Brooklyn Bedouin

Principles Of Manhood

Packing for the MANA conference. In a moment of global transition, like life is, always and forever more. I will be hanging with DC Green Muslims, the Zaytuna folks - including Imam Zaid Shakir... Islam, that is my faith. What is yours?

1. God Fearing and God Conscious
1. He believes in the Supreme Being who is perfect, Omnipotent (all powerful). Omniscient (All-Knowing). Originator and Ruler of the Universe and is the sole object of his worship. True men realize that they have been created for a great purpose and will be held accountable spiritually and morally for their actions and those in their care in this world and live their lives accordingly.
2. Honesty
1. He is genuine. He is honest and truthful. He displaces integrity and is upright. He is sincere and frank. He is never giving to lying or engaging in behavior that would cause him to conceal the Truth
3. Industry
1. He is productive. He is hard working. He is diligent and committed to using his mental and physical abilities to being a productive member of society.
4. Benevolence
1. He has a strong inclination to perform acts of charity. He is a giver and freely spends on others and for righteous causes.
5. Respect
1. He is respectful and commands respect. His behavior is dignified and commands respect from all living beings: human or animal.
6. Compassion
1. He is compassionate. He is deeply concerned about the affairs, the plight and the suffering of others.
7. Fortitude
1. He has fortitude. He has strength of mind and character to endure pain and adversity with courage and dignity.
8. Courage
1. He has a quality of mind that enables him to face every danger with control of his emotions, desires, and actions as well as with confidence and resoluteness; he is brave.
9. Learning/Education
1. He is committed to life long learning and educating others. He is both a learner and a teacher. He shares whatever knowledge he has. He saves every opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding. He is committed to mastery of beneficial arts, skills, trade, crafts or technology. He is skillful.
10. Integrity
1. He has integrity. He is steadfast in adherence to strict moral codes of the Lord Who is the Legislator, Creator, Sustainer of the Heavens and the Earths.
11. Self-Discipline
1. He has self-control. He is never wild, unruly, erratic, or out of control. He controls his emotions, desires, and actions. He is never manipulated by the emotions, desires, or actions of others.
12. Self-Determination
1. He is self-determined. He weighs all of his options. He determines the best goals and the best course of actions to reach his goals. He has a vision, a mission and an intelligent strategy to make things happen.
13. Fidelity
1. He is a faithful husband and is committed to the legal union of man and woman in marriage under God’s law. He despises any form of adulterous or extra-marital affairs. He understands that this is displeasing to his Lord and that marriage and family are the foundations of societies/communities. If he is single, he is committed to selecting appropriate mates and having sexual relations within the institution of marriage and thus protecting his seed, his progeny and his lineage: dedicated dads and not dads who are duds; leaders not simply breeders. 

"i don't wanna bore you with.. my trouble.."

I am sitting in a coffee shop that will quickly become a phase of the past.

Looking at an automobile that has become incongruent with the present

Staring at the etched line in shifting sands

Quickly, and deadly, and with a halo of remorse

Saying ta-ta, too-de-loo!

 

You have always known. You can always say:

Goodbye

yet when the wind and sun and sky collide

Staring down at the crinkled leaves you pass, stepping to hear.

 a sound that will surely pass leaving bare concrete and rubbery soul.

 

ibrahim the poet, PINTA Fair, Junot Diaz, and Marvel's Sentinels

I had an artistic weekend. It reminded me that 10 years ago if you had met me I would have told you I was a poet. Simple as can be,

And this past week in my search for good employment I wrote this:

…I am a blackamerican muslim, descendant of pioneers, innovator, eco-pioneer, technologist, and visionary, ready to use my creativity, listening skills, and diplomatic manner…

and I thought about the “story” that I am immersed in reading The Power Broker, Caro’s book about the super-evil-genius Robert Moses.

And then I posted the following quote on my facebook profile:

Ibrahim Is cleaning because that is what I need to do, clear dusty corners, exile haunting thoughts, reveal tired ramblings and replace them with simplicity

It made me think about the evolving nature of our own personal stories in the era of constant medium declarations and the outpouring that comes from twitter and facebook, and everything else.

This artistic weekend started with me attending the PINTA gallery, and admiring this sculpture that I did not get the maker of, but was astonished at how it looked like a Sentinel from the pages of Marvel Comics.

I also was honored to attend

Taller Puertorriqueño, Inc.
  is proud to present

AN EVENING WITH
JUNOT DÍAZ

2008 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Fiction for
*THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO*
and
author of *Drown* (1996)

and I was especially honored to meet Junot Diaz who has, of late, been my literary hero.

(picL-R, Junot, Papo, Leticia)

Perhaps this week...?

Wed., November 19, 11:30am
Medgar Evers College
Brooklyn, NY
*Featuring editor Lisa Allen-Agostini and contributors Elizabeth Nunez and Tiphanie Yanique.

Wed., November 19, 7pm
St. Francis College
Callahan Center
180 Remsen St.
Brooklyn, NY
*Featuring editor Lisa Allen-Agostini and contributor Tiphanie Yanique. Sponsored by the Caribbean Cultural Theatre.

Signing off, ibrahim. the poet.

Live from ObamaCountry, Brooklyn NY loves President-Elect Barack Obama

In a cafe in Bed-Stuy, still in a minor state of shock. But i am with the world today. this is my america. my nation. my flag? we'll there is still a lot of bad things associated with the flag, now at least the sweat and grit of some of my people can wash away a bit of that association, here is a flag that was draped along the broad front side of a brownstone on Lafayette Avenue.

the ghetto is smiling today. i went into a Bushwick styled cochifrito spot and bought all the major papers at a time later in the day than i thought there would be some.

I am emotional. I made an apple pie last night, yes, i did, in a cast iron pan on the same day that the first black man was elected president of the united states.

i was in union square as well...

Be Obama, Barack the Vote.

Be Your Own Obama. Vote Today. Be Fly and Make Change For You And Everyone You Know.

jay lewis pic

... see you on the other side< November 4th we vote. November 5th the movement begins. Meet at Union Square, 12:01am on November 5th the Carnival begins<

-old ghosts of the atlantic

Barooklyn!

sorry its fuzzy, i was rushing a bit because a older lady was in line after me and she was so sweet and nice that i did not want to tarry in the booth for too long.

bb