Don't teach our children that freedom was given
Please tell them the truth, It could only be stolen.
Our forefathers 'liberated' by Buxton and peers
Had only regained what were rightfully theirs.

Kate, my great, great and beautiful grandma,
Had vivid memories of the coast of New Guinea...
At the age of six or seven or eight
She was shackled and driven like a pig to the coastline,
Glancing occassionally in the direction of her birth place
Not knowing that she'd see it no more.

She was severed from her Birth place, Her language
Her culture, Her parents, Her relatives, Her friends

Beaten, coralled and hurded in a vessel
Still chained, she was stacked like sardines
Through the middle passage.
Glancing in the direction of her favourite Guinea Coast
Perhaps wondering if she'd see it anymore.

Occassionally she'd  be unshakled,
Taken up deck, doused by buckets of salt water
To remove stale piss and shit and vomit.
Then raped and, beaten and returned...
She'd holler, She'd curse, she'd piss,
she'd shit, she'd vomit again. and again
she was severed from her self esteem,
Wondering if she'd find it anymore.

She was taken to Kingston to an auction block
Then to a sugar estate some where in Jamaica
Kate eventually reached St Thomas
Kate began to regain her lost self esteem
But yearned for the early days
with her parents, relatives and friends
Somewhere off her favourite Guinea Coast.
Now convinced she'd see it no more.
 

Kate mothered Annie Rose et al.
Annie mothered Hilda Ross et al.
Hilda mothered Alice Monfries et al.
Alice mothered 'yours truly' et al.
Yours truly fathered Carolyn, Sanya and Matthew.


Horray! Kate


We've fully regained our self esteem,
Your self esteem


We adopted a new Birth place, a new culture,
A new language and we have new friends
Your vivid recollection ignited Hilda's inner memory
Hilda's tale catalyzed my occasional glance
In the direction of your favourite Guinea Coast
Still wondering however, if we'll see it anymore.

Say what? .... Am I still severed?