The Dark Ones
By: Esther Gyamaah Yeboah
The day they called me the dark one
Darkness settled on my heart
The same that thumped for him
The man who called me his
Only till they could drag me away
The day they called me the dark one
I threw my head back in anguish
Yes, ancient
I had always been called
But the day they called me the dark one
I cried
And then came the pain
From the whip, from their lips, from the dirty train
And then came the sorrow and the lonely road
To those witch camps
Yes I said it
After all, they call me the dark one
I have never seen darkness so deep, tangible
In all the hearts that called me the dark one
That mama will cradle me to her chest
That I was nothing more than another baby
Because they day they stood and called me the dark one
That day I died, long before the others joined me
The day they called me the dark one
I knew there was no way to explain, to defend myself
Why would I need to produce light when my bones are already arching
I am after all only ancient, and old sagging woman
And that is why they called me the dark one