Considerations of episodes in past and present American history.

*****

Recorded Reading (11:23):

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7r76c7q7grxfycyh59l71/Underground-Railroad.mp3?rlkey=escmjgpcn1vbrj0dflt6e04wz&st=plpr0a4x&dl=0

*****

Underground Railroad

Strange the footsteps in the hall
Strange the whispers in the night
Little Emma heard it all
Whose parents thought her sleeping tight

Strange her mother’s silences
With the feel of mounting fear
Hands upon their heads she bless
Her children, vulnerable, dear

Strange the father glancing out
Of windows each time simple sounds
Came from anywhere about
His well kept, neat and tidy grounds

Emma was a thoughtful child
Who pondered questions leisurely
Her siblings, all a bit more wild,
No alteration seemed to see

She lingered until late one night
When Ma and Pa were talking low
And then she swallowed down her fright
Resolving to her parents go

And ask of them forthrightly
The happenings which brought
Them to their new anxiety —
What had them overwrought?

And when she’d asked, they shared a look
Over her braided little head
Containing an entire book
Of things they left unsaid

Then Papa took her on his knee
Came Mama by them both to stand
He gazed at her most tenderly
She held her daughter’s hand

He paused for but a moment’s thought
And then he calmly put it to
His child as if she were adult
Asked of her what she would do,

Knowing dreadful wrong was done ~
For he it had been done unto
No safety lived beneath the sun
Fleeing from whom him pursue

Which would she choose? To stand away
And let injustice take its course,
Or take a stance for fairer play
Compassion, comfort and remorse?

Throughout each endless childhood day
Which held her in its happy spell
Through sleep and waking, work and play
Her parents had taught Emma well

They felt such humble gratitude
Such a mix of pride and pain
Their own intrinsic attitude
Returned to them again

From fresh lips of this their own
Delicate blossom, buttercup ~
She spent a moment gazing down
And then her clear young eyes looked up

Into their own, the little chin
Thrust firmly forward, lips aligned,
Ready her answer to begin
Regal her small head inclined

Quotha, “Then, Father, surely we
In staunch behalf of such as these
Must dedicate that energy
Which redress of injustice sees!”

“Well said, my child, but think again ~
What if were threatened danger, too,
If criticism, loss and pain
For helping him, might come to you?”

It weighed upon her tender brow
This heavy question, he could see
He had her thinking harder now
Allowed in silence it to be

After some time she replied
“Beloved father, even so
Though life and safety on it ride
Yet to his rescue I would go

Because if I did not so be
I think that I would hear his cries
For all my life, and ever see
His agony behind my eyes”

He brushed the hair from off her brow
With tender hand, gave her his smile,
A further question put he now
And let her ponder yet awhile

“Sweet daughter, you are brave and just,
And I am very proud of you ~
Now consider yet you must
A further question than these two:

If it were not yourself alone
Whom you would put in danger’s way,
But those whom all your life you’ve known,
Those you most love, what would you say?”

When the child this question heard
Pictures came to Emma of
Those numbered by his quiet word
‘Neath th’ umbrella of her love

Her little sister’s shining eyes
And bigger brother’s happy shout
The baby’s so endearing cries,
These little Emma thought about

At last she said, “It seems to me
If we allow the wrong to rule
In hope to our own safety see
We only play the blinded fool

For when those men are done with he
Whom I no effort made to save
I have permitted lost to be
The virtuous and brave

When they have killed the goodness, when
All courageous ones are gone,
We’ll have only violent men
Left to rely upon

A little time would pass, and then
The quiet peace those men would bore,
They’d take to hunting down again
Innocent people as before

Since those I love are innocent
It would be we they hunted when
Upon destruction next were bent ~
There’d be no safety for us then

And also it appears to me
While my brothers and sisters grow
We for them an example be
Of those things which they ought to know

How if they saw us backing down
Beneath the pressures others brought?
Why, later they would not have grown
To act then as they ought

It might be scary, might be hard,
Might be painful, dangerous ~
It seems to me our just reward
Would surely come to us,

If nothing else, in peace of mind,
Calmness of heart, serenity
Knowing we’ve not left behind
Someone in need of charity

Yes, Father, though there may be much
To ponder ere deciding, I
Would never turn my back on such,
The promptings of my soul belie

For thinking of it now I know
I could not stand away and see
The day to evil forces go
Which might come next for me”

They took her then to meet the man
Sequestered in a little room
He prompted by her Pa began
To tell his tale of doom

She heard of things so horrible
Throughout the course of that long night
It was her spirit’s crucible
Hard’ning her for lifelong fight

Against all those who would suppress
The freedoms of a brother soul
Placing under untold duress
The one from whom they take the toll

Of mindless toiling misery
Which purchases their easeful days,
The never ending cruelty
Which for their soft existence pays

Before she went back to her bed
Tucked in and kissed most lovingly,
New information in her head
Of how inhuman man can be

Instructions gave they to her in
Dissembling the truth
One precious freedom so to win ~
Despite her fragile youth

She listened most attentively,
Heard with her newly opened heart
And promised them most solemnly
That she would surely do her part

For admirable parents who
Reached out to the unfortunate ~
It seemed that now she also knew
How good a man could get

She kissed her father’s haggard face
And said, “Isn’t it grand?
I would not change this daughter’s place
For any in this whole broad land

The father that God gave to me
Is strong and worthy, brave and true ~
I will be all I need to be
To aid, assist and comfort you

And when I am a woman grown
And find myself upon the brink
Of some decision all alone
It’s of your rectitude I’ll think

And Mother, staunchly by your side
Quiet seeing to your need
Since she was but a youthful bride,
These are the mem’ries I will heed

And I hope then that I will take
Good council from those pictures bright
And strongly the decision make
To stand up for the good and right

I thought till now I couldn’t feel
More love than I have all along
But I add the respect I feel
For those defending right from wrong

I know this night you will not sleep
And Mother will stay up with you,
And from my heart ask God to keep,
Hold and strengthen both of you”

It must be said, when she had gone
Her newly restless rest unto
Her parents found themselves alone
To shed a loving tear or two

For not the shiniest award
They could from an official take
Not all the money they might horde
Themselves as truly rich could make

As was the gold of those clear eyes’
Respectful and adoring look
As she with proud and glad surprise
New measure of her parents took

The mother went to make the tea
With which to fuel their vigil and
The father bent his weary knee
Upon the stoop, gazed o’er his land

He wondered if a day would come
When one man to another would
A human being true become
Seek to do each other good

See at last the obvious:
Each man and woman could be rich
Were we not too oblivious
Side by side our teams to hitch,

Or would the world fill up with men
Accustomed to repression, so
Fug’itives from false justice then
Would have no place to go

Both North and South in sinister
Stark collusion so agree
That someone has to minister,
In deprivation’s misery,

To others’ excess luxury ~
Continuing in cages keep
Those who’ve brought no wrong to be
Like filthy dungeons deep

And if they reach for happiness
Denied them each and every day,
Some substance for an hour to bless
Their spirits with the strength to play,

Though by such action no harm come
To others, so be victimless,
All his prime years take from
Any ‘criminal’ who so confess?

But even Father could not see,
Not imagine, could not know
How truly awful things would be
How universal it would grow

The system which incarcerate,
Into lifelong stigma hurled,
Within one single little state,
As much as all the troubled world

Beyond its borders ~ and that one
In every two of those caged men
Has never bothered anyone
And should be freed again

*****

This poet/editor is physically disabled, and lives at a fraction of her nation’s poverty level.

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