Black Independence (1972) Poem by St.Claire Redwood

His proud shoulders stooped and aching head bent,
The man looked at the earth beneath his feet.
Blood, sweat, tears and long years on this land were spent.
Man alive! No man won land without pain.

His beloved wife lay here at eternal rest.
On this very land they had met and wed.
They faced their hard life together with zest;
Life was cruel and the prce they paid, high.

The lush land before him was proudly his own
No man could have achieved more in his life.
This was his pride, his joy and his only home,
He knelt there on the dry red earth and cried.

His servant of many years watched in sorrow,
He knew the thoughts that tortured his master.
What would become of his great land tomorrow,
And Oh God! Why could a man not just die?