Dot To Dot

The dots guide me towards the path of my ancestry, Along the ivory gold shores of West Africa, The wind, a horse drawn carriage for the call of my ancestors, Where the ‘i’s would be dotted across many kingdoms, The colour of the dots embellished with gold leaf, And the joins would flow like rivers in streams of gold Then the hue transforms the dots from gold to bright red, Where vast oceans transported humanity, The red ink violently splashes onto the scene, Reflecting countless dots of humanity, Of generations lost on the Transatlantic route, Too much red is spilt to join the dots Then the dots journey to the Americas and West Indies, Where the overflow of dots begin to rust, And corroded joins bring up the image of shackles, Captivity, sold into bondage, man, woman and child, So difficult to join the dots on the freedom trail, When the pen cannot reach Justice to dot the ‘i’ Now the colour of the dots turns green, As smooth green lines are drawn, roots begin to sprout, The creation of my family tree, Names of my ancestors are seated above each line, The joined dots form the image of their strong resilience, And follows me across the vastness of my deep ancestral ocean 18/12/22 Dot to Dot Poetry Contest Sponsor: Kim Rodrigues Form: Free Verse