“We Can, We Will, We Must”For Annamie Paul, Leader of Canada’s Green Party hers is a voiceepicbraided with mother grandmotherlegacy – learned & lived advocacyrallying determination with thepassionate grace of a phoenix in flight she’s thundering author of the book of radical daring changeshe’s pounding rhythm of We can! We will!We must!the mouthpiece majesty of… Continue reading Poem 54 – We Can, We Will, We Must
Tag: Black History Month
Poem 52 – Headstones on the Potomac Shore
Headstones on the Potomac Shore The Potomac coughs up headstonesfrom the Columbian Harmony Cemetery. Heavy slabs of memories choke on a storythat won’t stop repeating its violent conflicts. The bodies of 37,000 black residents uprootedreburied – names replaced with the silence of sold markers. For 60 years Keckley, Fleetwood, Shadd and moresix feet under footsteps… Continue reading Poem 52 – Headstones on the Potomac Shore
Poem 51 – Movement
“Social movement doesn’t come all at once, just as it doesn’t come out of nowhere. There are moments when it captures the news, like the National Guard in Little Rock, and then we don’t hear anything about it nationally for a year, two years, three years, four years, five years – and then wham!” pg.… Continue reading Poem 51 – Movement
Poem 49 – The Poet for Phillis Wheatley Peters
The PoetFor Phillis Wheatley Peters age sevenseized in Senegalsentenced to slaveryone tender body ina shipment of shame under a robe of dirty rugslender child nearly nakedsuffering the vived changein climate and freedom –shivers the ship captain in hasteher frailty no reason tostutter sells her tothe Bostonian Wheatly whites before dusting but after dishes –reading and… Continue reading Poem 49 – The Poet for Phillis Wheatley Peters
VANESSA SHIELDS, writer 