The Dark Times

The Dark Times
By Gabby Hultman
Abused.
Brutal beatings, I endured.
Corruption of society aided this cruelty.
Dangerous conditions threatened our lives,
Examples, we became, the punishment of stepping out of line.
Fields of cotton were the only places I would venture to.
Generations have suffered.
Hated throughout the country,
Injustice haunted our lives.
Judged by the color of our skin.
Killing our hopes, our dreams, our souls,
Longing for justice.
Music became a coping mechanism for our sorrows.
Religious beliefs became a shoulder to turn to.
Starving until my ribs showed,
Traded lives in turn for the wealth of whites.
Uneducated into having less worth.
Venomous treatment was all I’d endure.
Wasted, became our lives.
eXiled from meaning.
Yearning for the nation to care.