Old Mister Thomas
Cut your throat
Not with dulled sickle
That I was allowed to use on Tuesdays
Under eyes of that half black sellout
But cut your throat
With your own language
Learning the quill
To scribe the letters
You forced in my mouth
Wishing my spit were ink
It would save me from the finger cramps
From writing to you
Although my father
Would have killed you in your sleep
Every night
Between reddened hills
I rub scars with crumbled stenched earth
To soothe the peeling
Of my proud running legs
And collapse into pebbled ditches
Making promise
Of finishing this message
First, your mistress, thank her
She fed me quickly
Wrapped wool blanket warm from mantle
Around blood caked shoulders
And sent me off
In manured wagon
With cracked crust loaf
Sweet Quaker bread
Then thank you, Mister Thomas
Over fed on Fresh stallion
Thank you for the anger
And shame that drives me
To never stop running
Almost barefooted in tree shelters again
At least I feel this
New air not filled with labor pains
But with eye balm
And lip salve
All of this
All of my soul
Rests on this page
Two words wrote to you, Mister Thomas
Learned the quill
Scribed the letters
"Now free"
Author notes
You are a FREE slave. What do you do? How were you freed.
RyanosaurusWrecks
In a list
A contest entry
- Blacks, blacks, and more blacks... by secberm.
1500 points, ended February 19, 2008, 5 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Erase the Hate February Contest: Black History Month by Page Shut down.
600 points, ended March 4, 2008, 4 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Winners In My Past Contests Come Together by Blooming Poet.
300 points, ended May 15, 2008, 25 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 12 of 12
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For the Gold in the Erase the Hate Black History Month contest
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Thank you for your entry
Sounds like a stop on the underground railroad. Some good imagery and good expression of emotion. Thanks for sharing.
God Bless
Tammy -
wow this is deep
and truth
great entry
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Heart felt and so much truth here
I read this piece twice and know of its truth and such sadness falls upon my heart for all the slaves of this world that should have never been . I know in africa today it seems to still be taken in the same way when will this world put an end to this evil that stalks and takes the very life from people the same as ourselves when will it end
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i enjoyed reading this poem, its original
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If this poem doesn't pierce souls, then we have NO soul!
That was amazing, excellent job dearest poet, excellent
job! You captured and led us right where you wanted us
to go...breathless!
ears2hearyou
Kathleen/Seattle. wow!
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God thing we do not have to ever answer this question today except in poetry contests. Sentiments well expressed in these lines. Liked the free verse style you used, the flow and the emotions shared here.
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wow
imagery and flow are amazing..wonderfully penned..you took an idea from thin air and gave it life..excellent..thanx so much for sharing and best of luck in the contest.
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Great great job.
You done a great job with the propmt
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If I were a free slave I not sure what I would do. I've never thought about it. I love your poem, theres not much for me comment about, it's so good and so. . .deep.
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Whoa! I felt this one here man! Loved it, loved it, loved it! It's crazy just thinking back at how far we come, and how far we have left to go. Can think world be truly equalized? I honestly don't know, that's all up to the nation's flow...
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Well done, poet! Enjoyed the imagery and emotions expressed here. Thank you for entering. Write on. One.
Dez
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