couldn’t make that
selfish woman of mine happy
she couldn’t understand it was enough
one of us was free
man suppose to be free
it does something for the way he walk
still
no woman worth tears
no black slave woman worth the price of a man’s salt
I couldn’t keep harriet
shoulda split her foot with that ax
holding her in the night with my
black man hands
worn palms reddened and blistered
from striking that ole ax day after day
didn’t count for naught
seem like them trees taking out their anger on me too
seem like they fighting against me siding with harriet
seem like they won’t die right
they refuse to be separated them trees
I agitate them and they whisper to the others
get tough on john
make him work harder
than he suppose to
got to keep the family alive
got to remember the strongest part is buried
way out of reach of john’s wicked ax