Controversial Poem By SFSU Student Calls Obama 'Our Negro Saviour'
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A controversial poem about President Barack Obama written by a San Francisco State University political science student entitled "Of Our Negro Saviour" has generated a controversial buzz on the Internet.
"I tried to write a poem explaining why people both love and hate him and do it in a fair way," Peter Reynosa is quoted as saying in a post Friday to the website 'Before It's News.'
Reynosa recently participated in a recent poetry reading and discussion at a Political Science Student Association meeting at SFSU and said he "received a good reception." Another reading of his poem has been posted to YouTube. (See video below)
Reynosa has defended the his poetic writing, saying it offers both praise and criticism of Mr. Obama. He also defended his use of the word "negro" in describing the president.
"I chose the word negro because I thought it a beautiful word. Martin Luther King, Jr. used it many times in his famous speech and the poets Langhston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks also used it in their poetry. And I used the word saviour because to many he is almost like a saviour," Reynosa said in the web posting. "There will be no Gwen Stefani mea culpas for not being politically correct. I knew exactly what I was doing."
At the start of his poem, Reynosa talks about how people look for heroes in difficult times and said he tried "to convey how (Obama's) coming was such a thing of hope for people traditionally not in power," praising Obama for his effort to provide universal health care coverage.
But later in the poem, Reynosa noted he is "very critical of Obama for his reckless deficit spending, expansion of government control over our economic lives, and for his severely limiting our capitalistic ways by constant governmental intrusion."
Below is the poem in its' entirety as posted by Reynosa on the web.
OF OUR NEGRO SAVIOUR
When Gaia-world be writhing in chaos-tragedy of Thirty Years'
War strife and teetering on moneyed holocaust that
Threatens all vulgar-material life:
It be at such frail eras and eons that men childishly long and women
Fawningly desire for heroism to awaken and be personified in
Chosen King-squire who shalt save sacred bleeding Empire.
Hail our brother-son who comes from savage-enlightened Mother
Africa's womb, forged like a god from Heaven's Ethiope,
Bringing us priceless-precious longed for jewel-hope,
That be as treasured as Catholicism's faith-rope
That emanates from most virginal Pope.
Ancient Grecian slaves and exotic-faraway Slav-serfs and
Columbus-shackled ebony-skinned souls rejoice!
For the untouchable, time immemorial exploited-oppressed
Man of no choice now be a redeeming-triumphant voice!
O wise Odin be exalted and praised for being torchbearer
In these most godlessly darkest of climes,
And for championing valorous social justice and gallant ideals of
Egalitarianism that go beyond Philistine reason or rhyme.
Our Father's compassion and care for those without power and might,
And for the voiceless without honourable labour or Hippocrates's
Words of recite, prove those not born of divine height be oft
Better princes than monarchs of Destiny's plight.
Vigilantly defending-protecting frontiers with Hannibal bravery whilst
Seeking Christian-hearted peace with the sons of Mahomet as he
Tries to be Solomon betwixt Palestine-Judah's ill-fated comet.
──Yet, still willing to be Satanic blasphemous butcher without
Moral qualms when Visigoth-barbarian unholy priests
Evoke civilisation's most ignoble of wrongs.
So make pillars and pyramids and temples and pylons galore, for
Our panther-hearted warrior truly be Pantheon-laudable
And throng-worthy of tumultuous roar.
Yet, Jupiter-hero be reckless wastrel and squanderer of society's finite
Gold, and his wilful ignorance of Puritan thrift coupled with his
Self-blindness of borrowing bold may one day foretold the
Catastrophic return yet of Hapsburg Spain's
Collapsing bankruptcy debt.
To fight the Scylla-monster of poverty and always-expanding public
Want and need, our potentate conjures up Hydra-creature of
Coercion with tentacles that hungrily feed──and
Voraciously-prolifically everywhere breed.
For the kindness-benevolence of Caesar's most charitable of deeds,
Always comes by cruelest sabre with repressing-trampling
Steed even as Rajah soothingly entices and seduces
By commonwealth's betterment creed.
──And so take heed ever watchful gladiators of society free
Of those sovereigns who would impale Venetian
Commerce for subject and thee:
For economic liberty be castrated by virtuous glee of Republic's
Gentle-gradual, necessary-noble silent banshee.
Yes, curse the wretches to Tartarus who cowardly pine for secular Mahdis
And earthly Messiahs to extinguish life's anguishing terror-pain,
Never realising how Beast-Daemons become godlings of horrible
Reign when all forget that mortals be inevitable folly of
Cain and verily sinners Nature ordained.
──Still, who be with life and journey through Her Hellish of being, tenderly-
Motherly accept why so many thirst for a deity-saint of foreseeing to
Come forth with salvation of world-weary freeing.
And so blessed be our much-sought angel-goddesses and glorious demigods:
We give spirit-felt thanks for thy presence and admire thy travelings
Amongst our earth-ruins and most soiled of sod.
(Copyright 2012 CBS San Francisco. All rights reserved.)
