The following poem by Brenda Cave-James was inspired by Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States.
“Emanuel” was enslaved in early 1600’s. Very fitting for the 1619 anniversary.
An African Renamed
To the African renamed
“Emanuel the Negro”
removed involuntarily
by cage
and crude contraption-
bound to sewage laden boards
in airless holds-
floated far, far and away.
Removed to this land
of Holy verse and piety-
self -proclaimed so worthy
of God’s blessings
exclusively.
Renamed Emanuel’s
flicker left of fortitude
bade him break for freedom
with white indentured friends-
Alas.
Some things do not change.
The white ones suffered slaps of hand.
Removed, renamed
Emanuel the Negro
endured the leather whip-
ten x three laid open
stripes across his back.
Hot iron seared into his face
an “R” for “Runaway” …
or righteously indignant-
or for reminding early terrorists
how inhumane they’ed be
to prove superiority.
Dear renamed Emanuel,
their clumsy locks-
their gnawing chains
about your neck
and waist
and legs-
in slumber
in labor
for no less than
one hundred x three
and sixty five days.-
to stifle further notion of
yourself as not enslaved-
’twas spirit rape.
Erasure.
Again.
Some things do not change.
You’d sigh.
You’d weep.
You’d shake your once
be-shackled head-
at “post traumatic slavery
and reassigned inferior
syndrome”
A sea of tethered untooled
Emanuel-Americans.
Bullets sink the flesh-
replacing red hot singe.
Prison bars, the whip.
God’s manufactured blessing,
truth.
Somewhere near a forest
of countless millions
whispering leaves-
I shall plant
an unnamed tree.
Poem by Brenda Cave-James, Binghamton, NY
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
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Awesome poem.
Brenda, thank you so much for the brilliant recount of our history. Your talent and wisdom are just so refreshing!!!!!!
Powerful, painful, cellular truth.
Something so beautifully written could hurt so bad…the real hurting truth such a beautiful people experienced this and more… captured again. Awesome poem, thanks for sharing us Brenda.