A song for the oppressed. Rise my people, rise up and dance! Lift your voices and sing! Sing the songs of your fathers and remember the smile and beauty of your mothers. Let the sun reflect on your brown skin and energize your melanin; let the sun’s rays kiss and bless your lovely hue! Sing my people, sing! Let your voices rise to the heavens and shake the earth! Sing my people, sing! Sing because we are sanguine, and because our people are of a beautiful brown hue. The melanin within us reverberate and jump to the rhythm of our ancient songs and cadences. Women, let your octaves drift through the generations, and men let your baritones vibrate through the bones of the dead! Sing children, sing! Let your voices ripple through the universe and the vast galaxies! Sing the songs of freedom, and hum the hymns of rebellion! We are not a defeated people; we have life in us yet! Sing you generations of the oppressed, sing a new song of hope and triumph! Let the ancestors in the spirit world hear it, and dance again! Let them move with vigor and rhythm. Dance, my ancestors, dance! Pound the drums and move your feet! Oh, those old songs of rebellion, and those beautiful songs of uprising! Let loose of your shackles, overtake your oppressors, and let us live, but if we must die, we die in insurrection, and we die side by side. Our eternal souls shall still sing! We shall be remembered.
Tag: Love
-
Dear Lord, invigorate me, redeem me, quicken my spirit and soul. Set me on a higher plane, bless me, cause your face to shine on me, forgive me, love me, guide me, be with me, dwell in me, help me; illuminate me, grace me with your presence, increase my knowledge, search my heart, protect me, give me the strength to carry on, pardon my transgressions, overlook my shortcomings, do not forsake me in my hour of despair. In the dark and lonely hours send your Angels to watch over me; I am not deserving of your love, I am not worthy of your sacrifice. Be merciful unto me and sustain me. Do not let me drown in my many sorrows; cast aside my woes and quell my fears. Father, I am nothing without you. In my fleshly body I am weak, you are light, you are life, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Lord of our fathers. You have given me victory over my enemies; you have destroyed those who have plotted against me. I praise you, I honor you. Lord, continue to guide me, and catch me when I stumble and fall, lighten my burdens and increase my joy. Let me not be afraid, embolden me, give me the heart of David and the strength of Samson, the wisdom of Solomon, and the spirit of Joshua, the patience of Moses and the love of Joseph. I adore you, I love you, and I thank you. Amen.
-
She cries for him. The deep lacerations on his back make it hard for him to work, and he is in severe pain. He must carry on or risk even more torture and suffering. He dreams of the day that he can be free, a day when all suffering and pain will cease and his people will no longer be under the hand of the oppressor. He looks over to her and the pain in their eyes communicate their thoughts. He loves her and she loves him, even though they are in bondage, somehow the beauty in their hearts persevere. The love between them is made even stronger with every crack of the whip, with every atrocity, with every abuse, with every unspeakable act, their love, their bond, is made stronger. They find comfort and love in each other. They find hope and resolve in each others dreams. Tattered clothes, scraps of food, not enough to eat, they sit by a warm fire and embrace each other. She holds on to him tight, with somber eyes that carry a deep pain and tell the story of what once was, and what is. Eyes that can only be read by her people; a people who’s story is the same and who’s hopes and dreams are the same. He kisses her and begins to sing the songs of his fathers. She joins in and they sing in harmony together, they remember their homeland, their royalty and their tradition, and they hold on to it, and it is carried in their hearts. He is a strong man, big in stature, with the heart of a lion.
She is a strong woman, a nurse to her man and many more. A comforter, a soft touch, a beautiful rose in the wilderness, an oasis in the desert. In their worst suffering they vow to die together and to be eternally inseparable. Even when she is raped by the oppressor, she may let out tears, but her resolve is not shaken. Her heart and mind belong to her one true love. She will not be moved and she will not be broken. Her mind drifts to a place of peace, the land of her ancestors, and once again she is able to bear it. Once again she joins her true love in their small structure and they are quiet, for he knows her pain and the ordeals of the day and silence is all he can give. She sees his pain and anger, his eyes red with both fury and hurt, and she is strong enough to carry it. She places her arms around his shoulders and comforts him; he slowly places his strong arm, around her waist and brings her in closer to him. They both stare out of their small window and into the dark night; the moon and the stars brightly lit, she looks into his eyes and all emotion is communicated. He holds her even more tightly and says a silent prayer from the depths of his soul. He kisses her on the crown of her head and the love he has for her is immeasurable. They refuse to give up, they refuse to be broken. One day freedom will come, either in this life or the next.
Intimate Compositions 