fields of white fluff
flecked in twigs of brown
holding up skies of whisperin' strings of dreams
hanging on the old plantation tree
bayous brimmin' with nightmares
of babies born to die in chains
ghosts of dark annie’s red-haired girl child
now runnin' free in the big house
the big house of her sperm daddy
balls of white turned scarlet red
with the blood-fingers of those starvin' chained souls
waters turned stagnant from closed minds and hearts of stone
epithets of brown skinned souls etched
into tree trunks by the noose round their neck
spirits swing there in the silence of their crimes
murder by any other name
murder still
nothin’ civil ‘bout a civil war
rivers run red
from crimes of the bed
all those hopes now laying dead
with babies born but never fed
rivers run red
bodies of white
held by brown arms already dead
ain’t none of it never ‘nough
murder by any other name
murder still while
rivers run red
and we ain’t talkin’ cotton
flecked in twigs of brown
holding up skies of whisperin' strings of dreams
hanging on the old plantation tree
bayous brimmin' with nightmares
of babies born to die in chains
ghosts of dark annie’s red-haired girl child
now runnin' free in the big house
the big house of her sperm daddy
balls of white turned scarlet red
with the blood-fingers of those starvin' chained souls
waters turned stagnant from closed minds and hearts of stone
epithets of brown skinned souls etched
into tree trunks by the noose round their neck
spirits swing there in the silence of their crimes
murder by any other name
murder still
nothin’ civil ‘bout a civil war
rivers run red
from crimes of the bed
all those hopes now laying dead
with babies born but never fed
rivers run red
bodies of white
held by brown arms already dead
ain’t none of it never ‘nough
murder by any other name
murder still while
rivers run red
and we ain’t talkin’ cotton
this piece was scribbled in my notebook literally as i drove through the cotton fields of arkansas on my recent trip - there is no editing from the original words - no particular format of "poetry" here - just a rambling stream of consciousness arising from the spirits speaking from those timeless fields of slavery -
10 comments:
powerful words gypsy... may the rivers run & heal x
so true, suzi - may the rivers run and heal! beautiful thoughts make beautiful happenings!
This was so hard to read...raw, powerful...and the thought of all that was done during those fledgling days of our Republic simply makes me nauseous...it is all I can do to keep from vomiting. I can hardly bear to think of it. Makes me so angry! A poignant poem, my friend! Welcome home!! It's good to have you back!! ~Janine XO
i so know what you mean, dear friend janine - as i was driving i was so overwhelmed by the feelings screaming at me from those fields - literally as if voices were emanating from the white boles of cotton held in place by brown supporting limbs - so truly literal in every sense of the word - it was an amazing experience - and i have driven through those same fields of sorrow many times - but this time their voice could not be ignored - my daughter in the moving truck behind me kept texting me as to why i was weaving off and on the road as i steered with my left hand and scribbled on my notebook with my right hand - i considered pulling over on the side of the road but felt i had to keep moving else succumb to the sadness there - again, such a moving experience - my only hope is that it touches others as it touches me - for your kind words i am so humbled, dear lady! and it is so wonderful to be back with you and all the others who have become such a part of my own "FAM" - and please drop me a note when you can and fill me in on how you are and what's going on with you since i last was here! much love!
Dear Jenean:
So glad to read a post here. The words were quite disturbing. Quite moving and poignant.
Hope you are doing well.
Much love,
Susan
xoxox
dearest susan! how absolutely wonderful to have you come by! i was thinking of you earlier tonight and wondering what's going on with you - it has taken 3 days to get my internet going and am only now really getting a post done at all - so it's especially wonderful to have you visit! still in the midst of boxes and more boxes and then more - but that's to be expected for a while longer, even, i guess - my new place has a patio the size of my living room so i'm really anxious to get it ready for outdoor reading and eating and playing! ;) the weather here is still almost summer so you know i love that! but i miss terribly my little ones back in delaware - like breathing without enough oxygen, you know? in any event, lovely to see you and thank you so much for coming by! hope your world is treating you well and that you'll drop me a longer line and fill me in on all new with you!
Very candid and honest. So direct and thought provoking and almost overwhelming at times... The thoughts the word *cotton* can awoke in you are enticing.;)
Have a lovely weekend,
xo
Very powerful and, for that reason, hard to read due to the horror and emotions it stirs up. It's good you were able to channel those impressions rather than be overcome by them. I'm glad you didn't drive into the ditch while writing and driving!
greetings zuzana - well, not very polished "prose" so to speak but i've never really been concerned with all that - i was just inundated by these vivid scenes and screams as i drove - a unique experience - thanks so much for your comment, as always!!!
hello there louciao - yes, it really was a channeling - and i've driven that road many many times and never had this happen - but this time, there was a difference - and these words are that difference - wonderful to have you over - i've a lot of catching up to do!!! ;)
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