by Jasmyne K. Rogers
Rustic front porches where the dreams of the ancestors
caress the hearts of those
who orate bold, unfiltered stories
that make scattered trees dance
to the rhythm of music
embedded in raspy, pain-stricken, electrifying,
soulful voices.
The sound of the wind reminiscent of black bodies proudly
beating Congo drums
in times of war and celebration
as spiritually hungry bodies revel
in the dark truths that give light
to freedom
as basement minds intertwine and engage
in a metaphorical slow dance
as each breath determinedly escapes
from the shallowness that confines the souls of black folks.
Scattered trees now giving form and dancing to the slow grooves
of the presence of the raspy, pain-stricken, electrifying,
soulful voices that
bellow from the rustic front porches where the dreams of the ancestors reside
in the bold, unfiltered, soul-searchin’ stories
that cognitively, spiritually, and physically
unites us
heals us
liberates us.
The voices are deeper now
painting the tarnished porches
penetrating our yearning souls
bellowing into our raging rivers
calming our black “see.”
The wind blows fiercely
as a NU Tribe of black bodies and souls
beat the Congo drums in a celebratory war
to orate our own stories,
our own truths,
in the presence of our present.
"Soul Black" highlights the significance of our ancestors' legacy and how their stories are innately embedded in our own narratives. This piece is featured in the first issue of Nu Tribe Magazine.
Photo: Shutterstock
Jasmyne K. Rogers is a graduate of Georgia State University and a native of Wilcox County, Alabama. She is a contributor for Nu Tribe Magazine, a bi-monthly digital magazine that caters to telling our stories our own way. Check out the first issue of Nu Tribe Magazine by downloading it to your Apple/Android device from the App Store ("Nu Tribe Magazine" in your respective search engine) or by visiting the website: www.nutribemagazine.com. You can also follow Jasmyne on Twitter: @poetic_jaszy.
