inspirations
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
March 3-9, 2010 Page B-7
Poetry
‘My Last
Cigarette’
I sat in my living room
one day playing my old
records, I let the music
waft through the air like
the smell of old ciga-
rette butts and stale beer
every inch of the room was
coated wth Miles, Billy,
Coltrane and Wes…..It
Love receives testimonial
covered the floor like a well
Former Michigan Chronicle COO Karen Love (center) recently received a testimonial from the
worn dingy carpet, em-
Detroit City Council for her outstanding work in the community.
Dr. Sidney Griffin Rev. Floyd Davis.
Dexter Avenue Missionary
Annual Celebration of
Baptist Church celebrates
Life Dinner
91st anniversary
The Sisters Network We Inc.’s primary focus is breast that plague the African- Amer-
Are, River Rouge chapter, will health awareness, the organi- ican community.
Dexter Avenue Mission- Church of Detroit will speak,
hold its annual Celebration of zation is committed to educa-
ary Baptist Church, 13500 and at 10:45 a.m., Rev. Dr.
Life Dinner fundraiser on Sat- tion and encouraging the im-
This is the only fundraiser
Dexter Ave., will be celebrat- Sidney Green, moderator of
urday, March 13, at Sabbath portance of basic health and
that will be held this year.
ing its 91st anniversary on the Metropolitan Baptist Dis-
School, 340 Frazier, in River wellness which can have an
For more information, call
Sunday, March 14. There will trict Association and pastor
Rouge, starting at 6 p.m. impact with regard to prevent-
(313) 383-7217 or (313) 388-
be two worship services, and of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist
While Sisters Network
ing life-threatening diseases 5978.
two dynamic ministers will Church of Detroit, will speak.
be the speakers. At 7:45 a.m., The celebration is open to
Rev. Floyd Davis, pastor of the the public. For more informa- Arvis I. Perry
12th Street Missionary Baptist tion, call (313) 869-4878.
braced my heart and took
& I N D I N G $ I R E C T I O N $ U R I N G ! $ I F l C U L T 4 I M E ) S # O M F O R T I N G
me to places long since
forgotten…..
I took a sip of the brandy,
letting the warm fluid roll
over my tongue and flow
down my throat like a mel-
ancholy river, I reached
for my cigarettes and was
jarred to find one broken
soldier standing alone,
better yet leaning against
the white background of
7 % , , " % 4 ( % 2 % 4 / ' 5 ) $ % 9 / 5
emptiness, damn!
After putting the handle
from the turn table to the
THE GREEN BROTHERS, featuring JG Contour. From left:
side, I threw on my jacket,
S
tinson
& 5 . % 2 ! , ( / - % 3
Gerald Green (aka JG Contour), Herman Green (aka Brother
my cap and tossed a scarf
* U N E 7 I L L I A M S
- A N A G E R , I C E N S E D & U N E R A L $ I R E C T O R
T) and Ray Green (aka Sporty Ray).
around my neck giving me
* O S E P H 3 T I N S O N # H A P E L s 7 ' R A N D " L V D s 0 H O N E s & A X
The Green Brothers,
the appearance of a man
3 U L E E 3 T I N S O N # H A P E L s - E Y E R S s 0 H O N E s & A X
with something to hide from
3 T I N S O N
$ I G G S # H A P E L s 3 & O R T 3 T s 0 H O N E s & A X
the world, down my back
featuring JG Contour
steps, across the street
h ! 3 T A N D A R D O F % X C E L L E N C E 3 E R V I N G T H E # O M M U N I T Y 3 I N C E v
and around the corner I set
0 R O F E S S I O N A L 0 R E s P A 0 R E A R T S I O O N N A L I Z E D & U N E s R A 0 L R 3 E E
R 0 V L I A C N E N S E D & U N E R A L ! s R R ) A N N S G U E R M A s N E N C E T & S A I T H
" A S E D A N D # U L T U R A L L Y $ I V E R S E 3 E R V I C E S
The new release song and radio commercial jingles for
off on my crusade
# R E M A T I O N S s - E M O R I A L A N D ' R A V E S I D E 3 s 6 E T E R A N S A N D ! E R V I C E S C T I V E - I L I T A R s . Y " O T A R U R I A L 3 Y 0 E R s U B L I C ' V I C E S R I E F 3 U P P O R T
video, “Back Pockets on the major corporations that never
Floor,” by the Green Brothers, before let African Americans
gained worldwide attention due represent their products. The Now this day being a post
to an “American Idol” glitch jingles were for Goebel Beer,
rainy compilation of the
that was aired by Fox News Delco Battery and Wrigley’s
networks worldwide. The song Spearmint Gum.
