Master, Fear My Color

By Haneen Alghannam

My roaring ocean, hold onto the ships that were forced upon you,

Add the tears of the black slaves to your sea as they trickle down the sides of the boats,

Surround them by your embrace and love them before they depart,

Trust me my dear ocean, life will be sorrowful for these souls so hug them while you can.

Even the ground trembles as it senses the fate of those approaching Georgia,

Rocks began to shiver and the plants no longer swayed and danced,

For they saw the generations of black people that were to forever be entrapped in the system,

Enter these lands and remain strong, the wind coldly whispered in their ears,

And let them fear the power and greatness that comes with your skin.

Rest beneath my wind my beautiful souls and let it hug you till your suffering ends.

Mourning never ended, and the black man only pulled the wind’s blanket closer to his chest,

Years of false hopes and promises was all they grew to know.

Closely, they listened for the whispers of the wind, but it seems the wind has left them too

Often they saw the ocean and clouds cry with them and let the roaring waves of tears flow.

Lord, they called out, save us from this misery, but their prayers were never answered

On they lived, submitting to the system, and the flowers that once danced were long gone

Rest easy, the mother whispered to her child, as she mimicked the wind that once sung to her