Lion King in the Hood

Lyrics

PITCH FOR A MOVIE: LION KING IN THE HOOD 1. cast list Mufasa & his absence played by every father ever Simba played by the first boy you know who died too young Sarabi played by the woman in church who has forgot the taste of praise in favor of the earth that hold her boy captive Nala played by the girl crying on the swing for her valentine who now date the dirt Timon & Pumbaa played by Ray-Ray & Man-Man, the joy of not-dead friends Zazu played by the ghost of James Baldwin Rafiki played by a good uncle with a bad habit, his lust for rocks on his lips Scar played by the world, the police, the law & its makers, the rope-colored hands The endless army of hyenas played by a gust choked tight with bullet shells, the bullets themselves now dressed in a boy 2. Opening Credits         brought to you by Disney & dead aunts brought to you on a platter, an apple in the lion-boy's mouth         brought to you on a terrible boat, reeking of shit & an unnamed sick brought to you on a tree branch heavy with tree-colored man 3. Opening Scene: The Circle of [interrupted]Life Nants ingonyama bagithi baba Sithi uhhmm [BANG] ingonyama Nants ingonyama [a mother calls for her boy] bagithi baba Sithi [BANG BANG] uhhmm ingonyama Ingonyama Siyo [the sound of blood leaving a boy] Nqoba Ingonyama [a mother's knees fall into a puddle of the blood she made herself] Ingonyama [the slow song of a spirit rising]nengw' enamabala [the spirit is confused about where its body went] 4. Song: Oh I just can't wait to be king this is the part where they realize that black people dream & our blood is indeed blood & our teeth, teeth & the music is loud because the field was wide & the field was long & we dreamed on simple things: shoes, our children back this is the part where the racist cuts off his tongue, his wet, pink repent he gives his eyes & his hands & anything that has ever assumed a black body a black & burnable thing. He gives himself to the lions & the lions feast & the lions are still a metaphor for black boys & the boys, full of fear turned into dinner, fall asleep & they dream yes, yes, they really do dream. 5. Song: Be Prepared         for the stampede of tiny lead beast for the jury not to flinch         for the hands, wild in your wildless hair for the darkest toll, your double down to get half         for the man, ecstatic with triggers to spread your legs while they search for drugs there         for the drug there, for their mouths to ask that big question to hear your history told to you over & over & over         for it never to change. 6. Scene: Mufasa Dies at the hands of his brother Scar What did you expect to be different? The hood (according to whiteness & the sadness of this film) is any jungle: a brother kills a brotha         the left behind body a forgettable meal         for the dark, white birds circling above 7. Montage: Timon & Pumbaa teach Simba a music other than the blues clip 1: the boy getting older in spite of everything clip 2: the boy & the boy-friends smoking blunts for once something else brown & on fire clip 3: the boy who would be king with his mouth in another man's throne clip 4: Timon & Simba singing down each other's throat clip 5: Timba calling Pumbaa a faggot & they all laugh clip 6: murals of all the dead friends' faces clip 7: funeral songs. small caskets clip 8: red, blue, periwinkle, yellow, black, & blood-maroon rags clip 9: flowers & picture frames on the side walk clip 10: shot the boys laughing anyway clip 11: shot the boys laughing in the sun clip 12: shot the boys laughing in the rain clip 13: shot of the boys not being shot 8. Scene: Simba comes home to kill his uncle & even here, a black man kills a black man, this awful cartoon, all the children cry blood until their bodies are just bone on skin. roll the credits, I must go weep. Why does Disney remind us what we have learned:         - one black light swallows another so easy         - killing is unavoidable as death         - the king's throne is wet with his brother's blood         - the queen suffers too but gets no name 9. closing credits say the name of the first boy you love who died. say it & don't cry. say it & love the air around your tongue. say it & watch the fire come. say it & watch the son rise.