lawd god tell me it ain’t all for naught

tell me john not loving me

ain’t the end of harriet’s travels

he got caroline now

and me I got to keep moving

moses is old lonely and loveless

heart burning like a bush

fire no amount of freedmen can stomp out

but harriet tubman

can’t let a man’s

turn coat love

keep her feet grounded

I got to keep leading folks out of whips and rape and long hours

in the fields or in the kitchen sweating for white hands

john is as much the past

as southern chains

and sides love ain’t free

if it’s sold

as quick as

a man can twiddle

his fingers

or retire

his ax