Realness people, greetings to you all. May the sweetness of fall turning into winter brighten your souls. I hope you all are well and have checked out my re-modeled website. I hear it is really splendid. Thanks to all those involved in making it better. I must create this newsletter on just a few sheets of paper without any rewrites. Because we are on lockdown and I don't have access to anymore paper for the moment. I'll speak more on the lockdown in Prison Day Section. I hope all of you who have gardens have put them to sleep for the winter. Put the bulbs in the dark places to rest. That you have mulch piles near the gardens. Mother Earth is getting her rest under a white winter blanket of beauty. She is replenishing herself and healing some wounds men have inflicted upon her. I have to say something I cannot avoid this topic. The Death Penalty, Mr. Stanley "Tookie" Williams and the state plans to execute him on December the 13th 2005. During my trail for six months, the state tried to give me the Death Penalty but the Jury hung up in the penalty phase of the trail so the Judge chose to give me life without sentence. I was at San Quentin prison for many years and I saw the brother Stanley "Tookie" Williams be escorted by quite often. He lived on Death Row all his time there. So I have never spoken to him. I think in this country where even ex president Mr. Jimmy Carter admits that the American Judicial system is inherently racist. That the system is set unequally against people of color and against women and people who chose to live alternatively life styles. So how can any death sentence given to any person of color be moral, honest or justified? How can the Death Penalty in any so-called civil society be justified? The state kills the brother Williams whom does that help? When has revenge ever healed anything? Who really gets healing or peace from his death? Let the man live his life as a lifer. He is away from the public spreading peace and healing. Saving young lives from prisons and gangs. What is truly more valuable in a real free society someone dyeing and helping and healing no one. Or let someone live to educate, heal and help kids and young people. Showing young people there is another way to go. I know in a society full of hate, racism and revenge institutionally it is hard for people spreading peace, love, healing and forgiveness to be heard. Some day I hope more hearts and soul will be able to stop the insanity of the Death Penalty. If the brother Stanley "Tookie" Williams were white, his death sentence would be commuted. Let the brother continue to spread peace, forgiveness and healing.
PRISON DAY
The day started out cool. I went to work in the art room and looked after my plant friend 'Sara'. Sat her outside to get some fresh autumn air to allow her leaves to sway a little in the soft cool breeze. She seemed to like that, as she stood strong and tall. It was lightly sprinkling a little bit to. No, direct rain on her though. She smiled.
I found out there was someone else here from my small desert town of Barstow. A youngster that was not even born when I came to prison. I walked with him for awhile around the prison track. I found out I know his father and aunt. I found out he knew a couple of my brothers and some of my nephews and nieces. I found out that I went to school with his mom although I cannot remember her. It's been so long. I remember his aunt and father though, I was years younger than both because we all attended the same church and Linda, his aunt, I recall was the most beautiful woman in that town. It was good to see someone from the heart of the high desert. But in the same breath not good to see him in prison. He tells me how the town has changed even though it's still tiny. There are crooked cops there and some of the old spots everyone hung out at are now full of gang and cop violence, big city style. There were no gangs down there in Barstow before I came to prison. The yard was recalled as the rain picked up. I went back to art room and sat outside with 'Sara' and pondered things. An alarm went off and the rest of the yards were canceled. We were all placed on lockdown and I watered 'Sara' before I left which was a good thing. No riot or anything big happened. It's the holiday season so a reason always seems to come up to lock us down during that season. Word is we will be on lockdown for perhaps a month as the warders search the prison. So I came back to the cell and turned on my lockdown mode of reading, writing and pondering. I hope for my friend 'Sara's sake that we wont be on lockdown for a month, or she will be really thirsty when I see her again.
STAY REAL SECTION
Before this lockdown happened. We had a history-making concert with Michael Franti as the main event. Michael Franti who is a unique sing/songwriter/poet and peace promoter. The concert took place in the prison chapel. The brother is famous for his powerful poetry and stand on peace. He had the whole chapel swaying and feeling the realness. The concert was video recorded on DVD and ran live on KVMR 89.5 radio station and sent nation wide radio the next day. There were three fabulous real and talented female artists that opened for Franti. Ms. Kimberly Bass, Ms. Melissa Mitchell and Ms. Diana Patterson! All unique songwriter/singers, powerful and unique in their own ways. Each one moving the soul and heart. They allowed me the honour of opening the concert with two poems and I read "No Beauty in Cell Bars" and "Round and Round", also found out later I should have read "Beauty in Cell Bars" too for the balance. Michael and I spoke before the concert began and talked about staying human, real and to keep love and peace flowing. I got to meet his cool band Spearhead and one of his stage crew members, a youngster who asked me to help the stage work. It was an honour. Nothing so grand and real had happened in Folsom - no concert making history since Johnny Cash did his thing. Thanks to Michael and all the other realness artists Kimberly Bass, Melissa Mitchell and Diana Patterson for bringing light into a dark place. For bringing wisdom, music, love and dance and heart into an often lifeless place. Thank you for taking us beyond the walls of prison and allowing us to shape a space of realness for a few hours.
Thank you!
www.kvmr.org
PEACE GANG SECTION
I remember one of the lyrics - poetry actually that stays in my soul and heart from one of the songs by Michael Franti; "You can bomb the world to pieces but you cannot bomb it into peace". Peace G. stands for peace instead of violence. Love instead of hate.
Peace G stands for one people, one planet, one love - one race respecting and loving Mother Earth. Peace G. stands for people moving as one, as love and as individuals glowing, growing and creating realness, walking in their own shoes. This section will be written by other Peace G's around the planet. This is just brief statement of what Peace G means. Peace and realness.
BIRD STUFF
With this lockdown again I am worried about 'Sara'. Because unlike my bird friends, 'Sara' cannot fly away or use her leaves to water herself. Or move her self across the art room to get some indirect sunlight. But no matter what, I send her some love to warm her stems and leaves, I'll send her love caress her spirit.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
I have plenty of books to read and in my world and in the world in general, there is always plenty of stuff to write about and ponder. For those of you who celebrate the holidays Happy Seasons to you! May truth and realness be yours.
STAY REAL
Spoon Jackson
