About the photograph - Sadly, Oba Maja passed away the following October.
According to his brother, the greenish-yellow color of Oba Maja’s eyes was due to an illness. When I converted the image to B/W, I left the eyes untouched.
Monday afternoon, driving north on Milwaukee Ave through Wicker Park, Chicago. I think I hear a guy yelling “Porn! Porn!”
I have to know what’s going on. I make a u-turn and add yet another traffic violation to my life.
“Are you saying porn?” I ask.
“Hey Brother. I write poems. Sometimes people think I’m saying porn, though.”
This gentleman’s name is Oba Maja. He tells me the name means “possessed by the King’s spirit.” We talk for a while.
I learn that he was once a choir boy and that he went to school with the infamous, and reportedly vicious Chicago mobster, Anthony Spilotro.
“Man, they had white shag carpet in the basement! I’d be afraid to come in, but Tony would say ‘don’t worry about that shit’.”
Oba Maja believes that demigods, demons, and angels walk the streets regularly. He believes in space travel as a way to understand The Creator. ‘The Creator’ is how Oba Maja refers to God.
He says that in the song ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’, the chariot is actually a spaceship. Then, he says he can tell that I am an angel just for coming back to talk to him.
I have no response for that.
He makes it clear that he is not homeless. He and his brother have an apartment. Between odd jobs and such, Oba Maja writes poetry. It makes him happy and also makes him a few bucks. People pay whatever.
He tells me that his face is part of a mural at Lake Street and Damen.
I buy a couple of poems:
One is about the Blue Sky, the other about Love.
He gives me a hug, then I’m off.
“My mother put me in Catholic School, right?
I was good in basketball…
And…
What it was, when I got in college…
I was more interested in making babies than I was in my education.
Big mistake.
Big mistake, brother.
I found out later.
I used to drive a bus when they had electric buses.
Ok?
I used to, uh… drive cabs, you know what I'm sayin'?
I done did everything man, you know what I'm sayin'?
Man, tryin’ to survive brother.
Tryin' to be a good…
Most people think I’m a bum, I’m not a bum brother.
I live in a nice apartment with me and my brother, we share the rent…
And, but most of my money goes on our bills… the rent, the heat, the gas, you know what I’m sayin' man.
So I get out here everyday, man, and try to make me some money, man, you know, try to look good everyday…
You know, I try to (unclear) on people, I’m not a bum…
I’m a person out here tryin' to…
Earn me somethin’,
A good way,
Without stealing,
Without selling drugs,
You know what I’m sayin'?
Yes sir, brother.
Alright man… “