Slater Hayes Podcast
The Slater Hayes Podcast is designed to highlight the everyday occurrences of life via poetry, prose, and social commentary. They are poignant, insightful pieces that address all facets of the black experience with the desired outcome of evoking memories, provoking thought, and conversation. Each piece directly or indirectly addresses various topics as experienced through the unique perspective of blacks. New or widely listened to/requested repeat episodes are published each Sunday at 1:00est.https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1666015.rss
"FILLED"
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I pray that this personal testimony will enable others to learn to lean and place their cares in the hands of GOD.
It does not matter what the issue is-HE IS ABLE!
Let go and be
"FILLED"
with the HOLY SPIRIT. He left it here as our HELPER!
DO NOT ALLOW pride to rob you of what is truly within-with HIM and THROUGH HIM!
OUR SPIRIT...LIVES!
"Amerikkk*a, The Troubled"
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We can choose to continue to view this great experiment as one perfect union.
However, if we open our eyes to the realities of what is occurring around US, we will come to realize that things are not going to get better by US sitting on our hands or adopting the "it is what it is" attitude.
An attitude that those who seek to tighten their grips of control by furthering to oppress and suppress our rights are more than happy to see US adopt.
...
'Abdication"
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It has always been incredibly vexing to me to hear adults speak negatively of children-especially children that are a part of their respective community(ies).
It seems that we have now forgotten what we experienced as youth or have become so detached from the village that other's well-being is no longer of our concern.
Sure, I understand that there are now risks when approaching the youth of today-everyone seems to be "strapped" and seem to possess little to no reticence in using that weapon.
"Abdication"
'Vision"*
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"Vision"
I envision us sojourning ...TOGETHER...beneath and within the GLORIOUS SPLENDOR of GOD!
OUR SPIRIT...LIVES!
PEACE!
"I Witness"
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"I Witness"
When the revelation received opens one's eyes to the fact the we are oftentimes our biggest obstacle to what we seek to achieve.
Don't allow the coaster to force you to overlook what is oftentimes abundantly obvious.
OUR SPIRIT...LIVES!
PEACE!
" On a Coaster...Desiring a Carousel"*
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Oh, how thankful I am that God saw fit to remove from the roller coaster of life and establish a place of solid ground for me.
HE moved in a way that enlightened me to the fact that what I attributed to the spirit in me WAS NOT a spirit at all-IT WAS SOULFUL FLESH!
I am eternally grateful that the SPIRIT that HE imparted to me was and is willing to move so that I could transcribe things that are often a mystery as it pertains to their si...
"Jagged Edge"*
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Growing into that space that the facade has for so many years protected-that facade is now being torn down-much to the dismay of those who had an integral part in creating it.
There is no intent to diminish the personally held thoughts of others. There is no intent to create personal chaos within myself nor for others.
Jagged Edge
was composed when I sat and held a very nice conversation with a cousin that I truly adore. I shared some information regarding m...
Aye, Aye***
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LET GO of that wheel and allow HIM to captain your ship.
All we have to do is learn to say...
"AYE, AYE"
OUR SPIRIT...LIVES!
PEACE!
"Trappings"**
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We cast off...pray away...those things that seek to work their nefarious deeds within our lives.
Those...
"Trappings"
that present themselves as something that we cannot do without. Those things that oftentimes present in a glistening fashion that leave us awestruck.
Let me tell you...and I tell you with a certainty that was learned from true first-hand experience..."ALL THAT GLITTERS AIN"T GOLD"
Thing is, we have to be certain that after WE HAVE BEEN FREED...
"evo-LUTION"
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Some are in Disbelief
Some are Saddened...
Some are Amazed...
Some are simply OVERJOYED...
All these various emotions by what is now occurring in this amerikkka!
There is utter confusion by many as to how they should respond and behave based on what is occurring.
White folk afraid to show their true beliefs to their inner-circles for fear of being ostracized.
Black folk who thought they had arrived and secured their place now being confronted with...
