Ken Jordan Poet Light Verse

Work Songs

Poet: Ken Jordan
Poem: Work Songs
Edited by: Sparkle Jordan
written: February/2014


O'l 
black man,
and
black woman,

Straighten
up
yo back -

Pull some
Chickweed,

to heal
the welts,

on yo
black skin,

from 
the lashes
of 
the
white man's
whip - 
 
and

Wipe away
the
tears
from yo 
eyes -

You've 
slaved
in
the fields

from
sun up
to
sun down -

Made it
through
another day,

and
damn near
died -

Now
supper time 
is
calling -

Eat up!

fill yo belly
full -

drank
two
 hands 

full of
well water,

and
sing those
*****
work songs -

Master
said
get plenty
of
rest -

Fo
tomorrow
morn'n

will
come
for some -

Got acres 
of
cotton
to
pick,

Bales
to
tote,

and
another
field to 
Plow -

Eat up!

O'l
black man
and
black woman -

Better
work hard
through
yo pain -

No matter
how
difficult
It gets -

Never quit,
but
Don't you
dare run -

Fo
White men
on horses,
with
whips,

will catch
you,

and
beat you
down -

Yo
black neck
will fit
the
noose 
of
a rope,

dangling
from
southern 
trees -

So gon now -

Eat up!

Fill yo belly
full -

Just know,

that
you slave
all day

to stay 
alive -

Keep
yo faith,

believe
that it's 
gon get better -

So
Hum
in the fields,

and
sing those 
*****
work songs -

♡Like0

Share Poem

---

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Linda Jackson February 28, 2014 at 5:14 AM A very powerful poem. It illustrates perfectly the horrors of slavery. Linda x