Balanta
By JS
Fred
George, Malcolm, & Che
Have been my guiding light
As my world turns.
Sitting in the same cages
They sat in before me
Reading the words they left
But connected to them through
Shared suffering pain & anger
As my soul burns.
Rather die on my feet than
Live on my knees!
But talk like that could find
You somewhere on a nice night
Swinging from trees,
With your head bent high
Shoe laces undone catching
The breeze.
Or being shot to death in your
Bed with your pregnant woman while
The enemy yells “freeze?”
But I’m asleep!
God you love me don’t you?
I wept when I read that!
But those are tears we’ll all
Get a chance to cry.
I just pray that’s not a
Death I ever get a chance to
Die
Jesus you love me don’t you?
There’s an evolution to revolution
One that he’s in the perception of the oppression
Malcolm showed me that clarity
Comes with severity
Big emotions! Loud voices
Big impact can come from small
Choices.
Martin took strength from
Gandhi & the Bible
Mandela and Sundiata spoke of
Something more tribal.
Seeing the best parts of me
Go with their death
Following the prints they left
In the sand allows me to speak
With their breath
Kyla, you love me don’t you?
To be well read, is to be
Well fed & without the lessons
Of my teachers I would
Be, well ????? DEAD
And sincere thanks to Briscoe
Bush Woods and the Washington-El’s
For arming me with these guiding
Lights every time I stepped foot in
Your cells.
7 Comments
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
JS!
You are truly talented. I enjoyed reading this poem. Poetry can be many things. To me it is therapeutic and healing. Has been since I was little. Some of quotes I liked the best are below. They are strong and powerful.
Big emotions! Loud voices
Big impact can come from small
Choices.
Following the prints they left
In the sand allows me to speak
With their breath
These stood out to me the most. So much truth in these.
Continue to speak your truth through your writing, keep your collection. I really enjoyed this!
~Momma Kuz
The cages symbolize confinement and oppression, while the shared suffering, pain, and anger connect the speaker to those who have come before him, emphasizing the collective experience of oppression and resistance.
Dear JS,
So many big emotions in one poem… injustice, anger, suffering, and oppression. You truly have a way with words. The connection through you and the ones that have come before you stood out the most to me.
Sitting in the same cages
They sat in before me
Reading the words they left
But connected to them through
Shared suffering pain & anger
As my soul burns.
This poem while telling a story of suffering also has glimmer of resilience. Through all of what you have experienced you are still here today. Telling and fitting for your truth. Please keep writing!
This is a very strong, loud poem that pulled on my heartstrings. “Rather die on my feet than
Live on my knees!”, “Swinging from trees, with your head bent high, shoe laces undone catching the breeze.”. This among many phrases really left me speechless. It screams hurt, fear, and strength. It also highlights many of the problems in America, and what continues to happen in our society. I hear your truth through the mind of yourself and others, and that is powerful. I applaud your transparency and honesty, and this poem had me feeling a range of emotions. “Following the prints they left in the sand allows me to speak with their breath”. This left me lingering on every word. I applaud you for your work and I hope you continue to pursue your passion(s). You will get very far, and you are doing right by these people you speak for. Thank you for saying their names, and saying it loud. I appreciate the time you took to write this.
Hi JS,
Thank you for your words. I believe that everyday we wake up to the mystery of being alive and that we’re everyday presented with the ‘small choices’ that can change our fate over time. I walk with you on this soul’s journey.
Fondly,
EZ
Big emotions! Loud voices
Big impact can come from small
Choices.
Wow. I honestly don’t think I have read a poem that is more empowering and eye opening than this. You have such a talent to make people feel these emotions and bring these deep feelings out of us. You’ve managed to write such a beautiful piece of art. My favorite line has to be
“But those are tears we’ll all
Get a chance to cry.
I just pray that’s not a
Death I ever get a chance to
Die”
Because it really resonated with past experiences of mine and my family. Another one that stood out was,
“ There’s an evolution to revolution
One that he’s in the perception of the oppression”
I think this is just beautiful and so meaningful. Wish you all the good things!
What a beautiful poem! I loved all of the different names used to start each stanza. I love the rhythm too, this poem would be wonderful to see performed. This poem serves as a reminder that suffering can be generational, and you learn things from those who come before you. Thank you for sharing!