"The Little Things"
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We oftentimes give short shrift to those things that for a lifetime we consider inconsequential.
Until, as we age, we recognize they were of great consequence.
I have been doing quite a bit of reminiscing lately. And I have become more and more aware that MY GOD considers every interaction that we have with another of HIS creations are of the utmost importance to HIM and that HE truly wants us to get it right...each and every time.
HE does not want us to beat ourselves...
When Wondering What to Tell Them***
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I dug into past episodes this morning with the sole intent of locating this piece.
WHY? Deuteronomy 4:9-10
Take a moment and study it. After you have done so, have a listen to...
"When Wondering What to Tell Them"
Make NO MISTAKE... it is up to US to ensure that...
WE INDEED TELL THEM...
OUR SPIRIT...LIVES!
PEACE
MY PATH***
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I KNOW that every word that I write-every new discovery and EVERY bit of technology that I engage- is designed for me to convey that which the Spirit has imparted to me.
I also know that this is MY WALK but that GOD has laid out this specific path for me so that I can reach that SOMEONE who is in need of it.
"MY PATH"
is a piece that illuminates what's inside me and the things that I have endured so th...
"hanoJ"
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This piece....reworked and re-published at this time for two SPECIAL PEOPLE in the lives of myself and my wife, Marjorie.
I have but one request ...LISTEN CAREFULLY.
Its' words may apply to you or someone that holds a special place in your heart.
"HanoJ"
OUR SPIRIT...LIVES!
PEACE!
"America...The Troubled"
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Call it out...CONFRONT IT.
There is a concerted attempt to ERASE ALL of our past
"America...The Troubled"
Is a piece I wrote back in February of this year when there was active discussion about eliminating Black History Month and those activities that celebrate the achievements of an entire group of people.
Regrettably, that movement remains alive and well.
Even more regrettable is the fact that there are those among US who are so "caught up" in selfish desires that t...
"Escapades"***
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Once again, I hear the electrical currents running behind/within the walls...
I DO NOT know about you'll, but my dreams are as vivid as the time I spend during what we consider as awake.
I am aware that throughout the past five years I have broached the subject of dancing colors, hearing the sound of electricity running through the walls, and many other things that may be considered as weird.
However, this episode...
"Escapades"
is...
Currents
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This piece, or the completion of this piece, occurred this morning. I started it several months ago while walking along the wooded path that I normally travel.
Admittedly, I have not been doing much walking lately. Nor have I been doing much writing.
However, that all changed on Friday, July 31 while lying in bed.
I HEARD the electricity running again-behind the walls.
I immediately jumped up and went straight to the notes section on my phone and located this untitled piece.
I knew t...
"Mama, It's Still Circling" *
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There are mothers who are condemned to needlessly cry throughout the land.
This time the focus is on the mother of Nolan Xavier Wells!
Say his name.
"Mama...It's Still Circling"
is a piece that seeks to illuminate the deaths of our young men and women whose lives are "snuffed out" without adequate explanation.
Whether the cause is alleged suicide or being seemingly abandoned on an island-no investigation or cursory explanation adequately soothes t minds of those left behind.
"Trifecta"*
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If you truly listen.,..
Along this journey we are often caught juggling numerous those things we want to hold to while seeking to determine the importance of each.
"Trifecta"
...again, a piece that called for me to revisit.
Because it addresses the quandary created by the vicissitudes of life and those things we ALLOW to rent, lease, and own that SPECIAL SPACE- within our minds.
As stated about many pieces I have published in the past...
"The Real"***
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If one did not believe that they would be impacted by...
"The Real"
...it certainly now should be abundantly clear by the rulings handed down by the Supreme Court of the United States on yesterday-June 25,2026 that there decisions are PURPOSELY INTENDED to impact ALL PERSONS of color, the marginalized, and the disproportionally affected.
This ruling, and the as yet unannounced ruling on birthright citizenship, is purposely creating a GREAT DEAL of anxiety throughout the land.
