Raison d’etre

 

Commissioned 
I have been commissioned by the

Ancestors beyond the veil

that hangs between the living and departed

to speak to you.

Their voices are restless. 

Do not forget their lessons.

 

They see how you turn your heads

Avert your eyes when you chance upon

images from those dark times

They sense the shame that beats within your

breast to descend from such as these.

Why shame? It took strength!

 

You say you would not have done it.

Too much fight in you.

Mark!

Their words and laws controlled your world.

Bear it or face death … or worse.

There are worse things.

Death ends the sufferings, I tell you.

 

Some called for our extinction.

We bled so you of tomorrow would not have

to bleed.

Lest they try to write us out of their history,

we     would    not     die     but survived

so they could not leave us out.

Our stripes spared you yours.

 

Are you ashamed of your Jesus

who bore the anguish of the cross for your sins?

Bearing is an act of love.

It was love for our people, launched into the

 future.

 

Our willingness to endure

brought you here today.

No shame to it, but Glory.