Daniel Harris, poet, scholar, environmentalist, and long-time Not in Our Town supporter, had the following poem accepted for publication in the Connecticut River Review.  Daniel has given us permission to publish it on the blog.  Daniel invites you to visit his website, danielharrispoet.net.

When

Since time is running out for me

to say about

the currents of oceans

gulls on their errands

the wind-lashed palms

 

And time is running out for me

to say about

the horses, their riders

beasts of burden, oxen

yoked to plow the many fields

 

And time is running out for me

to say about

the     other chattel

people caught and shackled

shipped and bought

enslaved for free labor, profit

 

While time runs short for me

to say about

women abused to breed

the owners who used them

children, men schooled by whip

 

Time’s run out for me

to cough up phlegm and tell

of whites who told

in schools the whitest lies

that could be told

about     our liberties

(and boy! was I sold! )

 

So time keeps running back to me

though I at the sill

poise to falter

© Daniel A. Harris