This remembrance
is in honor of Kiilu
We never met
but comrade I know and feel you
A revolutionary forged
in the crucible of action
Vowed to become
a woman George Jackson
Trained and mastered
Wu Shu Kung Fu
Kept Mao’s Little Red Book
a guide on what to do
To live plainly
but struggle hard
For the masses
as a living vanguard
Even though struck ill
wheelchair bound
You were there for the people
always found
In the midst
of their fights
From challenging false leaders
to protesting tenant’s rights
Political study sessions
in your living room
For any who might join
vibing to classic soul tunes
Lived amongst the people
in public housing
Never locked your door
any passersby allowed in
Defying the pigs
and the limits of disability
Until the day you transitioned
you kept that same energy
Skills and work ethic
from your days as a Panther
Called on us to boycott elections
as the answer
To Black exclusion
and oppression
Organize our own party
to give political direction
And answers to questions
over which we still puzzle
You recognized that
FREEDOM IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE
Which is the name you gave
your TV program
To educate the people
with your ear to the ground
Living your politics
consoled the hurt and harmed
Held onto people
kept them in your arms
Even when they made
grave errors
You trusted in their ability
to next time do better
A model of our capacity
as seeds destined to flower
Till we join you with the ancestors
Kiilu Nyasha rest in power!
