Elegy For Delphina

We come again to the stall at the gate We come to the memory of empire Where Delphine sat, the humble queen in state And fed her family from one desire That they should noble live, and work and dream And love … and the gate was her throne supreme But roll back now the tears of dusty days When the sweet scent of sugar like anthem rise From the sweat of workers, and see amaze Miss Delphina with God’s fire in her eyes This woman at Caymanas toiling pass The sun’s hot noon, noble and full of class See her, a mother, a warrior queen Whipped by circumstance without surrender Did anyone call her timid, call her mean? Who could not find a place then to shelter? Who did not taste her kindness? Higglers too Serve for love, O mother, we honor you From the coal black of days you supplied us And your children five want not, O, nor need But your hard work and love so inspired us We rise in common hope so to succeed With dignity, but not proud, a true friend Rarely found in the common walks of men. Caste nor class can cast decree, nor limit Our aptitude to rise. Belief has wings Death cannot break, faith flies in the spirit And through slant of rain its brimmed vision sings Delphina, Delphina, we miss you though The door is so silent through which you go No more the produce truck will hear her voice Nor weary hands dry a child’s hungry tears O death be humble, dare you now rejoice She sleeps till Jesus shall for his kingdom appears And we will hear great heaven’s trumpet blow And with you mother we will rise and go