This man was one of the torchbearers for modern poetry. R.I.P. Oscar Brown Jr. we can only hope the children of children will, at the very least, turn out with voices as eloquent as your own.
This was my first introduction to this man, and still to this day he leaves me unable to talk. What a great man, I feel I am his greatest fan. He's simply amazing.
Always poignant, always inspirational. The man could have single-handedly kept poetry alive for another generation. Thankfully, he had help. R.I.P. Oscar Brown Jr.
This guy has a certain style that nobody really usess anymore.. The A,B,B,A format of poetry... I love it, keeps it flowing nicely and the rhyme patterns sound good!
I really am not that into poetry, I actually had to check this out for class, but this is actually really powerful! It really shows how fucked up todays world is. I just wish Oscar Brown Jr. wasn't dead...
Such an eloquent poet. Thank you Oscar for being the voice that uttered a poem of so much fortified truth. THANKS for the upload. Respect to the children of children they cry out everyday and what'll you say!
This message falls on the deaf ears of young adults who desperately need a new direction in life...if only those who needed to hear this actually listened...such a shame, truly.
It is about time that the Black and Latinos communities deal with this issue of children having children. This has such an effect on us when young people who are still children themselves, who can not take care of themselves, who are not educated enough to get a job outside of minimum wage for a life time of poverty can only give their children poverty in return. Socioeconomic status shows that most end up on welfare and government housing and never get off. It is time for a dramatic change.
it's about collective responsibility and commitment, which is foreign/alien to those who want to individualize and "moralize" what's happening to our young people.
cuz people like that end up in the trunk... no matter what people say about others ...be well known to yourself... be truthfull to your believes... and one day u smile of what u achieve;)
Hey Folks, Try to be on the lookout for another of his poems called "LOne Ranger and Tonto". It was banned from radio and from record stores when it first came out (60s or 70s, I think). Also, for you young ones (i am 53), if you like Oscar Brown, you wil surely like The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron. peace! diane
@Glynnisable this poem isn't about honoring our elders this poem is about the results of having a child at too young of an age, and how no one cares about these children
The current generation have grown up with the government giving them all the important things in life on a plate. Education, housing, clean water, food, clothing and job prospects. But this has lead to a generation with a huge sense of entitlement who sneer at jobs that they see beneath them and would rather be given money for free. Reality tv and social media build a picture in individuals heads that they should be famous or at least have what others have without doing anything worthy for it.
@Thesongbird623 This is a poem about the human experience. Distant parents and teen pregnancy is not an invention of generation X. We like to think that the future is doomed, but in reality teen pregnancy rates are no different from the 50's and things like domestic and child abuse rates have gone down. Yeah there's a lot of angst, but I was just talking to my grandpa about his HS experience when segregation ended TALK ABOUT ANGST. Gen X is full of love, just need to open your eyes to see it.
I'm so tired of reading a sea of comments that just say "deep" . That's obvious . Form an option , tell us how it made you feel and if it inspired thought . I want to know that words as beautiful as his can still move people , can still be understood .
when something seems like it will never reach irrelevance, i take it it is a message from God. that's my sentiments as far as this poem is concerned. TOO SAD INDEED!
@jhniscolV2 Hey I wasn't reffering to what the poem is about. I'm celebrating the wisdom in it, and the fact that we don't always appreciate the wisdom years of living give our elders, or how precious they themselves are, and the truths life teaches them. So that we don't have to go through a mess if we would only listen and learn that way. I remember sitting up late with my Grandmother as she told us the same thing. And stil... you know?! God bless and take care Glynnis
@garethac81 That will never be, Garethac81. It's the saddest thing I have to say. People like Oscar help break down these type of walls that infinitely stay up. The day society ends is the day "white" and "black" mean nothing.
