waiting on the mayflower, iii. march 1770 (excerpt)
that night, crispus attucks
dreamed. how he'd attacked
his would-be master and fled
in wild-eyed search of self-
determination. discarded
virginia on the run and ran
out of breath in salt-scented
boston. found there, if not
freedom, fearlessness. a belief
in himself that racked things
with the uncontrolled power
of the muscular atlantic, power
to cradle, to capsize. awoke
angry again at the planter
who'd taken him for a mule
or a machine. had shouldered
a chip the size of concord
by the time the redcoat dared
to dare him. died wishing he'd
amassed such revolutionary
ire in virginia. died dreaming
great britain was the enemy.
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Hello Friends,
Today's re-imagining of American Revolutionary War hero Crispus Attucks comes to us courtesy of Evie Shockley in her 2006 collection half-red sea.
To learn more about National Poetry Month, or to subscribe to a more official-like Poem-a-Day list, visit www.poets.org.
Enjoy.
Ellen
Labels: NPM