A glimpse through history's window
you can hear the rattling chains
of a hellish life they suffered
through times of tyranny.
Merely slaves for the rich to squander
building castles in the air
for crimes many and varied
often insignificant.
From beatings to starvation
dignity stripped bare
perceived dregs of society
an offence to be born poor.
Today you hear their cries ring out
begging for reprieve
their souls still wander suffering
as eerie emotions flood intensely.
Peace forever eluded them
families destitute
yet convict workers were the backbone
of a country raw and foreign.
Through summer heat and winter's freeze
they toiled by the whip
returning to a cold, dank cell
a life of such despair.
Some died in grief by their own hand
others raged in hate and anger
extinguished by diseases
fodder freely eradicated .
The records of our yesteryear
is not one of pride nor honour
as treated less than human
the word 'humane' yet not discovered.
Author notes
Photo Prompt: Through Windows of Yesteryear
In a list
A contest entry
- Picture or Prompt - Your Choice by nothinghere.
450 points, ended November 19, 2007, 6 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
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An interesting poem that has been well written but I fear you seem to have fallen into the same trap that so many others before you have.
Yes, I will agree that everything, well virtually everything that you have written has in fact taken place. However, the mistake that you have made is to look at all those events in terms of social mores and present attitudes, rules and actions of today.
e.g. there was a time when it was considered quite normal for children to word in coal mines. Up till the 18th century virtually no one would have considered it wrong, in fact it was normal practice. Today it is totally different. Again, there was a time when a man could confine his wife or even kill her and there were no repercussions unless her family were of a higher social status than the husband. As late as the 19th century the husband had the sole ownership and right to dispose of his wife's property and she had no right to object.
Whether something is right or wrong depends far more on the attitudes of the time and how we think today.
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Sensational piece here I do love how you approached this piece with knowledge and creativity
Thanks for taking the time to enter my contest, I wish you the best of luck
Karen -
Very well done and a history lesson to boot, I dont think there are many countries that can be altogether proud of their infancy. Or for that matter their maturation...Scott
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