SANDS OF TIME
Whips and chains ruled the day,
Time slipped by,
Thoughts of freedom scampered in minds,
Time slipped by,
Rebellion was crushed by foolish men,
Time slipped by,
Families were ripped from ancestral binds,
Yet time slipped by....
Rights for all was an unknown concept,
Time moved on,
Leaders of the era brought new civil laws to the forefront,
Time moved on,
Prisons and courthouses became common
meeting places for the outspoken,
Time moved on,
Separate but equal was the idea
decided on by our White counterparts,
Still time moved on....
The day of bondage and fear was to be over,
Time passed by,
Now it was a bondage of a mental kind,
Time passed by,
Black people blamed "the man" for incompetence,
Time passed by,
Black power and love was the basis for our pride,
Steadily time passed by...
With anticipation of a new millennium curiosity rose,
Time marched on,
Individuals scurried to cover every last detail,
Time marched on,
People mended relationships and said goodbyes,
Time marched on,
We waited for disaster and hoped for a miracle
to no avail,
And time marches on...
I would like to thank you, my family, for your encouraging words about my poetry. I was given the title of Poet Laureate of Lincoln University during this past school year, this is largely due to your support. 1 also would like to dedicate this poem to my late Grandfather Wilbert G. Harris.
COME SO FAR
We have been through so many things
the number I cannot say,
But we have all become closer
in such a special way,
Some of us have learned to love,
unconditionally,
And some of us have learned to
encourage each other; continually,
We have come so far and still
have so far to go,
We have reviewed our heritage
each year so we'll know,
Our ancestors' lives and how
they lived,
What they sacrificed and how
much they'd give,
So we could live freely the
American way,
Not having to worry about our
lives or what people'd say,
It is not yet perfect but better than then,
But will it ever be perfect;
Hopefully someday but when?
This is our 20th Family Reunion and I'm
Happy it's here,
We should fellowship and enjoy
and hopetully we will meet
again next year.
This poem is dedicated to my late Grandfather Wilbert G. Harris.
