolution
Where is our leader
Why didn't anybody follow
Could it realy have been a dream brother Martin has seen
So it does seem
Just another illusion
It's easy to see I'm full of confusion
The dumb rich continue to make it rain
The poor die from hunger, go mad, or insane
Guess I'm part of the problem
Reason being I haven't made no real move to solve them
All I see is humanity living like cancer
The only time it's "we is when we are tearing down you and me
To give a man a dime is to be soft
To punch him in the mouth is to be a man
My generation has lost its soul and gone cold
We believe strong in the lies we was told
A doller before my brother
Sell my soul for the doller that divides
Fuck my brother and my neighbor
This is my generation
The ignorant strong take what they need
Without knowing oppress the rest
Never taking the time to truely see the foot on our neck
That's been there since before our fathers and mothers ever met

"No name yet"
Wise words being spoken
Backs beaten but not broken
Eyes swolen but not shut
My brothas are hard core to the grave.
Fight hard to see the light
We know this shit aint right
But as your vision clear we see it's still night.
Men murdered before me whisper as they walk through my memory
"Remember brother Malcom! Remember brother Martin!"
We shall overcome
By and by
We shall overcome!
Their spirits puncute my thoughts
"We shall not be moved!"
Born a man in a strong land
Nontheless a man on any ground we stand!
Spirit warriors lead us on
Sing it loud, sing it proud
"I'm a man and damn it:
HERE I STAND!"
Blood is what they require at the execution hour
Ten by beaten back and swollen eyes
You gone have to take it!
May lies trap us here
But the single truth will set us free.

"Makes me wanna holla!"
This shit make me wanna holla!
Air so thick I can feel a lump when a swolla.
Marvin* said it first, Marvin said it best.
"This aint living!"
Trapped in their cage
Heart filled with pain
Mind clouded by outrage.
One brotha slig his kneck; thinking "I'd rather chance bangin with the devil in hell then spend another night in this cell..."
This man made hell.
They treat me like a beast
But I'm the one screaming peace!
You aint heard me!
I say the air is so thick I can't breathe this shit.
Lack of oxygen make you see and hear strange things.
Maybe I was trippin, but I could've swore I heard the devil whisper:
"Human and civil rights? Peaceful protest?
Better bring your new age nigger ass on out that cage to this new age lynching!
You don't: I'll gas your ass and send the officers to stomp your ass and drag you out..."
No, I wasn't trippin.
I heard him say it.
I can smell the gas and look...
There go some blood in the dayroom
I try to rest my mind, but I got to sleep light.
There's another lynching scheduled for tonight.
Be damn if I get caught sleeping when my # get called!
Marvin was damn sure right...
This aint living!
This shit make me wanna holla...

*) The reference to "Marvin" is refering to the late great singer "Marvin Gayes"' song "Inner City Blues".

"My bottle"
I clutch this bottle like an alcholoc his last bottle of brandy
only I clutch what's left of the man I used to be.
Heard that officer say: "That's a broken man right there..."
My mind screams
"He can't see the strong black king!
I used to be when I was free..."
But he better know
I t will be one hell of a fight!
He'll try to take what's left of me in this bottle tonight...
You see this bottle hold my soul
All I love is in this bottle here.
My blood, sweat, and tears in this bottle here!
I'll die before I let it go!
I sip it slow and it soothes my pain.
Calms the rage in this cage
So bring on the rain.
This bottle be my umbrella
Help me stand this weather...
This I got left in this here bottle
That there that's left of me...

Set me free
Lord, please set me free
Unable to fly I'll die
My wings binded by bars
Blood stained by scars
My cries silenced by pride
Curious of why I haven't died
I do battle until dawn
Knowing at the end of each sun
Is another dark night's new dawn
Here is not my home
But neither there do I belong
I belong with the wind
I belong in the breeze
So until I'm set free
Here I will be
Until God answers me

Like me
He looks like me...
Walks like me...
Talks like me...
But for some reason...
He aint like me...
He has prejudice-
Against me-!
Says he hates me
Binds and enslaves me
Says I won't never be free
I told him
Brotha this aint right
He said to me
Just don't fight
I fall to my knees
Beg the Most High; "please!"
Now chains cut my skin
For some unknown sin
He still hates me
Miss-use and abuses me
So through prayer I flee
Listening for the Most High
To answer me...

What I know
I know all about heartache and pain
Shit drove me half insane
Sometimes I feel blind, deaf, and dumb
Dreams shattered and my heart grows numb
Blinded by the injustice I witness
Deaf not trying to hear the lies they tell
Dumb because when I speak no one seems to understand
A lonely soldier with a mission
To travel through the night
and return home by daylight
I don't desire much
Only my children's touch
So carry on through the heartache and pain
More than a man - a soldier
More than a soldier - a father

7 months*
I waited 7 months for the day we'd meet
The first glimpse of her smile I was swept from my feet
My heart she had stolen
but not a word had she spoken
For her affection I would long
Even her cries a sweet song
Never could another replace
I would never accept another face
She reached for me as I reached for her
An eternal bond was born then and there
Looking into her eyes
I could see my eyes
Suddenly my childhood years of tears didn't matter
I had her...
My daughter

*) Beunka's daughter was born 2 months premature.

Mind, body, and soul
Fire burns in my vein
The heat scolds my brain
My prayer long lasting
This thirst forever growing
Lord let it rain
Heaven's cool water soothe my pain
A huricane rocks my soul
Please father help me take hold
Words whispered from above
Peace be still
The waters begin to calm
My vision becomes clear
I'm relieved of all fear
As I begin to see
My savior came near
The fires to make me in his mld
The waters to cool and cleanse me
The power of His words calmed the waters
My eyes opened to see the greatness of God
Long and hard are the tests of time
But strong is that which is made in God's mold
Mind, body, and soul