I sang you love songs
as they dumped us
together

amongst the cockroaches and rats
in the hole of the slave ship

I sang you love songs

when in that stinking hole

I helped you keep alive

for the new world fight to come

I sang you love songs
when they had us
on the auction block
and took you east
dragging me north

I sang you love songs

through my cries

of pain

begging you

please don’t ever forget

me

I sang you love songs
when they took me
for their concubine
and took you
for their stud

I sang you love songs
even when I ceased
to be their concubine
but you couldn’t stop
being their stud

I sang you love songs
when the backra-massa
threw us off our land
paid for

by our sweat and blood
together

I sang you love songs
when you said
‘if we can’t beat them
join them’

and took up with the backra-missis

I sang you love songs
when we got our heads
busted
together

demonstrating for the right
to speak to strike
to politicize
to organize

I sang you love songs

when you cried upon my breast

and I rubbed healing herbs

into your wounds

us both

forgetting

that my own insides were torn
and shredded with wounds

I sang you love songs
when we took up arms
against the enemy
to reclaim our dignity

I sang you love songs
even as you disclaimed
our child

conceived from your hasty seed
shot into my womb
on a one-day furlough

I sang you love songs
after the war

when we worked together
to rebuild a whole people
and a free country

I sang you love songs
when you said

I was no longer bright enough
or good enough
to attend the State dinners
you were now being invited to

I keep singing
you

love songs
even as hate songs
threaten to smother
my very soul

I sing you love songs
Black-man

so you can understand
that I want you
strong
beside me

Singing me love songs too.