Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

OLD SLAVE WOMAN by JOYCE SIMS CARRINGTON

Poem Explanation

First Line: SHE IS LIKE A WRINKLED APPLE
Subject(s): AFRICAN AMERICANS; AFRICAN AMERICANS - WOMEN;
Old slave woman,
Tall and proud,
With eyes that have seen
The worst of man
And still not lost
Their shine.


You carry the weight
Of a thousand years
On your back,
The weight of a hundred
Broken dreams,
Of broken promises,
Of broken bones.


And yet you stand,
Tall and proud,
A symbol of strength
In a world that has
Done you wrong.
Your spirit is unbroken,
Your will unyielding,
And you remind us
That we too
Can rise above
The worst of man
And still not lose
Our shine.


Old slave woman,
Tall and proud,
Your legacy lives on
In the strength of
Those who follow
In your footsteps.




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