What Am I If Not a Slave

What am I if not a slave?
I cook, clean and mourn;
I wash, sweep and weep
from dawn to fall of night.

I do nothing but cooking;
I cook all day,
three times a day,
from dawn to fall of night.

What are you if not a master?
You eat, teach and cheat;
you write, drink and sleep
from dawn to fall of night.

For three long decades,
I’ve cleaned your dishes:
empty, dirty dishes
from dawn to fall of night. 

What’s marriage if not serfdom?
You are my master;
I am merely a slave.
You do your part; I mine.

From dawn to fall of night
and back to break of day.



A 1st placement in the following contest (judged on Aug. 24, 2020: It's not really a contest, rather it's an opportunity to showcase our first poem on Poetry Soup.)
Your first poem on Poetry Soup
Sponsor: Silent One
Copyright © | Year Posted 2016

Poem

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Rodrigues Avatar
September 8, 2020 at 3:31 AM
Excellent first write! You handled the subject well - of slavery, of masters, of marriage. Excellent content! Congratulations on your win!
Ranaweera  Avatar
September 8, 2020 at 3:43 AM
Thank you so much,Kim, for your read and the great comment!!
Andresen Avatar
August 24, 2020 at 3:58 AM
- Congratulations on your win, Newton ... I remember how exciting it was to post my first poem :) - hugs // Anne-Lise :)
Ranaweera  Avatar
August 24, 2020 at 11:04 AM
Thank you so much, Sunshine Smile, for this lovely, relatable comment!! Much appreciated.
One Avatar
August 24, 2020 at 3:31 AM
You are not a slave... thankfully, those days are long gone, but we can become a slave to the system... Great first post.. This was not really a contest, it was an opportunity to showcase your first poem and I am glad you entered. Thank you.
Ranaweera  Avatar
August 24, 2020 at 11:03 AM
Thank you so much, Silent One, for your kind comment and for considering a placement for my piece. I agree with; we become slaves to the system.
Wanter Avatar
December 19, 2016 at 6:45 PM
Maybe a martyr, not a slave.
Ranaweera  Avatar
December 19, 2016 at 7:14 PM
Thanks for the comment.
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