BORN INTO SLAVERY-ROOTED IN LOVE

BORN INTO SLAVERY – ROOTED IN LOVE


We are the ancestors of the historical horrors
birthed into arms of a chattel society
born amidst slave blocks
fields of cotton and tobacco
dispensed into theaters of torture and doom

Women of the Diaspora, men of the homeland
chased into woods, along rivers, through valleys
hoist into freedoms curtained with provisions
probing nights shadows for illusory lights

We are the ancestors of the historical horrors
absconding the bondage – demarcating the lies
hallowed by truths once held as self evident
conceding the horrors- expounding the crimes

We are the nemesis to slavery’s horrors
nourished through caring, thriving on hope
forging a kinder more peaceful existence
born into slavery, yet rooted in love

From "ONE DAY" by Shirley Howard Hall

THE PLEDGE

THE PLEDGE

I pledge allegiance to the nation that was,

To my forefather's plan for a democratic ride.

To "We the People", to "Fourscore and Seven"

To the liberty bell's underground.


And to the violent republic for which we stood,

(The one that took innocent lives.)

To Viet Nam, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Sudan

(We are told it's for freedom they die.)


One nation under God has changed a bit,

The umbrella's tilted south,

Instead of interring the blacks and the reds,

We're attacking the bronze and the brown.


Indivisible with liberty we stand our ground,

Inequality and separatism abide.

Our blue collar heroes die wrongful deaths,

While our white collar leaders survive.


And justice for all is a thing of the past,

No more room for the tired and the poor.

Lady Liberty's light shines dimmer now,

Humbled masses seek alternate shores


In spite of the path we aimlessly tread,

We are still one man one vote.

It still reads, "We the people",

It still says "In God We Trust".


So I pledge allegiance to liberty and justice

And "to the republic for which it stands."(¹)

To "one nation under God indivisible." (¹)

Every child, every woman, every man.



I pledge to stand up for the red, white and blue

To prove that our banner yet waves.

To endlessly fight for freedom and peace

In this land we call free, we call brave.

(¹)"Pledge of Allegiance"

OCCUPY TULSA – PROTECTING THE DREAM

OCCUPY TULSA – PROTECTING THE DREAM

His dream is our democratic awakening
Through peaceful demonstration we celebrate the man
Inspired by his principles and teachings
In the spirit of his dream we make our stand

His message for jobs is our message
His war opposition our theme
His belief in social justice and equality
the root of our movements beliefs

The quality of humanity stands threatened
wealth inequality eradicates our core
Our middle class drifts into large black holes
As starvation wages despoil

The poorest of poor grow poorer
While corporations as people grow rich
Political undertones rape voter rights
Inequality in education still exists

Race has no place in American rights and laws
Poverty has no right to our shores
Disproportion can no longer bulldoze our dreams
Imbalance won’t pillage our core

His movement is now our movement
His message of resolution our text
We occupy for jobs peace and freedom
We occupy for equality and truth

He marched for economic justice
We occupy to flush corporate greed
Void violence he marched for freedom and peace
Void violence we occupy for change


By: Shirley Howard Hall