An Evening of Love Stories & Poems!
“Telling Our Story, Claiming Our Glory!”An I-view on Love Night 2003
or How The Storyman Found A Story
All rights reserved.
(c)2003
How The Storyman Found A Story
by
Oni Lasana
OniLasana@aol.com / www.OniLasana.com
Dedicated to Baba Jamal Koram, The Storyman
&
All storytellers who need another story to tell!
Once upon a day, in the village of Storyland, Baba Jamal Koram, The Storyman woke up early in the morning. He had a good feeling that he needed to find a new story to tell. So he decided to go shopping for some fresh new stories. Storyman walked into town and went to the grocery store, and asked the grocery man, “Do you have any good stories for sale?”
The grocery man looked under his apples, oranges, lettuce, tomatoes, bread, meat and all the can goods and said, "Seems we are all out of stories today." "Now I remember, we sold the last bushels of stories to Philadelphia's Official Storyteller, LINDA GOSS, just the other day, sorry, no more stories in here!"
Storyman couldn’t believe his ears, so he left the store and went on down the street and walked inside of the furniture store and he asked “You have any new stories for sale?”
The furniture man looked behind the sofa, behind a chair, even in and around the book cases and he turns to Storyman and stares him straight in the eye and says, "I could of swore there was stories around this furniture, I guess Brother TEJU finally came took all them stories out of layaway." "Sorry, you will have to find stories from someplace else, but could I interest you in a new CD wall unit instead?"
Storyman said, "No sir, I need a great new story to tell. I'm going to the National Association of Black Storytellers Conference and Festival in Rhode Island and to the National Storytelling Network festival in Jonesbourough, Tennessee and I need to tell a story no one has ever heard or told before, so I have to get going, I’ll see you later.“
Storyman left the furniture store, walks down the street and enters the Shoe Store. "Hey Shoeman...you have any good sturdy, long lasting, shoe stories up in here?"
The Shoeman looks around at the Stacy Adams, Timberlands, Jordans and all the shoes on his shelf, Shoeman turns round to Storyman and says, "I don't see any story round here man, I had one or two stories in here, but it seems those stories must of walked out of here, want me to order another pair of stories for you?" "I’ll get them in by next week, come back then."
Storyman shook his head and said, “I don’t have time, I need a story TODAY, I'm out of here!” So Storyman went on down the street, walks into the Candy Store and says, "Got any good, sweet, sour, peppermint, chocolate stories up in here sir?"
Candyman had just come in from the dentist and he says to Storyman, "Man I had a lot of candy stories up in here, but just yesterday, the children came, brought them and ate them all up, fast as I can stock 'em! Juju stories, Twistler’s stories, Mike n' Ike, Hershey bars, Snickers, every candy story I had is gone!"
"Wow“ says Storyman, “This town is sooooo borrrrinnnggg, and I can't find a story anywhere!" Candyman says to Storyman, "Why don't you go on down to the library, they have a lot of stories inside the books at the library.”
"Now why didn't I think of that in the beginning of this story," said Storyman, "I'm going straight over to the library, I'm sure to find a new story at the library!"
So Storyman caught the bus, and got off at the library stop. He walked inside the library and the bookshelves were EMPTY! Not a book anywhere!
“NO STORIES!” shouts Storyman.
Sistah Lady Librarian hears Storyman's big mouth (Well, Storyman don't even use a microphone when he tells his stories) and says, "You can hollar all you want cause we don't have any stories left, they are all gone, just the other day, half of the people in the town came and everyone took out all the storybooks and went home." “I know they are learning a lot about people, places and things from those storybooks.” “Then one day, the other half of the town went to the Tellabration, to listen to all the storytellers tell stories!”
Well, the Storyman had to shut his mouth, for a whole minute, he couldn't hear with his ears or see with his eyes, BUT, he sure could feel his stomach growl, 'cause next thing you know, Storyman was hungry! Real hungry, not only for a good story but for a good something to eat, so he walked out of the library and continued on his journey, further up the road.
