"We is gathahed hyeah, my brothahs, In dis howlin' wildaness, Fu' to speak some words of comfo't To each othah in distress."
This is the first few lines of the musical poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar. I just had to read this first line and felt pulled into to this sermon like song. I could picture myself sitting out in a clearing, high trees surrounding me blowing in the wind. Sitting upon a makeshift log bench for this Sunday enlightenment or better yet encouragement to begin. I feel the energy through the voice of this poet, the energy of the preacher trying to bring hope and peace to his followers. It gives the people a reason to feel justified in their affliction. Here the biblical story of Moses is told, the Hebrew son who was raised by the Egyptians and led the enslaved Hebrews to freedom. The poem gives this story life and relevance through the language of the African-American slave, the preacher relates the story back to the plight of his followers’ enslavement.
"An' yo' enemies may 'sail you
In de back an' in de front;
But de Lawd is all aroun' you,
Fu' to ba'de battle's brunt.
Dey kin fo'ge yo' chains an' shackles
F'om de mountains to de sea;
But de Lawd will sen' some Moses
Fu' to set his chillun free"
The lines here are very specific to the pain of the slave of the south, he talks about the whipping that most slaves experienced, in utter humiliation they were brought here in chains and shackles like animals on parade. The sorrow of the slaves existence is felt in the first four lines, but then the end of this stanza...oh how hopeful....how comforting! I can only imagine how tightly the slave would have had to cling to this thought. That someday, somehow, this hell that was their life would end, that redemption would come.
The end of this poem in the last line talks about that redemption: "When we 'se reco'nised ez citiz'-" the people would finally be treated as equals...citizens...people! I know that we have come far as a nation in giving that freedom of equality to many, but oh how much more work there is to do. I still see the pain of prejudice everywhere I go. We should remember this poem and remember how many have died in this name. From them we can learn equality and still believe in the hopeful message:
"So you see de Lawd's intention,
Evah sence de worl' began,
Was dat His almighty freedom
Should belong to evah man"
