饒舌、嘻哈的先鋒詩人皮藍羅
第一次看到皮藍羅朗誦他自己的詩“Seekin the Cause”的影片時，很被吸引──赤裸、自然、又充滿表演，激起我對他極大的好奇。後來查看資料，原來集詩人、劇作家、演員於一身的米蓋爾皮藍羅（Miguel Piñero）是饒舌(rap)、嘻哈(hip-hop)的先鋒！
出生於1946年，波多黎各人的皮藍羅，四歲隨父母親移居紐約的下東城（Lower East Side），傳統上，這一帶是移民與工人階級的街區。在他8歲，母親懷第五胎時，父親遺棄他們，貧困的生活導致他從11歲就開始犯竊盜罪，此後加入幫派、當街頭霸王，犯罪不斷，常進出羈留所、青少年感化中心。在他25歲，終因犯下二級持槍搶劫而被監禁在新新監獄(Sing Sing prison)。
被關在監獄其間，皮藍羅寫下劇作Short Eyes，一舉讓他獲得六座東尼獎，成為第一位獲此殊榮的波多黎各人。該劇是根據他坐牢的經驗，描述監獄人生的愛與死。此後他成為拉丁偶像，為紐約黎各文學運動(Nuyorican literary movement)的領導人物，並與友人共同創立紐約黎各詩人咖啡(Nuyorican Poets Café)。
皮藍羅因肝硬化過世於1988年，朋友、同好、親人將他的骨灰灑在曼哈頓的下東城，完成他在1985年寫下的「下東城詩篇」("Lower East Side Poem")裡的要求，「將我的骨灰灑在 / 下東城」(then scatter my ashes thru / the Lower East Side)。
底下讓我們來看他朗誦詩的神采：
downtown . . . uptown . . . midtown . . . crosstown
下城…上城…中城…同城
下城…上城…中城…同城
his body was found all over town
他的屍體被發現在整個城
他的屍體被發現在整個城
seekin' a Cause
尋找一個神
尋找一個神
seekin' the Cause
尋找神
尋找神
found
被發現
in the potter fields of an o. d.
在吸毒過量的貧民公墓
in the potter fields of an o. d.
在吸毒過量的貧民公墓
found
被發現
被發現
in the bowery with the d. d. t.'s
在灑了滴滴涕的樹蔭裡
在灑了滴滴涕的樹蔭裡
his legs were left in viet-nam
他的腳留在越南
他的腳留在越南
his arms were found in sing-sing
他的手被發現在新新監獄
his scalp was on Nixon's belt
his scalp was on Nixon's belt
他的頭皮在尼克森的皮帶上
his blood painted the streets of the ghetto
his blood painted the streets of the ghetto
他的血塗在貧民窟的街道
his eyes were still lookin' for jesus to come down
他的眼睛仍在尋找耶穌降臨
his eyes were still lookin' for jesus to come down
他的眼睛仍在尋找耶穌降臨
on some cloud & make everything ok
在一些雲上並讓事事妥當
when jesus died in attica
when jesus died in attica
當耶穌殉於雅特科
he died seekin' a Cause
他死於尋找一個神
he died seekin' a Cause
他死於尋找一個神
seekin' the Cause
尋找神
while the Cause was dyin' seekin' him
而神也渴尋著他
while the Cause was dyin' seekin' him
而神也渴尋著他
he died yesterday
他死於昨日
he's dyin' today
他垂死於今日
he's dyin' today
他垂死於今日
he's dead tomorrow
他死在明日
died seekin' a Cause
died seekin' a Cause
死於尋找一個神
died seekin' the Cause
died seekin' the Cause
死於尋找神
& the Cause was in front of him
& the Cause was in front of him
而神曾在他面前
& the Cause was in his skin
& the Cause was in his skin
而神曾在他的皮膚裡
& the Cause was in his speech
& the Cause was in his speech
而神曾在他的談話裡
& the Cause was in his blood
& the Cause was in his blood
而神曾在他的血液裡
but
but
不過
he died seekin' the Cause
he died seekin' the Cause
他死於尋找神
he died seekin' a Cause
he died seekin' a Cause
他死於尋找一個神
he died
he died
他死了
deaf
deaf
聾
dumb
啞
dumb
啞
&
且
blind
blind
盲
he died
he died
他死了
& never found his Cause
& never found his Cause
而且從未發現他的神
because
because
因為
you see he never
you see he never
你知道的他從不
knew that he was the
知道他曾是
Cause.
Cause.
神。
皮藍羅像火燄般噴射的詩語，激烈扭突的表達韻律，使他獨樹一格。不虛偽，骨骨相撞地探問存在，在現實裡可能毀滅的皮藍羅卻在非傳統詩裡獲得新生，開發了饒舌嘻哈的形式，但從以上這首焦慮與焦慮的碰撞裡，其嚴肅面對生命意義與自由追尋，讓人在抒瀉後墜入沉思。
註1：完整詩篇的朗誦可見於2001年由Benjamin Pratt主演的傳記電影「皮藍羅」：
註2: “Cause”在這首詩有多義性，在此採用為神，主要是考量在詩中全為大寫。
註3: Nuyorican Poets Café照片取自網路