Sad Southern Saga

The early years of my life were filled with unrealistic social rules and laws. Rules and laws were clearly meant to keep certain people in their place. Staying in one’s place was a serious matter, like staying within walls. One’s place was manipulated and segregated according to race. The sun was hot, and the days were long. The lack of justice was simply wrong, but the will to survive was strong. The love of many was cold, and many lies were often told. Many doors were shut and locked, but many Black souls continued to knock and stood solid like a rock. They saw hope just around the block. Some gave up and others gave out, but most refused to give in. The masses grew old, and never did they fold, but they kept marching towards their stated goal. In spite of their toil and sad human blight, the moon of their minds was always shining bright. So bright that they turned their nightmares into dreams. Civil rights and rules and laws were not the only mechanism for keeping me and others in line. There was the added rigidity of Religious do’s and don'ts. There were the major "not's" like touch not, handle not, and taste not. It was "the Southern way", craftily designed to last forever and a day. Such were the added fuels and confusion of Religious Regulations that could really blow your mind. In many respects, I endured and escaped this Sad Southern Saga of civil and religious bondage. I am proud to be from a generation of fighters who kept the fires of faith flaming to the finish. I can still feel the religious rigidity in me even today, but it recreates itself in the form of strength and discipline. Racial bigotry, century after century, was so deeply increnched in the human psyche that only 'a remake' by God Almighty can ever restore the mind to its rightful place. I recall the civil unrest that was very volatile in the 60's and 70's, but it made us all make new attempts to come together as one united nation of strong women and men. Written 5/30/08; Posted PS 1/28/16 Contest 10/26/2017 Nationalism, Debbie Guzzi, 8P