Spirit of a Slave

I hear a rooster singing its morning chime

Stretching my arms from a pass slumber

Another day of waking to a caged idea

Not looking forward to this croft

But I must survive

Allowing my seedlings to prosper

 

Torturing my ligaments bear

To improve a stranger’s future

Against this dirty acreage

With trees swaying with a wind

Looking into the eyes of a fellow captive

Seeing the lost dreariness

 

I cry

But my tears will not escape my eyes

I will not share my hurt

As I hear a thunderous voice

Screaming directions of malicious phrases

Making my skin vomit fear

 

Just one more day of this hell on earth

But this is my life bearing tattered clothing

And dried up blood from forced bruises

They know my heritage is strong

Fore I am lasting this personal evil

 

2am I woke up

This is just a dream

But it felt so authentic

How many lives have I lived

My ancestors are singing

Compelling me to taste the anguish

 

Creating lively imagery

Of an ignored history

Imprinting my memories with displayed hatred

Stabbing my mortality

With the memoirs of a covered past

Educating me of my lineage

Author's Note

The back story to this poem is, I'm a descended of a share cropper and I had dream that I had to express it in words.

Reviews

[~]

Sometimes I wonder if our dreams are a way of our ancestors connecting with us and sharing their story. They can feel so real, seem so vivid, as though you are walking with them, experiencing what they lived. I have had these sorts of dreams too. They always leave me feeling connected. Well expressed, poet.

[Rufus "Mr Blaque" Lacy, Jr]

Our dreams tell us everything, all we have to do is listen.

[Steven Cash]

I've read this before, Haven't I?

[Claire Twinn]

You create a haunting image here. I particularly love 'my skin vomits fear', is this sweat?

[mandy]

i think some of the slavemasters had a lot of the same traits as modern day bullies...they wanted to dehumanize their victims, so they could justify their harsh treatment of them. bullies today target the homeless, the helpless, the unfortunate, because "they" don't matter, and it makes themselves feel more powerful..it was a good poem,, and you expressed the emotions very well..thanks for sharing.

[Elyon]

truly remarkable

[Tree]

Haunting, beautiful. There is something about dreams and your past. Dug the concept, dreams cannot always be easily ignored. It is a gateway. Liked this
alot.

[MOON]

Sometimes we forget the shoulders we stand on , perhaps our ancestors remind us in dreams perhaps we have their pain and longings in our memory cell. Poignant write well crafted . I like the lines 2am I woke up
This is just a dream
But it felt so authentic
How many lives have I lived
My ancestors are singing
Compelling me to taste the anguish

[Circe]

one of humanity's greatest shames.. still exists today, I'm rooting for the day when we can be rid of it altogether with voices like yours ringing so clear and true.

[Ees]

I had to look up the word "croft" that doesn't happen to me very often... haha. I like the descriptive language that you have used, very much. It does a fantastic job of setting the scene, painting a picture.
"with trees swaying with a wind" reads a little bit awkward I think.
"As I hear a thunderest voice"- I believe the word is "thunderous"
"making my skin vomit fear"- super powerful imagery. I love that line. If love is the proper word to use in a poem like this...

such an interesting choice, to make it a dream. To believe that your ancestors are speaking to you. I love that. I believe that ancestors do speak to us, remain a part of us. I like how you have displayed that in a meaningful poem! It is hard to imagine times when people used other people in such a way. I, personally have a really hard time understanding how such practices ever existed. I mean, how could one human have ever looked at another human and seen anything less. I see people of all different backgrounds all of the time and to me we all look the same, don't we?

I remember reading a poem sort of like this when I took a poetry class in college. I wish I could remember the name of the writer so I could tell you to read it. It too was about slavery, it was a really long poem and he was speaking on behalf of his ancestors. It was written quite a while ago if I recall. Are you in school right now? If you are and have an english professor ask them about it, they'll probably know exactly which one I am referring to.
anyway, I think that this was an amazing poem. Great job. Meaningful work!

[Rufus "Mr Blaque" Lacy, Jr]

Been out of school for a while now I'm 34, you have to look up the poem and let me know who wrote it.

[Ees]

Ahh, gotcha. I don't know why I thought when I looked at your profile that you were younger than me. It wasn't anything in your writing, rest assured. I am pretty sure that I still have the text book that we had in that class. I will have to see if I can dig it out of some pile of books somewhere in this house tomorrow. I will find it for you.

[Rufus "Mr Blaque" Lacy, Jr]

I understand, I need a new bookcase myself.

[Ees]

I just got a new one when I moved last month... but it filled up much too fast. haha.

[Sirius King]

Great poem
my favorite lines are:

Torturing my ligaments bear
To improve a stranger’s future

...and

I cry
But my tears will not escape my eyes
I will not share my hurt
As I hear a thunderest voice
Screaming directions of malicious phrases
Making my skin vomit fear

[Rufus "Mr Blaque" Lacy, Jr]

I love conveying as much imagery as possible so the reader can actually feel the story.

[Sirius King]

you've succeeded here, great job

[Rufus "Mr Blaque" Lacy, Jr]

Oh you're a marvelous writer.
"I can see here the same message: " Another day of waking to a caged idea"
Rich words, poet. I admire them.

E.L.

[Rufus "Mr Blaque" Lacy, Jr]

Thank you, I try my best to allow the reader to imagine the event as if it was in front of them as well as get my point across. I hope this is how it came out.

You did an fantastic job, I feel guilty I didn't read more of you yet :P thanks so much I will be more here... give me some time as a Dutch, I want to review, from the heart, not stressed up... x

[Rufus "Mr Blaque" Lacy, Jr]

I understand, take your time, for time is the only thing we can afford. ;-)

Oh, you're even poetic in your answers :P it is so so true, I've wrote about time, way back in my library, time is always such an interesting subject.... it captivates many poets..../poetesses

[Rufus "Mr Blaque" Lacy, Jr]

I've also written about time, being that I'm new to this site I'm slowly but surely matching everything on here with my poetry blog.

Oh I can't wait to read that one! :)