Who is that Woman

             WHO WAS THAT WOMAN?

                 BY BENJAMIN FOSTER, JR.

       I KNOW THAT WOMAN, YOU KNOW THAT WOMAN

      SHE WAS OUR GREAT ANCESTOR MOTHER IN THE SLAVE CABINS

      WORKING IN THE TOBACCO, SUGAR, AND COTTON FIELDS

      TOILING TO PRODUCE INDIGO AND RICE

    I KNOW THAT WOMAN

   TENDING THE SICK, FINDING MEDICINAL HERBS

   AND BEING THE BELOVED MID-WIFE

     WHEN WE WERE SICK, SHE MADE US WELL

YES, WE KNOW THAT WOMAN

  SHE TOLD US TO LEARN OUR LESSON AND DO OUR HOMEWORK, DESPITE THE BOOKS WITH MISSING PAGES

    SHE SAID EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT

     YES, WE KNOW THAT WOMAN WHO COULD BE SEEN NURSING HER BABIES

    SHE TOLD US THAT WE WERE AS GOOD AS ANYBODY AND A CHILD OF GOD

       YOU KNOW THAT WOMAN

   SHE MADE ALL HER CHILDREN FEEL SPECIAL

  WHO WAS THAT WOMAN?

  SHE MADE SUNDAY AND HOLIDAY MEALS INTO FEASTS, USING WHAT FOOD SHE HAD

   SAID WE COULDN’T LOSE WITH THE STUFF, SHE USED

    WHO WAS THAT WOMAN

SHE TRANSFORMED HER QUEENLY SELF AND COMMANDED ALL TO GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY.

I KNOW THAT WOMAN AND SO DO YOU.

SHE PRAYED FOR ME. DID SHE PRAY FOR YOU?

CLOSE YOUR EYES CAN’T YOU SEE THE ANCESTOR WALKING WITH A LOAD ON HER HEAD WITH

UNBENT BACK

  OH YES, I KNOW THAT WOMAN. YOU KNOW HER TOO

SHE IS OUR ANCESTORS, OUR MOTHERS WHO WHISPERED THOSE THINGS WE NEEDED TO HEAR