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Open Poetry #31
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Underground Railroad
| Open Poetry #31 |
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Underground Railroad |
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Elizabeth Santos Member Rara Avis
since 1999-11-08
Posts 9269Pennsylvania 
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What made your little feet to fly The course of meadow, road and hill With sweat of terror on your face More swift than would a child’s pace Allow an eye to pass on by A lovely daffodil? What made your little heart to pound And fill your veins with gushing fear Through strange terrain, unknown and wild That showed no comfort to a child With calloused feet northeastward bound And silence in the ear ? In cat-like softness o’er the stream Through black of night a phantom lead The pitter pat of freedom feet That danced to freedom drummer’s beat But in a child’s nightmare seemed The feet ofliving dead No time to pause, no turning back The weak must stay, the strong must fend What made you run and run some more With weary bones and open sore Then squeeze through tunnels dark and black To reach a tunnel’s end? What made your little feet to fly Behind a mother’s ragged skirt And leave your footprints in the moss Along the streams you had to cross? Those little prints none could deny Were footsteps of a man You lost the hand that led you on In feather swiftness o’er the hills On life’s most dire and fragile trail With helmless ship and tethered sail. What made you linger there too long Among the daffodils? Elizabeth Santos |
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| © Copyright 2004 Elizabeth Santos - All Rights Reserved | |||
muted
since 2004-01-15
Posts 2949Elapsing, Eclipsing, Evolving |
this leaves me feeling sad  but its so sweetly melodic  |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Liz With this kind of point of view, history can be so poignant and real. You write with such sensitiviy and flair.  |
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Bonnie j Senior Member
since 2003-06-27
Posts 1588Ohio |
My heart cries for these running souls. The child born into fear. Beautiful write, but filled with such sadness. Love Bon-Bon  |
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Goodknight Member Elite
since 2002-06-15
Posts 2386Ohio, USA |
Liz - this is a very poignant and touching poem but very powerful also - there is a strong history of the underground railroad in the part of OH I live - you write it so very well - what fear and courage they all must have felt and had both the runners and the people who moved them - Paul |
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scorpio Member Ascendant
since 2002-10-02
Posts 5178right...there |
A captivating write. Poignantly portraying the fearful flight to freedom. believe in what your heart feels... |
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Youngatheart Member
since 2003-12-30
Posts 333 |
OMG....to have ever had to experience this....my heart is pounding so hard right now. This is a beautiful piece of sad truth...Excellent, Elizabeth Youngster |
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passing shadows Member Empyrean
since 1999-08-26
Posts 45577displaced |
 gosh |
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ethome Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858New Brunswick Canada |
Beautiful writing Elizabeth......Very poignant! Good to read your work again... Eric |
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