slaves

Kente cloth adorns his body,
Complete with a youthful grin.
His soul is at its peak of joy, with
Pride in his ebony skin.

The sudden boom of an approaching gun
Startles him in his wake.
Whisked away by pale ghostly spirits
He must obey, for his life is at stake.

He is taken at gunpoint to a colossal ship
Upon which the torture does begin.
Week upon week of shaming dehumanization
Shatters his body and soul within.

He is bid to a cotton plantation.
Months of burning the midnight oil.
Branded. Identity stolen.
Months become years of merciless toil.

His ebony skin – once the pride of existence
Has become a symbol of lesser worth.
He longs to be freed from this cycle of life
But he is trapped on this hell upon earth.

Ritisha Baidyaray is a 13 year old from UK

Originally published in  Bookosmia.com 


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4 Comments

  1. Gary Corseri says:

    Thank you Ritisha Baidyaray and Binu Mathew! A powerful poem by a young artist with much promise!

    • Gary Corseri says:

      I provided a little intro, and shared Ritisha Baidyaray’s poem (linked to Countercurrents) at World Art & Literature and other fine sites, dedicated to peace, understanding, and the Arts. (Intro: “Hope yet for the “younger generation”! Let us nurture and guide wisely, preserve and bestow the best gifts of Nature and humankind which have been bestowed to us! Here’s a fine poem by a sagacious 13-year old…”)

      • Nidhi Mishra says:

        Thank you Gary! This is a big boost to us at Bookosmia(smell of boost)- a global writing platform for kids and all the young minds we are trying to encourage to voice themselves. We are thankful to Countercurrents to have republished here and enhanced the reach of their voices and am certain Ritisha would be delighted with the response.
        Thanks from the Bookosmia team- http://www.bookosmia.com

        • Rudraprasad Baidyaray says:

          Ritisha is extremely delighted. She is thankful to Countercurrents and Bookosmia team for publishing her poem.

          Kind Regards

          Rudra
          (Ritisha’s dad)

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