Abolitionist Poems | Examples


List of Member Poems

Premium Member Abolish With Polish

Said the caste abolitionist
to the privileged preservationist

What Earth needs outside
we both feel inside

What people want inside
fills and spills outside

Following polycultural
polypathic
polyamorous
polytheistic Golden Rules
Ways
Means
Golden Ratios.

Caste abolition, 
like anthropocentric constraint,
and unlike narcissistic complaint,
engages transformative potential
to recreate an organic civilization
in which every sacred body
has what is needed
and every polyamorous mind
has what is wanted.

Every neurological system
well-trained
and peace-making empowered
to recognize
and responsibly self-correct
any dissociative dissonant differences
between body nurturing needs
for kind touch
and mind-care wants
for compassionate communication

Spoken
and unspoken,
saged
and mused,
crowned
and rooted,
mountained
and valleyed
FatherSunned
and EarthMothered,
LeftBrained
and RightBodied,
enlightened
and empowering,
polished Win+Win
and abolished Win v Lose.

Premium Member A Senryu Quintet Tribute To Black Patti, 1868-1933, And Sula Baye, 08,25,1943

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my blessed little Sister!
When we were young, Papa always called
You “Black Patti”!  Now we know why:


A Senryu Quintet Tribute To “Black Patti (1868-1933): **
        For My Sister, Sula “Black Patti” Baye (08/25/1943)

Water gives rivers life
I swanee, “Black Patti” gave
Life to the songs she sang:-

“Black Patti” felt that
Singing songs was to her, as
Sunshine to flowers:-

When “Black Patti” sang,
Flowers flooded world stages:
Concert Halls, sold out!

She was Mitilda
Sissieretta Jones: singing
Abolitionist! 

Black Patti, rather
Than Adelina Patti, was
Their Era’s Greatest!

    **When others sit down and do oursrorical research,
       They will know why Papa gave you that honor.  Go
       And enjoy another blessed year, perpendicular to
       Earth and Heaven.  To God Be The Glory. In the 
       Onederful oneness of the onement of Extended
       Family, Peace And Love, your favorite Brother,
       Deac.

Premium Member This Kind of Stuff We Just Can'T Excuse

I loosen my belt and remove my shoes
   So, dear, what's going on in the news
They blocked the streets; tore down statues
   No surprise there; of what were they accused

The protestors, nothing; but the statues held leftist views
   What?  What are you saying, dear?  Now I'm confused
Honey, it seems that a staunch abolitionist was the first one abused
   Huh?  An abolitionist?  For what was his statue so cruelly used

I don't know. He organized a militia to fight slavery; he was super-enthused
   -- Oh, yeah.  Hans Christian Heg; maybe one of those religious yahoos
Then that explains that!... Darling I'd really like to continue to schmooze --
   But I promised the girls I'd help topple Arethusa of Syracuse...



Notes: Hans Christian Heg's statue was, indeed decapitated today in
          Madison, Wisconsin.  His 'crime:' He was an abolitionist who organized
          a group of Wisconsinites into a Union militia in order to fight against
          slavery in the Civil War... Go figure!
         
         Arethusa was a naiad nymph of the sacred Greek colony of Syracuse.
         Virgil felt that she inspired pastoral poetry.  (Like the above... lol).


Premium Member Sojourner Truth

Sojourner
Abolitionist. Slave. Women's Rights Activist. Mother.   
Daughter of James and Elizabeth Baumfree. Wife of "Thomas", a slave
Lover of her five children, freedom, humanity, public speaking
Who feels passion, anger, and love for all people
Who fears injustice and the continuation of slavery
Who would love to see the emancipation of enslaved people
Who would love to see the end of slavery and inequality of human rights
Resident of Swartekill, New York, United States
Truth


Date written and posted: 03/12/2019

Premium Member Black History Month, 2019

Born a slave in 1818 and escaped from slavery at the age of 20, Fredrick                                                          Douglas became a noted writer, minister of the Gospel, and an abolitionist.                                                           Toward the end of his life, Fredrick Douglas was asked for advice by a young man. Mr. Douglas responded with one word, saying it three times, "Agitate, Agitate, Agitate."

