MACK AND THE TURTLE
BY ROBERT B. INGRAM
Copyright 1987

This is a righteous tale about two dudes from the Colonized nation ie., The ghetto, you know!/ One dude was fast and the other dude was slow./

Now the fast dude they called him "MACK", who was always Cleaaaaan to the bone./ But he had been gaming since the age of nine. Just to support his Mamma's "Jones"./
 


The slow dude they called him "TURTLE" and he was a lame, so far as the Mack could see./ Cause he was always manicuring them mini-plantations for them folks in the land of the free./

Well one day when the Mack was out for a ride./ He "pinned" the Turtle out of the corner of his eye. The Turtle was at the "premises post-line" waiting for transport to travel... When the Mack "Hook-slided" in spraying the Turtle with sand and gravel./

 

"Hey baby", the Mack said - as the dust settle down./ "Hop into my 'chine and I'll motor you 'cross town". Well the Turtle's "corns" were killin. So, he thought -/ Why not- it was a chance to cool his heels. "Cause it sure in heck was hot."/

But just as the Turtle reached for the car door/ Bro. Mack pulled the car in gear and pushed the gas-pedal to the floor./
 

Tha "Spanish hog" skipped, skidded and screamed in the street. / Sweeping the turtle right off his feet./

The Mack laughed from his 'chine. "You ain't nuttin but a chump, / and yoo best profile is resting on you rump.. / All day long you flunking for those free-holding freaks/ and what you get? ... Callous on your buns and a back that's weak".../
 

"You see this?", the Mack continued flashing a "Knot" of green / "This is what it it is, this is what life means"... / "Can't you see you should be like me?" "Cool,/ Fool"./

The Turtle was zero to one Beaufort scale -/ His movement now as like a snail./ Looking the Mack dead in the eye - / With deliberate cool he made this reply./ "My man do you truly believe that you're slick?" / - "Maiming and gaming brothers and sisters with them old devil tricks" / - is your manhood sustained with the dough/ that you make, keeping babies dependent on "snow?" / ... Well Brother Mack it ain't about what you show, it's what you know" .. / It ain't about tainted bread,/ it's about knowledge in your head.../

And it sho-nuff ain't about the car you drive,/ but what you do to help a Brother or Sister survive... / What I'm telling you is that your rap ain't no "tipoff" -/ it's a "rip off"/

Everythings cool", The Mack replied in haste - / "Just who you think you is gettin on my case, / you ain't nutting but a rag-mop Turtle and my shirt's imported lace./ So you keep on jiving / and I'll keep on conivin/ .


Many years past - the Mack mellowed in his magnificance. He no longer had a shiney new ride,/ only worn out tennis shoes cushioned his stride./ Oh' yes, now he walked with a swish?/ A fate the "Big house" you know jail house, bestows on new "fish". / No longer a man with the world at his feet./ He tried to drown his memory in good old sneaky-peat./

Then one day through blood-shot eyes/ who do you thing the Mack up and spied? / - The Turtle, in a long limousine./ Lookin like a fashion page out of Ebony only twice as clean../



He walked up to where the Mack set spell bound./ The Mack's eyes were wide open, his buns frozen to the ground./ The Turtle reached out and took the Mack by the hand./ He said, "You remember me? - The man without a plan!"/

"Is that you Turtle?", asked the Mack./ "Darn you're looking good for a chump from across the track... / What you been doing, how the heck you been?"/

Old Turtle still moved slowly, speed never was his trend./ The Turtle spoke distinctly and clear, much to the Mack surprise./ But with every word the Mack heard he absorbed them mesmorized./



"Remember our conversation?", asked the Turtle reaching the trunk and pulling out a satchel full of green. / "How can I forget", replide the Mack - still shocked at what he'd seen./

'This suitcase is for you Bro Mack. Take it while I run some data by .../ About some super going-on you may want to try./

You see Bro' Mack I've been to the Mother Land where Brothers and Sisters all take turns/ - teaching one another things they need to learn, where caring is the essence, where pride is just being open to learn"./

"If everything was so dynominte, asked the Mack, "Why did you return?"./

A smile crept across the Turtle's face, a twinkle in his eye./ He waited, but one moment, "For you!" came his reply./ "you see Bro' Mack, in the Mother Land this is a gift to every lassie and lad.../

Their gift is knowledge that you can't be doing good if you Brother and Sisters are doing bad./

Can you dig it?