The Gift of Song Pt. Ii

She flinches, shudders as chains tug at her flesh The ruthless slave trader and rapist whispers to the auctioneer And instinctively she knows that it is her turn to be sold. The noise heightens, her eyes focus on a kind face in the crowd. A well dressed man with a curly mustache wearing a black a top hat His expensive suit quite obvious as he moves deliberately through the crowd He approaches the platform and takes the slave trader aside As the bidders become raucous, jostling and argument ensue Her eyes trail the well dressed man with the curly mustache As he haggles with the ruthless slave trader Again, looking up towards the sky once more, she day dreams Her Mama had been sold some time ago, never to be seen again. And as she recalls the soft murmuring words of comfort Tears fall easily from ebony eyes rolling down her face. Then she heard a voice whisper, “Don’t cry.” “Don’t cry, Heddie”. I am here. I am with you. And wherever you go, I will go with you. The road will be treacherous and mighty long. This road will be hard, the Journey, long. Yet you will be resilient. You will endure and you will be strong! Today, I bring you a gift for all your days and beyond. The gift of song! May your soul find rest when you sing. In joy or sorrow, trials and trouble, worship And praise, you will sing and your spirit will ascend to God’s throne of grace.” In that moment the chains that shackled hands and feet fell loudly onto the block (That was the beginning of a new life for Heddie. The well dressed man with The kind eyes rescued Heddie and the others that day. As the story about her great Grand mother is told to her grandchildren sitting at her feet, they all realize that the blessing which was given eons ago as Heddie stood on the auction block at twelve had been passed forward to the present generation. They are the descendants of Heddie and the well dressed gentleman who had moved to upstate New York where he married Heddie and gave the slaves their freedom.) This is written in celebration of "Black History" Month and in collaboration with Jimmy Matthew Anderson