This rulings intended consequence is also meant to create a s...
"Pops"
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And still....
We all have memories and stories that we can talk about our father's. The stories I have are not based on long eloquent conversations that we had- that was not Snow!
My life lessons were derived from observing- the good and bad -of this man of action.
"Pops"
...encapsulates the essence of the man that had "many" mouths to feed and went about those things to ensure we had "somt'eat". As I look back it seems that a number of...
"Relative"***
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"Perspective is Relative"
Even as one reads those words, the thoughts that begin to formulate in one's mind may differ tremendously from what was intended by the author.
It takes some growing up to actually arrive at the point of "becoming grown" and realizing and accepting that as we traverse along this journey- that perhaps everything is working out as it's supposed to.
The piece I was led to publish today speaks directly to that exact concept.
"RELATIVE"
...y...
"Hold to The Wrapping"
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Oftentimes, that for which we find ourselves desperately searching is right there within our hands or contained within that which we willingly discard.
This entire piece, music and all, is intended to be disconcerting-an example of what we find ourselves doing within our lives.
Over complicating things when there is no need and casting away those things that are/were designed to simplify the entire journey.
"Hold to the Wrapping"
is an encouraging word that I hope inspires us to be careful to u...
"Longing*
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Tomorrow, March 16th, 2026, is my 65th birthday!
PRAISE GOD!!
I share this piece with all those with whom I have enjoyed this time-this blessing.
"Longing"
is a piece that I hope evokes your special memories of people and times that let you know, as it does me, that the process of longing is...
SIMPLY LOVE THAT REFUSES TO FADE.
So, ENJOY this piece as you...REMEMBER!
OUR SPIRIT...LIVES!
P...
'trippin' "**
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This current administration afforded numbers of people and groups of people to remove their masks and expose themselves for who they truly are and what they truly represent.
'trippin"
is a short piece that illuminates some of the things that we as blacks, especially men, encounter on a daily basis.
Regrettably those persons and companies now feel no need to disguise their reprehensible actions towards those they feel are less than.
I shall not allow myself to...
'The Solution...Stop Adding Red"*
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There now seems to be only one way that WE can prevent the continuing onslaught of decisions that are clearly intended to benefit and further establish the desires of those who live to strip away the inherent rights of other humans.
The manner by which to do so is highlighted in...
" The Solution...Stop Adding Red"
...the change we desire is not something we can hope away.
We, my people and those of a like mind, have to exercise our constitutional right and...
"I Wish"**
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"I Wish"
...that the listener recognizes the tenuous nature of CIVIL RIGHTS and is moved towards making a conscious decision to outwardly express their promotion of EQUALTY during this EXTREMELY CRITICAL juncture of our interconnected journeys.
THAT'S IT...THAT'S ALL!!
OUR SPIRIT...LIVES!
PEACE!
"Rubber Trees All Around Us"**
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"Before the words begin...breathe... and step into this moment with me."
~~ Slater Hayes
This episode is merely the capturing of all that we have previously endured.
The instrument that is designed to inflict the continuing pains may have changed-but the spirit that dwells within those who heve been possessed by it has not.
That spirit-ITS' name -HATRED!
A hatred that continues to foment generational hate and is steadfast in its ambition to design systems that co...
"Hoodwinked and Bamboozled"***
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We, it seems, have been programmed, in a very special way, to not appreciate the success and the achievements of OUR OWN.
The level of negativity or hate that we publicly cast upon those within our community seems to far exceed that of other communities.
Some will emphatically say "Man please, that occurs with other races just as bad."
Maybe it does, but I am not addressing them right now.
WE seem to have been taught that to celebrate another's success is taboo or is n...
"The Noises of Love"***
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I sent this out so that it can be a source of ENCOURAGEMENT to Family Reunion Planning Committee to keep pushing with the scheduling.
Also simply as a reminder of how important family is to me and PRAYERFULLY all of US!!
OUR SPIRIT...LIVES!!
