Poems

Slave masters, tell me why

You! slave masters went to Africa

land

You! took our great great grandparents

from Africa land

You! shackled them

You took them away to strange and

far-away lands

A journey frightening, horrible, painful

and cruel

In agony some fell and they died

You! separated fathers from mothers

You! separated children from parent

You! separated brothers from sisters

You! destroyed their hope

Their aim

Their dreams and their plans

You! separated the families that the

Creator had joined together

You! caused them pain and agony

You! worked them from dawn until

sunset

You! shackled their hands and feet

You! shackled them while you worked

them

You! lashed them while you worked them

You! whipped them while you worked

them

You! gave them multiple lashes as

chastisement

You! hanged them for enjoyment

You! cut the bellies of pregnant

women for show

To see what sex child she carries

You! called them niggas instead of

Negro

Those names you have branded them

with

You! let men bend their backs

And with those tough leather boots

You stepped on their backs to climb

on your horses

Why! why!

Why! did you treated them so cruel

Where was your love?

Where was your care?

Where was your sympathy

for those souls?

Souls that have feeling

Souls that felt pain and the sting of

the whip as it struck their

backs

Their backsides

Their hands and feet

And also in their eyes

Why! why!

Why were your hearts so cold

Tell me so I can understand

Tell me let me forgive you if I will

Tell me why let me sorrow no more

Tell me why if you can

Declare yourselves let me sorrow no

more

Tell me why

Tell me why

Tell me why

Let me sorrow no more

- V.O. Ricketts