"They Were Told" by Philip Kolin from VALLEY VOICES

Today's poem is by Philip Kolin

They Were Told

It's one of the few places where the soil sobs
For all those whose footprints and heartaches
Tilled the white earth by black backs.
Under that white harvest their bodies sleep
But not well; they can still hear the lost
Moans of bluesmen whose songs will not promise
Relief and rest. That white money crop has plugged
The ears of plantation owners, mill operators,
Foremen, tax collectors, and jailers.
From listening to what indentured men and women
Cried out about. When a mule died or weevils ate
Their children's futures, the masters kindly told them
To do with more with less. Work longer, plow deeper,
Wear the yoke themselves. The land isn't going
Anywhere. It's here for you, they were told.

Copyright © 2025 Philip Kolin All rights reserved
from Valley Voices
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission

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