Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Assignment 3 Moses by Lauren Ashley

Moses: Found Poems

I set the North Star in the
heavens and I mean for
you to be free tomorrow I flee
owl screeches the hour has come

She creeps through the woods her heart flutters.
hush: hoof beats God cradles her in a dust cloud
she sees the broom become a staff, then a rifle
Lord i'm going to hold steady on to you


Harriet climbs into a wagon
A heart song lulls her to sleep
Swing low, sweet chariot

She walks until her legs ache
Lord I miss my folks
Use his lessons to be free

She races as fast as she can
A boatman rows her upriver
Upstream the barking ceases and fear washes away

She recalls dreams where she flew like a bird, sank
and was lifted by ladies in white who pulled her
north fly Harriet your father has wings
Lord make me strong help me fight

Harriet rises from the hole like a sapling reaches
for the sun as if to touch Gods hand
making her way mile after rugged mile
holding Gods hand all the while

In the promised land Philadelphia
the sun shines gold in the trees and
Harriet feels light as a cloud
Not heaven Harriet, free Soil

Lord I am a stranger here
All my kin are down south
I would make a home for them here
I would give my own life to free them

Harriet be the moses of your people
Save all you can Daughter
It wasn't me It was the Lord
I always trust him to lead me and
he always does

Well done Moses, well done
You will meet again

2 comments:

  1. I really like how you incorporated some of your own words in with the words of Carole Boston Weatherford. You tied them together well and it made for an interesting found poem.

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  2. I agree! By adding your own words to the author's, you have created a unique reflection of this book. Well done!

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