redemption song

living in a land from whence I never came
not knowing the home of my ancestor's name
surrounded by minds trapped, trampled and shackled

but, like my unknown family, never spirits tackled

not my place of origin, but where I reside

not where my spirit, but where my worries lie

here, in the midst of ignorance and hurt
are a people filled with endless, contagious hope
hoping for the future we can nearly taste
hoping all these passions won't prove waste
hoping those with so-called power will give it a taste:
the remedy offered by we to heal this place
hoping for a saving grace of some kind
hoping for a people who choose to free their own minds
hoping that our hoping will become rearranged
into something more than hoping that can create some change
it's here that I am, and here that I'll be
til I'm convinced that here's no longer where I am destined I be
ignoring the implorin that try to test who I be
cus I am called amongst rainclouds to be one seen clearly
tired of just hopin; I want my people to see
we no longer only have
redemption song

Photo: Donald Black, Jr, 'Bound by Hope'

Posted in: Artist,Artistic Work,Poetry