This Black History poems blog is another of my contributions for the website
It is written from the perspective of a little slave girl in the 1700s living with her father and sister in a slave hut on a cotton plantation in North America
I live in my Pappy's hut
My name is Kizzy Clay
My older sister is Eliza
I'm six years old today
My name is Kizzy Clay
My older sister is Eliza
I'm six years old today
My Mammy died of fever
Eliza's ten, she cares for me
I don't know our exact address
Eliza's ten, she cares for me
I don't know our exact address
But we live in Slavery
Pappy works in Mr John's fields
Planting cotton and rice
Yesterday, he was whipped
Which wasn't very nice
Planting cotton and rice
Yesterday, he was whipped
Which wasn't very nice
Black History Poems
The overseer is very cruel
His name is Nathaniel Black
My pappy cannot work today
He's got deep cuts on his back
His name is Nathaniel Black
My pappy cannot work today
He's got deep cuts on his back
Oh, I can see Mr John's little girl
Her name is Missy Rose
She lives in the Big House
And wears very nice clean clothes
Her name is Missy Rose
She lives in the Big House
And wears very nice clean clothes
She's pretty and has white skin
Her mother is also dead
But she has two aunts to care for her
She sleeps in a proper bed
Her mother is also dead
But she has two aunts to care for her
She sleeps in a proper bed
Black History Poems
She has a beautiful pony
Which lives in a stable 6 feet 4
It has its own blankets
And nice clean straw
Which lives in a stable 6 feet 4
It has its own blankets
And nice clean straw
Our hut is also 6 feet 4
Two families have to share
Its very dark and we sleep on rags
Eliza says it isn't fair
Two families have to share
Its very dark and we sleep on rags
Eliza says it isn't fair
Pappy says his Grandpappy's Pappy
"Was a chief before coming here
"Was a chief before coming here
Once proud and free, he was enslaved
To live in chains.....and fear
To live in chains.....and fear
Black History Poems
All the young strong villagers
Were forcefully taken away
Crammed into sailing ships
Bound for the USA
Were forcefully taken away
Crammed into sailing ships
Bound for the USA
Many died on the way
A ship sometimes would sink
Or they died through lack of medicine
Or not enough to drink"
A ship sometimes would sink
Or they died through lack of medicine
Or not enough to drink"
Pappy says his Grandpappy's Pappy
Arrived very much alive
He was a strong healthy 20 year old
Arrived very much alive
He was a strong healthy 20 year old
He died, broken, at 35
Black History Poems
Pappy says that one day
All slaves will be free
We'll get a President who believes in it
Just you wait and see
All slaves will be free
We'll get a President who believes in it
Just you wait and see
Pappy says he has a dream
That a King will come one day
And they'll listen very carefully
To all he has to say
That a King will come one day
And they'll listen very carefully
To all he has to say
He says that he has a dream
That blacks and whites will live as one
Living free, in a proper house
Just like Mr John
That blacks and whites will live as one
Living free, in a proper house
Just like Mr John
Black History Poems
He even dreams that maybe
There will come the day
When a black man becomes the President
Of the USA
When a black man becomes the President
Of the USA
Eliza says he's crazy
Or that's how it seems
But she says when life is very hard
A man should have his dreams
Or that's how it seems
But she says when life is very hard
A man should have his dreams
Black History Poems
One day, perhaps, a little girl
Will have a story read
By her Pappy, before she goes to sleep
In her proper bed
Will have a story read
By her Pappy, before she goes to sleep
In her proper bed
But until then, I'll be content
What will be, will be
Nighty night I must go
There's a dream that waits for me
What will be, will be
Nighty night I must go
There's a dream that waits for me
Jon Bratton 2009
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This 'black history poems' blog page is copyright jon Bratton 2009
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