PEACE
"Write My Story"***
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"Before the words begin.... take a breath...and step into this moment with me."
~~~Slater Hayes, Your Poet Activist
HE indeed has been and STILL is the author of my story-for that I am IMMENSELY grateful.
To keep this short, as I continue to compose myself as I reflect...I have but one request-that request is that you, if you have not already done so, SUBMIT and ask HIM to ...
"WRITE YOUR (MY) STORY"
...
"I Ain't Made to be Contained"
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I was inspired to redo this piece ...it speaks volumes as to how we allow circumstance, the thoughts and beliefs of others, and MORE IMPOTRANTLY, FEAR to dictate how we move-how we pursue those things that have been ordained specifically for us.
So, once you have listened, re-listened, and chewed the cud...like it and SHARE-NOT JUST WITH ONE FRIEND-EVERYONE-REGARDLESS of AGE!!
Because I am ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN there is someone outside and within your known sphere of influence that NEEDS to hear it.
OUR...
'Stinky Stanky, Stench"***
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Current conditions necessitate that I republish this piece!!!
...and the sad part is...many are still reveling in the fact that the person that they so giddily chose to represent THEM is boisterously seeking to eliminate many of the things that help to sustain THEM
This cultish behavior is clearly rooted in RACISM.
For those who resemble me-I can only deduce that the selfishness of "I got mine, you get yours", has warped their senses.
Stinky, Stanky, Stench
was written dur...
"The Good in Me"
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This piece sums it up pretty good.
Those things I shared are indeed what I felt here-recently.
Despite lending an ear, an empathetic heart, and a willing spirit to assist-it seems that all those attributes were somehow twisted and turned into a personal attempt to gain favor-or highlight others' weaknesses.
No this ain't no pity party.
This is a reflection of what I was personally experiencing at this juncture of my journey.
Yea, some will quickly state, "why worry about how people feel ab...
'Ohhh, The Beauty"
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My friend Bettye Holmes-Smith inspired me to dig into the library, revise and repost this piece.
Everyone who is our age...Thank God that you are, and then stop looking at what once was and look to the purpose, promise and HOPE that continues to reside within...and step into ALL that GOD has instilled in you and seek HIS grace to bring it to fruition.
I AM having a ball taking this thing called "The SPOKEN WORD" and only now am I coming to recognize the significance of t...
"Someone is Always Watching"***
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Have you ever felt as if you are being watched-regardless of where you are and in whatever situation you may find yourself?
I do.
When I first wrote this piece, as with many others, I did not have the slightest clue as to its significance. I have discovered that a number of the spiritually inspired pieces are not for singular events within my life, nor singular events over time.
What I am discovering is that these pieces are written for various periods, various circumstances and situations and...
"Sam, Didn't Say When"*
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I pulled this piece out of the inactive library and edited it in honor of the MILLIONS that are exercising their constitutional rights by assembling for the "NO KINGS" day protests that are assembling throughout this nation.
I truly know within my spirit that this piece was inspired years ago for "such a time as this."
I remember being inspired by the crooner Sam Cook and his song "A Change is Gonna Come". If any , and I know MANY do, recall this song-Sam did not identify a time for...
"HOME"-Revisited
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I became emotional when this piece poured from me and continue to get emotional when I listen to it because it truly describes my journey.
The words seem to fit perfectly within the accompanying music-them both evoking memories of the times I cherished with friends and classmates throughout my youth-never too far away from home to hear my mom, or someone calling for my mom-beckoning me to return home.
This piece returns to memory those times when circumstance sometimes created obstacles to me returning to that place called...
...
Marjorie*
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"And That's Favor"
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Some may recognize this piece from 5 years ago. I wrote it for my wife to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary.
Do you know that she still holds it as one of her favorite gifts and ranks it as her most favorite pieces that I have written.
So you know what I did...I am presenting it to her on this -OUR 30TH Anniversary because I have learned that all the other trinkets that I have given, and we as men tend to give, pale in comparison to what is D...