Storyman was following the smell in his nose, when he saw a little restaurant, the sign said, LITTLE MAMA'S BIG KITCHEN. The food was smelling real good, so Storyman steps through the door and sat down, as he looked around for Little Mama, he saw the big face pretty lady, standing behind a huge big pot.
"Mam, you have this place smelling real good and I'm starvin' like Marvin, what you have cooking in that pot?” asked Storyman, “And by the way, I'm looking for a great new story to tell, heard any lately?”
Well, Little Mama, looks over her big black pot and noticed Storyman's mouth watering and he was lickin' his lips. Little Mama takes the top off the pot, takes a big snif, leans back and say. "Well Sir, I have plenty of real, good, sweet, yummy, tasty stories, plenty of them...sad, happy, funny, healing, spiritual, love, historical, folklore, all kinds of stories, real good, so I put them ALL in this pot, and it’s cooking up real nice, a very delicious, scrumptious fresh and new, Little Mama’s Storystew, ready to eat!"
“Well do tell!” say Story man, “I'm listening to YOU now, Little Mama, “Tell me more!”
Little Mama, tightens her apron rounds her waist and looks Storyman right in the eyes and says..."This is the second pot I cooked up this week, the first pot I made...I served it up to all the storytellers from the storytelling group in Philadelphia, called KEEPERS OF THE CULTURE. They all came around and ate up this Storystew, right before the LOVE NIGHT storytelling show. The theme was 10X10=100 percent LOVE, so you know it was some lovely storytelling! Yes Sir, Little Mama's Big Kitchen, is the only place in the world to get Storystew! Didn’t you hear about Love Night? Well, I’ll tell you that story right now!”
“CAROLIESE FRINK REED, she told the story about Bo Jackson, that man all the ladies love cause he is very good with his hands. Then in walks the West Baltimore African Talking Drum, BUNJO BUTLER, he came all the way from B'more to eat this Storystew, just so he can tell folks plain and simple, how he "Never gets tired of being so pretty and dark!”
“And Keepers Of The Culture, president, NASHID ALI, he just can't wait to share his story about Jackie Robinson, but he can’t remember a single word if he don't eat Little Mama's Storystew....mmm...mmm…mmm.”
“Now, I know you heard of, CHARLOTTE BLAKE ALSTON, telling her Grandma Rap story, she is always hungry for my Storystew, and folks all over the world are hungry for her stories too!”
“QUEEN NUR, well, she gets take out, while she eats in...she's so full of stories! BRO ABIODUN, the hip hop Pop-Pop...huh...he like his story with lots of proverbs in it, I have plenty for him too." "DENISE VALENTINE...she want extra love spices in her stories, and she get them all right here!“
"Do you know the Tall Storyteller, KALA JOJO, that man really is tall ya know...and he came and rest his kora right down here and ate 3 bowls of Storystew!“ “He can't get enough of my Storystew stuff!”
“THELMA SHELTON ROBINSON, that lady know some things about Philly and be telling on all of the folks in that town!“ The one and only, ONI LASANA, you know, she claim she is a poet in motion, that gal can't write a rhyme with out eating my Storystew potion!”
“Well, now you know the story, Storyman, so just relax while I takes out some for you!” "How it taste? Aaahhh, it’s real good.” “So Storyman, since you are the first to taste it today, tell me what stories you gonna tell now?"
Storyman was feeling satisfied and leaned on back and replied, "Ah Little Mama, I'm gonna tell all the delicious stories I just ate, from your Storystew, I'm gonna bring smiles to all the people, yes Mam, that's just what I'm gonna do!"
“Alright!” said Little Mama, "Storyman, your search is over, but your welcomed here anytime...cause Little Mama got stories...like Granddaddy got rhymes! And now that you know how this story unfurled, go on out and share it with the world!”
So
Baba Jamal Koram, The Storyman,
did
just
so.
The beginning…
Now you know this story…you can tell it too!
Just tell folks...Oni made it up for you *!*
*!*
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