whole week, had it’s mud
appearance on the front page
puddles, steady sound of
of
Yahoo.com, the Huffington
The lead man for the Green
Post and in the Detroit Free
Brothers, JG Contour, is also
the sewers taking all the
Press. The video version has
a Motown legend. At one time
debris on a voyage to never
received well over one million
he was lead singer for the land, I pass faces looking
hits in its first 12 days on You-
world famous group, the Con-
lost, wondering where they
Tube and is still climbing. De-
tours, whose hits include the
teremined by a YouTube poll,
classic “Do You Love Me?”
were headed, if they won-
the Green Brothers’ “Back
The song received new life in
dered the same about me
Pockets on the Floor” video is
the 1980s when it was fea-
and what makes a person
one of the fastest rising videos
tured in the “Dirty Dancing”
do this for a cigarette.
in YouTube history.
film starring Patrick Swayze.
The Green brothers are
The Green Brothers have
As I entered the corner
Gerald Green (aka JG Con-
been widely praised for pro-
tour), Herman Green (aka
ducing a great song like “Back
store, i notice just for a split
Brother T) and Ray Green
Pockets on the Floor” with second two figures linger-
(aka Sporty Ray). The broth-
such a powerful message for
ing outside the store, who
ers are a product of the late
young and old alike.
just seem to stand out, I
1950s group the Rivals. They To view the Green Broth-
shrug it off and feel the
are credited with breaking the ers video, go to
YouTube.com.
color barrier by being the first In the search box, type “Back
releif of being so close to
African-American group in the Pockets on the Floor” and let
my conquest….
state of Michigan to record the music play.
I stroll to the counter and
say “Let me get a pack of”
Fraternity presents
- bang! bang!
‘Gospel Musical
Then I wonder why there
is blood on my pack of, I
wonder if I am still in my
Experience’
apartment, I wonder why
I can’t talk, everything
The Nu Omega Chapter De- tion finalists will begin with an moves so fast, bodies move
troit of Omega Psi Phi Frater-
open audition from through- past me as if I am standing
nity, Inc. will sponsor “Joyful
out Metro Detroit at 7:30 p.m.,
still, caught in a bad movie
Noise, Gospel Music Experi-
March 22, at Greater Miller
ence” at 8 p.m., Saturday, May
scene
Memorial Church of God in
1, at the Detroit Opera House,
Christ, 4439 Nine Mile Rd. in
1526 Broadway. The concert
Warren. Four finalists will be
Police, police, where are all
will feature Grammy and Stel-
lar Award winner Dorinda
selected that night to perform
these police coming from,
Clark Cole, Stellar Award
during the Joyful Noise Gospel and what are they asking
winner Tye Tribbett & G.A., a Musical Experience. One final- me, I don’t know, I didn’t
professionally choreographed ist will be awarded that eve-
see, yeah, I seen them,
praise dance competition.
ning.
but, no, I ain’t lying, why do
The men of Omega Psi Phi
“Offering professional per-
I need a public defender,
Fraternity, Inc. Nu Omega
formance opportunities to
Chapter have been serving
where are my cigarettes?
local praise dance troops pro-
Metro Detroit since 1923 with
numerous community, politi-
motes a wider exposure to
this explosive expression of
The feeling of imprison-
cal and social programs.
praise,” said Marvie Wright,
ment cannot be explained
“We are confident we are
organizer of the praise dance
by one person
designing a new innovative,
competition.
explosive way to present the
Gospel on stage,” said Marquis There is a cost to attend.
Damn, it’s been seven
Sagnia, co-chairman of the
VIP tickets include two recep-
years, and all I can think
Joyful Noise Committee. “We
tions and a meet-and-greet about is, what if I didn’t
want to connect our organiza-
with the artists. Tickets are
tion to the church communi-
break that last cigarette…I
available through Ticketmas-
ties and cultural experiences
close my eyes and hear the
to promote quality family en-
ter at
www.ticketmaster.com
music, it covers this cell like
tertainment for Detroit.”
or the Detroit Opera House
box office.
a wet blanket, I walk with
The Gospel Musical Expe- Billy, I laugh with Wes and
rience will create a diverse
For more information,
talk with Coltrane,
musical production that rep- please call (313) 220-8754 or
resents music from a gospel (313) 303-9437 or visit www.
cultural background with no
joyfulnoisedetroit.com. To
Ahhhh! this is a good ciga-
age barriers, and experience a
learn more about upcom-
rette.
joyful noise through praise.
ing auditions, contact Marvie ©Arvis l. Perry, 4/18/07
The praise dance competi- Wright at (248) 346-3762.
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