Voices. Patrice Carolyn Forrester

      Voices

      Copyright © 2016 Patrice Carolyn Forrester. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

      Resource Publications

      An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

      199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3

      Eugene, OR 97401

      www.wipfandstock.com

      paperback isbn: 978-1-4982-8194-2

      hardcover isbn: 978-1-4982-8196-6

      ebook isbn: 978-1-4982-8195-9

      Manufactured in the U.S.A.

      For my mother—her strength and love

      For all those crying out for freedom and restoration

      Introduction

      These poems tell the stories of great oppression, pride, pain, and resilience. As I reflected on the lives of other women in history and our current day, stories began to form in my imagination about their lives. I began to write their stories based on the historical record and my own observations in the form of narrative poems.

      The poems gathered here present the experiences of those who are all too easily ignored and marginalized due to their race, class, ethnicity, or gender. The poems at the beginning of this collection give voice to black women, a group that has been vilified, honored, and discounted. Additional poems in this collection present a variety of women’s voices who express the sexual exploitation of women in war and peacetime, as well as the healing that comes through connections with others and a sense of hope for the future.

      Even as these poems shed light on the stories of particular people and events, I hope that you will look to find your own story as you reflect on the lives of those portrayed here. May you experience the freedom and healing that can come from authentically using your own unique voice.

      Voices

      We refuse

      To crush our hearts

      To chain our souls

      We dream of freedom

      We dream of freedom

      We dream

      Of voices

      One day

      Released

      Refusing to be

      Silenced

      The Education of Sally Plummer

      South Carolina Circa 1867

      I

      I was reared on Marsden Bluff

      As long as I can remember

      Worked up at the Big House

      Hated it

      Mistress always calling

      Never resting

      Never knew Mama

      Sold her off when I was just a little girl

      Way down South

      Miz Clary said

      I used to ask Miz Clary what Mama was like

      Miz Clary would smile

      Said I looked just like her

      Big brown eyes

      Wide smile

      That made me smile

      It made me sad too

      II

      As I worked in the Big House

      I walked by young massa

      As he read his book for reading lessons

      I saw the words

      He wrote down

      I liked to hear him read

      I began to memorize the words

      Practiced writing them in the ground when I was alone

      I began to recognize some of the words young massa wrote

      As I dusted the books in the study

      Young massa and Mistress

      Would always say

      “Sally sure is dumb”

      Laughing

      As I cleaned

      During lessons

      They never saw

      I was playing dumb

      So I could learn to read

      III

      Soon as Massa came home from the War

      Yankees started following

      Told us that we slaves were free