I raised high, but looked down
A rope was tied to me now
Clutching, tightening, and the cutting of my voice was arising upon me
The faint smell of the fire urged me
To forget all the moments of glee.
My toes were felt in the dirt as I gradually was uplifted,
All I could feel was the burning of my innocence,
It touched my feet,
All I could feel was the roaring heat.
When I gazed up high,
I just wanted to go and cry.
My lungs were running out of fresh air,
This was injustice and unfair.

I recalled back,
All the moments of being strapped,
I did not care at all,
because I knew I was going to fall.
They use to whip and abuse me,
All I could do was have tears.

Now, tears are stopped,

My breath has halted,
Musings – they have been interrupted,
My neck tightened,
My soul was leaving my body,

I was free,

I longed to perish,

I was waiting to ask my goddess,

Why was I born to be black?

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I wrote this rhythmic poem based on the treatment of slaves in United States. Slaves were used as personal possessions. The intention of this poem was to tell the feelings from a perspective of an innocent slave, who is being hanged. Not only that, when you are treated as a slave and you have been treated as a personal possession, they throw or recycle you out until you are no more. The reality of black slaves are even worser. Their health care, freedom, and working conditions are beyond the second-rate quality of life. If I were to be treated as a slave, this is how I would feel when I have toiled away and the result I get is just worser. That is, being hanged from my black. From all the extreme provocation of being a dark-skinned individual and experiencing the inevitable consequences of slavery, anyone would give in and lose their sense of self-identity. As a result, any innocent slave would want to question themselves of why do they inhabit the side of the disparate world of darkness. If I was a dark-skinned person, I would ask myself, “Why Was I Born Black?”.

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Inspiration: The novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee