A Tribute To Ado Tony Hughes U Now Transition To The Ancestors As IbayeSUNRISE: November 8th, 1969 SUNSET: August 10th, 2010

Tony Hughes

Tony... since your transition to the African ancestors... Ibaye... I was thinkin' how I could honor what you meant to me. I was looking through a few Black SGL books for poems or quotes - didn't find anything adequate. I then got the idea to look at some of my own poetry/prose.

I haven't had my poetry/prose published online since waaaaaaaaaaayyy back in the days (2001) of my Cast of Chocolate Warriors Yahoo Geocities website.

You have awakened the written word in me to share yet again...

EYE CRIED
by
ROD PATRICK RISBROOK
{August ‘99}

Eye laid in bed thinking about you one night
Eye envisioned us making passionate love together
We were both naked and bare
We were embraced for a moment
The warmth kindling of our spirits
You stood back to take in my image
My left eye cried as a tear rolled down my face
You were startled and asked why eye was sad
Eye was not sad
But my body was rejoicing in happiness
Happiness in knowing you
Embracing you
Loving you

Eye’m thinking we could be potential soul mates
Yes, eye know it’s too early to say
And time will only tell
But if you are the one
Fate could not have granted me a better lover to love


Eye lit a candle last night
To awaken the spirit of you within me
The flame was a light of protection
Watching over me as Eye fell asleep like a baby
Eye awakened and you were still there
The flame ever luminescent
Still guarding and nurturing my being
You have been in my thoughts ever since we first met
Your image captured like a film negative exposed to my inner eye
My inner eye weeping with passion
Eye think eye have the potential for loving you
For love has no bounds
No limits for where…
Our spirits can fly
Like doves in a new found paradise gone by

Candice Boyce: Pioneer, Leader & Veteran Organizer of the Black Lesbian Movement SUNSRISE: May 18, 1943 SUNSET: August 2, 2010

In Loving Memory of CANDICE BOYCE
Sunrise May 18th, 1943
Sunset August 2nd, 2010

A sister is Gone
A sister is gone
in body but not spirit,
she lingers in our minds, our hearts, our souls
A sister is gone
but not her words
they run deep, heavy in our heads
they persist fiercely on our lips
a legacy waiting to be told
A sister is gone
but not her voice
the empowerment of it rings in our ears
offering us strength to carry on
A sister is gone
a sister who bestowed
the gift of love, hope and reaffirmation
of sisterhood among black lesbians
A sister is gone
remembered but missed
A sister is gone
we sisters mourn
Cause
A sister is gone

-Laura Irene Wayne

LOVING PARTNERS Candice (with Gil's Puppy) and Linda - 2009

Linda & Candice

Candice Boyce

Candice Boyce (May 18, 1943 - August 2, 2010) was co-founder of Salsa Soul Sisters, co-founder of Third World Wimmin Inc. aka African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change. It is insufficient to say that she was dominant force in the Black Lesbian community in NY for close to forty years. She was a gift to LGBT movement for People of Color from the Beyond. This is an enormous loss. She touched so many women's lives! Her peerless leadership, personal bravery, ability to dissect complex issues with immaculate articulation and willingness to share her broad vision with sisters of all ages will be sorely missed.

Mr. Anthony JenkinsMy Beloved Friend TransitionsSunrise: Sept. 13th, 1948Sunset: December 2009 A Nubian Knight Resting His Arrows...

Anthony Jenkins (picture right)
At the 16th Annual KWANZAA Celebration
(December 29th, 2007) at The LGBT Center

I can't believe you're gone! I'll miss you!
And I'll Miss All Those Outfits You Wore At
Black Men's Xchange-New York (BMX-NY)
While Living Your LIFE AUTHENTICALLY!

YOU EXUDE A ROYALTY LIKE A
KING OF AFRICAN GREATNESS!!

REST YOUR ARROWS, NUBIAN KNIGHT!

PEACE BRUTHA!

ROD's Tribute To Marvin Vines SUNRISE: 1943 to SUNSET: 1997 Soul On Canvas African-American Phyne Art

"Resurrection"

For years I have been a BIG, BIG fan of African-American artist/painter Marvin Vines (1943-1997). Marvin Vines otherwise known as "Marvines" (his signature on some of his own works) was a nationally acclaimed artist from Toledo, Ohio.

"I AM WHO I AM"

I can't quite remember how I stumbled upon his work, but it probably happened through my budding desire to start collecting Black male calendars back in the day somewhere between 1999 to 2001. All my calendars are photographic in nature, however, this one SPECIAL calendar I own has 12 months of Marvines' artwork ("I AM WHO I AM").

And as you can see above "I AM WHO I AM" is a powerful collage of Black men. It's absolutely superb!

"Pose"

"Torso"

Upon seeing his work for the first time back then, I was instantly attracted to his style and flava of subject matters. I mean... I was asking myself: Who is this brutha with the incredible talent? Where do I get more of his work? Why am I homo-erotically attracted to the body sculptures of the Black men in his subject matters of works? Why is the majority (not all) of subject matters of his his artwork stemming around Black men?

"Robe"

"Consciousness"

I've long and often wondered (still to this day) if Marvin Vines was same gender loving (SGL); not that it matters in the larger scheme of things, or that I'm trying to "claim" him for the SGL tribe. It has more to do with learning where the passion and expression of his art comes from particularly around the real sensual way in which he draws and portrays Black men in his portrait paintings. Very, very sadly, he transitioned from us in 1997, the same year I came into my "self-acceptance" around my homosexuality. So when I learned of and discovered his work a few short years later, he was already gone from me in a sense. No way to go to an art exhibition to see more of his work or to meet him personally and asks questions.

"2 Black 2 Strong"

"Endangered"

"Jam-N"

In any case, I really felt the need to pay tribute and promote attention to brutha Marvin Vines and his work because there is something about his work I connect to. It goes beyond just the SEXY or the STRONG Black male figures he portrays; or the social commentary in the naming of his works and and what the paintings represent themselves... it's... it's the fluidity of his style... the honesty of his style... the colors of his style... the unmistakable urban flava of style... the serenity of his style... the very soul expressed on his canvases such as the strength ("2 Black 2 Strong"), plight ("Endangered") and interests ("Jam-N") of the Black man... the (male) Nubian Knights in America. It's all that and more.

I own prints of "2 Black 2 Strong" and "Endangered" and had them professionally framed.

"In Flight"


"Ajax"

His other works include nature stuff like geese, birth and inanimate objects like a can of Ajax! LOL! Now that's GOOD GHETTO for you! LOL! And like many other artists out there, his work was perceived to be different and therefore ostracized from the art industry.

"Birth"

"My First Crib"

"The Family"

"Homeland" is arguably (with myself) my favorite Marvines piece (see picture below). I'm a hardcore science-fiction fan and there is an "other-wordly" theme or element that I get from this painting. The whole metaphysical thing with the naked brutha (with a afro and bandana!!! LOL! I LOVE IT! ) standing on rocks and water by the edge of the cliff with an illuminated valley and valley path down below... the spiritual entity (Dr. Strange-esqe like the Marvel Comics character) floating up from the brutha' body...the volcanic eruption in the background suggests a star field to me... and waaaaaaaaaaaay off into the distance on the left side of the painting, if you look closely... is that a mirror image of himself standing in between the high rock formations???... this painting has a lot going on. It's PHUCKING BRILLIANT! When I get the $600 duckets, I'll buy this piece! Or unless one of y'all wanna buy it for me. I'll be grateful forever! LOL!

I'll tell you though, I wish the hell I could draw like this brutha or just draw period!

"Homeland"

My Top Favorite Marvines Work

If you're interested in looking at more of Marvin Vines work or purchasing some of his art you can go to his official website which is managed by his brother Anthony and the Marvines estate at:

Soul on Canvas | Marvines Fine Art

I'am Who I'am Black Male Art Collection

There's Also An Official Blog:
 Marvines | Soul On Canvas Blog

Lastly, as a finish to my tribute, below is a video that I've had on my computer hard drive for years and decided to upload it to YouTube and share it here on my blog with y'all. In the video one of his quotes is "I don't consider myself different than any other artist; white, Black, green, whatever. It's just the imagery that I create, part of my experience, just happens to be an imagery that either folks won't accept, don't accept, or can't accept."

Enjoy the 3 minute video and catch y'all on da rebound.



And Marvin, wherever you are in the UNIVERSE, I LOVE your work bro... peace!