In My House
by Michael R. Burch

When you were in my house
you were not free—
in chains bound.

Manifest Destiny?

I was wrong;
my plantation burned to the ground.
I was wrong.

This is my song,
this is my plea:
I was wrong.

When you are in my house,
now, I am not free.

I feel the song
hurling itself back at me.

We were wrong.
This is my history.

I feel my tongue
stilting accordingly.

We were wrong;
brother, forgive me.

Published by Black Medina. Keywords/Tags: racism, racist, slavery, chains, plantation, burned, house, free, freedom, history, forgive, forgiveness, brother, brotherhood, understanding, tolerance, equality, justice

All these memories are full;
weighted down by iron bars
that lock and trap.
wrapping chains around me,
but I let them.

Too wild to be tamed,
Too alone to be sane,
but you looked at me
and you smiled-
oh god, you smiled.

Too scared of trying,
not understanding the meaning of family
until you took my hand
and I know what you're doing,
but by some miracle-
by some twisted miracle,
I let you.

You weigh me down now,
long after you're gone.
These chains never rust,
they never loosen.

I let myself be captured by your love.
And I'm still not sure if I regret it or not,
but you taught me how to feel.
And sometimes I wish you hadn't,
because these feeling that are inside me
are far from the malleable, soft thing that I've become.
Far from the person you turned me into.

They are sharp edges
and strong, unyielding walls.
They plunge me into a current
and I don't know how to swim.
So I take it all, floating along
without your guidance.

You taught me these things-
and then you left before you were done.
You've left me to smooth out the edges on my own
but you never taught me how.

We all have chains,
Chains that bind us to different things,
For some,
That involves being chained to other people,
For others,
It involves being chained to your emotions,
For me,
It was being chained to those who were close,
But that’s okay,
Because over time,
I broke those chains, and moved forward,
So can you,
You can break your chains,
Either it be through the rust of time,
Or through the constant pounding of breaking it,
And once you break your chains,
You too can move forward with your life.

Have you heard the ancient tales? A king summoned his slave, a man old and frail.

I am your King and you are my slave the King announced.
Not true the slave denounced.

How so said the King. I have 7 kingdoms of my own,
and all the people including you, answer to my throne.

Gluttony, greed, lust and pride, you are chained by your desires the slave explained.
Your desires rule over you, but my desires,
I am their master, complete freedom I have attained.

So you see son, I am a king of desire, while it is your master.

I am a King of your King, and you a slave of my slave.

Have you heard the ancient tales? A man old and frail.