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Saturday, 24 December 2016

Monday, 19 December 2016

The Cotton Trail to Canada: An original work

The Cotton Trail to Canada
Poetry By Carter Cotton


Well, life was sure fine by th’ sugah pines on th’ Adams Farm, you know;
Back when Jeb Crow was but a young-un, roamin’ to an’ fro;
It all changed one day, on th’ fifth of May, back in 1829;
When a trader came up, an’ for him, paid ten dollars, less a dime.


‘Twas a mighty rough ride in th’ midday sun, with no shade, nary a tree;
Even to this day, that ol’ forsaken road is still straight as can be;
Upon passin’ a sign, they crossed th’ ‘Bama state line, into th’ antebellum south;
Young Jeb was so skeered, so unprepared, scarce a sound came from his mouth.


On th’ Butler plantation, th’ workload was hastenin’, ‘twas cotton plantin’ time;
Only thing to hear was th’ ringin’ an’ swingin’ o’ th’ metal wind chimes;
Then all a sudden, th’ silence was broken, by a crack so loud an’ mean;
It sent a deep gash right up Jeb’s back, so bloody, proud, an’ unclean.
********


Pickins were mighty slim, an’ Jeb got really thin in summer months, you know;
When ol’ Massa Butler, in th’ house with white columns, was takin’ it nice and slow;
Th’ cotton fields were hot as heck, at high noon, while the house was mighty cool;
What Jeb wouldn’t do for a sip o’ water, a patch o’ shade, or a dip in the slough.


One sultry night, a-tremblin’ with fright, Jeb wrestled demons as he lay;
Ponderin’ th’ abuse he’d face in th’ scorchin’ cotton fields e’ery day;
Pale as a sheet, on shakin’ feet, young Jeb started for th’ creaky door;
An’ slipped out o’ th’ pitiful shack;  ‘twas early on October twenty-four.

Two hours later at roll call, outside th’ crumblin’ shacks;
Jeb was ‘ported absent, Massa Butler blew his stack;
While th’ cottonmouths rose up from the swamps a-hissin’;
Jeb was tryin’ to find a peaceful place, a sanctuary in which to go a-missin’.


********


Now, the Massa’s bloodhounds were a-sniffin’ th’ dixie dust, a-followin’ Jeb’s trail;
When all a sudden, th’ menacin’ clouds opened up, bringin’ down buckets o’ hail;
A blessin’ for Jeb was a cuss for the hounds; the scent a-washed to kingdom come;
For ‘twas reachin’ th’ season when th’ rains come to reason, an’ miss darkness eats th’ sun.


********
Th’ promise land was a-nearin’ now, dixie but a distant memory;
Twenty days had passed; Jeb was all but drained o’ energy;
There lay a lake, so vast and deep, ‘twas o’ Erie fame;
Ne’er had Jeb been so relieved, so proud to hear one name.


On th’ north banks Jeb was free, an’ ready to start his life anew;
Far from th’ strife an’ white supremacy that th’ old south a-spews;
A gruelin’ journey o’ escapin’ th’ south took a lot o’ stamina;
Finally, now Jeb had some rights an’ a new home, in th’ fabled land o’ Canada.  




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