Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE SONG OF THE PYRAMID-BUILDERS, by HARRY HIBBARD KEMP Poet's Biography First Line: We lived below the elephantine / in a papyrus-wattled village Last Line: And woe to him who flayed us! Subject(s): Buildings & Builders; Egypt; Pyramids; Slavery; Serfs | ||||||||
WE lived below the Elephantine In a papyrus-wattled village, And swung aloof the long shadoof Above our shelves of tillage. But Pharaoh came with swords and spears, To sound of flute and tabor: For many slaves had sought their graves, And he was short of labor. They marched us over leagues of sand, Away from wife and chattel, And grew we faint or made complaint They pricked us on like cattle. Then, 'neath the overseer's eye, And to the lashes' crackle, We heaved away from day to day With bar, and block, and tackle, And from our ears the blood gushed out, And cheeks grew ashen-hollow, And if we lagged or the taut ropes sagged The lash was sure to follow, And some of us fell with twitching loins And died of our endeavor And the lash forbore; we could no more If they beat on forever. So week by week they dragged us off, And bore us in a lighter Adown the Nile, poor carrion-pile; They soaked us well in nitre, And tossed us in the mummy-pit, Bones cased in skin like leather ... But, some great day, the prophets say, We'll all rise up together, And meet our slayers face to face Before the God who made us Then woe to him who crushed the limb, And woe to him who flayed us! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...JOY IN THE WOODS by CLAUDE MCKAY ELIZABETH KECKLEY: 30 YEARS A SLAVE AND 4 YEARS IN THE WHITE HOUSE by E. ETHELBERT MILLER EMANCIPATION by ELIZABETH ALEXANDER JOHN BROWN'S BODY by STEPHEN VINCENT BENET A SAILOR CHANTEY (ON BARK 'PESTALLOZI' OFF TRISTAN D'ACUNHA ISLANDS) by HARRY HIBBARD KEMP |
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