I Cry

I cry when I think of my ancestors
imprisoned and enslaved
my heart breaks, my soul aches
to think of their perilous struggles day after day

to be owned by another, to be stripped of all dignity
no longer a person, a woman or man
no place to call home, your life is no longer your own
you are merely a piece of property

auctioned off to the highest bidder
to this life you are resigned
shackled,  chained as not to escape
this certainly is what Hell must be like!

babies ripped from their mothers arms
husbands and wives torn apart
never to see one another again
can you imagine the despair in their heart??!!

I cry to know they had not a choice
and that freedom was only a dream
to be treated as if an animal
to know that death was their only release

I cry when I think of their heartbreak
I cry because I've always been free
I cry for my ancestors for they never knew
the importance of free will and speech

I cry for each torturous beating
I feel the the sting of the whip upon their backs
I cry victorious tears for those whom escaped
for their only crime was being born BLACK!!
I CRY I CRY I CRY.......