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Well you tell me. He pretty good, he claim competent. He do alright considering the problematic constraint of a geas demand he speak truth always. He do a fair to middling Shine. A better than average Monkey. Decent Brer Rabbit. Some originals he like to think getting old gracefully. A little harp. A little kalimba. A circuit he made regular, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana; the Seven Sisters of the South - Memphis and New Orleans, Atlanta, Birmingham, St. Louis, Nashville and Natchez; colleges and the chitlin circuit, festivals, community dothingies, a ritual here, a ceremony there, altars, roots, spells, hands and consultations. He got by. |
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He nod, shake her hand, swear this time the thankyou note for sure, Dean he remind himself, her name not her title. He touch her hand, he feel her. She got pain.. Do you have more bags she ask him. He shake his head, dont travel with no more than he can carry. She hustle him over to a lowslung campus car. Wont have any downtime she say, your performance is in about an hour. |
She ask him if Highjohn his givenname or a stagename. He murmur respect. Family name he say. Lott of name to carry she say. Tell me about it he say, I do a fair to middling John de Conquer. The way Zora Neale did it. He figure she know the Conquer she know Zora. They drive through a modest little suburban campus. Didnt look like it could generate a decent crowd, but you never know. Dean point out where he performing. New Performing Arts Center, just built, just opened, youre the first. They stop at the campus Holiday Inn so he can freshen up and transform his traveling bag into a bag of tricks. He come back down to the lobby she up and pacing. He cool calm collected now. Its showtime. He give her a twisted root. Tell her its good for what ails her. Carry it when you need to. Feed it when you can.
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They late but the party dont start till he get there. Nice little auditorium, decent crowd, black teachers and students scattered amongst them That was a relief, a sea of expectant white faces make you feel like a minstrel, made Hancock Rux say no black male show today, no, not today. In spite of knowing better Highjohn start counting the years. It had been fun once. Putting an audience in the palm of your hand. Trying to move the people. To save the race. To awaken de sleeper, protect de weak and guide de strong. Now its just a gig. He give the nod at blackfolk awaiting tribal acknowledgement, then he drape himself in 101 talismans, a jaded professional perhaps but still a professional, showtime he like to say, an attitude he stole from All That Jazz. Cause art dont ask. |
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Dean winding down. He wrap de bell around he ankle. He was here last year, Dean say, and people are still talking. This used to be fun. I want you to welcome Jubilation Highjohn. A babagriot of the hoodoo way. Then Baba Highjohn jangle up, raise he conchhorn to he lip. |
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After awhile that plant became so powerful it began to walk like a natural man. Now Highjohn the human kept out of the sight of folk. Live Legba child in the swamp somewhere. But whenever you in trouble you whisper his name and you can feel the
Conqueror as he pass you in the breeze, listen good you hear him whisper
in the trees. Zora claim the Conqueror must walk on the wind, cause
he move so fast. Say maybe he in Mississippi when the lash fall on a
slave in the Sudan, but before the blood dry on the back the Conqueror
is there. Beating the unbeatable and superior to the whole mess a sorrow.
Claim this our day. Claim to know the way. |
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Zora say he the sweetness in an apple pie and the quick cunning of
breh rabbit. The cool breeze on a hot summer night and the wetness of
a sweet summer rain. He the hopebringer. The burden bearer. The battlefighter.
The jackpot winner. He a mighty force. An ultimate power. When you whisper
his name, that bee dont sting. That sqeeter dont bite. That snake dont
strike. |
Zora claim the conqueror help the slaves get free by tricking
old massa. Say after the slaves was free, the soul of the conqueror went
into the Highjohn de Conquer root. Waiting to return whenever there is
a need. Say you call him and he be there before you finish saying his
name. Highjohn de Conqueror. The Mighty Conqueroo. |
Thats what Zora Neale said. Ask her yourself if you dont believe me. |