Believing that advice to be very appropriate at the time, I cannot argue against such counsel. Although I have an affinity and great respect for Mr. Douglas, I would not accept his advice today. Considering my 60 plus years of life experience and the struggle against the enemies of true democracy and civil liberties in the midst of troubled times, if I were asked for advice in my day, I would need at least four words.  Those four words would be PRAY, ASSIMILATE, ASSOCIATE, and EDUCATE.

02132019MTFBPoSoup

Premium Member Olaudah Equiano

OLAUDAH EQUIANO

OLAUDAH EQUIANO
Writer abolitionist
From Igbo region
Purchased his own freedom
In 1766, prominent in British movement


2/11/18
written by James Edward Lee Sr.


Premium Member John Brown

JOHN BROWN


John Brown
Abolitionist found
Against slavery
Non-prejudicial nor in bigotry

1/9/18
By James Edward Lee Sr.

Hiring a Linguist

Hiring A Linguist
Point Trump tried to make we had missed,
Learned more after having hired a linguist,
To find out,
What about;
Trump apparently had been an abolitionist.

Jim Horn

The First Abolitionist

How shocked the first man must have felt
Who saw the souls behind the eyes of slaves,
As they silently marched down crowded streets,
Making their way to market to be sold.

He must have thought he was crazy then,
To sympathize with such wretched, lowly creatures – 
To find in them a piece of himself,
And feel within the growing pangs of guilt

How lonely then he must have felt,
When all his friends and family could not see
The very spark that he had seen,
And since could never make himself forget.

Lewis Leary's Shawl

Lewis crept into Harper's Ferry
at cool dawn's light in '59
with angry John Brown,
pursed keen and unkempt
to bleed over his shawl,
then died for his wife

Mary, grew old and gray
and left that stained shawl
for grandson Langston Hughes,
to inspire him someday

Langston took Grandma's shawl 
and took oppression to his heart
to rise up in other words,
"where people suffered 
in beautiful language"*

© Goode Guy 2013-02-03

* Langston Hughes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Sheridan_Leary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(abolitionist)

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Doth if not thrill thee, Poet,
Dead and dust though thy art, 
To feel how I press thy singing 
Close to my heart? 

Published first at age thirteen,
Historical stanzas
Expressions of the patriot thou art
Lyrics singing.

Your candles nightly glowing,
Great writings to impart,
Signaled from the Old north Church
Paul Revere’s Ride.

Do you revel from above,
“Poems of Slavery” roused,
Oh, abolitionist, thou famed
Compassion heard.

The Villiage Blacksmith sweating
Working his way through life,
Remembers your ancestral past.
Honored through time.

My favorite childhood poet
Sharing my same birthdate*,
You crossed the decades to my youth
And made me see.

Where lies, now, thy influence?
Embedded in my soul –
Patriotic heart and poet,
Grown from thy art.

Ó November 19, 2011
Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen

Written for Poetry Soup Member Contest:  The Passionate Reader 	
Sponsored by: Constance ~ My Dear Heart ~

See Notes:

Premium Member Elizabeth Barret Browning

A poet with a loving Spirit...
A heart rich with abundant love, overflowing
So much love did her heart retain 
An abolitionist she chose to become
In spite of its unpopularity 
Through all her relationships, graceful, caring
Always kind and gentle as a dove
Had no recourse but to pen emotions deep 
Writing great, timeless sonnets of love 
Inspired by the love of her life
Throughout her years, she drew inspiration from above

Premium Member Vignette-Love and Devotion

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, born 1806,
Extraordinary Poetess, daughter, sister, wife, Abolitionist 
Confined for a time yet her heart, mind and spirit
Roamed free beyond her environment, espousing, expressing
Love and devotion so eloquently in beautiful Sonnets

To:  Elizabeth Barrett Browning


Entry into Brian Strand's Vignette-Literary Love Affair Contest

The Colors of Humanity

Manacles suppress a beautiful mind 
decayed by the stench of putrid bitterness
created long before Mr. Whitney
made you expendable

yet you loathe me
despite my relation to Harriet

uncle Tom was never relevant
nor did his cabin provide shelter
unto your bitterness
its wood burned food for thought

could one become a christian
to be born again
and return as an abolitionist
the absurdity of it astounds me

but chains will always bind us together
regardless of our ancestry

linked through the color of love
red hues splashed in anger
dipped in disdain 
tainted by the past
we live to paint
the pictures shadows cast......

Bob Shank-Nov.20th, 2006

Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.

Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace