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Poem: Free, But Not Free

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Poem: Free, But Not Free

A work in progress, much like our freedom

Sharon Hurley Hall
Mar 7, 2022
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Poem: Free, But Not Free

www.antiracismnewsletter.com

Hello friends,

Today I’m sharing a work in progress with you, a poem I’ve been working on since last October, about the nature of freedom for Black people.

FREE, BUT NOT FREE

They said we were free

Unshackled from the need

To pick their crops

But we had to wait

And pick their crops

And pay them rent

Before we could truly be free

So we were not free


They said we were free

To leave their land

And find a place to be

But we could never own

The soil we tilled

And could only walk

In the spaces they allowed

So we were not free


They said we were free

To get some education

But not too much

They didn’t want unrest

So they priced it high

Putting higher learning

Out of reach for most

So we were not free


They said we were free

To move up in society

And take a better place

But only if we were light

But only if we looked right

But only if we played white

If not, we kept our humble lot

So we were not free


They said we were free

To travel to other countries

To make a better life

For us, and for our children

They never said that there

Just as at home

We’d face the same distrust

So we were not free


They said we were free

To mix with others

Who didn’t look like us

But they didn’t want us

They really didn’t want us

Burning crosses in their ire

Expelling us with fire

So we were not free


They say we are free

Civil rights secured

Though others took the spoils

Still despised and exiled

Still marked for death

In the countries we helped build

So we are not free

We are not free


When will we be free?

Leave a comment

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

P.S. If you’re a paid subscriber, there’s a special treat. Look out for an audio version of this poem, read by yours truly, in an hour or so.

Check out some of my other poems below:

  • I Didn’t Know (published in Decolonial Passage)

  • Outside In — A Poem About Racism

  • I’m Still Waiting

  • It's Been a Year

“Free, But Not, Free” poem © Sharon Hurley Hall, 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Image credit: Getty images: boonyachoat

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2022. All Rights Reserved.

I am an anti-racism writer, a professional B2B writer and blogger, and co-host of The Introvert Sisters podcast. If you value my perspective, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription.

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Poem: Free, But Not Free

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24 Comments
Professor Hazel Simmons-McDonald
Mar 9, 2022Liked by Sharon Hurley Hall

Hi Sharon, I like the poem and the sentiments expressed. These are the the messages that need to be read. Wanted to share a thought with you about some of the lines. Will try to connect later.

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Emily
Mar 8, 2022Liked by Sharon Hurley Hall

This is a very important reflection, Sharon. As I reread this powerful poem many memories surged into my mind, and one of my thought was, given our collective experiences, we would wait forever, and never really be free. So we should think of ourselves as free right now - free in our minds, in our psyches, and free to challenge every indignity or unfair law – or condescension - we may encounter. On a personal level we can treat such unpleasant contacts as though they were outside the norm - the epitome of bad manners. It's not easy, but how else would we be really free if we do not take that freedom?

That’s my two cents. Thanks for stimulating our thoughts, and keep up the excellent work.

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