Edmond Poem by Ima Ryma

Eighteen hundred and forty one,
Edmond, a twelve year old boy slave,
Got vanilla plant beaning done,
And vanilla became a rave.
Edmond learned how to pollinate
The vanilla plant parts by hand,
Taught other slaves such consummate,
Vanilla sprouted o'er the land.
Edmond's owner did set him free,
For all the riches he had brought
From the vanilla industry -
Riches that Edmond never got.

Edmond got nothing from rich yields,
Dying poor near vanilla fields.