FREE FROM BONDAGE

STAINED WITH TEARS AND BRUISED BY YOUR HANDS SORES AND ASH ARE SOME OF MY EMOTIONAL MEMORIES THE ACHES AND PAIN THAT ENDURE MY BODY ARE FROM THE YEARS I'VE WORKED AND SLAVED FOR YOU FROM SUN UP TO SUN DOWN I'VE GROOMED YOUR GROUNDS WITHOUT A THANK YOU OR WITHOUT PRAISE MY WIFE COOKED YOUR MEALS, BATH YOUR CHILDREN AND EVEN CLEANED YOUR HOUSE YOU MADE MY DAUGHTER YOUR WHORE AND MY SON, YOUR WIFE'S BLACK STALLION WITHOUT A THANK YOU OR WITHOUT PRAISE YOU REJECTED OUR FREEDOM OUR SELF WORTH YOU SCARED ME DEEPLY ABUSED BY YOUR HANDS I TRIED TO DENY WHAT HAS HAPPENED BUT AS I LOOK AROUND THERE IS NO VIEW OF AFRICAN LAND YOU ROBBED US OF OUR HERITAGE ALL THIS WITHOUT A THANK YOU OR WITHOUT PRAISE BECAUSE OF YOU I FEAR ANY BOAT RIDE AND WHEN I SEE YOUR KIND, I RUN AND HIDE YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME ANYMORE FOR I'M FIGHTING BACK FOR FREEDOM FOR THE FUTURE AND FOR MY DIGNITY YOU HAVE BEATEN US FOR THE LAST TIME YOU HAVE SOLD US FOR YOUR LAST DIME THIS IS OUR TIME TO STAND TALL AND STRONG AND YES WE ARE DOING IT WITHOUT A THANK YOU OR WITHOUT PRAISE WE ARE TAKING BACK WHO WE ARE BLACK, BEAUTIFUL, AND STRONG WE ARE NOW BEING THE KINGS AND QUEENS THAT WE ARE BUYING LAND, BUILDING HOUSES, OWNING CORPORATIONS WE ARE DOING THESE THINGS WITHOUT A THANK YOU OR WITHOUT PRAISE AS I LOOK AROUND YOU ARE NOW WORKING FOR US CLEANING FOR US, DRIVING FOR US, WORSHIPPING US WE ARE ACCEPTING THESE GIFTS FROM YOU AND WE ARE DOING IT WITHOUT A THANK YOU OR WITHOUT PRAISE FREE OF BONDAGE, NO MORE REPRESSION NO MORE DEPRESSION NO MORE WHIPS OR CHAINS ALL THIS WITHOUT A THANK YOU OR WITHOUT PRAISE


BY TON-ZAE SIMMONS