Slave
                                        Freedman
                                        Saved 
                                        Free Soul



        First birth I was a twinkle
        Faithful Isabella, first

        Birth deep earth uneven 
        And ungrounded light

        Cannot fall, father was tall, called 
        Bomefree or low Dutch for tree.  
        Mother, Mau-mau Bett. Sweet. 

        I remember thee as shade 
        And sun,  sold as sheep

        Jesus.  Where were you
        When my parents cried?  

 




        Mau-mau showed 
        Her children a moon,  
        His light 
        Bathed their minds, 
        Their souls
        Knew possession 



no one can see/ how I should be/
the bonehouse is where I want to flee/ where no one
can whip me/No One with your omniscient eyes/
leave my body/ allow transcendentality




        Pipes we smoke and plant 'round pits 
        Fly into Heaven--a breath from God
        Graves scattered with shells, glass, flashes 
        For quick travel to safety, the sacred



Holy Wind of Whitsuntide
 




        As a women
        She smoked
        A small clay pipe

        Fella say, no unclean 
        Thing can enter 
        The Kingdom of Heaven, 
        And you with that 
        Smoker's breath ain't.

        Says Truth, "When I go, 
        I 'spect to leave my breath behind."

 




Was the faithful Bell of Hardenberg
was a twinkle--Isabella


Memory and orality
Visionary literacy




I told Jesus it'd be all right
If He changed my name


Mauled so badly by a mob
Walked life with a cane


Sojourner Truth I became




Visionary memory
Amanuensis or numina


Where narrative is silent

 




        Her song, strong truthful tones

        In the cellar of her birth
        Bomefree and she 
        Exchanged
        Their last thought 
        No longer than a finger

        "I am colored, thank God for that; 
        I have not the curse of God upon me
 



        

        On a small island in a small stream
        Speaking loudly as her breath blew
        Willows     silver falls 

        Insurrection    carry off

        Her cries to God 






June 1 the clarion blows
East from Brooklyn to Long Island
"Lord giveth me a new home.
I must be about my Father's business."

Dusts off her traveling shoes, loads up 
Some cartes de visite; her Narrative;  
And an album for autographs:
The "Book of Life" 



        It was early in the morning,
        It was early in the morning,
        Just at the break of day,
        When He rose,  when He rose, when He rose,
        And went to Heaven on a cloud.




And trees wave in glory
Stones shine like laughter
And she shouts "Praise to the Lord
Love to all creatures!"






                In Quaker garb
                Stands six feet
                Tall lean royal 
                Sibilla Libica 


                Chin rests on 
                Broad hard palm
                Eyes bespeak 
                Power to bind 




                

                        For Aunty Sojourner Truth
                                    Oct. 29, 1864 
                                       A. Lincoln


In portraiture Sojourner reclines,
Lincoln above.  Two mouths
Shut.  The "Book of Life" open.

Six months later, our President dead

In truth, Lincoln is seated at his desk when 
Sojourner arrives.  He stands and bows upon 
introduction.  

He says: 
    All presidents would have emancipated 
    those brought in bondage if the time had come, 
    and if those on the other side of the river 
    had not done evil, I wouldn't have had 
    the opportunity to do good.

An instrument of God

Both hands receiving, one his one hers 

Call again Sojourner, my friend
 





We are done with hoeing cotton, 
We are done with hoeing corn;
We are colored Yankee soldiers 
As sure as you are born.
When massa hears us shouting, 
He will think 'tis Gabriel's horn,
As we go marching on.




Whipping posts
Linsey-woolsey dress tied up the legs
Melted fat drips scalding scalp
Starvation
Rape
Rough sex
Rough coffin
Bloodhounds
Rat eaten
Raw
Lashed, bound 
Auction block
Ears boxed
Shackled, branded
Babes torn from mothers' breasts
Nipples torn from babes


As we go marching on
As we go marching on
As we go marching on

 Martine

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