Slavery exported

Stolen, bound and packed so tight within the wooden bowels,

the air so rank with piss and fear, and rent with cries and howls,

roots are torn so brutally from where they’ve long been grown,

free hearts become possessions far from all they’ve ever known

The New world raped the old to sacrifice in its foundations,

the blood of innocence has stained the birth of many nations,

kidnapped cargoes of the flesh to sweat for others plans of gold,

for freedoms often bought by the toil of hands that have been sold

But transportation leaves a remnant to remind of whats been done,

an aberration to the myth of how a nation was begun,

you can white wash history but you can’t white wash city streets,

and visual reminders seem to halt history's repeats

And so another system of oppression given birth,

slave ships built of brick and steel, and moored upon the earth

A slavery unseen it seems is one of less degrees,

and in that vein we’ve simply shipped plantations overseas

Sweatshops and maquiladors fenced off in “free trade” zones

producing everything from sneakers to your brand new mobile phones

A pittance paid in wages seems to assuage a sense of guilt,

forgetting the poverty that enables it was something western built

Burned alive and buried in the rubble of their cells,

an accepted part of business to the rag trade clientele

Million dollar brands are sown for cents in dire conditions

so the few can make a fortune through egotistical ambitions

The chains are now invisible thanks to economic rations,

the crumbs that fall from feasting on our gaudy, bloated fashions

A term itself so transient, so fleeting in its means,

just like the sacrifices made so far behind the scenes

Reviews

[gabrielle]

In today’s modern society, most of us would not dare to tackle issues such as slavery because the existence of slavery in a modern society is a manifestation society’s failure to uphold human dignity. In this piece, you have successfully imparted the horrific plights of the victims of slavery, which is still a chronic but barely discussed issue in the society. As a citizen of a so-called Third World Country, i observed first-hand the various forms of slavery- from child labor, sweat shops etc. it happens- sadly, we are allowing these things to to happen.

[anartao]

The fact that most people will not address this issue is exactly the reason why i did. It does no good to turn our backs on those things in the world that make us uncomfortable, and all we do is help continue these issues by ignoring them. The western world needs to understand the role we play in creating these conditions,that we are responsible for them, and only then can we start to make changes to these issues. Thanks for the review !

[Harmony Lee]

This masterpiece is so well crafted in its rhythm and rhyme, flowing readily although the subject matter and messages make it nonetheless difficult to read. It is confronting, and intentionally so, and I believe that is of crucial importance to engage effectively with such serious topics as these. I applaud you for doing so in such a deeply and profoundly thoughtful and artful way.

[Riverz]

hey, this is alright

[anartao]

Cheers !