Dread Root

A brown skin, pig-tailed Girl
sits under the shade
of a GrandFather tree
a lap full of pecans
and a stare so deep
it travels beneath the
Tennessee Hills of
Mississippi's east

Burrowing
like a Nappy Headed Dread Root
every so often taking a peek
at the Apalaches it Travels through
Leaving a Pecan for the next trip

A boy Raven
language unknown
travels up a Bear's Mountain
searching for a Song
Culling up pecans
angled in the light
sitting on a branch
wishing he could fly

Gazing endlessly
into the blue Pantomime
he Leaps yonder
Certain in his mind
In Smokey Curtains of mountains
he's giving Rise
to Adirondack streams of Music
gamboling during flight

HELLO sons and daughters
with Red/Black faces

All Clay faces

Give voice to
The Raven
Sitting under the shade
of a GrandFather tree

Ricardo Nazario-Colon

View a video clip of Ricardo Nazario-Colon reading "We Raised You" (requires Quicktime)