The BlueIris Semi-Nightly Break, 2/3/08

[BlueIris]

"The House Slave"

The first horn lifts its arm over the dew-lit grass
and in the slave quarters there is a rustling—
children are bundled into aprons, cornbread

and water gourds grabbed, a salt pork breakfast taken.
I watch them driven into the vague before-dawn
while their mistress sleeps like an ivory toothpick

and Massa dreams of asses, rum and slave-funk.
I cannot fall asleep again. At the second horn,
the whip curls across the backs of laggards—

sometimes my sister's voice, unmistaken, among them.
"Oh! pray," she cries, "Oh! pray!" Those days
I lie on my cot, shivering in the early heat,

and as the fields unfold to whiteness,
and they spill like bees among the fat flowers,
I weep. It is not yet daylight.

—Rita Dove

[ThomCat]

1. Thinking about American slavery

always makes me feel vaguely ill. It's horrifying to realize how brutal, how vicious, and how selfish people can be and yet still somehow think of themselves as the best people on earth.

We still have people living in servitude in this country, and it mostly gets overlooked.

And when poverty gets severe, a lot of people live in de-facto servitude just to survive. :(

When will we get past this flaw in our collective character?

[BlueIris]

2. Slavery as discussed in modern literature is a fascination of mine.

If you have any interest in the topic, please read Valerie Martin's "Property" ASAP. It's one of the best American novels in recent years (won an Orange Prize in 2003).

[ThomCat]

3. The next book on my reading list

is "Understanding Global Slavery" by Kevin Bales.

I will have to remember Property when I make my next big book purchase.

[BlueIris]

4. Kick.

[BlueIris]

5. Kick.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. My dear BlueIris...

This is so sad...

Beautifully put, though...

Thank you...

[BlueIris]

7. Sure thing. I'm kinda sad it's not getting that many views, but what did I expect

on Football Worship Day?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. sorry blue

just not in the mood tonight. here is a kick for it. I know you spend your time and effort and I do appreciate it. :kick:

[BlueIris]

9. Thanks, Tuesday.

[BlueIris]

10. Kick.