Wooden Slave
for Antonius Roberts

i.
recovery from slavery
incomplete
angry, twisted still

full of regret and loss
memories not diluted
contorted still

killings in the sugar cane fields
not entirely hidden
in the leaves

on the wind
in the breeze

ii.
escape refinement
another imprisonment

free to be ugly
original, fierce

fire in the belly
burning still

rough sandpaper
work to do

unable to find a crew of such persons
to build the nation

too many refined persons

not enough left
to work the fields
to fish the seas

stones to build with
but who, with him
will lift them

his children have all gone off to school

school of fish to net in, to net up
to net us a profit


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2009
2:10 p.m. 26.01.09