Song of the South
Freedom is just an illusion
Early on one frosty morn
I thought of Dixie
The place, not the cup
Dixieland
The idea and not the music
South of the Mason-Dixon line
Where everything changes
As you step over
I thought about her ghosts and
How they still surround us
Her legend, her lies, her cotton
Her slaves, her arrogance
I thought about blood and pain
About lost causes and defiance
Even in defeat
But the war isn’t over
Not really
People are still enslaved
With carrots and sticks
Wielded by others
Wielded by ourselves
We’re a nation of slaves
Given just enough to keep us going
But never enough to break free
Distracted, deluded, misdirected
Getting less and less significant
Less vital
Less “us”
Until we are nothing
And giants feast on our remains
About the Creator
Denise Shelton
Denise Shelton writes on a variety of topics and in several different genres. Frequent subjects include history, politics, and opinion. She gleefully writes poetry The New Yorker wouldn't dare publish.
Keep reading
More stories from Denise Shelton and writers in Poets and other communities.
A Busy Memory
There was sunlight skipping off the road, reflecting off of other cars, making it hard for me to know which way I was flying by. If not for focus, there's no telling where I would land. Maybe I wouldn't land at all but instead continue sailing into the sun, into the light that burns holes where my eyes used to be. I wonder how it would feel to burn up while on the way to something with mundane importance. One moment you could be full of purpose and then in the next, you are nothing more than a busy memory.
By Andi Leigh6 days ago in Poets
On Winning and Losing
Recently, the pleasant surprise of placement on the Vocal Bonus Leaderboard sent me down a rabbit hole. Now, rabbit holes are a pretty common place for me to spend time, but I don't always feel the call to write about them. To be honest, the thought of sharing some of them mortifies me.
By Dana Crandell3 days ago in Writers
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.