Like a Universe - Sun Ra Poem as Read by Amiri Baraka

I've recently been working on some posts featuring Ra's poetry and when I heard Amiri Baraka's interview at TTBook regarding This Planet is Doomed including this recitation of Like a Universe I knew it had to be the first in the series.

like a universe

perfect?

if they only knew

what great jokes God has played on

humanity

yes, he's placed me in the midst of them

for vague purpose of vague and

yet so great that I don't know where

it is myself

I don't know where this purpose lies

hidden

what is there?

a soft fire that is burning within me

to let me know

yes, it's there

and my mind searches for it

and my heart searches for it

And I look and I think,

yes, here it is

then it's gone

it's like a mist

then it's like a sunset

it's like a sunrise

it's like a universe

it lies there

and yet I walk among people all long

not knowing

and the people not knowing

and then I think

I say,

what a great joke I am

and then, strangely enough

I look at people sometimes and I hate

them

I look at them and I hate them

I don't wish to destroy them

I don't want to harm them

But I hate them

Because I know that I'm a part of them

that I am here for them

that I belong to them

and that's why I hate them

because you see, if I didn't belong to them

if I wasn't placed here for them

I would be a free spirit

But I can't be free as long as I haven't

served my purpose

I can't be free as long as I give to people

what I have to give to them

yes, I'm more free than most men

I'm more free than most spirits

but yet I am chained

you see, it's a great joke on me, too

then again, I look at people, and I

love them

I love them so very much until I turn

my head in shame

I want to touch them with my fingertips

and erase the frown from their face

I want to touch them with my mind and

erase every care and every sorrow away

I want to touch them with my mind and

open their mind's eye and let them see

the things that I know and feel

I want to do that because I love them

then I look at them, then I hate them

again

I hate them because I love them so much

and I don't know

I don't know where hate begins and love

ends

I don't know how love ends and hate

begins

I don't know any of those things

all I know is

I'm a great joke

I'm the biggest joke that's ever been

played upon the world

and people think

they think that God has no ailment

but I know because I'm a living joke

I'm one that will cause people to scratch

their heads in wonderment

In search of their hollow hearts

and look in their souls and wonder,

Where did he come from? What is he?

Who made him?

You see, I'm such a great joke

until I tickle myself

reading by Amiri Baraka
from
this planet is doomed
the science fiction poetry of SUN RA
Kicks Books (2011) pp 108 - 110

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