In the Darkness

"Sing!" The word tore through The silence. A silence as thick As the darkness That wrapped around us. A darkness Inhabited by people Equally as dark. "Sing and raise us From these shackles, From our misery, From our fears, From our reality!" This command Was not for me, But the woman Who sat in a distant corner. Her voice rose Like the sun, Steady and slow Warming our souls. The clarity of her voice Was like a dew drop Magnifying the lines on a leaf Upon which it sat. Her voice was as beautiful As an orchid, And like an orchid It was a parasite, But instead of a tree or plant, It got it's sustenance From her soul. And still It was not enough. "Stop, stop, STOP!!!" "I do not want to hear A song as sweet as A ripe mango or A freshly chopped sugar cane." "I want to hear a song That is rich in pain As well as triumph. A song drenched In the tears of brave men And steeped in the sorrow Of their women folk." "I want our song." The silence stretched Like a sunset Under a cloud heavy sky. Then the song began, A song we all knew. A song that had brought Tears to the eyes of kings. A song that grew courage In the hearts of cowards. The song was infectious, Leaping from man to woman And woman to man Like a great sickness Found deep in the jungle. Before long, Voices rose into the darkness, Vibrations bouncing off of Unseen walls crashed against Or bodies. In this moment, We were one. One voice. One people. Bound for one place And from that moment We shall remain One people. One people In the darkness.