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hue man being

In the beginning we know not words but the noise of he that sins
The induction of destruction and obstruction of good tends

Do snowballs have a chance in hell and what does it all portend?
Am I left gasping and convulsing or will I get that second wind?

I’m not in Kansas anymore; Toto or Corporate may accept me in
These skin faders and dermis lasers are doing much less than they pretend

“Study real hard”, “don’t let down your guard”, and seven like sapient
When he grows up, will life show up or should we notify next of kin?

Who is in the mirror? Is God any nearer? And where did I begin?
Claim pots or kettles or African settles or whatever moniker gives you skin

Aren’t we all the same ‘ere what’s in a name and don’t labels expire the trend?
We’re at sixes and sevens, a fly is in the ointment, and a straw is in the wind

In the end, we remember not words of enemies but the silence of our friends*
And it’s that absence that negates. It’s that quiet that pretends.

kenn.

* ‘In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.’ – Martin Luther King Jr.

big libraries or big TVs

booksBooksBooks

“Rich people have big libraries. Poor people have big TVs.” – Dan S. Kennedy, author and entrepreneur

What a loaded and inciting statement, right? Continue reading →

who is kenn bivins 2?

who is Kenn Bivins2?

I’m quite proud of my eldest son, Kenn II, who has begun blogging with his photography, words and the heart of a young revolutionary who knows no bounds. Continue reading →

stop. now, start.

stop. now start.

Sometimes, before you can START something, you have to STOP something else first, that might otherwise hinder you. This is the season where many people use the newness of the year to make promises, resolutions, commitments and good habits. Continue reading →

word up, my ninjas

word up, my ninjas

As a writer, I love words. Words are sexy. They can tell us so much about where we are and, many times, where we’re from. Take the word, nigger, or it’s politically correct presentation – the N-word. regardless of how you brand it, the word is pretty hateful. I don’t care what hip hop culture says. Continue reading →

happy 2012 from the Bivins

Happy 2012 from the Bivins.

Continue reading →

happy new year(s)?

Happy New Year(s) ?

One of my pet peeves during this most reflective time of year is when people recite some configuration of ‘New Year’ but with an ‘s’ added to the end. Continue reading →

one little Christmas tree

Kenn's Charlie Brown Christmas tree

When I was a little boy around this time of year, the Christmas tree would ignite my little imagination with hope and anticipation of what Christmas morning might bring. The air was filled with smells of my mom’s cooking and the sounds of Motown Christmas songs. One song, in particular, was my favorite. I begged my mom to play it over and over again. It was “One Little Christmas Tree” by Stevie Wonder. I felt akin to that little tree – tiny and small. Continue reading →

the truth about L-tryptophan

dozing Kenn2

Our word for the day: L-tryptophan (ell-trip-toe-fan).

It’s the supposed active ingredient in turkey that makes you feel sleepy and sluggish after that big Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Some like to refer to this post-meal drowsiness as the ‘itis.’ Well, the fact is that L-tryptophan is not the culprit of your feelings of grogginess, sleepiness and sudden exhaustion. Continue reading →

featuring Redford Stephens

featuring Redford Stephens

I’m a little late to the party when it comes to videos, but all last month, The Roots teased the release of undun with snippet videos that culminated in this short film written, edited and directed by Clifton Bell. Continue reading →