You don’t get that right

To understand our plight

Were you there?

When that slave girl

Was ‘KILLED’

The very day,

They stole her away

Were you there?

When that slave girl

Was bound

Shackled and chained

Cow bells on the neck

That ‘rang’

Were you there?

When she rode that vast ocean

On Noah’s waves

Of never ending rains

Were you there?

At ‘HER’ door of ‘NO RETURN’

Uneducated to your customs and ways

‘Wit’ an unfair playing ground while trying to learn

Were you there?

Standing on ‘dat’ Auction Block

At 14 years of age

As she watched

‘Dat’ Auctioneer’s gavel drop!!!

SOLD: TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER!

He’d say

To her dismay

ALL WAS AT LOST

Down to her family;

Just given away

‘FREE’ of cost

Were you there?

As she picked a bail,

O’ COTTON

Were you there?

When sorting out the bushel’s

That rotted

Were you there as she picked

All through her midnight

Were you there?

When she couldn’t give ‘Massa’

Any fight

Were you there?

When she warmed ‘Massa’

Anytime ‘HE’ wanted both day and/or night

Were you there?

When she ‘HAD’ to cast ‘ALL’ her cares

On a ‘god’

That she was ‘TOLD’ didn’t care

Were you there?

As she entered those back doors

Were you there?

When she was called a wench and then some more…

Were you there?

When she was kicked to the ground

Like Christ,

Got back up

And never made a sound

Were you there?

When she had to eat slime and hogs

Were you there?

To watch her treated less than a dog

Were you there?

When mixed babies came from her

Were you there?

When she begged ‘Massa’ to keep ‘do’s’ chillins’ in ‘dat’ dear dirt

Plus for ‘da’ one’s not belonging to her

Were you there?

As she watched

So many ‘HUNG ON HIGH’

Were you there?

When she stood tall

At it all

Never allowing to cry

Were you there?

While she couldn’t tire, sleep nor snore

Were you there?

When she polished silverware

Plucked string beans

While

Cleaning on hands and knees

O’ those ‘HATED’ hardwood floors

Were you there?

When Missy lied on her

Were you there?

At her foul treatment

Far less than dirt

Were you there?

At her rape(s), beatings and cries

Were you there?

As she wondered

‘IF’

God even cared

Let alone was alive

Were you there?

When she prayed to just die

Were you there?

When she ate

Humility pie

Were you there?

At worship

While sitting in ‘dat’ balcony

Asking permission

To use ‘BLACK ONLY’ facilities

Were you there?

When ‘dat’ slave girl

Was KILLED

The day they stole her away

And

You have nerve to wonder why???

You don’t get that right

To understand

‘Our’ plight

I’ve been there

‘CAUSE’ SHE LIVES’

In ‘da’ ‘STEAL’ of my nights!!!

Author: Renee’ B. Drummond-Brown

(Authored: Renee’s Poems with Wings are Words in Flight and

SOLD: TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER)

Dedicated To: Black History Month

All Rights Reserved@2016

No part of this poem may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without written permission from the author.

Biography

I, Renee’ B. Drummond-Brown, am the wife of Cardell Nino Brown Sr. and from our union came Cardell Jr., Renee and Raven Brown. I am the offspring of Mr. and Mrs. Peter C. Drummond of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. My siblings are Delbert D. Drummond and the late Pastor Shawn C. Drummond. I was born in North Carolina, at Camp Lejeune US Naval Hospital. I am a graduate of Geneva College of Pennsylvania, and my love for creative writing is undoubtedly displayed through my very unique style of poetry, which is viewed globally. My poetry is inspired by God and Dr. Maya Angelou. Because of them I pledge this: “Still I write, I write, and I’ll write!”

“Renee’s Poems with Wings are Words in Flight” is flown across the seas by God’s raven. There are several Scriptures that I love; however, this one speaks volumes during this ‘season’: “And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.” (Genesis 8:7 KJV)