As we stand perched on the edge of a new month, this poem is dedicated to the brave souls who fought together as brothers and sisters in Jones County, Mississippi, dedicated to the proposition that each person is equal before the eyes of God.  To this, I say, Amen!

You Can't Own (A Child of God)
by Michael Romani

You can own a horse
And you can own a mule
These are givens, of course
Let it be said like burning fuel
You cannot own a child of the Lord
They will die holding freedom's sword

That the thing about history
Whether or not it's legendary
The past is never really dead
Rolling around hearts and heads
History is never really even past
Its traces linger on and last

You cannot own a child of God
I'll say it again no matter how odd
You cannot own a child of God
God's children live free until under sod
Hats off as we sadly bury our dead
Our tears echoing inside our heads

If you intend to even really try
I hope you're fully prepared to die
A good soul knows what is right
We are all precious in His sight
As children of God, we are prepared to fight
This is the truth brought to light

In this twenty-first century, it's odd
But I'll repeat, you cannot own a child of God
No; you cannot own a child of God
We will live free until buried under sod
Fighting to free our brothers and sisters in legacy
We stand firm in our portion of living history

These are the ways of simplicity
A person is a person without complicity
To deprive others from God given liberty
Is the sheerest wrong of immoral duplicity
Live free when we can; die if we must
It is in God that we place this sacred trust

(c) January 31, 2019  Michael Romani
All Rights Reserved