Enslave

 

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy on Pexels.com

 

When lands were claimed by empires

Atlas dropped the world and it smashed into borders

 

When hands were maimed by Sires

A child curled into oars as ships smashed into sawdust

 

When ships were fat with gaunt slaves

There white masts stole breaths of imprisoned flesh and sky

 

When whips groomed plait rode horsehair waves

Blood red castes like embers from coal bent weak as flames of rye.

 

I saw a white man lead a caravan of singing chains

I saw a long shadow of one being, of human being

I saw a black man lead a clan of man from shipping lanes

There shoulders sailed through crewmen fleeing

 

Man is boat

Bone is mast

Home is being

Human being cast

Caste-away